Why is God so important to Atheists?

Many atheists seem to need God in the same way that liberals need conservatives. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as having said, “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.”   To which I would add, “….but it takes a man of intelligence to recommend a viable and realistic solution.”  There is a reason that these most radical of atheists rarely move beyond facile discussions in which they confine themselves to attacking all the concept of God and any moral system which employs Him.  They have what used to be called a glass jaw.

In the unlikely event that they are forced to address the fact that every self-proclaimed Atheistic society in history engaged in the mass slaughter of its’ own citizens, their immediate reaction is to change the subject or to run to the corner while calling over their shoulders that those being referenced weren’t “true Scotsmen”.  Regardless of which school of thought one chooses to follow regarding when atheists first appeared in any numbers, there is little question that societies led and ostensibly populated by atheists are a relatively new phenomenon.  The unfortunate truth is that it didn’t take them long to meet or surpass the rate of slaughter evidenced by societies being governed by other sets of principles.

Let us suppose, for the sake of the argument, that we choose to ignore the events just recounted.  Assuming that all which we have observed Is just a horrible mistake, what is it that these atheists propose to do that is in any way different?  On what philosophical basis do they propose to support their moral and ethical system?  Unfortunately here too they are unable to evidence any characteristics that they have any understanding of what constitutes such a system.  It would seem that they either believe that such a system will simply appear as if by some magic or, perhaps more troubling, that it will be  system imposed on the people by fiat.  While it is true that such systems generally do have a force component, it is also true that every ethical and moral system must have some foundation which provides it with it legitimacy.  This they do not do, and one has to wonder if it is because it is something which they cannot do.

Why do Atheists need God?  Let me count the ways.

1.  The emotional and fundamentally unwinnable argument over whether or not God exists diverts attention away from the fact that most atheists have nothing to offer as a replacement.
2. All the problems of the society can be blamed on the theists and on this “God” fellow.
3. Until the society is destroyed, at which time they will wonder what happened, the society continues to function under the ready-made moral and ethical system which they can continue to attack while enjoying all the benefits it provides.

God.  He’s too big to fail.

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