Can "interfaith" include atheists?

Atheism is disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods. There are many reasons why people become atheists. From my professional experience of working with people who have been damaged through their association with toxic religion, some of them become atheists because of their religious trauma. It’s no secret that any person who feels harmed, betrayed or oppressed by their religion is likely to become its biggest critic, and possibly become atheist. That’s not to say that atheism is always or even typically a response to negative religious experiences. I know many atheists who have genuinely concluded based on intellectual or scientific grounds that there is no evidence to warrant belief in God or deities.On a side note, many people who experience a crisis of faith or question their beliefs, deconstruct their long unquestioned notions about God and can no longer in good conscious subscribe to them. Non-belief in the “God” of one’s religious conditioning is not necessarily a complete rejection of the divine. There are many people who come to reject the notion of a theistic or personal God, but adopt an alternative view about a higher, ultimate, or transcendent reality. I myself am an atheist in the sense that I divested my belief in the “God” I had previously construed through religion. I no longer believe in the “God” I learned in church – a God of separation, judgment, and condemnation, a God who sends people to Hell, a God who is a grand puppet-master over human affairs, blessing one person and cursing another. I no longer believe in ‘that’ “God.”Jesus himselfdid not subscribe to such a notion of God. An Atheist would find quite a bit incommon with Jesus– they both reject religion’s idea of God.According to theresearch done by Pew Research Center,the share of Americans who identify as atheists has roughly doubled in the past several years. Globally,the world’s newest major religion is no religion. Already in many countries throughout the world,atheists outnumber believers. Even the Pope recently said thatbeing an atheist is far better than being a bad Christian.I hold a belief that our common humanity is reason enough for all people to coexist peacefully, and operate with justice, equity and compassion in our human relations. I believe in a human solidarity where we all cooperate and collaborate together to alleviate human and planetary suffering, and where we address the systemic causes of such suffering and build a world that works for everyone. Whatever one’s religious, spiritual, secular or philosophical views may be, they don’t have to be an obstacle to or weaken constructive human solidarity.I am a catalyst for interfaith dialogue and action. In my view, whenever religion divides or pits people against one another, it rejects and defies its own true and authentic identity.Religion is often the scapegoatfor the problems of our world, and the way somepeople talk about religiononly adds fuel to the fire. I believe that the “interfaith” circle needs to be expanded to include atheists. Perhaps an “interbelief” (or "intergorup") mentality, which is inclusive of all people, including those who believe that science and not religion best explains the nature of reality, or who believe there is no sound evidence or reason to support the notion of god or gods.Interfaith dialogue and action is vital for achieving a peaceful and workable world. But as the context of our times shifts with atheists steadily rising in number, the pressing question may not be whether Jews, Christians and Muslims can get along and work together, but can the religious and non-religious, believers and non-believers reach across their differences to embrace their common humanity and work together toward a common good. In other words, can religious folk and atheists get along and work together?Being honest, the proposition on the surface doesn’t seem promising. I’m not sure which is worse, the way religious people demonize atheists, or the way atheists demonize religious people. I’m typically the guy who calls out and confronts the religious when they are doing stupid things, being divisive and destructive, rationalizing any behavior that doesn’t line up with the Golden Rule, or violate the spirit of compassion and love. But neither does it help nurture harmony, cooperation and good will when atheists call religion a mental illness and religious people, idiots.Too many religious people havefalse ideas about atheists and atheism. It’s my personal belief that atheism makes a critical contribution to humankind’s conversation about what is profoundly significant and meaningful about the universe and our lives as human beings. I recent read a brilliant book by biologist E. O. Wilson,The Meaning of Human Existence, in which Wilson explores answers to life’s greatest existential questions, based on science. I was recently a guest on a talk-radio show and the topic I chose to discuss was“what religious people can learn from atheists.”I recently read the“10 Non-Commandments of Atheism,”which are:1. Be open-minded and be willing to alter your beliefs with new evidence.2. Strive to understand what is most likely to be true, not to believe what you wish to be true.3. The scientific method is the most reliable way of understanding the natural world.4. Every person has the right to control of their body.5. God is not necessary to be a good person or to live a full and meaningful life.6. Be mindful of the consequences of all your actions and recognize that you must take responsibility for them.7. Treat others as you would want them to treat you, and can reasonably expect them to want to be treated. Think about their perspective.8. We have the responsibility to consider others, including future generations.9. There is no one right way to live.10. Leave the world a better place than you found it.But I have also learned that there are militants, fanatics, and fundamentalists in virtually all religions, belief-systems and philosophies, including atheism. However, it would be unfair, as it would be with religion, to judge or stereotype the many based on a few. People like French philosopher Andre Comte-Sponville provide hope. He writes, “I appreciate people who practice respectful dialogue and honors differences, and doesn't demand a "right" vs "wrong" context. My intention is not to convert people to atheism. It is merely to explain my position and the arguments in its favour, motivated more by love of philosophy than by the hatred of religion. There are free spirits on both sides, and it is to them that my words are addressed. The others, whether believers or atheists, can be left to their certainties.”On the question of whether Christians and atheists can work together, the Religious News Service ranan interesting piecethat is an interview with Harvard’s Chris Stedman, who is an interfaith activist but atheist, and author of the book,Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious.I believe if all human beings, religious and atheist alike, would adopt the following five beliefs that there is no limit to the good we could do in this world… together.Five beliefs to change our global discourse, sentiments, and actions about the power of religious, spiritual, and philosophical diversity for good.1. Every person can fully embrace and follow their religious tradition, spiritual interests, or philosophical views without creating division, destruction, hostility, or hatred. ​2. Every person can find a rationale and motivation within their religious tradition, spiritual interests, or philosophical views to be an instrument of goodness, peace, love, and compassion in the world, and affirm the inherent, equal, and unconditional worth of every human being.​3. Every person has the right to follow their own inner guidance in choosing their own religious, spiritual, or philosophical views and practices. ​4. Every person can participate in a process of personal growth, self-actualization, and fulfillment of one’s highest beliefs and aspirations, and encourage the same for others. ​5. Every person benefits when each of us follows our own unique inspiration for building a world that works for everyone.Whatever one believes about God, we are all 100% human. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we all roughly want the same things: the necessities for safety, security and survival; the need for belonging, esteem, love and relationship; to reach our full individual and collective potential. We all suffer loss, have our fears, encounter suffering and endure difficulties. Religion is not going away, neither is atheism. And whether we like or not, we all are in this together. Or as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish as fools.”