Do you honestly feel that Atheists are "afraid they are wrong"?

Question

This argument comes up in a lot of questions. To me, if you take religion out of a statement like that, it appears to be the answer of a comfortably dominant group. Putting religion back in, it seems to be some kind of idea that Christians widely believe about Atheists. What I don't understand is why would Atheists be afraid they are wrong when they do not believe in any other system of beliefs? I ask this because the idea makes me flip the idea to another belief system. Take Christianity: Would you say Christians give answers negatively commenting on other religions because they are afraid they are wrong? Some would try to make this claim, mostly out of malice, however the idea seems ludacris to me. Can you explain from where this idea of arguing your case equals a "fear of being wrong" was cultivated and what makes you give this answer, on either side of an argument? Do you honestly believe this, or is it just a convenient and hurtful comment to make?

This question could easily be turned around to ask about Christians or whoever. I just happened to last read a comment that said "Atheists" are afraid, and that made me wonder about this.

Answer 1

Actually I do believe that a great deal of hostility arises from insecurity. Not being a mind reader, I couldn't name a person's insecurity, but I do believe it to be true in most anything. .

Answer 2

I think we all have a personal belief system, even if we are not part of a religion.
I have thought long and hard about religion, and how it does so much harm.......the major cause of war and death (Take lebenon this week), but also it occaisionally does some good.
Alot of bad things have been done in the name of religion, but also some good.
I think personally I do not know what religion or faith is right......Catholic, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Atheist.......
I personally believe what I believe, as relion and faith is personal and should not be imposed on another ( If we all did this maybe there would be more tolerance and less war)
I think perhaps the answer about religion happen when we die......
If Christians, Muslims, or Jews are correct we go to heaven or hell. If Hindu or Budhists are right we get reincarnated and return, but even they have a concept of heaven. If the atheists are right it all just stops.
I think ultimately we all fear death, and we are all gambling on what happens when the only certain thing in life happens, we die.
Perhaps the Atheists are the ones who have come to terms with death? and do not need to edge their bets?
But I always wonder, when the plane is crashing, does the atheist sit there, just accepting their faith, or will they try making a pact with God?
Just a thought? Interested in your response.

Answer 3

Perhaps those who are not secure in their beliefs would fall into the scenario you describe. I'm a Christian and quite frankly don't care what an atheist believes, or anyone else for that matter. My attitude is, if the atheist is right, then I'll simply cease to exist. On the other hand, if I'm right, the atheist may have a problem for a very long time. I have read some of the questions that seem to indicate, from the way they are written, that the person fears they are wrong, but I don't truly know. One thing's for sure: one of these days we'll know.

Answer 4

Ok, I'm an athiest and I am not afraid that I'm wrong, because there has been scientific proof that supports my thoughts. What really gets my goat is when people like Jarod disregard a belief that is different than his by saying that they're automatically wrong.

Even if I was wrong, I don't give a jolly hoot. I'm god damned happy and healthy the way I am, I know when I die I'm gunna promote flowers to grow. Why people cannot accept other people is beyond me. I think Christians and Muslims and every religion (athiest is a religion in my eyes) are great for the individual person because it gives them something to believe in. Athiests don't believe in nothing. I for one believe in science, and that's something.

Everyone automatically thinks they're right anyway. You can argue til your blue in the face but everyone believes that they're relgion is the right one, and you can't tell them otherwise. They can't all be right can they?

But I really think everyone should stop with forcing their beliefs down everyone's throats. We are all individuals and we don't need everyone telling us what is best.

Answer 5

This idea is one of the many issues that led me to searching for different answers. I didn't understand why the adults around me and the religious leaders spent so much time tell me how everyone else was so wrong and so bad. I was often punished for being willing to hear other people's point of view. I asked (and did not receive an answer) how could anyone feel threatened in their faith just by talking to people of different faiths. I started to understand the problem was simply there is nothing that makes one religion "more right" than any other. They all only stand as strong as they are able to control and emotionally blackmail people into staying inside the vacuum they create by teaching separation and non-acceptance of outsiders

Answer 6

Science is the true beneficial spirit of this universe for science provided crop irrigation, electricity, medications, etc. Religion has brought wars, pain and suffering in order to control the masses.

