An Atheist State

Although Christianity spread throughout Europe and many parts of the Americas, the rest of the world has had its own beliefs from the earliest times. These beliefs had nothing to do with Christianity. Yet Christian missionaries believe they have a god-given right to go out and try to convert these ‘heathens’ to their beliefs.

The first Christian missionaries to Thailand came as early as the 15th Century. Yet five hundred years later Thailand remains as resolutely Buddhist as it was then. Those of us lucky enough to live in Thailand live in an atheist society.

Yet I wonder how many westerners living here ever give it much thought? Not many, I suspect.

Sure, there are a few practicing Christians here. But for the most part the expatriate community here is devoted to hedonism rather than devout practice.

There are also a few Thai villages scattered around the country that are partly or mostly Christian. I had a maid from one of these villages before I got married. She did an excellent job, often finishing her work by midday. Then she would disappear into her room. One day, I asked her what she was doing in there, because I’d heard her mumbling. She told me she was praying. I suspect she was praying for me, as I often brought home ladies of the night. Or perhaps she was praying for a husband. I guess it worked. She married one of my friends. And I met my current wife and married her!

But before that, a couple of my bar girl friends actually started talking to my maid and at least one left the trade and returned home to Sisaket to open a small beauty shop as a result. I believe she is still there today.

Despite this, it’s always amused me that the Christians have had such an abysmal record in this country. But they have had the same result in other staunchly Buddhist countries too. First Japan, and later China were abject failures. They had limited success in Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos too.

So, why is it that they cannot dent these atheist’s beliefs? Is there something about Buddhism that makes more sense than Christianity? Or are Sino Asians more inclined to the Buddhist philosophy with its emphasis on internalizing thought and self-salvation?

Does Buddhism offer a better way to live than Christianity?

Many Buddhists I have talked to say yes. Buddhism puts the onus on the practitioner to get their lives in order. There are no moral questions. Buddhism encourages people to come to terms with one’s own weaknesses and overcome them.

Christianity, on the other hand, is paternalistic. Its adherents rely on a hierarchy of priests to dictate what they should believe and do. With an all-powerful god in charge, it’s much easier to believe in Christianity.

Despite this, each religion has had a very strange and opposite effect on its believers.

People in the west faced serious discussion about the origin of man and our place in the universe, especially in the last few Centuries. As more people sought answers and found them, our society evolved to give us a lot more freedom. We became individuals rather than group followers. And as that happened, so belief in the very religion that spawned it has dwindled. More people are coming out of the closet these days and admitting they are atheists and freethinkers.

Here in Asia, the exact opposite has occurred. Even though Buddhism encourages the individual to take care of his own salvation, society has grown to restrict the individual’s rights. What a paradox!

Foreigners in Thailand have a great deal of freedom simply because we can take from it what we want with almost no restrictions. Even though prostitution is illegal, it has grown into a multi-million dollar business because Thai society has no cohesive way to stop it. The restrictive society they have built as a result of their ‘top down’ social system means that those in powerful positions who profit from it can easily stop any opposition.

Walk down any of the popular bar areas and look around you. I bet you not one of those western men drinking beer and playing with the girls believes in any god…unless he is Bacchus!

America has more practicing Christians than any other country in the world. Contrast that to Thailand, which does not believe in any gods. Yet, are the Thais any less moral or worse behaved than the Americans? I doubt it. Despite the often-repeated criticisms of Thailand, the perceived lies, the unreliability of the people, the rampant corruption, living in an atheist country definitely has its benefits.

Some will point to the gun violence in the US and say that there is more violence there. But we can’t quantify that because death by shooting in Thailand is often not recorded as such. And reports are not as well kept as they are in the US. In fact, if one looks at the amount of violence in western countries, Australia and the UK have much higher incidences of grievous bodily harm than the US. This could be simply because the easy availability of guns in the US often means differences are resolved faster with a gun.

But none of this has anything to do with the moral and religious beliefs practiced in each country. For the Christians to be right, they would have to show that Thailand is a lot less moral, and more violent and corrupt than western countries. That is obviously not the case. The only differences are in the degrees of morality, violence and corruption. In a poor country, corruption will be visible at much lower strata of society. In a rich society, corruption is often hidden at the highest levels. But it is there, as the occasional scandals in the US show.

So, how does it feel to live in an atheist society? Have you ever thought about that before? This sure ain’t Kansas any more Toto.

© Marc Holt. All rights reserved by the author.