Are atheists afraid of God?

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Paul of Tarsus
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Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #1

Post by Paul of Tarsus »

In response to Stephen Hawking's quip, "Religion is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," apologist John Lennox said, "And atheism is a fairy story for those afraid of the light."

Do atheists fear that light aka God? I would answer no assuming I knew atheists to be completely sensible and rational in their rejection of theism, but they very often aren't sensible and rational in their unbelief. In this forum, for example, an atheist said he lost his belief in God when he realized that there are different religions. When I tried to explain to him that those conflicting faiths can be explained as some of them getting a real God wrong, well, it did me no good! It's simply illogical to conclude that God doesn't exist because some people disagree about him. His atheism is obviously based on faulty logic. What's odd about these cases involving atheists using poor reasoning to reject God is that those atheists seem quite reasonable otherwise. My guess is that they fear God and wish that he doesn't exist. Atheism is for them a sanctuary from theism and a hope that reality harbors no scary God.

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #121

Post by Paul of Tarsus »

Tcg wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:05 pm
Paul of Tarsus wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:58 pm Recognizing this common knowledge, I can say with complete justification that atheists (allow for exceptions) fear and hate God as an unknown.
You can say whatever you want. Without verifiable evidence, which you haven't provided, what you say is nothing but an unsupported assertion which has no value in a debate.
Your unsupported assertion here is incorrect. What I said about atheists is probably true, and many people are smart enough to see that it is probably true. As a way of getting my point across in a debate, it is valuable as a way of convincing people that I am correct.
Tcg wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:12 pm

In any case, why don't you see that zenomorphs cannot really exist because they were created in Hollywood as fanciful monsters?
It is your responsibility to support your claims, not mine.
You dodged my question. Dodging questions is a common tact employed by debaters who know that if they answer the question honestly, their argument(s) will be admitted wrong.

Anyway, common knowledge does not require supporting citations, something I learned in school.
Tcg wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:05 pm
As for the possibility of God, why would you say he cannot exist?
Where have I made this claim?
In post 116 you asserted without support my saying that God can exist (which is another instance of common knowledge) was unsupported.

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #122

Post by brunumb »

Paul of Tarsus wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:04 pm In any case, why don't you see that zenomorphs cannot really exist because they were created in Hollywood as fanciful monsters?
And gods were invented by ancient, primitive people as fanciful explanations for some of the mysteries and phenomena they encountered in their lives. No one has established that any form of god is actually possible, let alone probable.
George Orwell:: “The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.”
Voltaire: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
Gender ideology is anti-science, anti truth.

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #123

Post by Paul of Tarsus »

brunumb wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:18 pm
Paul of Tarsus wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:04 pm In any case, why don't you see that zenomorphs cannot really exist because they were created in Hollywood as fanciful monsters?
And gods were invented by ancient, primitive people as fanciful explanations for some of the mysteries and phenomena they encountered in their lives.
Look out; if Tcg sees you posting a statement like that he'll reprimand you for making unsupported assertions. But on second thought, he'll no doubt agree with your unsupported assertion, and let it go. Apparently only atheistic unsupported assertions are acceptable.

I do agree, though, that people have invented gods--the anthropomorphic variety. Other versions of God I think are still viable as science progresses opening new possibilities.
No one has established that any form of god is actually possible, let alone probable.
Why is God not possible?

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #124

Post by Aetixintro »

[Replying to Paul of Tarsus in post #1]

IMO, I think Atheists have a distaste for God along with morality which they often deny even exists!

Remember that Humanists are the people who believe in morality among the non-believers, not the Atheists!

Again, Atheists are the usual suspects for this and that.
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #125

Post by nobspeople »

Aetixintro wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:13 am [Replying to Paul of Tarsus in post #1]

IMO, I think Atheists have a distaste for God along with morality which they often deny even exists!

Remember that Humanists are the people who believe in morality among the non-believers, not the Atheists!

