On Atheists

Hello everybody, I'm dropping by to make another post. Hopefully this'll herald my return to the blog-world! (or it's just a 4am motivation thing.) Either way, here it goes.


The term "Atheist" is usually met with a certain level of disgust from theological circles. They're viewed as enemies of God, as unenlightened fools, a waste of a soul, and what have you. But... are they? Are they really just selfish wastes of space, or are they a necessary force?

First, let's define what an Atheist is. The stock definition is "One who doesn't believe in God." However, practicing Buddhists would fall under this label, lumped together with the people who crusade against Christianity. Obviously, this definition needs a bit of revision. The one I've settled on is "One who says this world is all that there was, is, and will ever be." This definition keeps the trappings of Atheists (no afterlife, no God, no soul, et al) yet excludes any nihilistic faiths, such as Buddhism.

Because Atheists don't have any authority besides materialistic ones, they act as they please. Some indulge whimsically in illicit sex, carnivorous delights, mind-altering substances, and so on. They have no reason for helping somebody other than the rewards such an action would promise and the feel-good mood our baser, socialistic programming grants. That's more or less the image conjured up by the word "Atheist," and they've been described as "toxic," "evil," and "demonic."

Sadly, an Atheist's good qualities are often overlooked, due to their demonization. What people either miss or ignore is their dedication to reason and logic. To them, next to nothing is taken on faith. Everything must have a logical and sound basis and understanding. How's that relevant to Suras? Well, it's simple. Atheists provide a check against ideological corruption. Take, for example, the desi-centric nature of Hinduism. Yes, the events and myths recorded do take place in India. Yes, the Vedas are written in Sanskrit, and the culture is firmly rooted in the region's native customs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those facts. However, there is a not-so-small segment of society that has taken it a step too far. They've declared Hinduism to be an ethnically-exclusive faith. If you aren't a full-blood, born Indian, then you're excluded from the blessings and teachings of Hinduism. The best a non-Indian can hope for is to hit the karma jack-pot and be born as an Indian. You may think I'm kidding, but I'm not. They have an entire racial/spiritual hierarchy mapped out (With them sitting on top of it all, of course!).

So, how do Atheists have any relevance? Shouldn't disciples be able to challenge them, and tear down such an abomination? Well, they should. But they don't. It's a sad thing to see, but some non-Indian Hindus actually willingly subscribe to this backwards system. Their position as a devotee clouds their minds, so they never think to challenge the unfair system. Atheists aren't hampered by any such bias. Using a few logical, well-thought-out arguments, they easily topple such a barbaric system. Similarly, they do the same "cleansing" process for nearly everything else they come into contact with. They'll find something and argue and question it, which forces a devotee to respond with something more than simple blind belief. Some things are easy to answer, such as the caste system, but others are a lot more profound, such as trying to explain how Krishna, Kali, and a rock are really all the same. By virtue of having such a fundamental conviction questioned, reasoned through, and vocalized, the devotee learns more about themselves, their faith, and ultimately God.

So, all in all, Atheists are a mixed bag of nuts. You certainly have the Demons who take full advantage of immunity to divine retribution, but at the same time you have the nice ones, who are nicer than some "Theists," and actually help spread Dharma and faith with their gentle questioning and dedication to reason.

Well, that's all for tonight.

Naa Varain!