Why are Atheists so Scary?

@sometime sun,

i think when you can fully embrace the fact that you will never know anything for certain it can become liberating. you don't have to know anything with absolute certainty to exist and that is the beauty of it, in my opinion. just like there are no rules to art, and anytime someone tries to put rules onto art, it almost stops being art. Who would buy a paint by numbers painting for more than a few dollars?

This is what makes philosophy so amazing and unifying. It isn't so much about trying to nail down what should be going on, but instead trying to work out the course of action that does the least damage along the way. Just like you can go hiking in the woods but you are doing damage the whole time you are there. We ultimately destroy ourselves trying to determine what we should be doing and even more so when we try to tell others what they should be doing.

I say it is better to not know then to be wrong and force what you thought was right onto others.

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@sometime sun,

sometime sun wrote:

I should have said "possible positions".

I did not want to say fundamentalist Atheist because I am not sure they exist.

I am of course not talking about the masses who just don't pray or give to charity, I am talking about those who have actually come to the declaration to call them selves some thing they know of what they speak.

The atheist advocate in other words.

You surly did not think I meant any Tom Dick or Harry who does not go to church and reads the sports page and think God is a load of tosh.

The atheist advocate, that which I can hear speak out about the subject and have a hold upon what he is trying to convince others.

I was not talking about the silent majority who probably don't even care what an atheist is, as they are just that silent and I don't think I fear peace and quite.

Would all these people you know discuss Dawkins with you?

Quote:

who just don't pray or give to charity,

What on earth are you talking about? You seriously believe atheists don't give to charity? If this is the sort of stuff you come out with, I am not surprised that you meet a lot of angry atheists!

Do you similarly object to angry religious people?

If so, it seems your problem is with heated debate or anger, not atheism.

I had no idea whom you meant, you said atheists...that is who I assumed you meant.

Now you say it is atheists who do not remain silent.

You have a problem with people advocating atheism? Why? What possible reason is there to object to people advocating something which does not demand that others be hurt? Or are you saying that you have atheists coming to your door and insisting they be allowed in to convince you of atheism?

I can see reasons to take issue with Dawkins re some of his logic, but you appear to take issue with atheists having any voice at all.

If people are insisting on pushing atheism down your throat in social situations, I can see you taking umbrage, just as I would if a religious person tried the same with me (as they sometimes do) even when I have politely indicated that I am not interested in the discussion....but for you to take some offence at an atheist in the public domain who is espousing their position...what reason, in rationality, can you have to be offended by that?

That you are fearful of having your ideas changed seems to me to be your issue, I see that having our ideas changed by reasoned discourse is a revelatory and wonderful thing.

I am sorry you fear anger. I don't like it a lot, either...but why is it such a problem for you?

Where exactly are these fearsome atheists frightening you?

In person? On the media? In fora dedicated to robust challenges of ideas?

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@sometime sun,

sometime sun wrote:

I am afraid of my truth being lost in so much as I am afraid of the unknown.

Are you not at all afraid the strength you find in your position being taken from you?
Or do you not think it possible to ever be convinced of any thing other ever in your life?

I joined Philforum to find people who would show me truth, just because I am terrified of something dose not mean I do not face it.
And just because I hold truth does not mean I suppose that my truth is any higher than yours.
Build a bridge and I may just have to get over my fear of water. (I'm not really afraid of water either)

Almost everyone fears change.

It is natural to react emotionally to being convinced that your position is wrong.

This does not mean that it is wrong to attempt to convince you that your position is wrong.

I have many times been convinced that things I have believed are not true....isn't that a GOOD thing if we learn and grow?

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@sometime sun,

sometime sun wrote:

Absolutely not, what are you talking about?
But cannot you see how utterly horrid it is to hear someone say so off the cuff and dismissively "I feel sorry for you"
I don't ask for your pity,
And you must know such a remark is not an intelligent or rationally acceptable discourse to have with other people.
I am not asking you to be pleasant but I did not ask for you to be down right insulting and hurtful.
Surly you did not have honourable intention by flipping me off in such a way.
Perhaps I just got used to decent respectful behaviour and atmosphere from me and my fellow seekers of truth.

You really don't see it as an angry reactionary remark then?

sometimes, sun

I am more than happy to recognise you as a sincere seeker of truth and I wish you well in your search.

I am bound to say, of course, that if you follow your seach to it's logical conclusion you will inevitably be led to a position of agnosticism at best and, more likely a passive atheism. For myself, it has led to an active atheism.

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While I am at a stage in my life where I can quite comfortably and without any doubt call myself an Agnostic Atheist, this wasn't always the case. I grew up in a Lutheran household and throughout my high school years, I was a devoted Christian. When I say devoted, I absolutely mean devoted. I read my bible every day, I prayed to God every chance I had. I actually set aside time from my day to be with God and just meditate with him. I attended Christian music festivals, I sponsored a little girl from Nicaragua through a Christian program called "Compassion." I was totally into my faith. And yes, Atheists scared me. They intimidated me because they believed what I built my life around was a bag of crap.

