My hope is for a moral society based on reason and good intentions. Is it
possible?

Atonement and Reconciliation.

Atonement is when two estranged parties eventually reconcile because one offended the other.The offender asks for forgiveness from the offended party, hoping a reconciliation will reunite them. In religion, it is often interpreted as reconciliation with God after a sin was committed against the tenets of the faith. Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and psychologically based therapies incorporate atonement into the healing process. Cultures and religions employed various practices of the ages, asking for forgiveness, including animal sacrifices, human sacrifices, crop offerings, fast, prayer, repentance, apology, and charity.

The Jewish high holidays, ushering in the New Year, are a period for deep contemplation and atonement. According to the Hebrew calendar that began in 3761 BCE, October 3rd will be the start of the 5785th year. Known as Rosh Hashana, it marks the opening of The Book of Life, which will close ten days later on Yom Kippur, a day of fasting to right the wrongs committed during the year. It’s also known as The Days Of Awe because of the awesome responsibility for atoning for misdeeds, creating peace among family and acquaintances, and facing God’s judgment. If a person harms another but apologizes and tries to rectify the misdeed, the wronged person is religiously required to grant forgiveness for atonement. A person who doesn’t apologize faces God’s wrath. The holidays have immense significance for the Jewish community, with more liberal Jews considering it humanity’s birthday.

In Catholic and Orthodox Protestant churches, atonement is sought through prayer, penance, and the cleansing of the body with holy water, each serving as a means of spiritual purification and reconciliation. St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033/34-1109 AD) wrote “that Jesus’ death on the cross was absolutely necessary because there was no other rationally intelligible way in which sinful humankind could have been reconciled with God. God’s righteousness, offended by human sin, demanded satisfaction: that satisfaction could be rendered only by someone who was both God–because God could overcome sin by sinlessness–and human–because humans were those who were guilty of sin.” Since St. Anslem, the practice of atonement became focused on the interrelationship between God, Jesus, and humankind.

The forty days of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday, a holy day recognizing our human faults. It ends six weeks later, celebrating Christ’s resurrection. The faithful repent for the sins they committed during their lifetime. In modern practice, followers consider Lent a time to fast from negative thoughts, certain foods, gossiping, social media, alcohol, or whatever is regarded as meaningful to their redemption. During the forty days, the faithful set aside time to meditate, pray daily, and do good deeds. They may visit shut-ins or engage in community service.

During the last month of the year, followers of the Baháʼí faith fast, pray and meditate to atone for their transgressions. For Hindus, Prayaschitta, accepting one’s errors and misdeeds, requires fasting, chanting mantras, charity, and pilgrimage to atone with the gods and their fellow human beings. This penance is thought to help them become liberated from the karma that caused them to sin.

Buddhism doesn’t have a concept of atonement with a god but focuses on atonement with fellow humans. It teaches the importance of forgiveness, coming from the desire to prevent both the offended and the offender from developing harmful emotions that bind them to sin and misery. Atonement is initiated more by the offended party than by the offender.

Islamic practices involve helping the poor and remembering Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son at God’s command (according to Ishmael). The Qur’an teaches that genuine repentance is the primary way back to God, who promises to forgive the sins of those who believe, pray, and do good works. Muslims fast during daylight hours and strive to avoid impure thoughts or immoral behavior during Ramadan, commemorating when the prophet Muhammed was given the first revelation of the Quran.

Without fear of God’s wrath to keep them in line, you might wonder how Atheists develop a moral structure. They see ethical standards changing over time and note that some people set themselves up with moral practices above the law and ignore human suffering. Morality. to Atheists, means that doing what is right contributes to human well-being, and engaging in what is wrong causes harm and suffering. Objective morality depends on reason and science. Atheists act as theists by asking for forgiveness from those they harmed and trying to amend their mistakes.

Almost every religion outlaws killing humans with certain exceptions. The Aztec Sun God allowed the killing of young girls in acts of sacrifice for the betterment of society. Killing in the name of God is tolerated in Christian and Jewish communities and protected under Muslim rule. Fatwas promotes violence by allowing the government to permit an individual or group to kill. Violating religious dogma, such as changing or renouncing religion, can trigger honor killings in Afghanistan, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia. Of interesting note, many of the most religious states in the U.S. have the highest crime rates.

Some non-religious organizations also encourage members to atone for past misdeeds. Steps 8 and 9 of the 12-Step Alcoholics Anonymous program involve making amends and asking for forgiveness. The AA Big Book states, “Forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion, and it must be sincere to get results.” It explains the importance of forgiving ourselves and the offended party.

Religions can create an immoral society by calling immoral action a sin and offering forgiveness without requiring the person to right the wrong with the offended individual. To them, penance is with God, not the community or person, so forgiveness is private. The practice allows sinners to repeat their transgressions without fearing God’s retribution. Forgiveness is there for bullies, thieves, murderers, and those who influence others to commit crimes against society. By not encouraging people to take responsibility, some religious practices degrade and harm society. This is why I believe ethics should be taught from a young age in schools.

References:
Website. (2024) Atonement. Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/ topic/atonement-religion
Goldbaum, L (1995) “Days of Awe”- The BIrthday of Humility. University of
Massachusetts Amherst. Retrieved from https://www.umass.edu/orsl/days-awebirthday-humility#:~:text
Website.(2024) Atonement. New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://
www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Atonement#:~:text
Website (2-24) Crime rate by State 2024, World population review.l Retrieved from
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/crime-rate-by-state
Website (2-24) Can atheists be moral? Atheist Alliance International. Retrieved from
https://www.atheistalliance.org/about-atheism/can-atheists-moral/
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I look forward to your comments about morality and redemption.

The Water Factor is a thriller that questions morality and social justice. It is a coming-of-age story about a high school graduate who becomes disturbed by criminal acts committed by the company he works for. Though set in the future, it elucidates the results of injustices occurring now. According to the UN, water is at the center of the climate crisis.
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