Atheism: Religion of Deceit

There is a popular atheist poster which says, "Atheism: Good enough for these idiots." The "idiots" pictured in the poster are icons of history--from top left: Ernest Hemmingway, Abraham Lincoln, Carl Sagan, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and of course, Charles Darwin.

This poster epitomizes the deceit of those who say that they believe that God doesn’t exist. Look at the real beliefs of their "atheists":

Thomas Jefferson said, "I have ever thought religion a concern purely between our God and our consciences, for which we were accountable to Him, and not to the priests." He wasn’t an atheist.

Albert Einstein lamented the fact that atheists continually lied about his beliefs: "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views."

The brilliant and witty Mark Twain despised organized religion, but he wasn’t an atheist. He said, "None of us can be as great as God, but any of us can be as good."

Benjamin Franklin loved the God who gave him life--"It is that particular wise and good God, who is the author and owner of our system, that I propose for the object of my praise and adoration."

Charles Darwin was disillusioned with Christianity, but he was far from being an atheist. He said, "When thus reflecting I feel compelled to look to a First Cause having an intelligent mind in some degree analogous to that of man; and I deserve to be called a Theist."

President Abraham Lincoln revered God, and when addressing troops said, "While we are grateful to all the brave men and officers for the events of the past few days, we should, above all, be very grateful to Almighty God, who gives us victory."

The famous American astronomer and author, Carl Sagan, who was tragically struck with cancer, went to meet his Maker on December 20, 1996. Neither was Carl Sagan an atheist. He said, "An agnostic is somebody who doesn't believe in something until there is evidence for it, so I'm agnostic." He admitted that he didn’t know if God existed.

There is one genuine atheist in the poster--Ernest Hemingway. He was the American author who wrote fiction, and made the profound statement, "All thinking men are atheists." He is said to be "A hero to atheists everywhere." Sadly, he was an alcoholic who became so depressed with life he "put the end of the barrel into his mouth, pulled the trigger and blew out his brains." On seeing the poster, one honest atheist said, “Ugh, I don't think Hemingway is a good advertisement for atheism due to his alcoholism and suicide. Surely we could find people with lives that ended happier than his for this poster?"

Another remarked, "If you sat down and really talked with those guys, I'm sure they'd all admit to 'atheism’ in restricted senses of the word though..." Sure.

So there you have it. The one poster-boy for atheism is a pretty pathetic advertisement. And you can't blame the poor man for killing himself. He had no idea where he came from, what he was doing on earth, or where he was going when death eventually came.

All unthinking men are atheists, and when it comes down to it there really aren’t too many of them. It’s a small religion, but it makes big money for the few men at the top. As Sir Isaac Newton so wisely said, "Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors."

Notes:
To Mrs. M. Harrison Smith, 1816. ME 15:60, http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1650.htm
Statement to German anti-Nazi diplomat and author Prince Hubertus zu Lowenstein around 1941, as quoted in his book Towards the Further Shore : An Autobiography (1968)
Mark Twain's Notebook, 1902-1903
Franklin's Works, Vol. ii., p. 2.
Darwin 1958, pp. 92-93.
Response to a Serenade on May 9, 1864 (CWAL VII:334)
http://machineslikeus.com/news/why-carl-sagan-considered-good-atheist
Meyers 1985, p. 560
"Widow Believes Hemingway Committed Suicide..." By Harry Gilroy, New York Times,
August 23, 1966
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/an_inspirational_poster.php
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/an_inspirational_poster.php
Brewster, Sir David. A Short Scheme of the True Religion, manuscript quoted in Memoirs of the Life, Writings and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton Edinburgh, 1850.