Why do athiests care whether people believe in God?

Question

I don't know about you, but I can't stand self-satisfied, smug athiests who laugh at other people's faiths. If you're an atheist, you have a FAITH that there is not a God, and if you are religious, you have a FAITH that there is.

No one can prove there is not a God. So if you're an atheist, why do you care so much about whether religious people believe what they believe?

Answer 1

A truly atheist person should not care whether a person believes in a God. A true atheist can respect and accept others beliefs and rationally discuss different ideas and points of views intellectually and maturely. A truly atheist person needs to take the time to edcucate themselves on the power of religion and learn about how religion has shaped our world.

A truly atheist person sees how organized religions have shaped the world and although they do not share those beliefs they do appreciate the impact religion has had throughout history (wars, art, music, etc)

As an atheist, I have read the Bible and come up with my own interpretations. I have three versions of the book that I reference just because I know that religion is about interpretation and each person has to discover that for themselves.

I happily discuss and share ideas with people of faith in well balanced conversations. In fact, I have had several discussions with my family (who are extremely religious), and most of our arguments regarding faith is that they could not leave me alone regarding my non-belief. They are still trying to counter some of the statements they have been taught that are far stretches from the stories in the Bible because they never took the time to read and interpret the book for themselves. I give them the respect and courtesy to go to church with them and keep my thoughts to myself. When they attack me for not believing, trust me, I am well prepared to defend my feelings and correct their assumptions. I can tell you some stories where I made the pastor of their church have to go back and re-read several passages for them and he did find that my interpretations were rational and plausible.

I know exactly what you are talking about and I have to admit that those "atheists" you are referring to disgust me. You get those types of people whether they are believers or non-believers. They give a bad impression on true atheists. Atheist's should never try to put people down for having faith. A true atheist should never laugh at one another’s faith.

I will also admit to being in situations where believers have argued with me telling me my ideas are wrong. I tell these people that faith is very powerful. My beliefs are not in a higher power. There is no need to argue about what is right or what the bible truly means in certain passages. Our thoughts have been shared and let’s just grow from the knowledge and experience of that. This is how humanity grows. Let's appreciate our differences and appreciate the diversified perceptions that help us grow as a society.

Answer 2

Not all atheists are smug and self-satisfied. Maybe they think believing in God is the same as believing in Santa Claus? That it is acceptable only until a certain, enlightened age?
I used to be an atheist (now I'm not sure what I am) and I cared because I needed to know why people could believe so strongly when I had so little faith in God. And I have always made it a point to respect someone else's religious views, regardless of what they were. Even though I wouldn't go to church with my mom when I was a teenager, I never laughed at her for going. Or laughed at anyone else.

I'm sorry you've met some rude people who make you feel this way. Your faith makes you stronger then without and you should trust in your beliefs, and trust that God sent these people your way for a purpose (not to convert, but to show you how wonderful life in His light can be?) GL!

Answer 3

I think athiests are suffering a kind of depression and they resent the hope and strength believers have from their faith in god.

I am not suggesting that non-belief in God is a mental illness, I do believe it is a logical conclusion for some people, but I think fully taking on an atheist outlook must be depressing in some ways.

Its strong subject to have opposing views on, theres bound to be tension, as an atheist thinks he's solved a 'mystery', and that the believer is still deluded. The believer thinks the atheist has made a gross error of judgement - there is a feeling of 'knowing' there is a God and an afterlife - an atheist can never understand that because that is what 'Faith' is - they don't have that

Answer 4

In a perfect world athiests would not have to care whether religious people believe--in fact I think as far as personal belief, most athiests are happy for Christians to believe whatever they wish.

However, when activist Christian start pushing for their faith to dictate the political, social, educational and even medical direction of society, then athiests should exercise their Constitutional right and moral obligation to make their opinions known.

Also, there are a lot of agnostics and non-partisan Christians who share some of these concerns with atheists, who are often labelled atheists when they speak up as well.

Why should I not be able to read a certain book, or see a certain movie because of someone else's opinion that it is a "sin". Why should my children be indoctrinated at school according to a particular faith-based agenda that I may not agree with? Why should a President (no less) get away with stating that an atheist should not be considered a citizen or patriot of a supposedly free country?

