I have been very glad lately to see the progressives finally calling out the hypocrisy of members of the GOP holding Ayn Rand up as a foundational Republican thinker and claiming that it is the party of faith. This is a hypocrisy that should be pointed out. I am concerned however that progressive people of faith while pointing out this hypocrisy are unintentionally in the process demonizing atheists.
I think the youtube video Ayn Rand & the GOP vs. Jesus is an example of this. I have seen it widely distributed and have watched it a number of times. Each time it left me feeling uncomfortable. The video while trying to point on the hypocrisy has a tone that seems to fall into an us vs. them binary that borders on calling atheism evil. This is deeply concerning to me.
The truth is that while I have different views on faith than the atheists I have met, I have found some of my best allies and friends in the fight for social justice in the ranks of self-proclaimed atheists. The truth is that some of the most compassionate, caring and moral people I know are atheists. Atheism simply is not evil, it is an expression of belief. People of faith can find much common ground with those who adhere to know religion. I have gained much over the years from open, honest and respectful dialogue with my atheist sisters and brothers.
We must be careful and respectful. If we as progressives begin to demonize atheists we are no better than those who use the scripture as a weapon rather than to give life. We can disagree on issues of faith and still work together and live as neighbors. We must not stop pointing out hypocrisy like that we see in case of Ayn Rand and the GOP, but in doing so we must be careful not to create collateral damage.
When we go down the road of the us vs. them binary we are always in danger of hurting those who in no way deserve it. We must use our faith as a tool to unite and resist the temptation to use it to divide. I believe our faith calls us to nothing less.
The earliest Christians were often accused of being Atheists too, so today's compassionate Atheists are in good company I think!
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this, Chris.
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