The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture (35 page)

As non-theists in the United States, we probably have more influence on the ethical use of science and technology than religionists. Surveys beginning in 1914, show that scientists are losing their belief in the supernatural.

The vast majority of the Nobel Prize science winners of the last 20 years have expressed some form of non-belief. We need to use our influence wisely and ensure the dialogue is based on rational analysis of humanistic goals. We must become proficient at identifying the goals of god viruses and challenge them. God viruses seek to use the means at hand – whether scientific, social or political – to propagate, not to serve the best interest of humanity.

Other countries are not handicapped by anti-science god viruses. China, India, Japan, Taiwan and many others are producing scientists and engineers in record numbers. No society is free of god viruses, but some are not as
burdened with the politically strong anti-science ones of the United States. The health of U.S. science and technology is influenced by how much god viruses inhibit funding or research. When religions get involved in funding decisions, rational choice is less likely. Religionists in Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kansas and many other states have worked hard to directly fund non-scientific intelligent design and abstinence programs, and direct funds away from stem cell research, evolutionary biology and scientifically validated sex education programs. As non-theists we need to let our voices be heard on these issues if we are to help keep the United States economically viable and at the forefront of science and technology.

8
Edward J. Larson and Larry Witham, “Leading scientists still reject God,”
Nature
394, no. 6691, (1998): 313.

Informed policy requires open discussion and clear cost-benefit analysis. When religion gets in the mix, imaginary costs and benefits influence the calculations. Our liberal democracy works despite religion, not because of it. When religion has been subdued in the debate, this nation has made great strides. Beginning with the deistic founders and presidents of the early United States to the deistic leadership of Abraham Lincoln to the liberal, non-religious leadership of FDR, progress comes when the nation makes decisions in the best interest of the people, not religion. The decades-long fight over abortion has given the god virus the means to infect the central nervous system as never before. With five Catholic Supreme Court justices, religion is rapidly becoming a key factor in judicial decisions.

Despite the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against religion as a test for office, presidential candidates have been made to wear their religion on their sleeve since at least 1976. The non-religious Ronald Reagan suddenly became interested in attending church when he ran for governor of California. The religious right questioned George H. W. Bush’s religious credentials because his wife, Barbara Bush, was pro-choice in 1988. During the 2008 presidential debates, candidates advertised their religion in ways that would have been seen as shameful in the 1800s.

As non-theists, we can support rational discussion in the public square and help discourage the drive to inject religion into every aspect of electoral politics. We can ask the question, “How does religion qualify a person for good governance?” Most school board members made little of their religion in the past. Why has religious affiliation suddenly become so important in school board elections if not to drive religion into the classroom? When
candidates advertise their religion or make blatant statements to pander to the god viruses, we must be prepared to call them on it.

The god virus will happily take a culture back to the Iron Age, or even Stone Age, if it enhances propagation. Look at the stagnation of Islamic culture for the last 800 years. Islam was once the cradle of science and math. Christian fundamentalists would do the same. Evangelical vectors preach every Sunday about going back to the Iron Age in terms of education, science, marriage, politics, etc.

Here are their visions for our future:

This is our land. This is our world. This is our heritage, and with God's help, we shall reclaim this nation for Jesus Christ. An no power on earth can stop us.

-D. James Kennedy, A Nation in Search of Its Soul

If you don't want a Christian nation, then go to one of the many nations that are heathen already, rather than perverting ours.

-Jeff Fugate, Pastor of Clays Mill Road Baptist Church

Those who study jihad will understand why Islam wants to conquer the whole world. All the countries conquered by Islam or to be conquered in the future will be marked for everlasting salvation. For they shall live under God's law.

-Ayatollah Ruhaollah Khomeini, Islam is Not a Nation of Pacifists

Nobody has the right to worship on this planet any other God than Jehovah. And therefore the state does not have the responsibility to defend anybody's pseudo-right to worship an idol.

-Rev. Joseph Morecraft, Chaldedon Presbyterian Church. Speech

Religions will be with us as long as humans seek easy answers; as long as skilled vectors sedate people to avoid life’s difficult questions; as long as the infected let their preachers, popes and imams do their thinking for them, we will have religion.

As non-theists, we can work to make this religious environment less toxic to our culture and to ourselves. Identify and challenge viral behavior in yourself and learn to live virus free. You can support science education and challenge the encroachment of fundamentalism in our public systems. Support university professors under fire from god viruses. Talk and teach “religion-free ethics” and how to make rational, ethical choices without reference to Allah, god or Satan.

Being alive today is the only thing you or I know. We are the product of an amazing biological process in which one sperm out of millions met one egg. This event will never happen again. Make the most of it.