In order to prevent these kinds of abuses it's important that society as a whole is occasionally reminded that white, middle class persons of European descent are not automatically Christian (a tactic used over and over again by fundamentalists), or support a Christian political agenda (and this speaks not only to atheists, but to any non-Christian group that is not easily visible). When that happens the Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells and the Dr Lauras are exposed for what they are--a bunch of petty, small-minded, big-mouthed hypocritical bigots with a minority following--a shrill, self-important minority, to be sure, but still a minority.

Answer 5

I'll re-word the question:

Why do Christians care whether people believe in God?
I don't know about you, but I can't stand self-satisfied, smug Christians who laugh at other people's faiths.
If you're a Christian, you have a FAITH that there is a God, and if you are athiest, you have FAITH that there isn't.

No one can prove there is a God. So if you're a Christian, why do you care so much about whether athiests believe what they believe?

I see Christians laughing smugly at athiests, agnostics, Jews and Muslim's all the time.
I thought Christians were "better people".
Guess I was mistaken.

Answer 6

First, atheists do not have Faith that there is no god. Faith implies a belief in something. No belief = no faith.
Second, many atheists (not all) openly state that if there was any PROOF of a god then they would believe that there was one. (What choice would you have?) Seeing as there is ZERO proof of a god other than the lame answers provided by man made institutions and the mentally ill, atheists do no believe in god.
To answer your question though, we (atheists) care because we live in a world that is saturated in an irrational belief. Since this belief system is forced on us (try and deny that Christmas isn't) then we feel we are well within our rights to say 'No, this is a joke. There is no god and your arguments for one are irrational.'
I hope this answered your question.

Answer 7

For the most part they don't, now I for example I'm an agnostic I can't prove that there is a god, or a heaven or hell yet sometimes people who have strong faith say that I'll won't be saved and that I'm blaspheming about a place that they can't see or have never been to. It seems to me that it's not just atheists or christians that try to force their beliefs upon others just people with a lot of faith who belive that it their "duty" to do the same for others.

Answer 8

We just want to spread the freedom that comes with a mind that is no longer shackled by the confines of religion. We want to share that intellectual bliss that comes with realizing that one can think for their self and not be held in fear of eternal hell fires or being struck by lightning bolts.

Think about it. The foundation of religious belief is built on two things, 1) faith and 2) fear. Faith because nothing in what you are being asked to believe is provable by any objective or observable standards and fear because they tell you that you will go to hell or somehow otherwise be punished by God and/or Satan if you don't believe.

So, we are not the evil, smug and arrogant people that you seem to assume we are. We are decent law abiding and ethical people. I poke a lot of fun at religious people as a way to get people to think about the absurdities in what they believe. I feel that I can do that because after all I used to be one of them.

p.s. I'm not actually an atheist in the strict sense. I just don't believe in the God of the Bible.

Answer 9

Actually, they don't Faith at all. Faith is "things hoped for yet unseen". They certainly don't HOPE for this ROFL!!! And I don't think they all laugh at other people, just the one's that seem really upset that someone believes in something they think is false. Both sides need to realize this is something that no one can prove or disprove. An atheist can say he sees no evidence, but a believer sees all kinds of evidence. A believer (not all) may not see evidence in Evolution, but an atheist sees all kinds of evidence. It's a circular argument that no one will end.

Answer 10

I don't think atheists go around declaring that there is no God. However, they generally do tend to laugh away declarations of faith. So, if faith is a statement, lack of faith is an anti-statement.
Consider it this way - if believers need proof that there is no God, atheists need proof that there is God.
Because atheists can not find proof of God, they think that those people who believe without proof are stupid or limited.
Problem is even bigger if you consider the various notions of various cultures about God or Gods .... "Which one would you choose and why?" - That's what they are thinking.

Answer 11

Because they are either scared to admit they do believe, or just jealous of those who have faith, not just in God but also faith in themselves, I agree with your question why should they care if they don't believe, but faith in God is far stronger, they will also come on about if there was a God he would not allow this, and that, always putting the blame on the one person they don't believe in, don't make sense, and why should God go round fixing the problems we cause anyway, as the saying goes we made our bed now lie in it.

Love & Peace