Famous atheists speak in the Huffington Post

I came across this article on the Huffington Post site a couple of weeks ago and have been meaning to blog about it ever since. Actually I think I might get a few blog posts out of it. It's part of their 'Beyond Belief' series. Here it is:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/11/27/famous-atheists-believe-values-richard-dawkins_n_6231968.html?utm_hp_ref=beyond-belief

It's a fascinating article which raises lots of really interesting issues. I would have described myself as an atheist until I was in my late teens; then probably an agnostic until my early twenties. I'm glad the HP spoke with atheists as well as people of faith.

For tonight I'll just briefly consider this comment by Dan Snow:

[Religion] is a comfort to people wrestling with the imminence of death, loneliness, deeply traumatic events, or personal loss. It must be nice to think there is a sky father who loves you unconditionally and will welcome you at his side for eternal life. It's just not true.

Lots of people say that religion is a comfort, but I find my religion distinctly uncomfortable most of the time. Shane Claiborne entitled one of the chapters in his book The Irresistible Revolution 'Jesus messed up my life', because he might have been able to have carried on enjoying his cushy western middle class life if it weren't for Jesus. Yes of course it can be immensely comforting to know that God is there even in the darkest of times, but it's not a fluffy pillow kind of comfort. It's the comfort of someone who sees your pain and shares it. During advent, Christians wait for the coming of the eternal Son of God to share our vulnerable humanity as a frail baby. Radical empathy indeed.

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