Religion of Disbelief

One of the typical ploys of atheists, secular fundamentalists, and disbelievers is to try to suppress the mention of God and His religion in public life. The mechanism they typically use to try to achieve this is through the claim of “separation of church and state.” While this discussion will focus on this tactic in the context of the United States I am hoping that the lesson will resonate irrespective of geography.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws that regulate an establishment of a state religion, or that would prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, as well as other things. Though the exact words “separation of church and state” do not appear in the First Amendment, the establishment clause was intended to separate church from state.

When the First Amendment was adopted in 1791, the establishment clause applied only to the federal government, and prohibited the federal government from any involvement in establishing a state religion. By 1833, all states had followed suit that provided protections for religious liberty in state constitutions. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court applied the establishment clause to the states through the 14th Amendment. Today, the establishment clause prohibits all levels of government from either advancing or inhibiting religion. This was not meant to subvert religion, but instead to allow people to worship freely and restrain the government from forcing any single religion on the people.

The clever trick that disbelievers utilize is to claim that their belief structure and ideology is not a form of religion and therefore not bound by this restriction. So because of this, they continuously utilize the strongarm of the government to promote their destructive ideologies whenever they have the chance.

Recently, the author and researcher, Michael Shellenberger and Peter Boghossian, a philosopher who recently resigned his post at Portland State University in response to Wokeist repression, constructed a Woke Religion Taxonomy. The taxonomy includes seven artifacts of the woke ideology categorized by Racism, Climate Change, Trans, Crime, Mental Illness, Drugs, and Homelessness. What they did then was for each of these categories they showed their religious dogma associated with each belief system as it cuts across ten religious categories: Original Sin, Guilty Devils, Myths, Sacred Victims, The Elect, Supernatural Beliefs, Taboo Facts (Blasphemies), Taboo Speech (Blasphemy Laws), Purifying Rituals, Purifying Speech. What they found surprising was how straightforward it was to fill in each category, and their parallels with religious dogma.

But is there Quranic precedent to show that even the supposed atheist nonbeliever not only worships but also has a religion? Sura 109 of the Quran is entitled The Disbelievers (Al-Kaaferoon), and it states:

[109:0] In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
[109:1] Say, “O you disbelievers.
[109:2] “I do not worship what you worship.
[109:3] “Nor do you worship what I worship.
[109:4] “Nor will I ever worship what you worship.
[109:5] “Nor will you ever worship what I worship.
[109:6] “To you is your religion, and to me is my religion.“

(٠) بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
(١) قُل ياأَيُّهَا الكافِرونَ
(٢) لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
(٣) وَلَا أَنْتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
(٤) وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَا عَبَدْتُمْ
(٥) وَلَا أَنْتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
(٦) لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ

In Arabic, the word ‘abd, عبد, means to worship, but it also means to serve. So therefore whatever a person ultimately serves in this life is what they worship. To determine what a person ultimately serves, simply determine the thing that they love the most and give priority to over all other things.

[9:24] Proclaim: “If your parents, your children, your siblings, your spouses, your family, the money you have earned, a business you worry about, and the homes you cherish are more beloved to you than GOD and His messenger, and the striving in His cause, then just wait until GOD brings His judgment.” GOD does not guide the wicked people.

 قُلْ إِنْ كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

So if the thing a person cares about the most is their family, career, social status, material possessions – like a car, home, or money – then these thigns become their object of worship, their idol, and their god. As believers, the thing we love the most is God alone. Therefore the thing we prioritize over everything else is our relationship with God. The way we do this is by giving our worship practices priority over all other aspects of our life. For instance, God gives us the example that the true believers are the ones who drop all other obligations when it comes to the commemoration of God when Jummah (Friday) Prayer is announced.

[62:9] O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer (Salat Al-Jumu’ah) is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of GOD, and drop all business. This is better for you, if you only knew. [62:10] Once the prayer is completed, you may spread through the land to seek GOD’s bounties, and continue to remember GOD frequently, that you may succeed. [62:11] When some of them come across a business deal, or some entertainment, they rush to it and leave you standing! Say, “What GOD possesses is far better than the entertainment or the business. GOD is the best Provider.”

