For other atheists: What do you think?

Question

I was talking to my grandmother the other day and she had said that "I would rather believe in something (the bible) and have hope (even if its false) than live without any hope at all" I'm an atheist and I completely disagree with her statement... What is it do you think that makes people so desperate (to turn to religion) for the hope that there is something more? Is it that they are not strong enough to accept reality as it is? or that they think that they HAVE to believe in something? please tell me what you think...

np, if you are not an atheist and you have something relevant to say... go for it ;)

Answer 1

i feel the same way. what i think is that kids grow up seeing their parents believing in god and having religion and stuff, and their parents are who they look up to, so they think its right. but adults, when they get older, and they're supposed to be the ones who are looked upon, they need someone to look to as well, someone(thing) as a good example for what they should do in life. some people cant make decisions with out basing them on what other people do. i think that having hope in something thats false is ridiculous, my opinion is, is that if you can be a good person, and do right, without having to believe in jesus and all that good stuff, then ur even that much more of a better person, because u do it on your own, not because someone tells u its right. some people just cant get along in life without having something to believe in, and they cant change. they need that reassurance that when they die, they're gonna go to a "better place" because they're scared of what really might happen, they dont wanna accept the fact that when they die, nothing might happen. its reassurance that everything they're doing is for a reason. i on the other hand, dont need that, im on this earth, for what ever reason, if any, and i might as well live it up, because there may be nothing after it.

Answer 2

Ha ha, this is very easy. Some people simply have that genetically implanted fear in them. I think we are coming into a new age where this gene is dying, we are evolving be it a very small evolution. This emotion is stifling to the evolution of the human species. This is the rapture that they talk about so much. It will not be the end of the world for the evolved just for the religious and the fearful. With out the suffering of fear we will have peace, it is this fear that holds us back. Once we evolve beyond this old thing we can move on and become what we were meant to be. We just have to make sure the fearful do not destroy the world before this happens.

Answer 3

In psychology, there is a hypothesis with which I agree to a certain extent, called Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Essentially it says that human beings tend to fill certain needs in certain orders and that humans will not transcend to fulfilling the next level of needs unless the more basic needs are met.

Biological based needs must be satisfied first (food, water, air, reproduction, etc)

Then safety needs are next. They include shelter, but also the basic NEED to FEEL safe. I hypothesize that the reason a belief in the supernatural is so prevalent is that it satisfies the need to feel safe. Since this is such a deep seated need, the power that religious belief holds over us is justifiable and allows many people to move on to satisfying other needs.

I think as I get older that the main difference between believers and non-be livers is simple. One feels the need to have a god and the other does not feel that need.

I am not commenting on the existence of a god, or the "rightness" or "wrongness" of belief, simply that it does or does not meet a need.

Answer 4

Strong faith in something is powerful, even if that something is false. There are clear examples like the placebo effect in medicine and voodoo, where incredible effects can be produced when the person believes something that's false to be true. Once a person starts really believing in something and that strong faith produces a strong effect in their lives, they are not likely to give up that belief even though it may be false. They just won't want to hear it.

I think that you hit on another reason, which boils down to fear of the unknown. The idea that God is there for us and as long as we live a good life, he'll care for us for all eternity is very appealing; people want to believe in that.

Answer 5

Just because someone has faith, does not mean they need to follow a religion. I have faith, but I do not follow a religion, simply because I believe religion is a myth. It is a man-made thing, created to give people some kind of hope or faith, should they ever doubt themselves in the eyes of whatever they believe in. That's my honest opinion. Even my mother couldn't give me a straight answer. I said that I thought religion was a myth, and she says "No, I don't think it's a myth. It was created by man-" and here I stopped her. Created by man? So how does that not make it a fable, something not real?
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with following a religion, but it just is not for me. And with so many religions in the world, who's to say who is right and who is wrong? Christians believe they are ultimately right, but so do those who follow Islamic religion, Buddhism, Muslim, and many other religions. Kind of arrogant, isn't it?

Answer 6

we all believe in something that isn't reality, the Christian(KJV) believes the Earth was made by God and on day 6 he made a human. The Christian (KJV) sees evidence for this in the Bible and in trees.

Some of us believe in something called the Big Bang and Evolution, and we see evidence for this in DNA and cosmic background radiation.

The reality is since science still has a long way to go we are picking a version of what is known but all that is to be known hasn't been realized yet.

Other than that if I prayed that I find my lost car keys in Jesus's name and I found them . . I might be a believer too.

Superstition works this way. But heh, I share 98% DNA with some chimpanzee and think it a cousin

Answer 7

You CANNOT have a creation without a Creator! Yeah---and my computer,my car,my mind, and all life just blindly formed and came together!---NONSENSE. Men simply want an excuse to inflict pain and suffering without consequence upon others...And the only way to soothe your conscience is to deny a Creator to explain WHY WE ARE HERE! It takes NO BLIND FAITH! One had better KNOW what they believe! I WILL give the atheists this much--AT LEAST THEY HAVE A PASSION ABOUT THEIR NON-BELIEF! Many followers of GOD were CORRECTED by GOD for being careless and indifferent about their religion! He actually told them He would rather they LEAVE the Church than sit and treat GOD as if He was not worth the bother! (Revelation--First few chapters).

Answer 8

Good for you!
I am optimistic, love to have fun and enjoy family, food and friends. I work hard and go to the gymn. Travel and am just an average person in the neighbourhood. I am satisfied and also happy with my own self. I don't offend easily, everyone has the right to their own opinion.

What is this hope you speak of?

Answer 9

Why was religions created i ask you.

This is to satisfy the believers. To provide answers to those who are desperate, to give shelter to those who are in need.

It is not weakness. They just have a different strength that relies on their faith instead of rational thinking.

Answer 10

Imagine a life in Florida. Peaceful, comfortable, worry-less...
The only concern you have is what happens to you after death. I believe every old person asks himself this question.

It's much cozier to stick with heaven then nothing.

PS: I'm a young atheist not living in Florida.