If there were no God, there would be no atheists
—G. K. Chesterton (Where All Roads Lead, 1922)
Where would Dawkins be without Jesus’s extraordinary impact on the Western world?
Quite a bit poorer, for one thing
—John Cornwell (The Times, 9-1-07):
Yet, again atheists are complimenting Christianity by exclusively expressing belligerence against Christians.
Ariane Sherine (of the most belligerent atheist money wasting bus ads fame) has edited a book corroborated upon by various atheists. “The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas” seeks to suck the last remnants of Christ from Christmas whilst comforting atheists who choose to reject the Christ of Christmas but still feel lonely or excluded during a time of celebrating Christ.
I am a strong supporter of such endeavors but always end up disappointed. For example, when Dan Brown sought, via The Da Vinci Code, et al, to discredit Christianity I thought that it was great as I could not wait for him to seek to next discredit Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Atheism, etc. (and no, his new book “The Lost Symbol” is not merely about Freemasonry but about how Christians are actually worshipping an Egyptian god).
Thus, I eagerly await, “The Atheist’s Guide to Ramadan,” “The Atheist’s Guide to Hanukah,” “The Atheist’s Guide to Kwanzaa,” “The Atheist’s Guide to the Solstice,” “The Atheist’s Guide to Halloween,” “The Atheist’s Guide to Zarathosht Diso,” “The Atheist’s Guide to Vasant Panchami,” etc., etc., etc.
For some odd reason, many atheists complain that Christmas is merely a commercial enterprise. Point taken even though 1) that is a personal choice and 2) if Christmas helps our world economy then, you are welcome.
But what is “The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas”? It is about Christmas as an exclusively commercial enterprise finally deprived of any of its original Christ related intent—first besmirch Christ and then rake up your Christmas presents.
While studies consistently show that atheists are the least charitable amongst us or rare occasion they experience what Richard Dawkins would refer to as “misfirings, Darwinian mistakes: blessed, precious mistakes.”[1] This refers to altruistic acts such as the auctioning of a signed poster with proceeds going to a UK HIV charity.
Richard Dawkins, Derren Brown, Simon Le Bon, Ben Goldacre, Charlie Brooker, Simon Singh and other contributors to “The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas” signed an original atheist bus campaign poster, the one reading, “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
While I certainly say “Mazel tov!” it is rather odd that even whilst being charitable they cannot go without expressing prejudice. Why not sign a poster stating, “We are atheists, here is some money,” or some such words? Perhaps George Costanza’s “The Human Fund: Money for People”?
Why resort to belligerence even whilst being charitable? Well, because atheism, particularly at the popular level of instant celebrity via expressing prejudice, is necessarily premised upon negative assertions—it is atheism as anti-theism.
“If there were no God, there would be no atheists” and no donations to the HIV charity. “Where would Dawkins be without Jesus’s extraordinary impact on the Western world?” he may have to reach into his own pocket in order to be charitable instead of signing a belligerent and fallacious statement and letting other be charitable by purchasing his signature—a cult of personality indeed.
Richard Dawkins: the “cultural Christian”
[1] Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion (Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006), p. 221