I Swear to God I am an Atheist:

Religion and Secularism in a Complex World

Ahmad Atif Ahmad

An Egyptian cleric tells this story to make the point that Egyptian society is a deeply religious society:

“A man who grew up in Egypt and lived in it late into his adult years travels to Europe and spends ten years studying.  His studies culminate in a Ph.D. in philosophy, and in the process, he begins to think of himself as an atheist.  Upon returning to Egypt, he begins to tell his friends the change he thinks he has undergone.  He would say “I came to be an atheist.  I just do not believe in God any more.”  To his shock, his friends would giggle and ignore his claim as if he never said anything worthy of discussion.  Then, finally, he asks them why they seem to be ignoring his statement about him becoming an atheist.  One of his friends volunteers an explanation: “you cannot be an atheist; nobody here is!  Sometimes one might have moments of doubt, and we all have them, but if you grew up in this country, you cannot become an atheist.”  The man gets aggravated and asks “Why?  Why cannot you believe I am an atheist?  I swear to God I am an atheist!”

This quasi-Freudian joke presents with confidence the notion that the deep religiosity that comes from one’s upbringing in Egypt cannot be revoked.  Whether a Muslim or a Copt, the cleric would argue, Egyptians are simply “deeply religious” and will always be. 

Both in Egypt and in the United States, claims that “this country is a deeply religious country” or that “this nation is a deeply religious nation” are heard quite frequently.  And as frequent are claims that religiosity among ‘the people of this nation’ is a moderate form of religiosity.  Even as frequently one hears “many Americans are very secular, are not they?” or “Some powerful activists and media personalities in America are quite secular!”

Claims that America is “deeply religious” or “very secular” are made by different people for different purposes.  Self-identified secular people might say “this nation is too religious” with obvious exacerbation.  But sometimes, just like the Egyptian cleric I mentioned in the beginning, self-identified religious Americans say that Americans are religious to emphasize that their religiosity represents the “main stream.”  The claim that America (or occasionally “powerful sectors” in America) is/are “secular” is often made by self-identified religious people to express their frustration at the lack of respect for the majority’s choice to be religious.  Occasionally, and often in private, self-identified secular Americans say that they do not think that this country is as religious as others claim; indeed the country is “quite secular.”

So, is America secular or religious?  It is hard to provide an answer, but the question itself is quite intriguing.  Unlike some of my German friends who could not see any thing wrong in inserting “Christianity” in a future European constitution, most Americans will not advocate for a role for the government to defend religion.  This, many Americans argue, is what makes America’s religiosity distinct from Europe’s understanding of the role of religion in the life of individuals and society. 

If an individual is capable of being both religious (in certain respects) and secular (in others)—or if the model of somebody who continues to “swear to God he is an atheist” is possible—then why cannot a nation composed of individuals be both religious and secular?  This may appear to be an answer to the question which I admitted is hard to answer.  But I am indeed unable to answer the question and would like to advocate a more cautious approach to the matter.  I am intrigued by the political uses of claims about religiosity and secularism in this nation or any other at a time when the best way to measure people’s religiosity still revolves around statistics on church attendance, baptism, or marriages conducted by priests (or even use of words like God, providence, faith, etc. in the public or private spheres.) 

I am inclined to refrain from answering the question despite my acknowledgement of its importance.  All I know is that the model of somebody who swears to God he/she is an atheist deserves consideration.

Ahmad Atif Ahmad

Assistant Professor

Department of Religious Studies

Macalester College