Atheist Decisions

Which way do you want to go?

From the small choice of what to eat to the life-course-changing selection of a career, making decisions can pose challenges. We weigh pros and cons, preferences, potential outcomes, our current situation... so many variables. Once a choice has been made, some doors close as we enter the decision and move on from there.

But there is one layer of concern that atheists don't have to confront: what a deity thinks or wants.

Now some Christians would claim that we just don't want to be accountable, a point I addressed earlier. Atheists are in fact accountable - to our society, our families and friends, our co-workers and ourselves. These constituencies are very real and can manifest their satisfaction or displeasure with our actions in a very tangible way, something that deities don't seem to be able to do.

How do you confirm your deity's reaction to your action? Let's take something extreme like a hurricane. I have heard interpretations from different Christians about why a hurricane hit a specific area: Yahweh's displeasure about "gay sex," abortions, a specific person saying something, demon worship... and on and on. Other Christians think this is ridiculous. Yahweh didn't punish people, but he did inspire the charity after. How can I tell if any of this is true? On what basis do I decide which explanation is accurate?

As an atheist, I see natural explanations for phenomena such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, etc. No supernatural force has been shown to direct them, so why should I believe that happens? Further, if god wanted to punish us for abortion, say, can't he punish those actually committing the acts that displease him? Why the random destruction?

Different Christians come down on the issue differently, but nearly all of them seem to think their god has some plan for them and is guiding them in life. Some think he micromanages every aspect of their life from finding a parking space to curing their illnesses. Some think prayer can sway him, while others claim that he has a plan and prayer is only a communication. He doesn't honor requests. Catholics include the Virgin Mary and a host of saints because heaven is apparently as bureaucratic  as the Catholic church. So, if you lost something, pray to St. Anthony and he will locate it for you.

I am not going to sort through these claims because I don't see any evidence that anything of the sort is going on, and there is too much conflict between claims. I mean, some Christians think something good happening in your life means the devil is tempting you while others feel #blessed. Something bad in your life could be a test or a sign of Yahweh's displeasure.

In short, I don't know how you sort out what this deity wants.

When I make a decision, my only considerations are for outcomes in this life. If I make good decisions, I see the positive results immediately, in the short term or in some future; if I make a bad decision, I need to deal with the consequences, make it right, apologize potentially, and so on.

Not having a god does not mean I'm perfect or my decisions are all the best ever. Rather, I don't have to interpret ambiguous signs to figure out if some supernatural sky dude likes my choice, and also I can't expect him to forgive me if I'm not on "his" chosen path. The decision is for this life, what is best for me and those around me.

As a final point, removing a deity does not mean that my decisions are only for pleasure or for the present. I might choose a path that means I need to work hard for a while to accomplish something over time. I might want to lose weight, gain a skill or change something about my career path that means I am doing something less fun now to get a pay-off later.