Our utmost love for God must be indivisible if we truly worship God alone.

[33:4] GOD did not give any man two hearts in his chest.

مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ

[Bible Matthew 6:24] No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

So this covers the aspect of worship, but what about religion? In Arabic the word for religion used in Sura 109 is the word deen, دِين , which happens to be the same word for judgment. Therefore our religion is reflected by how we judge between right and wrong. A person’s judgment will depend on what they determine to be their ultimate source of truth. Pending on what a person uses as their source of truth to guide them to determine what is morally right and wrong will indicate the foundation of their religion.

If our judgment is based on the law of men, then this shows that the words of men have become the foundation of our religion.

[5:49] You shall rule among them in accordance with GOD’s revelations to you. Do not follow their wishes, and beware lest they divert you from some of GOD’s revelations to you. If they turn away, then know that GOD wills to punish them for some of their sins. Indeed, many people are wicked. [5:50] Is it the law of the days of ignorance that they seek to uphold? Whose law is better than GOD’s for those who have attained certainty?

 وَأَنِ احْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُصِيبَهُمْ بِبَعْضِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ لَفَاسِقُونَ

 أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

If our judgment is based on what scholars dictate upon us then the scholars become our god.

[9:31] They have set up their religious leaders and scholars as lords,* instead of GOD. Others deified the Messiah, son of Mary. They were all commanded to worship only one god. There is no god except He. Be He glorified, high above having any partners.

 اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

If we uphold any other source aside from the words of God to determine what is morally right and wrong then we are setting up that other source as a god beside God. The following verse clarifies for us that if we accept the words of another source over the words of God then that other source becomes our idol.

[6:121] Do not eat from that upon which the name of GOD has not been mentioned, for it is an abomination. The devils inspire their allies to argue with you; if you obey them, you will be idol worshipers.

 وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَفِسْقٌ وَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ لَيُوحُونَ إِلَىٰ أَوْلِيَائِهِمْ لِيُجَادِلُوكُمْ وَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُونَ

If our judgment is based on what feelings and whims then our ego has become our god.

[25:43] Have you seen the one whose god is his own ego? Will you be his advocate?

(٤٣) أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنْتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا

The Arabic word for “ego” in the above verse is hawah, هَوَاهُ ,this word means the whims or desires of a person at any given moment.

If our judgment comes from whatever cultural mores is popular at the time, then these poets become our god.

[26:224] As for the poets, they are followed only by the strayers. [26:225] Do you not see that their loyalty shifts according to the situation? [26:226] And that they say what they do not do?

If on the other hand our judgment is determined strictly the words of God alone, then it proves that our religion is the worship of God alone.

[6:114] Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt. [6:115] The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.

 أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

 وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

So disbelievers attempt to use the government to suppress any speech that they indicate comes from a God-centric religion and instead do a full-court press to impose their religious understandings on the masses through the tenents they live by e.g. wokeism ideology, anti-racism, marxism, LGBTQism, climate alarmism and any number of other anti-God religions.

What is particularly troubling about this is that ears, unlike eyes, can not be as easily closed from hearing. Instead, the only thing one can try to do is to ignore, but this is not the same because irrespective of whether we like it or not the loudest speech will be forced into the minds of people who potentially disagree with the message which can worst case eventually sway individual to the speaker’s point of view, or at a minimum convince them to not share their viewpoint if it contradicts the mainstream dogma.

So by attempting to suppress God-conscious speech and at the same time amplify their own ideologies they are pushing their religion of disbelief on both fronts. Firstly, by suppressing dissenting voices, and secondly by amplifying their own message.

It is worth looking at a few of these new satanic religions, and deconstruct them to understand what is it that these religions prioritize over everything else. Knowing this will show us what it is that the followers of these religions ultimately serve. Secondly, let’s look at what source do the followers of these religions use to distinguish between right from wrong.

