Making a Case for the Morality of Atheism

Murder is wrong….or is it?

Murder is universally seen as an immoral act, but the true repercussions are atheistic. Cases are usually made stating that theists are more moral than atheists, however Christianity can justify murder using its basic religious principles. The religion dictates that everything that happens is according to God’s plan and that God’s plan is ultimately good. It also clearly states that anything is forgivable if the one asking for forgiveness is sincere. By going to confession and truly repenting the sins committed, the priest may pardon any crime. Religious people also believe in life after death, therefore any murder just serves as a vessel to eternal bliss or damnation in accordance to the dead person’s life choices. Atheists do not believe in the afterlife, murder would mean taking away everything that person ever was or could be. All of their memories, thoughts and ideas, a truly intrusive act of death in all of its finality. However, theists can consider murder moral as it becomes all part of God’s ultimately good plan, may be forgiven and leads to the afterlife for the person killed.

If a person is murdered, it is because God willed it so. God is omnipresent and omnipotent and as many Christians believe, benevolent. He said “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’”(Jeremiah 29: 11). God promises that in accordance to humanity’s free will, he also has a grand plan that is ultimately good. He works to “accomplish His purposes for our lives individually”(Woods), therefore everything that happens is his will. God once said he’d spare a whole city of evil people for the ten virtuous that remained. Using this logic, he would not let someone get killed if it weren’t in his ultimately good plan. Therefore, Christians murderers need not worry as they are just carrying out God’s will. An atheist takes responsibility for their own actions, understanding that there is not a universal will. Taking the person’s life to them, is an unforgivable and detrimental act.

However, if the Christian does worry, they need not fear as they can be forgiven. They simply must repent their sins to a priest who is “prohibited completely from using knowledge acquired from confession to the detriment of the penitent even when any danger of revelation is excluded”(Gray). This means that even confessing murder does not lead to earthly repercussions, but that pure sincerity in the confessional booth acts as a one way ticket to the pearly gates. The core accepted notions of Christianity are “that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, that through him our sins may be forgiven, and with that forgiveness we are able to attain eternal life”(Gray). Forgiveness of murder absolves the fact of the murder and the sinner is redeemed and thereafter “destined to dwell in the Kingdom of Heaven”(Gray). Atheists do not believe in a God that can forgive them for taking away someone’s life and are not soughing after forgiveness of the basis of eternal bliss. They remain feeling guilty for what they’d done where the Christians feels purely forgiven.

A theist who believes in life after death can further rationalized that the murdered has simply moved on to another realm of existence. Christianity puts faith in the eternal bliss of heaven and the fiery pits of hell. A person who is killed will hopefully see their loved ones after they pass in heaven. A theist sees no grand repercussions of murder as everyone dies anyway and in accordance to their beliefs, will continue on in the afterlife. Atheists however, do not believe so. To them, there is nothing after death so shortening that little time people have on earth is the ultimate disrespect. All life is precious because there is so little time to live it and killing someone would mean killing that person’s entire soul.

Theists are more immoral than atheists because they can justify murder using their religious beliefs. Every untimely death is part of God’s grand plan, forgiveness is given regardless of the act and the afterlife provides a safety net for those murdered anyway. Murder is universally seen as an immoral act, however religion justifies it. Many say that theists are more moral than atheists, but that is not the case. Atheism encourages responsibility in ones own actions and disbelief in life after death affirms how precious life really is. Therefore, the truly more moral is atheism.