GOD IS AN ATHEIST

On a wall near my house, a graffiti artist wrote, “God is an atheist.” Spot on. The possibility of invoking God in vain is as ancient as it is dangerous. Nothing in the history of Christianity has been more harmful than translating God into crusades, privileges, and rights over others. Before Constantine (4th century), Christians were persecuted by the Empire. After the emperor’s conversion, Christians began persecuting non-Christians.

The common prayers of leaders from major religious traditions in recent decades—such as John Paul II praying with Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, and other representatives—point in the opposite direction. Not so the atrocious acts of terrorism committed in the name of God or the inveterate confessional colonialism. Globalization, which interweaves or pits beliefs against one another, demands now more than ever that we meet on fundamental grounds. Put simply, it demands we “keep the ball on the ground.” Let’s play, but under conditions that allow everyone to enjoy the game equally.

Humanity needs to dig deep. Whether one is a believer or non-believer, holds this or that belief, only by sharing the deepest core of what is essential can we achieve reciprocal understanding, fostering coexistence and joyful mutual belonging. These are undoubtedly more desirable than imposing one’s own creed on others. If we believe there is a principle—Spirit, as Christians call it—that generates differentiation and convergence among humanity, then an agnostic is no more valuable than a Buddhist, nor a Muslim than a Christian.

Is it possible to share a spiritual experience? Yes, it is. It is within reach. It manifests in almost all human beings, even if they are not fully aware of it. On a purely rational level, anyone can recognize that Someone or Something gave them life, that they did not create themselves; and, conversely, that they cannot demand justice in the face of suffering and death because existence is not, first and foremost, about fairness but about having been given to ourselves. Precisely for this reason, no one has the right to lay claim over others or the resources that enable them to be who they are. It happens, of course—it’s plain to see how the planet has been parceled out and appropriated by the few. Someone once stamped “In God we trust” on a U.S. dollar coin. Pure sincerity. But if we accept that human beings are a case of pure gratuity, then no one can be priced or exploited.

If someone believes their life is a gift and recognizes that others’ lives are as well, they are on the right path. Any religion embracing this philosophical conviction should contribute to the flourishing of other religious traditions. Without this belief that life is a gift, it will be nearly impossible to avoid fanaticism, proselytism, terrorism, and religious wars. And, first and foremost, capitalism.

Once again, peace has become humanity’s desideratum. Once more, religion can either reconcile human beings or estrange them. It will offer its best if it incorporates an absolute ignorance about “God” and an irrefutable certainty that, contrary to Descartes, “we are, regardless of what we think or believe.”

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