This isn't something I believe, it's a quote from journalist/photographer former Wall Streeter Chris Arnade in "The people who challenged my atheism most were drug addicts and prostitutes":
This may be one of the most extreme examples of "I'm an atheist, but most people, especially poor desperate people need religion!" I've ever seen. In a way, I am not even sure what the point of this article is, since it isn't shocking news to anyone that very poor, desperate people are more likely to be very religious than educated, more successful people(Marx said it best). Besides the silly, predictable attack on Dawkins, what bothered me the most is this notion that atheism is inherently "elitist". Or at least Arnade's atheism. Like most atheists, I am very far from being in the elite, though I am fortunate to have a roof over my head.
I admire the work Arnade does by telling the stories of homeless, drug addicted, extremely religious prostitutes in Hunts Point, in the Bronx. I don't believe he's "exploiting" them, since the ones he posts about all want to share their story. He's tried to help some of them get clean, but having followed his blog over the years this appears at best a fool's errand. I also think his attack on atheism is largely baseless, though I can understand these homeless people being prone to wishful thinking and superstition because of their very difficult lives.
That said, do these people truly "need" religion? Or is it possible that religion even harms them, making it easier to throw away this life because they believe they will have it better in the mythical after-life? To me, it looks like religion is a "placebo" for these desperate people, used in place of real medical treatment.
I believe above all they need long-term medical treatment and education to help them get clean, since they all suffer from the "disease" of addiction, which is likely co-morbid with several other serious mental/and or physical diseases. The idea that these people are sub-human "scum" probably makes it harder to provide the right services to them, though I must admit I am very ignorant of how the system works when it comes to this. There are services out there for sure, and they either avoid them or these services have failed them. Although they suffer from the "disease" of addiction, they still need to make the "choice" to get clean.
At least Arnade does a good job of humanizing these drug addicted prostitutes for his readers, which is a step in the right direction.
Quote:
Sarah, 15 years on the streets, wears a cross around her neck. Always. Michael, 30 years on the streets, carries a rosary in his pocket. Always. In any crack house, in the darkest buildings empty of all other furnishings, a worn Bible can be found laying flat amongst needles, caps, lighters, and crack pipes. |
This may be one of the most extreme examples of "I'm an atheist, but most people, especially poor desperate people need religion!" I've ever seen. In a way, I am not even sure what the point of this article is, since it isn't shocking news to anyone that very poor, desperate people are more likely to be very religious than educated, more successful people(Marx said it best). Besides the silly, predictable attack on Dawkins, what bothered me the most is this notion that atheism is inherently "elitist". Or at least Arnade's atheism. Like most atheists, I am very far from being in the elite, though I am fortunate to have a roof over my head.
I admire the work Arnade does by telling the stories of homeless, drug addicted, extremely religious prostitutes in Hunts Point, in the Bronx. I don't believe he's "exploiting" them, since the ones he posts about all want to share their story. He's tried to help some of them get clean, but having followed his blog over the years this appears at best a fool's errand. I also think his attack on atheism is largely baseless, though I can understand these homeless people being prone to wishful thinking and superstition because of their very difficult lives.
That said, do these people truly "need" religion? Or is it possible that religion even harms them, making it easier to throw away this life because they believe they will have it better in the mythical after-life? To me, it looks like religion is a "placebo" for these desperate people, used in place of real medical treatment.
I believe above all they need long-term medical treatment and education to help them get clean, since they all suffer from the "disease" of addiction, which is likely co-morbid with several other serious mental/and or physical diseases. The idea that these people are sub-human "scum" probably makes it harder to provide the right services to them, though I must admit I am very ignorant of how the system works when it comes to this. There are services out there for sure, and they either avoid them or these services have failed them. Although they suffer from the "disease" of addiction, they still need to make the "choice" to get clean.
At least Arnade does a good job of humanizing these drug addicted prostitutes for his readers, which is a step in the right direction.
via JREF Forum http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=270939&goto=newpost
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