700 Club,
73
,
81
Abd-al-Wahhab,
45
Abortion,
68
,
107
Abraham Lincoln,
64
,
138
,
229
ACLU,
29
Adams, Clark,
51
Adams, John,
61
Agnostics,
121
Al Qaeda,
46
,
47
Alexander the Great,
60
Alexander-Moegerle, Gil,
104
American frontier,
139-140
.
      
See also
Manifest destiny
American evangelism,
133-159
      roots of,
137
Amish,
54
,
93
Anabaptist,
229
Anger/aggressiveness,
176
,
177
,
178-179
,
181
Anthony, Susan B.,
114
Aquinas, Thomas,
163
Assembly of God,
153
Atheism,
51-52
.
      
See also
Secular humanism
Augustine,
156
,
163
Authority,
166-167
.
      
See also
Vector
Ayatollah Khomeini,
179

Bachmann, Michele,
72
Baha’i,
111
Bakker, Jimmy,
146
,
152
Baptists,
50
,
51
,
53
,
93
,
110
,
118-119
,
120
,
121
,
153
,
155
,
185
Barna Research Group,
122
,
193
,
194
Barna, George,
122
,
194
Bartlett, Elwood,
189
Bartolome de Las Casas,
55
Beck, Glenn,
69
Bellah, Robert,
63
Benedict,
156
Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration Institute,
214
Bierce, Ambrose,
137
bin Laden, Osama,
15
,
27
,
46
,
179
Birth control,
55
,
91
,
107
,
108-109
,
114
Blanks, Olaf,
20
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich,
130
Branden, Dr. Nathaniel,
189
Brown, Justin,
201
Buchan, John,
178
Buddhism,
58
,
146
Bush, Barbara,
232
Bush, George H. W.,
65
,
232
Bush, George W.,
70

Campus Crusade for Christ,
50
Camus, Albert,
130
Catholicism,
37
,
39
,
40
,
49
,
51
,
55
,
88
,
89
,
101
,
102
,
103
,
105
,
118
,
119
,
120
,
121
,
127
,
137
,
139
,
146
,
152
,
153
,
155
,
167
,
185
Celibacy,
27
,
36
,
101
Chaining,
148-149
Christian Coalition,
67
,
81
,
223-224
Christian Embassy,
50
Church of Christ Scientists,
140
,
213
Church of the Brethren,
31
Civil religion,
57-82
      president’s role within,
65
Clark, Sir Arthur C.,
41
Clergy, sexual abuse/scandal,
29-30
,
109-111
,
227-228
Cohen, Alan,
85
Comfort, Alex,
85
Communalism,
138-139
Communist cults,
52
Conversion syndrome,
19-20
Coulter, Ann,
72
Creationism,
76
Crusade for Christ,
204
Culture wars,
157-158
.
      
See also
Religion and culture
Curlin, Farr,
122

D’Souza, Dinesh,
60
,
61
Darwin, Charles,
12
,
215
,
227
Dawkins, Richard,
13
,
21
,
178
Death and dying,
186-188
Dennett, Daniel,
13
,
21
,
205
Diamond, Milton,
113
Divorce,
67
,
110
,
122-123
,
193-196
,
203
Dobson, James,
81
,
91
,
108
,
128
,
153
,
178-179
Drummond, William,
121
Druze,
54
Durant, Will,
39
Dutch Reformed,
139

Eagle Forum,
223-224
Eddy, Mary Baker,
213
Edison, Thomas,
205
,
207
Edwards, Jonathan,
181
Einstein, Albert,
35
,
129
,
130
,
210
,
211
Ellison, Keith,
69
Emotionally charged worship,
142-156
      evangelical hypnosis,
144-146
      music,
143-144
      routines,
146-151
End time,
223-224
Enlightenment, The,
61
Episcopalian,
118
,
155
Erasmus,
61
Etheridge, Melissa,
83
Evangelism,
121
,
142
,
155
      roots of
137

Falwell, Jerry,
14
,
67
,
178-179
Family Resources Council,
223-224
Family values,
91-97
Fear,
73
,
108
,
167
,
180
,
216-217
Fellowship of Christian Athletes,
204
Feuerbach,
13
Finney, Charles G.,
180
First Amendment,
62
Flying Spaghetti Monster,
51
Focus on the Family,
73
,
80
,
81
,
104
Four Square Gospel Church,
140
Fox, Terry,
152
France, Anatole,
104
Frankl, Viktor,
130
Franklin, Benjamin,
138
,
211
,
212
Freethinkers,
32
.
      
See also
Religion, mutations of
Freud, Sigmund,
95
,
221
,
222
      functions of religion,
222-223
Fugate, Jeff,
233
Fundamentalism,
44-46
,
115
,
156-157
      cause of,
38-39
      dangers of,
45-46
,
49
      definition of,
39
      fundamentalism vs. fundamentalism,
49-50
      prevention of,
50-51
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,
111