Why do atheists always start with doubting something and theists start with faith?

Question

It seems to me that athiests begin understanding with doubt and scepticism while theist begin exploring things with faith. Why is this? What is your opinion?

Answer 1

Atheists tend to need information and facts to evaluate and make conclusions about things. Their minds work on a rational level. One thing leads to another and they are able to see why and how something is.

Theists depend on trusting in a power beyond their understanding. I am not saying they are irrational. They have made their decisions to have faith based on their rational world as well. Their minds are capable of giving their trust to things they do not fully understand.

One thing to consider... ignorance can be bliss whether you are an atheist or a person of faith.

Answer 2

I think you might need to look more closely at the personality type that tends to atheism. They tend to be inherently logical, have more a scientific approach to everyday life, and so full acceptance of a concept without comprehension of the mechanics, or proof that the concept is accurate, does not come easy. It's not necessarily skepticism they begin with, it's just unravelling of the truth starting at the beginning, making no assumptions as to what they will find at the end. Theists, on the other hand, are more accepting of concepts without the need to fully to understand them, finding the notion of a higher power behind the scenes a comforting one. This is well illustrated by theists in scientific community, who reach a certain level in their education, and find their belief in God strengthened when they realize how much they do not understand. Atheists just believe they don't know enough yet. Of course, there are those faux atheists who actually believe in God, but are really, really mad at him, and probably mad at the world as well, seeking someone or something to blame for all the ills they see. They probably are skeptical of everything, springing from a deep hurt at the perceived betrayal of a God they were taught to believe was loving.

Answer 3

Makes me think of the Communist theory or philosophy of life. That is Thesis or what is to start; then Anti-thesis or the reaction to it, and finally Synthesis which can draw from both positions to come closer to the truth. Actually few true atheists who say there is no God, but more agnostics 'who just don't know'. I suspect enough have had bad experiences, so often more an emotional reaction than a thought out position. I think Theists would do well to use science with their faith. Faith builds on reason as a foundation, so you can come it by negation or by clarifying assumptions. Each person's journey is fascinating and we all have a 'duty' to explore, which can increase the faith of the one starting with more faith, and hopefully lead the so-called atheist closer to the truth. 5 philosophical proofs of the existence of God I found very thrilling and satisfying. I think it was Thomas Aquinas who wrote them.

Answer 4

Those who believe doen't understand the limits to belief. They confuse it with knowledge or certainty when it is little more than a way of indicating membership in a group of like behaving people. Often that membership exists because of business reason and in some countries it can be a matter of life and death if you don't believe. I lost a job in the USA because I was not a fundamentalist and would not support the belief in "Intelligent Design". The thinking of believers is that they cannot both believe and doubt, so they avoid any critical questioning of their faith. This leaves them vulnerable to serious distortions of their social and private behavior by manipulative authoritarians.

Atheists, apostates, etc. are similar in that their membership with those who think is demonstrated by thinking. Thinking always include, among other things, being critical and asking hard questions, which believers take to be doubt, or worse, disbelief. I've even encountered from fundamentalist Christians the claim that to doubt or be critical in thinking is hateful. In some Muslim societies your life could be in danger if you are critical.

The only way to reliable knowledge is by verification. If something cannot be verified you cannot honestly say that you know it. This is something that believers don't value as much as their membership in their group of believers. They want something to be true so they assume that belief makes things true. This is childish but they don't see that as a criticism. That explains why there are so many religions in the world that all claim to be the one true faith. As far as I am concerned they are all silly.

Answer 5

probably due to the nature of an atheist. that is to say that more atheists are skeptics and demand proof before finally reaching their decision. I believe that theists have a more romantic view of the world. A world in which miracles have happened and a dead man rose again, making it easier for them to accept on faith and not asking too many questions.

Answer 6

Atheist are in the minority, and tend to reproduce responsibly, so the chance of being born to some retard christian that believes birth control is a sin is much, much greater. Naturally, in such an environment we will be spoon fed the absurd fairy tales that make up the worlds religions from day one. Inevitably, even though our parents are retards, our brain will develop to the point where the internal conflict between religion and reality threatens to drive us quite mad. At this point we have no choice but to develop a reasonable view of reality that is naturally an expression of rebellion or rejection of the fairy tale.

Answer 7

the difficulty isn't about what you've faith!! yet in attempting to push it onto others!! all the different religions and atheists stay in peace and are in ordinary words attacked by using christians!! So thanks for proving once extra that Christianities’ issues at the instant are not about atheists, concept, God or Jesus yet about the intolerance, hatred and persecution from those extraordinarily undesirable Christian attitudes and habit!! once Christians rediscover the loving god and commence appearing like it the difficulty will stop!!!! for sure till then christianity will extra and extra get said as the "Nasty faith"!! by using how what's your next trick after banning loose speech? Burning books? Burning witches and heretics? Tearing up the structure? Destroying democracy? Fomenting civil conflict to kind a christian dictatorship?!!

Answer 8

That's the reaction I expect. An Atheist will not argue on behave of the other side (and vise versa), if he does he's not an Atheist. He'll be a Christian subversive.

It is because he doubts the concept of God that he is an unbeliever. If not skepticism what do YOU prefer his motivation to be?

Answer 9

If I told you I had an intergalactic space ship in my garage, would you be skeptical, or take it on faith that what I am telling you is factual?

If you are at all educated, you would be skeptical. I think skepticism with regards to fantastic claims is intelligent.

What you are calling faith sounds like credulity to me.

What could more credulous than believing fantastic claims that are completely unsupported by any evidence? That's what religions asks us to do.

As Mark Twain said, faith is believing what you know ain't so.

That's my 2 cents.

thanks for asking.

Answer 10

The only way you can find truth is by questioning everything. Only scientific proof is valid. Faith starts off blind to the truth and ends up where it began... ignorant of the truth.