Question 207: What role does atheism play in the Gospel of Oneness?

Question 207: What role does atheism have in the Gospel of Oneness?

It’s all right to be an atheist or an agnostic for a lifetime or even several lifetimes. Every soul has a unique path back to the realization of Spirit as the only reality. No one is sent to hell for not believing in God. Given the false dualistic gods of the man-made religions, it may be better to be a moral, clean-living atheist than a fanatical and self-righteous believer in a false god.

The Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship a dualistic god who plays favorites, chooses a special people, or chooses a special religion, or a special holy man to be superior to all others. Of course, some members of these religions see past the dualistic images of their God, but many of them see atheists as being destined for hell. A couple centuries ago, some Christian leaders advocated the death penalty for atheists. Today, some Muslim leaders still advocate the death penalty for atheists and blasphemers who insult their god or prophet.

The Creative Spirit of the universe has created everyone out of its own consciousness and does not play favorites with one part of itself. By the attractive magnet of unconditional love and the universal laws of karma that teach the consequences of free will, every soul finds its way back to Spirit sooner or later.

Whether we are an atheist, agnostic, or a firm and devout believer in God, we still have to deal with our own psychological makeup. Are we able to admit the flaws of our egos and move up to higher states of consciousness? Are we able to forgive ourselves and others? Are we able to give and receive unconditional love? These are some of the questions we need to answer regardless of our belief or disbelief in God.

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My atheism, like that of Spinoza, is true piety towards the universe and denies only gods fashioned by men in their own image, to be servants of their human interests. — George Santayana

One does not become an atheist out of a desire for hassle-free Sunday mornings. People come to atheism because they have a problem with organized religion – usually a problem they consider to be of moral urgency. — Lynn Coady

I don’t think atheism means one does not believe in a spiritual life. I think it means one does not follow the tenets of the established religions. — Amanda Donohoe

Small amounts of philosophy lead to atheism, but larger amounts bring us back to God. — Francis Bacon