Thoughts on Religion and Atheism

 "Notes from my Substack" (a series discontinued after I deleted my account on that platform; however, I felt it was worth keeping this text, as it serves as a summary of my recent thoughts on religion and atheism.)

I have a highly ambiguous relationship with Christianity. I was raised in a Christian environment, though I have since rejected it. I do not care for this religion—or, for that matter, any other. It took me some time to recognize their pragmatic and historical importance in maintaining a minimum level of social cohesion within human societies. We live in an era where traditional religions—Christianity in particular—are in clear decline. While there are occasional signs of renewal or a resurgence of interest, it is never quite the same; secular culture has largely captured hearts and minds, partly by promising and offering a world that is—implicitly, at least—freer from the kinds of rules that religion typically imposes (or, in many cases, the exact opposite).

I hold a sense of "affective memory" regarding Christianity: from the days when I was compelled to attend church, undergo catechism, and participate in Holy Week processions; to the few, truly beautiful films I’ve seen on religious themes—often by brilliant directors like Franco Zeffirelli—and even the explicitly Christian-themed episodes of *Chaves* (the Mexican sitcom *El Chavo del Ocho*). There were times when the story of Jesus moved me, and I even believed (though always with a degree of skepticism)…

What I observe today among most atheists is simply depressing. I remain entirely convinced of the factual viability of atheism—but I am not convinced that the aggressive secularization of societies is a viable way to sustain them. While there are socioeconomic and other cultural factors that help explain the multiple, serious crises we are currently facing—most notably the demographic one—the pervasive absence of a religious culture clearly plays a role as well; a point I long rejected. I once held the idealistic notion of an atheist community—even proposing an organization for atheists and agnostics modeled after religious structures. Those days, it seems, are behind me. It wouldn’t work. Most atheists remain fervent believers in other ideological systems. They may not believe in God or eternal life, but they have replaced metaphysical beliefs with material ones—which can be even worse, as the latter can have a more direct and significant negative impact on our lives…