A few days before the election Erick Erickson wrote a diary entry called "50,000 Feet Looking Down". Kossack pollwatcher wrote a dairy about it, as did a few others. It's basically a doom and gloom piece where he talks about how the election doesn't really matter and we'll do it again in a few years and blah blah blah.
But full week after reading Erick Son of Erick's piece it's still bothering me and I just have to get a few things off my chest. See, I believe the way Erick and many other people think about their religion is a big obstacle to making progress in the world today.
Let me start off by saying that this diary is NOT about attacking religion in general. As you can tell by the title I am an atheist, but that does not mean that I don't support your right to your beliefs. I am generally inclined to sort of say "Hey, whatever gets you through the day". What I am bothered by is a religious mindset that I see as incredibly destructive. Let's look at a few quotes from Erick's piece:
My world view is pretty simple. I think this world is destined to go to hell in a hand basket by design. I think things are supposed to go to pot. So if Barack Obama wins, I won’t be upset. If Mitt Romney wins, I won’t be running through the streets cheering. I think, either way, it is all part of the design. The world is going down hill. Barack Obama re-elected just gets us down the slippery slope faster in my view. For others, it is Mitt Romney who does.
God is sovereign and He is in charge and He will return. That is my hope and my ever present expectation.
Don’t confuse me with a fatalist and don’t confuse me with someone who does not really care about the future of our nation. I think we are the last best hope of mankind on this planet. But my destiny is not tied to this planet
God is sovereign. And whether you are for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, set your sights on God, not November 6th, and be happy. In four years, we really will do this all over again whether right now you think so or not. There is no permanence except in Heaven.
After reading this stuff, suddenly Erick's political views start to make sense, and it is something I see far too often. After all, why would you care about this world and the suffering of the people in it if you think that god's plan is for the world to "go to hell". Why would you work to better the world if you think your "destiny is not tied to this planet".
As an atheist I don't believe in heaven or other heavenly planets or whatever the fuck Erick is talking about. This world is all I've got, and It's all I'm ever going to have and I want it to be a better place RIGHT NOW.
I want to be happy in this life and I know I never can be as long as there is so much needless suffering, death, destruction, and injustice in the world. So I would say that atheism provides me with an urgency, a "fierce urgency", if you will, to make sure that this world, this life, this society is the best it can be for everyone. Because everyone having a fair shot at a good life is, I believe, the closest I'm ever going to get to heaven.
Erick on the other hand sees this world as transitory, maybe punitive, and just a stop on the way to the real destination. So whatever, fuck it. It'll all be good in the sweet sweet afterlife.
Again, I know not all believers think this way. I know there are tons of believers who do care and are involved, but I see this enough that I just had to get this off my chest, that's all.