Being employed in Utah in the build up to the 2002 Winter Games one of my responsibilities was to monitor news outlets for information that could impact my companies ability to do business (particularly since 2 of our facilities were adjacent to Olympic facilities.) Because of that need to monitor the media I registered for the daily Fox News e-mail, my inbox has suffered since. Normally I delete them without ever looking at them, but today the headline caught my eye, intrigued I opened it to read the headline story: Is Atheism a Growing Trend in the U.S.?
Now, I would have thought that since this was the headline story it would have been above the fold. Sadly, No! (any resemblance to that phrase and the website by the same name is intentional) The story was superseded by the traditional "Missing White Woman" story that they seem to specialize in. A story so important that it even trumps "Progress in Iraq’s Anbar Provence." A lovely tale about Major Mendonca and Fox’s intrepid reported David Mac Dougall, and how comfortable they are walking the streets of Ramadi, in Kevlar (the helmet for non-military), body armor, firearms, and at least a squad of soldiers (probably much more, but we wouldn’t want to tout that now would we)
Anyway, I finally find my way to the "Headline Story" and who is the "Fox expert/reporter" bringing me this story. Why of course, its Father Jonathan Morris, who wanted to make sure we all knew he wasn’t the Catholic priest arrested with Jesse Jackson. (like that’s a bad thing?) Thankfully the good father was able to quickly allay my fears that we atheists were running rampant. Instead I am informed that it’s only in the publishing world that atheists are run amuck. Mostly he was there to pan the book "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. I haven’t read it, in fact until this story I hadn’t heard of it.
The good father, and his Fox hosts, felt that we atheist must simply "suffer our atheism." Basically, he feels that we atheists should just shut up and sit in the corner, no proselytizing our atheism. (my interpretation, not his words).
He also felt the fad was due to "Outspoken Athiests" who were going beyond their "scientific field," in declaring that there is no God. What it was is a thinly veiled attack on science. If you are a scientist you are unqualified to have a position on the existence of God. You know, not unlike a Catholic priest being qualified to lecture on what we atheists think/believe, or how we came to those conclusions of personal belief.
Frankly, I see little connection between science and atheism. Yes, many use a somewhat scientific process in their exploration of personal belief and come to the conclusion that there is no "proof" of God, therefore they will not believe in God. Many more use the same or similar processes and come to different conclusions. Personally, and I am the only atheists I can truly speak for, Science had little to do with my personal conclusions about God. I know people who work in the sciences, a geophysicist, a chemist, and an anthropologist, all of them believe in a God. All of them can quite successfully practice their scientific skills and come to the personal conclusion that a God exists, a conclusion without conflict. I don’t belittle them their belief, just as they don’t belittle me my belief.
In this report and the good Father, felt it necessary not only to belittle me and my personal belief, but also those who do not subscribe to a more fundamentalist view that the Bible is 100% accurate and world is only 6000 years old. No one in the interview said that, but as you listen to the interview and their skepticism toward any science you cant help but think on the 6000 year rule. After all, there must be a God because there is an eye, and an eye could not evolve in 6000 years.
For those with faith in a God, I respect your conclusion, even if you’re a fundamentalist because it is your conclusion. I don’t care if you believe in the "Flying Spaghetti Monster." My belief is different, and many people of faith I know are different from that fundamentalist point of view, and some aren't even Christian. They see where a God could create a heaven and earth and not conflict with science, after all who’s to say a Gods 6 days are our 6 days.
What I find offensive about this story (beyond it simply being Fox News) is that they discuss atheist and their beliefs and practices, but they don’t talk to any atheists, or even an agnostic. They go to a priest, because God knows a priest is qualified to speak about what atheists are thinking. Oh, yes, I see the irony in the last statement ;)