The Necessity of Atheism

the relations that exist between the phenomena of reality. So far does
he go, and then his limited mind, our Martian perceives, meets an
obstacle that he cannot explain. He, therefore, abandons the formula and
returns to the human mind which has conceived this formula. From the
"spiritual essence of Man's nature," he assumes the spiritual nature of
the cosmos itself, which he finds in what religion has known for
centuries as God. To him, it is impossible to explain the universe
except in terms of spirit.

Professor Jeans insists that in the equations which reveal the relations
between phenomena, there may reside also the revelation of the ultimate
which these phenomena express. He believes that there may exist "a great
architect of the universe who is a pure mathematician."

However, the Martian argues, "Is it not a fact that in your earthly
experience, you have created your gods in your own image? Your savages
created God in the only fashion their mental capacities could supply, in
the shape of an idol; now the modern physicist creates his god in the
light of his own intimate vision, which is that of a mathematician! This
is just another attempt to formulate an hypothetical existence of a
supernatural being."

The theologians, by this time thoroughly aroused, lay down a verbal
barrage, and learned Jesuits place before the visitor a recent
publication entitled, "The Question and Answer" by Hilaire Belloc. The
author, acting as the mouthpiece of the Roman Catholic Church, attempts
to prove two things: namely, whether God is, and that the witness to
Revelation is the Roman Catholic Church. Were it not for the fact that
the work was published by permission of the Church, one could logically
suppose from its arguments that the author was attempting to give the
answer, "No," to the question propounded, as to whether God is. There is
one sentence, however, to which the Martian agrees: this one, "But
religions, though not very numerous, considering the vast spaces of time
over which we can study them, and the vast number of millions to which
they apply, differ and contradict each other; on which account, any one
approaching this problem for the first time, and being made acquainted
at the outset with the variety of religions, would naturally conclude
that every religion is man-made, and every religion an illusion."

On reading the opening remarks, the Martian exclaims, "This earthling
plainly tells us at the beginning that he will make his theories fit in
with his conclusion! He informs us that he does not seek the truth, no
matter where it may lead, but he only deems it necessary to fit ideas,
no matter how distorted, in order that the final conclusion will
simulate what he deliberately sets out to prove."

Mr. Belloc's statement, "How many men will agree that wanton cruelty,
treason to family or the state, falsehood for private gain, breach of
faith, are admirable?" strikes the Martian as absurd when viewed in the
light of the historical annals of the Church itself. Mr. Belloc's creed
must have considered these very vices as virtues, judging from the
actions of his Church.

In calling the Roman Catholic Church the witness to revelation, the
author continues with, "Yet, that it should suffer from men's hatred and
persecution." If God has divinely ordained this institution as His
Church on earth, and in His omnipotence and omniscience allows this
Church to be hated, then how do the religionists assume that their god
is a god of love? The author tells us that He is a god of hate, such a
god as was conceived of by the barbarians and the Hebrews--cruel,
vengeful, and monstrous. Does not this apologist confuse his god with
his devil? Then again, has it not occurred to this apologist that he is
in all futility attempting to prove something which is a contradiction
within itself? If God is, and is benevolent, is it not logical to assume
(since the theologians assume all sorts of attributes to this deity)
that he would not have constructed the minds of men when He created them
so as to desire to doubt His being; would not have tortured the minds of
men with cruel doubt as to His existence?

If He is omnipotent, it would have been just as easy to instill into the
minds of men only the strongest desire to believe in His reality; and
even that would not be necessary had He so arranged matters that by His
everlasting presence He would reveal Himself or His deeds to man in such
a conclusive manner that even the feeblest of intellects could not
doubt His existence.

If He is omniscient, as the parable asserts, that not a hair falls from
the head of man, not a sparrow dies without His knowledge, it must
therefore be apparent that He created man with the foreknowledge that
man would doubt His existence. This is a contradiction in itself.

The Martian notes that in the entire length of the work not a reference
is made to the time-worn theological defense, "the revelation" which the
Church has always claimed for its scriptures.

Appended as an afterthought, as an apology, as it were, for the
philosophical defense and not the theological, the Jesuit father reminds
the reader of its messiah, Jesus and the New Testament. The Jesuit
states, "The New Testament writings, considered merely as trustworthy
historical documents, inform us that--" but at this point the Martian
interrupted the speaker, for the audacity of any learned man terming the
New Testament writings "historical" was beyond his comprehension. It
brought forcibly to his attention the great change which the apologies
for the Church had undergone, and the new methods which they assumed.
The old theological defense of the deity was gone; not even philosophy
was deemed strong enough support for the present day. How the Church had
fallen! The Church which had persecuted, anathematized, burned, and
tortured the scientist, the geologist, the astronomer, the geographer,
the biologist, the chemist, and the physician; this same Church in its
last extremus, casts aside theology as its weapon and its appeal to the