Religious believers are taught that in order to give your life meaning, purpose, and happiness, you must diligently obey the doctrines of whatever religious book you subscribe to. So it is frequently assumed that a non-believer who does not follow the bible or the Quran will lack that meaning, purpose and happiness in their life. Atheists are seen as pitiful lost souls who mask the emptiness they feel from living their godless lives. Because of these assumptions, believers like to ask, "what can atheism offer us?" It's really meant more as a rhetorical question in most cases, since they believe they already know the answer; they're only posing the question for the chance to evangelize.

There are, however, some fundamental problems with the question. First of all, it acts as though atheism is a religion or an ideology, when in fact it is nothing but one simple proposition. Atheism is only the rejection of theism, it is not a belief system that addresses morality or ethics or anything of the sort (I've covered this more in-depth in Is Atheism a Religion?). Secondly, no atheist is promoting atheism as the necessary standard for guiding all aspects of the world. A common misconception is that when atheists criticize religion, they do so in an attempt to gain converts for the cause of atheism. In reality, most atheists utilize criticism as a means of motivating others to think more rationally. This leads into my last objection, which is that since the question misses the point, it needs to be properly rephrased as "what can reason offer us?"

I. Why Reason?

Reason is absolutely necessary if we are to make sense of our world. It gives us a useful framework with which to make statements and predictions about reality. It gives us the ability to discern the truth and practicality of certain propositions. It serves to counter-balance our emotions, ensuring that we do not act exclusively on selfish feelings. Perhaps the issue of most importance in the consideration of religion is that reason allows for accountability. Arguments and views can be analyzed, and their strengths and weaknesses can be evaluated. Reason is critical in our understanding of virtually anything and everything.

Atheism's intentions behind the criticism of religion are not the same as those a religious believer might have. A Christian may criticize a Muslim because he believes the bible, not the Quran, is the true word of God. This is hardly a position based on reason, but more like a version of "my god can beat up your god". The atheist, on the other hand, has no religion to exalt above the one he is criticizing. Instead, he is simply using the tool of reason to examine the claims being made, and if he hopes to advocate anything to the believer, it is that rationality is superior to superstition and irrationality.

II. Reason: the Antithesis of Religion

Undoubtedly, many religious believers will scoff at my interchange of atheism with reason, because it apparently implies that religion is not reasonable or rational. I do indeed believe this, and I will soon explain why, but I think it is important to distinguish between the source and the agents first. An individual can certainly be religious and rational, and one can also be atheistic and irrational. Religion is merely a part of the greater problem of irrationality, but the more religious one is, the less likely they will be to employ reason and logic, and this is not just opinion.

The more devoted a person is to any cause or view, the more they will struggle with allowing dissent to enter their mind. The patriot who blindly pledges himself to stand by his country at all times is not very likely to rationally consider his country's actions, because in his mind they can do no wrong. Likewise, a religious person who believes that God communicates with people and is the supreme authority on what is good, may not rationally consider his own thoughts and actions, believing them to be in accordance with the will of God, who can do no wrong in the believer's mind.

Religion praises devotion and obedience, significantly more than it praises critical thinking. Faith is esteemed above all other values, and is irrational by its very nature. There is no reason to have faith in that which is evidential - we never talk about having faith in gravity, for example. Only when something is not readily apparent or evident does faith come into play. Reason is the antithesis of religion because it denies and challenges the alleged "virtue" of faith.

III. The Greatest Offerings

Most atheists are not out to convert believers to the cause of atheism, or to put an offer on the table to attract new members. I personally couldn't care less if someone wants to be religious or "spiritual", so long as they restrain themselves from trying to force their beliefs onto the greater populace. If they fail to do this, or if they neglect rational thinking, they invite criticism. Certainly more than a handful of Muslims believe the world would be a better place if everyone acknowledged Islam as the true religion, and more than a handful of Christians also believe the world would be better if everyone accepted Christianity. Yet atheists have the audacity to suggest the world would be better off if everyone shed irrational beliefs, and all religions are quick to accuse them of being intolerant and close-minded.

There are many Christians and Muslims who do try to force their beliefs upon the world, and what is their answer to the other religions competing with them for domination? Bring it on! This will not work for obvious reasons, and it is part of why the past and present have been so stained with blood in the name of religion. But if these power-hungry factions would embrace reason and logic and take a rational approach to their own beliefs, as well as any others, then perhaps the bloodshed could be decreased, if not be ended altogether. It's not difficult to see how something as simple as critical thinking could solve many problems and provide many benefits across the world. Reason has potentially the greatest offerings of all for humanity.