I find it rather disheartening that in 2011, a man with the talent, wit and philosophical depth of Christopher Hitchens passed away and the facet of his live that so many have chosen to focus on is his outspoken atheism. Yes, he was loud and proud about his non-belief. But that atheism is so remarkable in this day and age that it eclipses his skill as a writer and thinker is dismaying to me.
As I’ve mentioned here before, I was not raised in a religious household. My parents were happy to provide us with the basic ideas of Christianity, but we did not go to church. Perhaps this is why I simply cannot understand the impulse of belief. I remember other children describing their Sunday School lessons to me and just not understanding why anyone would believe it. I find moral guidance in empathy with other people. I find fellowship in family, friends, even coworkers. I find purpose in myself, the support of those I love, my talents and inspirations. I find solace in the beauty and complexity of the world as we know it, and fascination with the discovery of new theories for things we don’t know. I have never in my adult life truly felt a compulsion to believe in anything supernatural. I’ve never come face-to-face with a problem so great I’ve felt a need to consult a higher power for aid. I’ve never had a question in my life where I’ve needed a God to help me find an answer.
And now that I’ve seen Christopher Hitchens face cancer, decay and an agonizing battle against the inevitable without once succumbing to the path of least resistance and greatest catharsis, I feel relatively sure there is no dilemma so great that will ever turn me to faith.
I understand why religion exists. We are social animals but also scheming ones, a dangerous combination in some cases. There was a time when, in order to be safe from predators and warring tribes, moral codes needed something more than the enforcement of a tribal leader to be taken seriously. In a superstitious time, the threat of a vengeful God kept people from doing things that were understood to keep a community in control. This control kept the community producing the things that kept a society prosperous in the face of enemies and uncontrollable elements.
To keep a society safe, it needed numbers and structure. It needed women to have and raise babies and men to preside over strong family units. It needed to have trust among its members to not steal or kill. It needed a social contract that provided incentive against doing things that people would do, if acting on pure self-interested instinct. Enter God. And eventually, heaven and hell. Burgeoning cultures needed an entity that enforced the codes that kept civilizations prosperous, profitable and safe. Perhaps this is why we’ve had such a difficult time keeping the church and state separate. In its previous incarnations, the church WAS the state. It was the law.
But much as our progression up the hierarchy of needs allowed us to invent God to keep ourselves in line, our summit to the very top has allowed us to question God’s relevance. Our world is so different now. Women, freed from perpetual childbirth, childrearing and pregnancy now not only contribute to society’s success but lead, manage and strategize it. Same-sex relationships no longer threaten the society’s growth and “safety in numbers.” Marriage is no longer necessary for building a society’s stability and population. Religion tells us these progressions are transgressions and we must return to the order we once knew. But I see it differently. We built societies based on these moral codes and their success enabled us to come to the point we are at now. But I seriously think that the concept of God has taken us as far as it can. And that clinging to it now only keeps us from reaching the next level of our magnificent, unique evolution.
