America doesn't need more god, it needs more atheists

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/03/kate-cohen-atheism/

I like to say that my kids made me an atheist. But really what they did was make me honest.

I was raised Jewish — with Sabbath prayers and religious school, a bat mitzvah and a Jewish wedding. But I don’t remember ever truly believing that God was out there listening to me sing songs of praise.

I thought of God as a human invention: a character, a concept, a carry-over from an ancient time.

I thought of him as a fiction.

...[VERY LONG SNIP]...

I understand that, to many people, this might sound difficult or risky. It took me years to declare myself an atheist, and I was raised Reform Jewish, I live in the Northeast, I’m White, I work at home, and my family and friends are a liberal bunch. The stakes were low for me. For some, I fully concede, the stakes are too high.

If you think you’d lose your job or put your children at risk of harassment for declaring your atheism, you get a pass. If you would be risking physical harm, don’t speak out. If you’re an atheist running for school board somewhere that book bans are on the agenda, then feel free to keep it quiet, and God bless.

But for everyone else who doesn’t believe in God and hasn’t said so? Consider that your honesty will allow others to be honest, and that your reticence encourages others to keep quiet. Consider that the longer everyone keeps quiet, the longer religion has political and cultural license to hurt people. Consider that the United States — to survive as a secular democracy — needs you now more than ever.

And the next time you find yourself tempted to pretend that you believe in God? Tell the truth instead.

Good article. I especially like the last few paragraphs.

 

[ElysianFields]

Here's an un-paywalled link:

America doesn't need more god, it needs more atheists

I fully agree with Cohen's assertion that many of the horrible things that humans impose on other humans have a basis in their religious belief system. Coincidentally, I also read Moms for Liberty, Extremist Group, and Moms for Liberty, Report from the Front Line this morning, which provide excellent examples of religion messing with our politics.

Like Cohen, I hope that atheists will become the majority in the U.S. and have widespread support for pointing out religion-based politics.

Cohen's call to atheists to out themselves reminded me of Harvey Milk's similar call to gay men as depicted in the film, Milk. I feel that once people realize that we atheists are taxpaying, child-rearing, lawn-mowing citizens like most everyone else, we'll be fully accepted as equals and deserving of the political power we seek.