It is apparent that the author of Tuesday’s Letter to the Editor, “Atheism must also face trials,” does not have a clear understanding of what atheism is. The author’s claim that atheism is “America’s most popular new ‘religion’” is both wrong by definition and through his false generalizations. Atheism is simply the refusal of belief in a supernatural deity. No atheist dedicates their existence to pleasing a god or looks for positive assistance in life by praying to one. There is a general feeling among believers that religion is exempt from criticism for no other reason than “because it is.” In the case of Islam, the criticism for the violence and intolerance some of its followers have displayed is rightly deserved. That is not to say that all Muslims are violent and intolerant of other religious factions. However, whether one agrees with whether or not certain atrocities committed by Muslims are justified, they remain acts committed in the name of religion.
Atheists only want to bring awareness to scientific fact that is inexplicably rejected by the majority of the world and to show that it is OK to say that you don’t believe in a supernatural being. In “Atheism must also face trials,” the author claims that atheists must pay their dues so that they can “reap the rewards of their belief.” First of all, what rewards do atheists receive for being an atheist? Most importantly, though, why should atheists have to prove the validity of our stance when it is supported through science? Believers should be the ones to bear the burden of proving why their individual religion correctly explains the story of the universe and why it is superior to every other religious interpretation in human history.