One of the newest satanic religions that is gaining much traction is that of Anti-Racism. This religion is propagated by their high priests such as Ibram X. Kendi, Robin DiAngelo, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Their central belief is that the country is systematically racist, and their primary mission is to dismantle all structures they deem to produce an uneven outcome for “people of color.”

Their method for how they want to achieve this outcome is best articulated by Ibram X. Kendi himself, who stated, “The only remedy to racist discrimination is antiracist discrimination. The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.” This shows their determination of right and wrong is not based on morality or justice, like the Quran advocates, but instead based on the concept of equity. We did a whole podcast on the topic of Equity vs. Equality, but in short, equity aims for equal outcomes, while equality aims for equal opportunity. Therefore they are not only allowing but encouraging people to discriminate against others based on the color of their skin if this will allow them to reach their goal of equity.

Or another popular religion of atheists is that of climate alarmism. These practitioners propagate such satanic messages as human beings are a cancer to the world and that human populations are exceeding the Earth’s capacity and therefore people should be encouraged to stop having children and promote government-funded abortions. Their false prophets, such as Al Gore, Greta Thunberg, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been warning of their coming Armageddon that the world is going to end in the next 12 years because of irreversible climate damage. Therefore their ultimate cause in life and metric by which they determine between right and wrong is dependent on how they perceive such decisions will impact the climate.

Or the latest new age godless religion is that of wokeism which combines the above ideologies with other concepts based on postmodernism as well as intersectionality. Their ultimate truth is that sex is not binary and people can be whatever they self-identify as. So from this, we get the term “birthing people”. This religion glorifies individuals who are marginalized by their standards and aims to divide all people into categories based on their hierarchy in society, the pronouns they identify with, and their sexual preference. They consider this as the ultimate truth. While their ultimate cause is to upend what they deem as “the white cisgender male patriarchy”. The means by which they want to do this is through compelled speech, the pushing of their illiberal ideologies, the dismantling of biological sex, the sexualization of children, and the tearing down of the nuclear family. Their determination of right and wrong is based on an authoritarian moral relativism, where there is no universal right and wrong, except if you happen to use a person’s wrong pronouns or any other of their irredeemable constantly changing aggressions then you deserve to be banished from society.

While there are many more satanic religions masquerading through mainstream society, the choice in this world is always between one of two options: either we are with God or we are with Satan.

[36:60] Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy? [36:61] And that you shall worship Me alone? This is the right path. [36:62] He has misled multitudes of you. Did you not possess any understanding?

So how do believers stand up to this nonsense aside from perpetually seeking refuge in God from such satanic ideologies? God gives us this answer in the following verse.

[5:54] O you who believe, if you revert from your religion, then GOD will substitute in your place people whom He loves and who love Him. They will be kind with the believers, stern with the disbelievers, and will strive in the cause of GOD without fear of any blame. Such is GOD’s blessing; He bestows it upon whomever He wills. GOD is Bounteous, Omniscient.

 يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَنْ يَرْتَدَّ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

As believers, we need to be careful not to become accustomed or complacent to these sinful ideologies no matter how popular they may become. Instead, this is an opportunity for us to stand with God and be stern when encountering the disbelievers who hate us because of our religion and we should never be intimidated to strive in the cause of God and promote the truth.

The heathens will attempt to scare and intimidate those who believe to comply with their false gods, and pressure us to declare our allegiance to their cause. If we comply to their wishes, then God will substitute us with others who are not going to fear blame for standing up for the truth. In the words of Abraham, it is not the believers who should be afraid, but the disbelievers who set up false idols next to God who should be afraid.

[6:81] “Why should I fear your idols? It is you who should be afraid, since you worship instead of GOD idols that are utterly powerless to help you. Which side is more deserving of security, if you know?”

 وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَا أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلَا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُمْ بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا فَأَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالْأَمْنِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

If we strive in the cause of God and do the things that please Him, then in return God will provide us with an unwavering support and grant us success not only in this life but as well as in the Hereafter.

[3:160] If GOD supports you, none can defeat you. And if He abandons you, who else can support you? In GOD the believers shall trust.

 إِنْ يَنْصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِنْ يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَنْصُرُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