Are atheists afraid of God?

[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.

[Paul of Tarsus]

Well, what you describe is someone who is intellectually an atheist , but not emotionally. and someone who emotionally reverted to his childhood conditioning in a moment of stress.

That's what I think happened to my friend at that time, but even he is not sure if his "emotional belief in God" has completely passed over the years or is still with him. It does bother him thinking that his psyche may harbor a trace of theism. From a logical standpoint, he's sure that the existence of God is so unlikely that he cannot think that God exists, but that was the same case in 1987 when he attempted suicide. To this day he wonders if he may once again cry out to God when he's at death's door.

I've heard of instances in which adults who are terrified of their being attacked by a violent criminal will literally cry out to their mothers like a small child might. No doubt under normal circumstances they realize that Mommy isn't able to help them, but when they experience terror their belief in a protective mother resurfaces. Atheists might have similar experiences their theism coming to the fore when they are desperate for help. After all, "there are no atheists in foxholes."

On a lighter note, my friend has not attempted to take his life in the interim of thirty-four years although he is still burdened with some of the same problems he faced in 1987. He's learned to "live with it." He quips that death isn't for him because there isn't anything to do! He lives just to learn about the world.

[brunumb]

Since God is different from the gods of religion, then he might still exist because he does not have traits that people creating a god would attribute to that god.

Assumes facts not in evidence. How do you know what attributes God has when they have never actually been demonstrated?

By analogy, professional wrestlers have traits that should indicate that they are not true wrestlers but showmen. Olympic wrestlers don't have those traits, and therefore we can sensibly conclude that Olympic wrestlers are not mere showmen but actual competitors. Similar reasoning applies to God.

Not quite. We have observed both types of wrestlers and their attributes. We only have imagined gods and we have assigned them whatever attributes that we felt they should or perhaps possess. We have no way of knowing if any of those attributes are even possible for some sort of real god.

[Paul of Tarsus]

Since God is different from the gods of religion, then he might still exist because he does not have traits that people creating a god would attribute to that god.

Assumes facts not in evidence.

I meant to say that God might still exist if he does not have traits that people creating a god would attribute to that god. So I was just making a logical deduction. No evidence is necessary.

How do you know what attributes God has when they have never actually been demonstrated?

I don't know what traits God has. I'm just deducing that if he is unlike a fake God, then he can still be a true God.

By analogy, professional wrestlers have traits that should indicate that they are not true wrestlers but showmen. Olympic wrestlers don't have those traits, and therefore we can sensibly conclude that Olympic wrestlers are not mere showmen but actual competitors. Similar reasoning applies to God.

Not quite. We have observed both types of wrestlers and their attributes. We only have imagined gods and we have assigned them whatever attributes that we felt they should or perhaps possess. We have no way of knowing if any of those attributes are even possible for some sort of real god.

OK, then assume the only wrestlers we know of are of the professional type. We know they aren't true competitors because they have traits A, B, and C. We imagine Olympic wrestlers who do not have traits A, B, and C who then would be true competitors if they exist. We then could logically conclude that truly competitive wrestlers can exist without observing them. The fact that the wrestlers we know of are "fake" does not make the existence of true wrestlers impossible. In the same way the existence of fake gods does not make a true God impossible.

[JoeyKnothead]

From Post 121:

Snipping to get to what I seek to get at...

...
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". (Deleterated)

...
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?

(Redactaleted)

I deleted comments I thought were in jest, just in case folks thought I was poking fun. I like to fun around and all, but do present the updated comments as a serious attempt to get at the truth.

Edit: Deleted comments regarding a whole different deal there, cause if there's one thing I am, it's human.

[JoeyKnothead]

Most Christians are afraid of God!

They cower before their loving god, in fear he'd up and hate.

They cower in fear that if a gay guy eats him a cake, Satan himslf'll show up and set up a bakery in Christian USA. And god forbid, let's not even think of a libian eating her a pie!

They cower in fear that if some transexual enters them a bathroom, well how about that, the entire universe'll just up and self destruct.

These are the claims I make, here in honorable debate.

Cause I know what Christians think, cause their god done told me!

See how this works? I can make claim after claim after claim, and all I gotta do is say is, "No really, he thinks just like I do!"


This atheist fears NO GODS! Simply because those who use a god's name to speak their hate can't show first their god exists, and last, he agrees with em.

Where, in this thread, have any shown to know that 'most' atheists fear a god that can't be shown to exist?

Where, in this thread, have such claimants shown truth is on their side?


Such is typical of those who seek to scare others into an irrational, unproven belief.

"You're scared of a god you don't believe in" is as goofy a notion as thinking McD's fries got better after they left them out the tallow.


Quit it with the, "You're scared" dooficity, and start with the, "and here is why ya should"!

And let us all see the nature of the "loving" god the rhetorical you might propose

[Bust Nak]

[Replying to Paul of Tarsus in post #1]

I do not fear God, nor has any atheists I personally know acted in a way that indicates that they fear God.

[Paul of Tarsus]

[Replying to Paul of Tarsus in post #1]

I do not fear God, nor has any atheists I personally know acted in a way that indicates that they fear God.

How do you explain the atheists who apparently do fear God at least under some circumstances? Could there be a bit of theistic belief in the recesses of an atheist's psyche?

[Bust Nak]

How do you explain the atheists who apparently do fear God at least under some circumstances? Could there be a bit of theistic belief in the recesses of an atheist's psyche?

Sure, that's one possibility. Indoctrination, especially on children, may have long lasting effect.

[Kylie]

[Replying to Paul of Tarsus in post #1]

I do not fear God, nor has any atheists I personally know acted in a way that indicates that they fear God.

How do you explain the atheists who apparently do fear God at least under some circumstances? Could there be a bit of theistic belief in the recesses of an atheist's psyche?

Could you give an example of such a case?

[William]

[Replying to Paul of Tarsus in post #1]

I do not fear God, nor has any atheists I personally know acted in a way that indicates that they fear God.

How do you explain the atheists who apparently do fear God at least under some circumstances? Could there be a bit of theistic belief in the recesses of an atheist's psyche?

Could you give an example of such a case?

I would say that ex-theists who are adopting atheism as their preferred position do indeed go through processes involving having a fear of God [as per religious instruction] and learning how to detach from that fear of God.

I suppose with such individuals, they are not so much "Atheists" at that point as they are "backsliders" [sliding away from the one position they were taught to believe in], to the other position [not having beliefs in gods] and that transition period is most likely where "frightened atheists" can be found, although they are not strictly "atheists" in a complete manner...lingering beliefs and all that...