The truth about atheism

Junior Jackson Vassighi's eyes scan the pages as he flips furiously through his notebook during lunch, looking for the quote to prove his point. The notebook, filled with religious passages and facts he has compiled that express an uncertainty about God, has become almost an obsession. "If one day I discovered something in these writings that gave concrete proof of [God's] existence, then I would believe in God," he says.

Vassighi is one of the many Americans today who has chosen to identify himself as an atheist.

Approximately 4.4 percent of the world's population subscribes to atheism according to The Universal Almanac (1990). Atheism is the absence of belief in a God of any kind, and contrary to popular belief it is not a religion. An informal Silver Chips survey of 100 students on Oct. 27 revealed that 51 percent of Blazers have been raised religiously, but 17 percent do not believe in God.

Atheists feel that their views are more than a denial of a God; for them, atheism is also way to find new purpose and meaning in life without confining themselves, or their beliefs, to a set of rules.

Losing the faith

There are various reasons why some Blazers have chosen to abandon the concept of God. Sophomore Samantha Lenox grew up in a household devoid of structured religion and feels she has been an atheist all her life. "My parents' beliefs reinforce mine. I have never tried to find God, and I don't see the need to," she says.

Junior Marvin Arnold describes his path towards atheism as a gradual progression that was essentially a culmination of his "seize the day" beliefs. "I think that God is something humans create because they need an escape from reality," he says.

Vassighi is skeptical as well. "I'm not strong enough to live on faith," he admits. "I need something concrete, such as knowing the sun will rise the next day."

For many Blazers, their adoption of atheist beliefs has been a result of an emotionally intense experience, such as a death in the family.

Growing up in a Muslim and Christian household, church was a weekly ritual and religion a significant part of Vassighi's life. However, the death of his father in 1993 was a defining moment that solidified his doubts and pushed him to question the existence of any higher power.

Similarly, junior Michael Benfield has considered himself an atheist since the passing of his own father two years ago. Even before the tragedy Benfield had doubted God's existence, but his father's death affirmed his atheistic beliefs. "If God did exist, things would be better. [God] wouldn't let random things happen to people for no reason at all," he says.

Quick fix

Comparative Religions teacher Cherie McGinn has always been aware of atheism among her students, but says that it is often a temporary belief. McGinn feels atheism can often be a "quick fix" for students who are still searching or need a way to declare their independence.

"It's easier to say 'I don't believe in God' than to say, 'I believe in this," McGinn explains. According to McGinn, most people who claim to be atheists are probably agnostic, or people who do not believe God's existence can be proved either way. "It takes a strong level of commitment and understanding to be a true atheist," says McGinn.

Junior Flora Lucini is well aware that her atheist beliefs may be temporary. After being a Wicca for the past several years, Lucini has been left frustrated with religion and all her unanswered questions. "Atheism is a transitional period when you don't believe in anything and you don't attach yourself to any [religion]," says Lucini. "I am trying to not associate myself with anything at the moment."

But some atheists, like Vassighi, claim it to be a permanent belief until they can prove God's existence. His mother initially encouraged Vassighi to experience other religions, but now she chooses to ignore his atheist beliefs, excusing it as a phase. He insists it is not.

"Hi, I'm your atheist friend"

According to McGinn, because of the negative association often made with rejecting God, atheists are subject to discrimination and verbal attacks from others. There is a constant demand for atheists to defend their beliefs, as their religious counterparts frequently challenge them.

Lenox, for example, has had experiences in which her peers have purposefully introduced her as their "atheist friend." "If they have religious parents, they want to make a scene, and then I have to explain myself," says Lenox.

Many atheists choose to educate themselves on religion, to be preparing themselves for criticism and debate. "Really serious atheists that I've known know the Bible better than I do. They look at the Bible as a history book, and not a very accurate one," says McGinn with a laugh.

McGinn herself has never witnessed anger between a religious person and an atheist, but she has occasionally seen aggravation "because a student just can't understand how somebody does not believe in an ultimate power."

Filling the void

For these students, atheism seems to create an emptiness that can only be filled with religion. "Being an atheist creates a void in your life. You have no answers, you have no reason why, and you have no purpose in life. Religion provides that for people," Vassighi admits.

By contrast, Arnold feels that atheists still have a purpose in life—they just don't follow God's agenda. "If religion was a glass, it would be filled with milk," he explains. "But if atheism was a glass, it would be empty, and you could fill it with whatever you want."

According to McGinn, almost half her students have told her that they are questioning the religion they grew up with, or are searching for a more appropriate fit. "Religion has a function in people's lives. For some scientists, science fills that place, and for some politicians, politics fills that place," she explains.

Lenox, however, stopped searching for a purpose long ago and prefers to live in the moment. "I have chosen to not seek answers. People who are religious want to believe something is out there. I just don't want to find out," she says.