How can I, a self-affirmed atheist, claim that I have a strong interest in religion? Although I do not personally believe in the existence of a deity, that believe is only shared by a scant 16% of the world’s population. So, for the same reason it is worthwhile for me to try and understand our history, it is important for me to understand the beliefs and faiths of the other people of the world. Having been raised Christian, I am familiar with both the Old and New Testaments (New Revised Standard Version and King James Version), but over the past several years I have been casually reading through other religious texts, trying to get a feel for some of the other philosophies that are relevant in the world. So far, the Tao Te Ching has most resonated with me, though I do not consider myself Taoist by any stretch of the imagination; rather, the beauty of the text and the ambiguity attract me to it. I also have a great deal of respect for the Dalai Llama and for Gandhi (not a strictly religious figure, but still someone I associate with the ideals of religion) so I spend some amount of time researching them and their beliefs.
With a heavy scientific bent going for me, I have of course read the God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, although I only read it rather recently — within the last year. In it, Dawkins makes his case against religion rather vehemently. Coming soon, I have several books by Christopher Hitchens, including the Portable Atheist (full of classical writings against the existence of a deity) and God is Not Great, which espouses his belief that religion causes more harm than good (a belief shared by Dawkins, I might add). To balance these, I have God is Not One and Religious Literacy, both by Stephen Prothero, on the way. Prothero wrote an especially damning review of God is Not Great for the Washington Post, so I believe that reading these four books in close proximity to each other will demonstrate a good give-and-take between the two authors.
I write all of this, not to encourage evangelism directed towards me, but just to explore what it is to be me. I believe that one’s religious beliefs are personal; I will never attempt to push my atheism on you. I would appreciate reciprocity.
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