"become an atheist and save the world"

The world news at Mail Online recently posted a story on the violence which recently occurred in Jos, Nigeria, wherein some 500 Christians were slaughtered with machetes by Muslim rioters.  The Muslims claim that their attacks were “revenge” attacks due to the injustice they suffered at the hands of Christians and the predominately Christian government in Jos.  The conflict between the two religious groups is said to have been going on for quite some time now.

Such unrest and lack of peace in the world created by religious conflict is one of the reasons many people frown upon strict religious adherence.  Well known atheist author Christopher Hitchens, in his book God Is Not Great, has said that “religion kills.”  Another commented on the strife in Nigeria, saying, “…and all this in the name of god.  Become an atheist and save the world.”  The idea being that atheism will somehow rectify the unrest caused by scrupulous religious devotion.  And I must say, this commenter is indeed on to something, but is atheism the answer?

I completely agree with both Hitchens and the commenter on the mail online journal.  Religion has often been the seen cause of a wealth of injustice and conflict in our world’s history.  In turn, Hitchens and his atheist sympathizers assert that removing the “God factor” will create peace.  This seems plausible enough.  Does it not?  I mean, if people are warring over their differing beliefs in God, just remove God and then…problem solved.  Simple.

Well, as simple and plausible as it may seem, the move to atheism is not the answer to the problem.  Atheism and secularism have already been tried.  One need only look at the 20th century and see the Communist governments of Russia, Cambodia and China.  These countries rejected any kind of nationalized or traditional religion in favor of human reason and secularism.  Yet the violence and atrocities produced under these regimes was extensive.  The religious influence had been removed, yet conflict, violence and war continued.  Why is that?  Because when the “God factor” is removed, people will elevate something else in its place, as a way to obtain control and superiority over others.  The Nazi’s, for example, elevated race and ethnicity to a place of preeminence as a way to marginalize and crush the Jewish people.

Atheism’s removal of the “God factor” is not the solution.  Why?  Because, ultimately, it is not what we believe that inspires conflict, but its the human heart that expresses itself through those beliefs.  The human heart has a natural inclination toward self-centered, moral and spiritual superiority.  So, what’s the solution, if its not eliminating religion?

The answer is Jesus Christ.  Only when rightly seeing who Jesus is and what Jesus did, will humanity be able to find redemption from the strife and unrest caused by the selfish, sinful inclinations of the human heart.  How, you may ask?  It’s because Jesus was God come in the flesh.  Furthermore, as the God-man, he lived a perfect and sinless life, and he, alone, actually had preeminence and moral and spiritual superiority.  Moreover, he would have been in his right to crush sinful humanity under his mighty hand.  Nevertheless, he subjected himself under the injustice of humanity, as he died on a cross; all the while forgiving his enemies.  What’s more, he took upon himself, as a substitute, the very judgment of God that humanity incurred because of injustice and self-centeredness.

He did this so that all people, even his enemies, could be saved not by their good deeds, which we selfishly use to assert our superiority over others, but by his perfect righteousness.  This is what grace is – the loving act of Jesus to save sinners from judgment by taking on their sinful record and bestowing his sinless record to them by faith.  When a human embraces this idea of grace in the core of their being, they will be radically humbled.  For they will know that it is not by performing their religious duty that they will be saved, but by the sheer grace of another, namely, Jesus.  And such humility will, as with Jesus, move people to love their enemies and be an agent of peace towards those with whom they disagree.

Religion is not the problem, the human heart is, and it needs to be radically transformed and redeemed by the grace of Jesus.  Atheism does not save the world; Christ does!

Grace to you 🙂