Apparent Hypocrisy

"Of Atheism" by Sir Francis Bacon

Sir Francis Bacon's Central Argument: Atheists are hypocrites. They say they don't believe in God but in their heart, everyone believes in a God.

      I disagree with Sir Francis Bacon's view on atheism; or should I say, view against atheism? He seems to have a mindset that atheism is, in fact, a myth or a lie. His essay "Of Atheism" seems to portray that everyone believes in a God, whether they know it or not. I believe that atheists do exist. I believe one can live without a God because of the situations we are dealt, the kind of beliefs we have, and because we just may not know any better.

     It's not just a matter of choice. One could easily counter that with statements like people often like to act rebellious or they may say one thing, but believe another. It's more a matter of life, the situations you are put in, and the way you deal with it. Take the life of a poor, uneducated child. A child who had no parents to take care of him, nor to bring him up in a religious setting. A child who was forced to be his own caretaker, to make his own way in the world, and figure out the ways of life himself. Let's say this child is hungry. He is more likely to go break some fruit off a tree, steal food from an accessible place, or work to earn his food, rather than sit and pray for God to help him. From the life he was dealt, from the situations he has probably dealt with. He has had to learn to look out for himself, to not depend on others for help. Without the knowledge or education, he has no concept of God. No one to even make him aware of God's existence.

     Talking of existence, the other kind of atheist would be one who relies on proof, evidence, science, facts, etc. to determine what he believes. What kind of proof is there of God's existence? Can one provide evidence of having heard him, seen him, or felt him (or her)? It wouldn't be very skeptical of me to believe in God just because I was told there is one. I would be failing my AP English class if I believed everything I was told. I have learnt in my English class -- as well as in many life situations -- to deal with the evidence in front of me to determine my hypothesis, conclusions, or solutions. If there is no evidence, I have no valid argument. If I have no valid argument, then I am spreading a fallacy.

     When talking of fallacies, I referred to an invalid argument. An argument may be invalid if it is inaccurate. I believe Sir Francis Bacon's example of a dog needing a man as his God (to be courageous) is inaccurate. First, he assumes that all men are of a better nature than all dogs. To add to this -- many stray dogs, at least the ones in India, are proof against Bacon's example. Stray dogs don't find themselves to be "maintained by a man." Much like the poor uneducated child, they are left to their own devices and find their way in the world by themselves because they may not know any better. These stray dogs are often more confident and courageous than many pet dogs now days as they have learnt to fend for themselves.

     Atheists can exist when brought up in certain kinds of environments. Atheism has the right to exist until and unless God's existence is rightly proven. The question should be, "Are religious people hypocrites?"