La république de la vertu

A dear friend of mine often says that he's an atheist because he can't believe, implying that he wishes he could. I'm not appalled by supernatural, I could even say that I have a soft spot for mythologies and fantastic elements in literature. I am an atheist because I don't need any god.

Also, I don't think that human beings made up religions and gods for they feared death or wanted an explanation of the mysteries of the universe.

I think they created them so they'd have something sacred and untouchable, and thus, according to some bizarre cosmic balance, they could do anything, touch anything else, destroy anything including their kind.

In a way, venerating gods allows vices and the worst behaviours, not because gods in question permit so– sometimes they do but most of the time they are supposed to forbid crimes and sins–no it's because it reinsures men about their finiteness. It gives mankind bounds. The most destructive and violent people are often the most devout, whatever their religion is. We can indulge in harm and wicked ways provided we still have something that is beyond us, above us, unattainable. The sacred.

Such gods used to be ancient principles, immortal entities, revered spirit of the dead, then came the time of the omnipotent demiurge who moved in mysterious ways, and ruled over three religions. Calvin even put it farther, out of reach, with the theory of predestination. That god still works nowadays under various masks (sorry Nietzsche), but other religions appeared in modern times. Some, like Nazism, have failed; others expanded undercover.
Lately the gods of free market messed up– those are really flawed like Greek gods used to be and just as unchanging and unrivalled. People are greedy, selfish and self-destructive, but the gods, as imperfect as they are, keep on ruling the world and they can't die, can they?

I've come to the conclusion that, basically, religion and morality are mutually exclusive. So my atheism has nothing to do with materialism, and everything to do with ethics, and probably with a little bit of ego.