Anonymous Atheism

Based on numerous global studies on atheism, about 7% of the world’s population are atheists. That means 93% believe in God, which means that there are about 7.5 billion believers on this planet. With such supermajority of believers in the world, why is our world such an ungodly place with inequality, injustice, hate, racism, sexism, fears and wars?

My answer: I think most of the so-called believers are actually anonymous atheists.

Anonymous atheists are those who believe in God intellectually, proclaim God publicly, and praise God profusely, but their behavior is far from godly.

They lack LOVE, the very definition of God. The Pharisees whom Jesus called hypocrites and described as “whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside,” and the religious leaders who “honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me,” are good biblical examples of anonymous atheists.

Terrorists who kill in the name of God, and televangelists who exploit people in the name of Jesus are modern day examples of anonymous atheists.

The opposite of anonymous atheism is avowed atheism. Philosophers like Bertrand Russel, Albert Camus, authors like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and comedians like George Carlin and Bill Maher are avowed atheists.

They deny the existence of God, and make no bones about their disdain for organized religions, but they seem to advocate for equality, justice, and compassion, and care about basic human rights.

I have more respect for these men than say, Vladimir Putin, who by the way, is an avowed Christian, showing off his religion with a golden cross around his neck — but the brutality he is currently unleashing on the Ukranians, and previously on the Chechnians, the Georgians, and the Syrians, and the murders he has committed — are remotely godly, let alone Christian. In fact they are brutally cruel and blatantly evil. I barfed when I saw him attending Easter Vigil Mas this year with a lighted candle in his hands. And I felt sorry for and angry at the Patriarch of Moscow who was officiating the vigil service.

But Putin is a staunch member of the Russian Orthodox Church, and his brutal wars are condoned and blessed by the Patriarch of Moscow.

Do you believe in God? If your belief doesn’t transform your life and manifest in your behavior as love, peace, joy, patience, kindness and goodness, you may be an anonymous atheist — religious affiliation notwithstanding!

(from Cosmic Kindergarten: Earthly Lessons for a Heavenly Life)