Time to Think: Fundamentalism Creates Atheists -
By Dr. D. Paul Reilly:
Nassau, Bahamas -

Let me say at the outset here today, that I don’t personally believe there is such a thing as a ‘Genuine Atheist’, that is a person who supposedly doesn’t believe in God, in a Supreme Being, an Entity which created the entire universe and everyone and everything in it. Why do I say that, you may say? Because, I believe that every single person who was born is in fact extremely intelligent; it therefore logically follows, that it’s impossible in my estimation, for any intelligent person not to believe in a First Cause, in a Creator.

So, how can we have a whole bunch of people going around stating that they are Atheists? The answer, from my perspective, is that these people who refer to themselves as ‘Atheists’, are people who for the most part are completely turned off by the utter hypocrisy of religion. So, they rebel against religion and call themselves ‘Atheists’.

I have actually spoken to many who profess to be ‘Atheists’, and when you finally get them to open up and discuss their so-called beliefs, inevitably you’ll encounter a situation where the person is just completely turned off by the utter hypocrisy, of those who profess to be deeply religious. These people are simply rebelling against, in so many instances a Parent, who although they professed to be deeply religious, in effect lived a double life.

Some, very sadly have been molested as children by a Minister or Priest, thus they are extremely bitter toward religious authority figures, and when they grow up, quite understandably, want to have nothing whatsoever to do with religion. So they call themselves ‘Atheists’. But I honestly believe, that deep down within their hearts and souls, they still do believe in a God.

I watched an extremely interesting interview on Bloomberg T.V. the other evening. The program was ‘Night Talk’ with host Mike Schneider. His guest was now retired Bishop John Shelby Spong, who was on the show to promote his latest book ‘Jesus for the non-religious’. I have listened to this extremely intelligent and really genuine Man of God many times in the past, and I greatly respect his wisdom and his total honesty.

On the show with Mike Schneider he uttered the phrase which is in fact the title of this article. Bishop Spong said ‘Fundamentalism creates Atheists’. Oh how absolutely right he was. As I said earlier, religion itself and so many of it’s totally phony proponents, is what actually turns far too many people completely off religion, it creates a group of people who refer to themselves as ‘Atheists’. My oh my, how utterly destructive organized religion can be!

THINK ABOUT IT!

E-mail: dpr@humanri.com

13 September 2007