We keep hearing that people discover a better way to live in secular humanism. Their way is so much better than blind dogmatics and the dead-end of Christian beliefs. It’s more moral and more loving.
Now, there is no doubt in my mind that there are many secular humanists and atheists that are far more loving and kind than some Christians. And vice versa.
But, apart from the horror of what’s been happening in Afghanistan, the question that has been on my mind over the last two weeks is, ‘What could an atheist say to the Taliban?’
This question has gnawed at me because of the following extended quote from the excellent book Confronting Christianity, written by Rebecca McLaughlin.
"In 2012, Duke philosophy professor Alex Rosenberg addressed a series of questions from an atheist perspective in The Atheist’s Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions:
Is there a God? No.
What is the nature of reality? What physics says it is.
What is the purpose of the universe? There is none.
What is the meaning of life? Ditto.
Why am I here? Just dumb luck.
Does prayer work? Of course not.
Is there a soul? Is it immortal? Are you kidding?
Is there free will? Not a chance!
What happens when I die? Everything pretty much goes on as before, except us.
What is the difference between right and wrong, good and bad? There is no moral difference between them.
Why should I be moral? Because it makes you feel better than being immoral.
Is abortion, euthanasia, suicide, paying taxes, foreign aid, or anything else you don’t like forbidden, permissible, or sometimes obligatory? Anything goes."
This is stark. But it is also the truth. Professor Rosenberg has laid out the logical implications of a world in which ultimate reality is whatever physics says it is. This is the logical and rational position of atheism.
So, in light of that, what does an atheist have to say to the Taliban? Nothing. Not even a nope.
Think about it. According to atheism, there is no moral difference between right and wrong, good and bad. So, if a Taliban soldier shoots a child protesting against their regime, there is no moral difference between that and having a cup of tea. Or, if a Taliban soldier wants to live according to his morals, taking a child bride of just 12 or 13, he should do that because it makes him feel better rather than this act being immoral.
What can an atheist say to a Taliban soldier, the Taliban army or the Taliban government? Based on professor Alex Rosenberg's clear and logical presentation of the moral framework that arises in a world in which the ultimate nature of reality is just physics, the answer is ‘Anything goes.’
Does this match up with your understanding of reality? The true nature of reality is that anything goes?
Thankfully Jesus taught us that the true nature of ultimate reality is a loving God, of justice and mercy who is profoundly other person centred.
Page 69 of Confronting Christianity.
Page 2-3 of The Atheist’s Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions.