Michael Newdow's Religion
by Hans Zeiger
Every man has a god. Michael Newdow is his own god and that is a matter of his free choice. He is, to himself, the highest thing there is. I have in recent days been carrying on a correspondence with Mr. Newdow, who achieved notoriety for attempting to incite judicial tyranny against "under God" in the pledge of Allegiance.
I have contended to him that to dismantle the principle of "one nation under God" is to prepare our nation for the most cruel and violent of despotisms. If atheism were not a religion, it would not have a tyrannical effect. But Mr. Newdow concedes that it is a religion.
Mr. Newdow's belief system may be summarized in his own words: "I adhere to a religion. My religion denies the existence of any god ... My religious worldview is atheism." What conclusions can we draw from this profession of faith?
First, atheism is a religion. Most atheists deny this; Mr. Newdow freely admits that his "general view of the universe and man's relation to it" constitutes a religion.
I won't even pretend to know in what context Newdow made those comments and whether or not he might have been speaking metaphorically. Even if he wasn't... just because Newdow decides he wishes to call atheism a religion does not, indeed, mean that it is a religion. If I decided to call my dish washing machine a car, I would still have difficulty riding it into work (or church, as it may be). For further elucidation of the subject, I consulted dictionary.com.
god
1: the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions [syn: God, Supreme Being]
2: any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force [syn: deity, divinity, immortal]
3: a man of such superior qualities that he seems like a deity to other people; "he was a god among men"
4: a material effigy that is worshipped as a god; "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"; "money was his god" [syn: idol, graven image]
- Dictionary.com
1: the supernatural (beep!) Supernatural! Not atheistic! Next please…
2: any supernatural (beep!) Supernatural! Not atheistic! Next please…
3: a man of such superior qualities that he seems like a deity to other people; "he was a god among men" While I have met many men who have claimed to have such superior qualities, I have yet to meet one that I’d call “deity-like” (no matter how much he begged). Next please…
4: a material effigy that is worshipped as a god; "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"; "money was his god" [syn: idol, graven image] While many people in general seem to have adopted the TV has such an object, I know from personal experience that this is not universal, among atheists or otherwise. Next please…
… wait, there aren’t anymore. Let’s take a look at religion:
religion
1. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
2. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
3. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
4. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
5. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
- Dictionary.com
1. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural> (beep!) Supernatural! Not atheistic! Next please…
2. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. Refers to 1. Still not relevant to atheism. Oh well. Next please…
3. The life or condition of a person in a religious order. (shrugs) We have yet to establish that atheists belong to a religious order. Next please…
4. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual (beeeepppp!) You’re getting sick of the beeps by now, right?
5. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion. (cough) I can think of quite a few activities that I certainly pursue with both zeal and devotion that would certainly not qualify as religious, some of which would make Pat Robertson’s toes curl. Come now… zeal and devotion aren’t quite enough to constitute religion… (if they are, want to come worship with me?)
I'd also like to point out that dismantling "the principle of 'one nation under God'" doesn't seem likely to throw us into "the most cruel and violent of despotisms" (points for melodrama AND a big word though!). After all, we managed just fine before such phrases were merrily plastered all over our money (1837/1956) and inserted in the pledge (1954).
Back to the article…
Second, every man has a god, whether he accepts it or not. Mr. Newdow, like most atheists, would deny that he attributes divinity to anything at all. But there is something high above all else in our lives, whether it is our self or our wealth or our Maker.
(raises eyebrows) Really? Because I feel pretty balanced. Perhaps mockery of ridiculous statements is that "something high above all else" in my life. How am I supposed to resist it though when you make it so eaaaasy. You’re tempting me into false devotion! (grumbles at Hans Zeiger)
It is the first element of self-government that men have a relationship with their god. This cannot be written into our national constitution - as Mr. Newdow has reminded me it is not - because it is already inscribed in the constitution of our souls. If we exist, we are sure to serve our god, be it the Living God or something else.
(blinks)
(glances at soul)
(sees no writing)
(blinks again)
(shrugs and goes back to reading)
Third, the atheist attitude that denies a god in the loosest sense of the word leaves open the door for the worst kind of god in the strictest sense of the word. An atheist who refuses to admit that he serves a master will impose his secret master upon his fellow men. He will tell us that there is no god, only to thrust the god upon us under some other guise. We need only witness the determination with which the secular fundamentalists move within our midst these days to understand that there is a deep religious cause there.
(blinks again)
Please reference definition of religion above.
The rest of the article can be found at The Reality Check. I spent a lot of time blinking as I read it. I suppose it might be worth the effort to go blink at it for yourself.
