Monday, August 15, 2011

Why Are Atheists So Smug?

This weekend I was matter-of-factly told by an atheist
on Twitter that I can't be a critical thinker because I'm
a theist. It got me to thinking: Why are atheists
so smug? This Tweeter doesn't know my intelligence
level but according to him I'm a theist so my mind
must not be running on all cylinders. He's probably
surprised I know how to read and write. (We might
not want to inform why the printing press was invented.
Heart-ache will ensue.)

In almost every encounter I've had with an atheist they
automatically think they are more enlightened than me.
If you think of prominent atheists they have something else
in common besides the fact they don't believe in God.
Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher
are all smug. Note to atheists: If you truly want to have
a discussion about God and belief, it's probably not a
good idea to insult someone's intelligence.

Another thing I don't understand is why atheists value
intelligence so much to begin with? I'm guessing we all
would like to be highly intelligent individuals. But I don't
find any meaningful value in intelligence. Intelligence has
no moral value. Intelligent people have done some incredibly
good things. Intelligent people have also created some
bad things. (See: Atomic Bomb.) To me intelligence is like
beauty. Some people are born beautiful and some aren't
but it's not worth a thing to me.

You see that's the beauty of being a believer of God.
As a believer, God has given me worth. The things
we value as humans (intelligence, beauty) are meaningless
to God. He still loves us.