It's a long story how I lost my faith and if you're ever interested, I'll tell you. But for now, I'll stick to the topic. The more and more I began to doubt my own faith, the more I began to identify with Atheism, and the more I ended up frightening myself. The idea of doubt to a person with a faith so big is a scary place to be. The idea of doubt to a person with no faith at all is critical, yet mundane. It's routine. It's always natural, but the perspective determines the reaction.

The fact that a person with a different belief than you scares you doesn't surprise me. Differences can be scary. Perhaps you have some doubts of your own that you have yet to confront? I don't think it's atheists that scare you, sometime. I think it may be the very thing that I experienced. I think it's you that scares you.

Feel free to message me for a more in depth chat on this. Finding faith/losing faith is one of my favorite things to talk about.

Good luck darling!

love,
Kayla.

1 Reply

@Sentience,

I call it truth because it is what and how I live my life.

Ignorant only in so much as most of the atheists I meet are here on line, those who actually speak about it for me to hear.
All philosophy aside; I am not afraid of Dawkins as much as I made to feel afraid of you. (don't worry I face my fears).

I never used any words to describe an atheists view, I used them to describe myself.
Are you saying I am an atheist hater?

Just because I fear something does not mean I hate it.

So you agree it can be a rational fear to fear that you may become irrational.
Meaning I see atheism as irrational and terrifying and yet I rationalise my fear by understanding that there is always more truth to be found and I may not even be close yet to being as full as I can be.

Do you think an average true atheists use of language could be softened?
Do you not think sometimes atheists use harsher language to get their point across more or possibly in the only way they know how, harsh and sever.
This is not a total condemnation, as long as not personally provocative, because I do also accept the truth is not always pretty and sometimes a bad word says it all.

Thanks for your response. Fair and equal.

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@dlowan,

You know, Sometime Sun, I would love to know more about your background....you have nothing in your profile.

Of course, I absolutely respect your right not to answer any questions about you, but I am really interested. I'd like to be able to understand more about where you are coming from.

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@sometime sun,

Quote:

Meaning I see atheism as irrational and terrifying and yet I rationalise my fear by understanding that there is always more truth to be found and I may not even be close yet to being as full as I can be.

In what way do you find atheism to be irrational and terrifying?

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@sometime sun,

I have not tried to make a mockery of you. I am deeply offended that you out of the blue attack people like me.

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@Krumple,

You are probaly smarter than most give you credit for, keep thinking as you do and we may all profit from you. ps. Just stay away from absolutes as this is what I think causes delusions, not all absolutes do but many do.

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@dlowan,

Just quickly before I bow out for the evening I have time to just say that, maybe you should define who you mean when you talk about atheists when you say you know so many of them, would they know what an atheist is?
And the fact I said masses meant that I was not labeling all atheists as uncharitable, I was addressing the fact there may be many people who do not believe in god and do not speak about god and do not give to charity but are only generally considered atheists from such and such a reason because they do not believe in God not because they call them selves atheists.
Better put, I think someone who is intelligently enlightened gives to charity, atheists are generally intelligent.
I think someone who doe snot give to charity if they can may well be unintelligent, there are a lot of people who are considered atheistic who just simply do not believe in God and simply do not give to charity. Masses.
So by what I understood you saying is that all the people you know are atheists, which unless you study with them are your general circle of friends.
Masses, they are not to mind even atheists unless they say so and know what it is they call them selves.
I did not mean to elude that atheists do not give to charity, I merely meant the average person who does not believe in God hardly gives to charity.
That is what I meant, so I do know what at least I am talking about, I seem to know what you are talking about also,
who's got the problem here? me for not explaining myself properly or you for not giving me any benefit of the doubt?

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@edgarblythe,

edgarblythe wrote:

I am deeply offended that you out of the blue attack people like me.

Quote:

Vicious, you hit me with a flower
You do it every hour
Oh, baby you're so vicious

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They aren't!

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@sometime sun,

If another person can take your Truth away, than either it is not yours or it is not true.

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@edgarblythe,

You seem rather nice.

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@sometime sun,

You must find the truth for yourself, not borrow it from others.

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@sometime sun,

sometime sun wrote:

Why are Atheists so scary?

....

Two; They always seem so angry and anger terrifies me as well.

do you realize that you might have offended a number of posters here with this? There is a significant number of A2K posters who consider themselves atheist - and would be surprised to discover that they "always seem so angry".

That was quite a generalization you made.

~~~

How many atheists do you deal with on a personal level? are they often angry with you? I'm very curious where that generalization came from.

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@sometime sun,

sometime sun wrote:

I am not asking you to be pleasant but I did not ask for you to be down right insulting and hurtful.

You were insulting and hurtful to atheists in your opening post. I think people are being quite restrained in their responses to you.

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@sometime sun,

Quote:

You really don't see it as an angry reactionary remark then?

You seem sheltered. Edgar was not insulting nor hurtful.

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@plainoldme,

This may seem odd but I find sometimesun to be full of love and no hate and does not mean to offend anyone. He is like the rest of us trying to find our way

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Why are Atheists so Scary?

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