Atheists should be the least of our worries

When the government declined to register the Atheists in Kenya (AIK) as a society earlier in the year, the argument was that registration of the group posed a threat to peace and good order. “The registrar has cause to believe that the interests of peace, welfare or good order in Kenya would likely suffer prejudice by reason of your registration as a society,” the Registrar said in a letter to the group. But, with the fears either allayed or overlooked, the group is now registered. Predictably, the reaction of many has been similar to that of the Registrar.

Thankfully, by their very nature and disposition, Atheists are some of the most harmless beings on earth. By holding a belief in nothing, true atheists should pose no threat to anybody. These are men and women who observe and experience phenomena, but explain or dismiss them purely on the basis of veritable evidence or lack thereof. Anything within the realm of the inexplicable, is not and has never been. I can only say, blessed are those who do not believe, for they shall never be disappointed.

Another reason why we should not worry about the Atheists in Kenya is their current president, Harrison Mumia. His arguments do not demonstrate the intellectual pluck of one who has given serious consideration to his offering. For example, when some raised the issue of a possible violation of the Constitution by registering his group — since the preamble of the 2010 Constitution clearly asserts Kenyans’ belief in God — Mumia dismissed the preamble as having been written merely to appease some religious groups who were opposed to the referendum.

I am no lawyer but, my understanding is that the preamble of any document, especially in a contract or covenant, is the most important part. The preamble sets out the fundamental beliefs, assumptions, and understandings, upon which any contract or covenant is entered into. You go wrong on the preamble and the rest of the contract is defective; you dismiss it and the whole covenant is rendered invalid. If I were the Registrar, and I wanted to decline the AIK registration, the preamble would have been my shield — not fear. I would have asked AIK to untie my hands by first asking Kenyans to amend their strong religious assertion in the preamble.

However, if I were to have any worries about AIK, it would be their tendency towards Antitheism rather than Atheism — there is a significant difference. Whereas atheism is the non-belief in gods, antitheism is a conscious and deliberate opposition to a specific god, or all gods. Unfortunately, most so-called atheists are actually antitheists – men and women who have some beef with God. Antitheism is active and provides a cause and purpose for its proponents, while atheism is generally passive. While atheists are harmless individuals, antitheists can be a dangerous lot.

Mumia, if he is real, appears not to be an atheist but an antitheist, with a specific grudge against the Christian God. Most of his public vitriol has been against Christianity rather on religion in general. That spirit is generally known as anti-Christ — it is not atheism. But, God needs neither proof nor defence.

In fact, antitheism has never succeeded in obliterating the Church or thwarting the purposes of God. Otherwise the Church would not be around today — read ancient and recent history. Individuals and kingdoms that dismissed or declared God dead have themselves crumbled and died, but the Church lives on. The man who declared religion the “opium of the people” is long gone, but in the kingdom he influenced, men and women have arisen with an unquenchable thirst for God. Eastern Europe is now a hotbed of the “opium.” There is just an attraction between God and the human heart that is unstoppable.

Finally, by accepting registration, Mumia and his team may have ventured into oblivion. Single men and women will confess to being ever irritated by the question, “When are you getting married?” Sadly, once they do and are issued with a certificate, we eat their rice and stew and then retreat to our daily routines — never to bother them again. After the certificate, what awaits Mumia and AIK is the awesome task of organising and populating a movement. He can be sure no one will bother him again — unless of course, as the Registrar feared, he becomes a threat to peace and good order.