ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 233

powerful, wise, and good." The God of Jainism is superlatively powerful, wise, and good, He has also existed forever. Not only has every soul always existed, but the whole world has always existed. Because the world is uncreated, the God in Jainism cannot be a creator God, but it is for this reason that this definition of atheism and of God renders Jainism atheistic.
Of the many different types of atheism, there are two relevant categories for this discussion: practical atheism and theoretical atheism. A theoretical atheist self-consciously and thoughtfully denies the existence of God. A practical atheist believes God exists, but lives as though God does not exist.? It should be added that to live as though God exists does not just imply the nebulous attribute of being a good person.” Surely there are many theoretical atheists who are good people. To live as though God exists would essentially entail, some form of worship, a code of ethics that reflects the belief in God, and a life that is oriented towards God.
If Jainism is atheistic, what type of atheism is it? As in theoretical atheism, Jainism selfconsciously denies the existence of God. If Jains are theoretical atheists, then they are must comprise a new type of theoretical atheist who self-consciously deny the existence of God but live as though they believe in God. Following the above formulation, this means that while denying the existence of God, Jains not only tend to be good people, but also that they have some form of worship, a code of ethics that reflects the belief in God, and a life that is oriented towards God.
Jains easily meet the criteria for this new type of "Theistic Theoretical Atheism." The main tenant of Jainism is ahimsa, or non-violence, and most Jains choose careers and lifestyles that cause minimal, or at least reduced, ahimsā. Having a relatively small following, about 4.3 million, certain generalizations can be made. Most Jains are vegetarians. Most Jains are hard working and contribute much to the society. Most Jains engage in fervent rituals, with icons, prayers, bhakti, and pūja that can be seen at most temples. The point is that Jains distinctively live as though they believe that God exists. They qualify as “good people who
Encyclopedia of Religion, pp. 576-585. ? Thiselton, Anthony C. "Atheism." A Concise Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Religion, Found on-line at: http://www.enotalone.com/article/5215.html. Oneworld Publications, 2002
Page 220 of 273
STUDY NOTES version 5.0