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.

[Kylie]

How can you be afraid of something in which you have no belief?

One can be afraid of a heart attack, yet live her whole life thinking "it can never happen to me."

Of course, such a person is unlikely to believe that heart attacks are not real.

[Paul of Tarsus]

We then have evidence that atheism does not rule out negative feelings toward God.

Yet the two are entirely unconnected.

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.

It looks like you agree with me. It appears that people may have been afraid of God before they believed in him. Our remote ancestors no doubt experienced fear of the unknown, and later that unknown evolved in their minds into an anthropomorphic being they eventually called "God." Since atheists don't really know that God doesn't exist, they fear and hate that unknown.

[Kylie]

We then have evidence that atheism does not rule out negative feelings toward God.

Yet the two are entirely unconnected.

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.

It looks like you agree with me. It appears that people may have been afraid of God before they believed in him. Our remote ancestors no doubt experienced fear of the unknown, and later that unknown evolved in their minds into an anthropomorphic being they eventually called "God." Since atheists don't really know that God doesn't exist, they fear and hate that unknown.

Not quite the same thing.

I 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.

[Tcg]

Since atheists don't really know that God doesn't exist, they fear and hate that unknown.

Atheism isn't related to knowledge. Atheism is a lack of belief in god/gods.

The other obvious error here is that you continue to make a universal claim about all atheists when it has been shown that not all atheists fear god/gods. Your addition of hate is nothing but another unsupported assertion added to your failed argument. Adding an unsupported assertion to support an original unsupported, and in fact disproven assertion, adds no value to the argument, but rather increases it's fallacious nature.


Tcg

[Paul of Tarsus]

I 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.

[Tcg]

the zenomorph cannot really exist,

Unsupported assertion #1.

God can exist

Unsupported assertion #2.

I can assure that neither atheist nor theist should fear an unsupported assertion, even when it is bundled with another unsupported assertion.


Tcg

[Paul of Tarsus]

Since atheists don't really know that God doesn't exist, they fear and hate that unknown.

Atheism isn't related to knowledge. Atheism is a lack of belief in god/gods.

An atheist might still consider the existence of God to be unknown. Such a person is referred to as an "agnostic atheist," a person who does not believe in God but does not maintain that she or he knows that God doesn't exist. See Atheism: The Case Against God by George H. Smith for a very good explanation of how atheism relates to knowledge about God.

The other obvious error here is that you continue to make a universal claim about all atheists when it has been shown that not all atheists fear god/gods.

I don't know about you, but I give people enough credit to assume that they're smart enough to understand that I allow for exceptions without my explicitly saying so.

I haven't failed to notice that atheists just like Christians (please allow for exceptions if you can't figure out for yourself that exceptions are implied) like to complain about generalizing. It looks like both camps have both a persecution complex and hate being lumped in with others in their respective groups.

Your addition of hate is nothing but another unsupported assertion added to your failed argument. Adding an unsupported assertion to support an original unsupported, and in fact disproven assertion, adds no value to the argument, but rather increases it's fallacious nature.

I assumed it was common knowledge that people (again--I'm allowing for exceptions) tend to fear the unknown. They also tend to hate what they fear. Recognizing this common knowledge, I can say with complete justification that atheists (allow for exceptions) fear and hate God as an unknown.

[Paul of Tarsus]

the zenomorph cannot really exist,

Unsupported assertion #1.

God can exist

Unsupported assertion #2.

I can assure that neither atheist nor theist should fear an unsupported assertion, even when it is bundled with another unsupported assertion.

I didn't "support" either statement because I assumed that people can readily understand the truth of both statements. In any case, why don't you see that zenomorphs cannot really exist because they were created in Hollywood as fanciful monsters? As for the possibility of God, why would you say he cannot exist?

[Tcg]

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.


Tcg

[Tcg]

the zenomorph cannot really exist,

Unsupported assertion #1.

God can exist

Unsupported assertion #2.

I can assure that neither atheist nor theist should fear an unsupported assertion, even when it is bundled with another unsupported assertion.

I didn't "support" either statement because I assumed that people can readily understand the truth of both statements.

Yes, as you have admitted, you have failed to support your claims.

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.

As for the possibility of God, why would you say he cannot exist?

Where have I made this claim?


Tcg