Atheism Will Get You Killed

Spiritual-not-Religious means trouble for your protagonist

“Are you religious at all?” the old woman asks our protagonist, taking a long drag on her cigarette.

“I try to keep an open mind,” our protagonist responds.

The old woman smiles lightly, a clear look of victory flashing over her features.

- The Skeleton Key (2005)

In our modern secular times, authors often neglect the religion or lack thereof of their characters. This is a mistake, one that can hamstring your storytelling.

High fantasy and (of course) Christian fiction authors tend to incorporate religion and use it to fine effect. Other genres… not so much.

But faith dictates far more than what you do with Sundays and leaving it out entirely can leave your characters hollow at best, and behaving unrealistically at worst.

Atheist Writers Making Atheism a Character Flaw

Three of my favorite examples of faith being used as a major plot point were actually written by atheists. So this isn’t about proselytizing for a specific religion or worldview. It’s understanding the limitations of an existing belief system. And how it can get you killed.

I already mentioned The Skeleton Key, which used the MC’s lack of conviction against her. She believed in nothing, so the bad guys were able to successfully impose a belief system on her. This resulted in her losing not her life, but her body.

It wouldn’t have happened if she had a strong existing belief system. Even if she had been an ardent atheist, she would have been okay. But she wasn’t. She was malleable, open-minded. And as a result, she lost all that she was.

The Orville—which started off as a Star Trek spoof but ended up as a space-faring masterpiece in its own right—did something similar.

ALL of the characters in The Orville are atheists. In the show, religion is treated as a relic of the past, a silly superstition. This lack of belief in an immortal soul is exactly why Captain Mercer (and the rest of the crew) welcomed a Kaylon onto their ship. Kaylons are sentient androids. They are notoriously xenophobic and avoid “biologicals.” But then, all of a sudden, one decides to work on Captain Mercer’s ship on a supposedly diplomatic posting.

The robots are sentient but they don’t have souls. They do not believe that humans or other living beings are special or unique. They do not believe in an afterlife. They do not fear death.

But they are counted as intelligent life by the enlightened crew of the Orville and they are shocked—shocked!—when the Kaylons come to kill them all. Just because they can.

They might be self-aware, but they’re not human. If the crew, even one of them, believed in the concept of a soul, the majority of Season 2 and 3 wouldn’t have happened.

Finally, the paranormal thriller, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, makes the MC’s logic, reason, and atheism a tragic fatal flaw.

Our MCs are an aging coroner and his grown son, who he hopes will take over his business. And they are called to determine the cause of death for a young woman. No one knows who she is and no one can tell how she died. The body looks untouched.

With every cut, the two men are baffled by what they find. How can her lungs be burned while the outside of her body is undamaged? And what is this old piece of parchment that has been shoved down her throat?

I knew what it was. I knew almost immediately. But our MCs didn’t. They never stated outright they were atheists. But it was obvious. They are clearly not Christians and didn’t believe that witches are real, or ever were.

By the time they understand what they’re dealing with, it’s far too late.

If they had been believers, the plot couldn’t have happened.

Your Character’s Faith is ALWAYS Important

Don’t think because you’re writing a cop thriller, this doesn’t apply to you.

Your hard-boiled detective has seen so much and sometimes feels like he’s lived too long. He doesn’t believe in God or the afterlife, not one bit.

Fair enough. But the way you write this guy cannot be the same way you write his partner, who has also seen too much, but is a faithful Catholic.

One believes that there will be an accounting of actions and final judgment after death. One does not. Having these two characters behave the same way and base their decisions on the same moral framework is lazy writing.

This isn’t just a question of your character’s morals. Those are ALWAYS relative. Even among Christians, we argue over morality. The question of your character’s faith should be used to inform the behavior you write for them.

This could be a major plot point, or it could just be a personality tic. Either way, it adds depth and richness to your characters and, in some cases, can give you a fantastic plot twist for the story.

Regardless of genre, always consider what your character believes about the nature of this life and the next.

It will make for a better story and a deeper impact on your reader.

There’s a reason shows like the X-Files run as long as they do.