"There
are atheisms that exist for the glory of God", asserted Fr. Albert
Chapelle, a Jesuit, in a remarkable course on theodicy he gave at the Institut d’Etudes Théologiques (IET) of
Brussels. What he meant by this is that the rejection of God is often the
result of an image of Him given by those who claim to follow and serve Him,
which is nothing more than a caricature.
What Fr.
Chapelle claimed appears to be finding a new illustration in the Muslim world.
Many observers are detecting a profound movement of rejection of religion in
the Arab world. Such is the case especially among the younger generations
behind the uprisings of the "Arab spring", so quickly seized upon by
Islamists.
The savage
atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic State and its Caliph have the power of
simply disgusting those who, even if raised in an environment of Muslim devotion,
discover the grinning face of the god whom these monsters believe they are
serving.
A recent article
published on the Free Arab website provides
an interesting analysis of the phenomenon. Another interesting article,
in French, is published in a Lebanese newspaper and summarized by the Courrier International.
From my
point of view, that of a Christian, atheism is obviously not the ultimate
answer, but if it means to be a step in getting rid of brutish pseudo-religious
idols, it is welcome.
Fiodor
