Reflections is a weekly spotlight on faith within the campus community through intimate student interviews.
Faith and religion are deeply personal matters to many people. One such person is J.L., a student at the University of Memphis A self-ascribed atheist, J.L. prefers to remain anonymous in this interview because he feels the University community is not ready to fully embrace the beliefs that he embodies.
In general, atheism is a belief that the Universe operates according to its own laws of physics, rather than under a God or a higher power.
There are varying estimates of how many people are atheist, because there is no organized structure for the atheist movement.
Millions of people exhibit a pattern of behavior suggesting lack of involvement in any religious or faith-oriented activities. The vast majority of these individuals, however, do not identify themselves as atheist.
The basis for J.L.'s belief is that religion as we know it today is a farce. J. grew up as a Baptist in Memphis.
"I was not impressed with what I was seeing in church," J.L. said. "I could not see a God that these people were talking about. To me, religion is just a way for us to avoid thinking about the unavoidable truth -- that we are all just matter, functioning and ceasing to function in accordance to the laws of biology, chemistry and physics."
Instead of focusing his thoughts on exploring the meaning of life, J. likes to spend time helping other people and trying to learn as much about the world as he can.
"That I am an atheist does not make me a selfish person. I try to be a good and responsible citizen. I volunteer. I vote. I try to help conserve the environment," he said. "I even attend church with my family. But that does not make me a Christian, because deep inside, I don't believe in religion. To me, going to church is like going to the movies -- it can be a good family bonding experience."
One of the most important aspects of J.'s atheism is his commitment to keeping his beliefs private.
"I respect other people's right to worship whatever gods they may choose. But they should respect my right to worship none," J.L said. "Each person should have the right to choose what to believe. When my children grow up, I won't try to raise them atheist. I will let them make a choice about their religious beliefs themselves."
There is a deep argument within contemporary society about what atheism really means, and whether it is a religion in itself.
Part of the problem may be lack of public legitimacy. Atheists are not widely visible in the public sphere, and they are probably the most under-represented religious minority in Congress, at least on paper. Hopefully, with time, more people like J.L. will speak openly about atheism, helping our society break its eerie silence on the subject.