Again, Atheists are the usual suspects for this and that.
You believe atheists have a 'distaste' for morals?
All of them?
If so, can you provide evidence of this? Or is this merely an opinion?
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #126

Post by benchwarmer »

Aetixintro wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:13 am [Replying to Paul of Tarsus in post #1]

IMO, I think Atheists have a distaste for God along with morality which they often deny even exists!

Remember that Humanists are the people who believe in morality among the non-believers, not the Atheists!

Again, Atheists are the usual suspects for this and that.
Any evidence for ANY of that? I think what we have here is your personal view of atheists not anything else. I think you also have no clue what atheist means. All non believers are atheists by definition because they are not theists.

I'm an atheist and believe in morals since morals exist. Morals are a social construct and necessary to live in a comfortable society.

I DO have a distaste for people who like to build strawmen and slash away at them, but even that can be amusing to watch sometimes.

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #127

Post by Goat »

Aetixintro wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:13 am [Replying to Paul of Tarsus in post #1]

IMO, I think Atheists have a distaste for God along with morality which they often deny even exists!

Remember that Humanists are the people who believe in morality among the non-believers, not the Atheists!

Again, Atheists are the usual suspects for this and that.
This appears to be a number of miss directions and strasman.

There is also a difference between 'objective morals' and 'subjective morals'. You can have subjective morals without having objective morals you know. Your misunderstanding of most atheists viewpoint about morals is noted, and all the rest of the straw men flow from that.
“What do you think science is? There is nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. So which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?�

Steven Novella

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #128

Post by Paul of Tarsus »

Aetixintro wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:13 am IMO, I think Atheists have a distaste for God...


Does their distaste for God cause them to fear God?
...along with morality which they often deny even exists!
I think you mean that atheists deny that objective morality exists. Many atheists don't think that morality is objective but is a matter of opinion. I must agree with that point of view because I know of no way that moral positions can be proved. Besides, I don't think that God cares about morality. Morality is a human concern that humans must resolve.
Remember that Humanists are the people who believe in morality among the non-believers, not the Atheists!
Many if not most people who call themselves humanists nowadays are atheists.
Again, Atheists are the usual suspects for this and that.
I think that most atheists are good people. If they are afraid of God, I don't think that fear is grounded in getting into trouble with God for being immoral. They may fear God thinking he is a fearsome judge who punishes unbelievers, a God created by the Bible's writers.

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #129

Post by JoeyKnothead »

From Post 121:

Snipping to get to what I seek to get at...
Paul of Tarsus wrote: ...
What I said about atheists is probably true, and many people are smart enough to see that it is probably true. As a way of getting my point across in a debate, it is valuable as a way of convincing people that I am correct.
...
Firstly, it's a bit off putting to imply those who disagree with you wasn't them smart enough to understand that which you assert but do not support other'n such as, I'm telling it, how come y'all ain't abelieving it?!

I'm "smart enough" to see you've offered no mathematics, no peer reviewed studies, no other data beyond bald faced assertion to claim yourself to be "correct". But I ain't smart enough to tie my boots without I gotta tell me the tell of the fox chasing him the rabbit around the tree there.
Paul of Tarsus wrote: ...
You dodged my question. Dodging questions is a common tact employed by debaters who know that if they answer the question honestly, their argument(s) will be admitted wrong.
...
I sure preciate that, and look forward to your answering the following questions...

What math or other peer reviewed data can you present to support your claim that what you said about atheists is "probably true"?

Are all folks who don't answer your questions just them a big ol poke of liars?

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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?

Post #130

Post by Kylie »

Paul of Tarsus wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:36 pm
Kylie wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:28 pmI was terrified of the xenomorph in Alien the first time I saw it, but that's very different from me being terrified of encountering one when I am out walking.
OK. You feared the zenomorph even though you don't believe in the zenomorph. I think the difference between the zenomorph and God, however, is that the zenomorph cannot really exist, but God can exist. Since God can exist, he may well be a source of continual anxiety for atheists.
Prove to me that God can really exist while the xenomorph can not.

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