From my religious discussion group, one time (it might’ve been two weeks ago, but I just haven’t gotten around to discussing it), we started talking about hope. My mentor insisted that in this religious harmony thing we’ve been trying to broker, believing in God and having a religion must be “better” than not beleiving or not having a religion. As I’ve written previously, however, if his or anyone else’s idea of religious harmony simply scapegoats atheists, then it isn’t very harmonious at all.
Anyway, I treid to tease from him (and some of the others) why he would believe that. And he said, “I just don’t see any reason for atheism. It seems like a waste. To believe in nothing. There is no hope.”
While of course, I made sure to point out that atheism isn’t believing in nothing…rather, it is not believing in gods and divinity…but I thought about his point. What is it about hope?


