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.
Are atheists afraid of God?
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #101Just because he can understand how an atheist can fear God doesn't mean he needs to have such a fear.Paul of Tarsus wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:19 pmThe misrepresentation is yours. Here's what blackstart actually said back in post 47:
blackstart later contradicted himself when he said he can understand how an atheist can be afraid of God.blackstart wrote: ↑Thu Apr 01, 2021 7:11 am...I find it hard to understand why I am supposed to be afraid of a God which a) I have no belief in, and b) plays no significant part in my life(apart from cultural influences, that is). I can only state that I don't have any feelings of fear at all as regards God. I can't see why I should.
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #102Actually blackstart said that he didn't understand why he can fear God only to later say he can understand how/why people can fear God. So the discrepancy revolves around blackstart's ability to understand why or how he can fear God. If he can understand how an atheist can fear God, then it cannot logically follow that he does not understand why or how an atheist can fear God.
In outline we have:
1. Joe can understand how he can do A and therefore does understand how he can do A.
2. Joe does not understand how he can do A.
These two statements cannot be simultaneously true. If Joe can understand how he can do A, then he does understand how he can do A.
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #104One can be afraid of a heart attack, yet live her whole life thinking "it can never happen to me."
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #105Perhaps it is the concern of having a heart attack which might also lead to one having a heart attack?Dimmesdale wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:33 pmOne can be afraid of a heart attack, yet live her whole life thinking "it can never happen to me."
I have not meet anyone who fears having a heart attack while claiming that it could never happen to them.
But I do know of at least one person who knows it could happen to him, but does not fear it happening to him.
Perhaps the OP argument that Atheists are somehow secretly afraid of "God" [as per Christian] is more the projection of the Christians own fear of said God, which compelled the Christian to worship image of said God and thus the Christian cannot understand how anyone could NOT be afraid and thus concludes that Atheists must be in denial about their lack of fear in this God?
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #106[Replying to William in post #106]
That (projection) certainly can’t be ruled out - perceptive point, thanks.
That (projection) certainly can’t be ruled out - perceptive point, thanks.
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #107That's a different situation. Thinking, "it can never happen to me.", is logically different than lacking belief in heart attacks. That's the position of one who believes in heart attacks, but for some reason consider themselves immune from the danger they present. Atheists don't think that god/gods exist but won't harm them, they lack belief in the existence of god/gods.Dimmesdale wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:33 pmOne can be afraid of a heart attack, yet live her whole life thinking "it can never happen to me."
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To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #108From the OP:
When folks believe they speak and act for God, watch out, that God hates him the same folks the proponent does.
Not near as much as I fear his adherents.OP wrote: Do atheists fear God?
...
When folks believe they speak and act for God, watch out, that God hates him the same folks the proponent does.
I might be Teddy Roosevelt, but I ain't.
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #109If you are referring to what Blackstart said in post 47, he said he didn't understand why he should be afraid of God.Paul of Tarsus wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:12 pmActually blackstart said that he didn't understand why he can fear God only to later say he can understand how/why people can fear God. So the discrepancy revolves around blackstart's ability to understand why or how he can fear God. If he can understand how an atheist can fear God, then it cannot logically follow that he does not understand why or how an atheist can fear God.
In outline we have:
1. Joe can understand how he can do A and therefore does understand how he can do A.
2. Joe does not understand how he can do A.
These two statements cannot be simultaneously true. If Joe can understand how he can do A, then he does understand how he can do A.
Since he views God as imaginary, that is a perfectly understandable position to take. He can, I assume, also understand that not everyone shares his "God is imaginary" position, and that there are some people who do believe in God who would fear him. And he can also see that atheists could find the character of God fearful as well.
Kind of like how I don't believe that Darth Vader exists, but if there was a person out there who thought Vader did exist, then I can see why they would be pretty scared of him. And I'd be pretty scared of Vader too.
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Re: Are atheists afraid of God?
Post #110Yet the two are entirely unconnected.Paul of Tarsus wrote: ↑Thu Apr 01, 2021 11:11 pmWe then have evidence that atheism does not rule out negative feelings toward God.
One can believe a certain figure is fictional or real.
One can like or dislike that particular figure.
Liking or disliking does not depend on whether the person believes the figure is real or fictional, and vice versa.
There are many real people I live, and many real people I dislike.
There are many fictional figures I like, and many fictional figures I dislike.