Science openly accepts all, regardless of their opinions. The best solutions are proven and adopted. If an error is ever discovered it is openly investigated.

Thus, science unites while religion divides.

There is no need for unproven faith or make believe in science. The Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and God are all make believe. Faith is a child's wish for something to be true when they know it isn't. So much of the rhetoric in religion does not hold up to common sense.

Why do I care? Because I have seen too many people hurt by relgion... striving to do what others have manipulated them to believe. Religion is the ultimate peer pressure and people should not stand for it.

Answer 7

Yes ,I think people who go out of their way to put down what someone else believes in is obviously having doubts about their own beliefs. You know mines better than yours. And if you think yours is better then prove it. If people really believed in something then they wouldn't worry to much about what other people are believing in.It wouldn't matter.(unless of course it called for said peoples destruction.)I see people splitting hairs over ridiculous things.That's how come we have different religions for the most part. Wouldn't it be funny that when we die we all go before the same god.(how do you know that people aren't worshiping the same God anyways.)As far as atheist goes I think the majority want to believe in something they are just not sure what. I say that because if (I can only speak for myself)they truly didn't believe in anything then the law of the jungle prevails. Society as a whole would be in much worse shape than it is. Of course this is just my opinion in a nut shell and is not intended to offend.
Oh yeah, I am not afraid to be wrong. It makes life more interesting.

Answer 8

I'm an atheist, and I'm not afraid I'm wrong at all. I agree with you, what do I have to be afraid of? I don't believe in the same fear as a christian or a muslim or any other religious believer. I don't know why people like to say I'm afraid, just like I don't know why people don't just worship in their own way and stop worrying about what other people are doing. I wish everyone would just learn how to live and let live.

Answer 9

I see many answers by Christians that invoke 'Pascal's Wager'... although I am certain that most of them have no idea what that is or what it means. Anyway, they say that if they die and it turns out that there is no god, then they have lost nothing; but if an atheist dies and discovers that there IS a god, then they are doomed to eternal damnation. To me, is 'cover your a$$' belief... they 'believe' not because of 'faith in the almighty'... instead, they fear the potential consequences of actually thinking for themselves. LOL. Don't they think that god (if there is one)... being 'omniscient'... is aware of their deception... their lack of faith? Anyway, I have no fear of being 'wrong', because I don't profess to know the 'truth' about anything. I seek to understand what I can of the universe, and acknowledge my ignorance where I do not understand. I see know need to appeal to some imaginary, magical supernatural dude to console myself with the delusion that I DO 'know'.

People should learn to get comfortable with the concept of "I don't know"... because that does, after all, describe the natural state of affairs.

Answer 10

I don't think anyone wants to believe that there's no God or Guiding Spirit or Ultimate Intelligence in charge of the Universe. Even a hardened Atheist probably doesn't want to think that they're going nowhere when they die, & / or there's no one in charge of Everything that existed,exists or will exist.

This universe is too complex to be the result of a big chain of coincidences / " lucky accidents ". Look at the human body & how complex it is. This complexity may have come about as a result of Evolution guided by Divine hand, that's my take on it.

Answer 11

Not really. Rather, I honestly feel that atheists KNOW they are wrong and that much of what they believe in are merely gasping at straws. But nevertheless they SUPPRESS the truth of what they know about God because they refuse to live a life in submission to God and to be accountable to God who is Creator and Judge. Think about it, folks like Richard Dawkins admit that living things exhibit design and complexity. But then he suppressed that evidence and called it APPARENT design just so as to continue being an atheist-evolutionist. Isn't that being dishonest with the facts and the conclusion?