The recent comments made by Illinois State Representative Monique Davis reveal an unfortunate deep-seated fear that many Christians have regarding atheists.  Representative Davis berated an atheist and told him that he had no right to testify due to his lack of belief in God.  She even called the philosophy of atheism “dangerous” and said that it was dangerous for children to even know that the philosophy exists.

The fear revealed by Representative Davis is unnecessary, and her actions only serve the cause of atheism in ways she probably can’t imagine.  There is no need to fear atheism, or atheists.  I have personally interacted with many avowed atheists, and have found them to be the same as anyone–they are people first and foremost.  They do not recognize their creator, nor do they feel that their rights as humans were first derived from God.

Because there is no derivation of rights first from God in the mind of an atheist, it is therefore society–majority rules–that decides objective morality.  This makes said morality subjective rather than objective.  No objective morality can exist with such a system.  But that is a different subject for another time.  Atheists still believe in the objective morality outlined in the Bible, and many of them follow it much more closely than even the most deeply religious that I know.

Atheists are not the immoral hate-mongers that Representative Davis fears.  Her comments are absolutely appalling.  I’m very glad that she apologized for her comments, and I’m glad that it was done directly to the person whom she offended.

Her Christian witness will be tainted by her comments, but in apologizing she did the right thing.  I’m appalled by her comments, but I applaud her humility in apologizing for her unwarranted outburst.

The truth is that we, as Christians, have nothing to fear from the atheist philosophy.  It is unfortunate that atheists are viewed in the light that Representative Davis has now personified.  I pray that she takes the time to learn more about atheists before she tries to speak out against them again.