A
NYT article by Susan Jacoby takes me back
to familiar ground. In Jacoby's article, she discusses the lack of a secular community, in both the institutional and grass-roots sense, to form a supportive network and gain recognition and legitimacy. Until then
discrimination against atheists
will continue. She makes the case that atheism can present an
existentialist argument that death is a final, perfect rest and therefore attaches no fear. Otherwise, atheists fall far short of offering hope -- or much of anything -- to the religious and non-religious alike in times of suffering.
Food for thought...