Does it take courage to be an atheist since Christians scare you with eternal damnation and Darwin hatred?

Answer 1

Yes, if you lived in philosopher Baruch Spinoza's era (Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam, 350 years ago) Ref. ST Review 1 Aug 2006. He was ex-communicated for his views on religious intolerance ...His belief is not 'religion' but the 'faith of reason'. Quote:"Each of us is endowed with reason, and it is our right, as well as our responsibility, to excercise it. Ceding this faculty to others, to the authorities of either the church or the state is neither rational nor an ethical option" unquote. He argued vehemently against the influence of clerics in government! Thank goodness, in Singapore the govt does not allow any religious group to meddle in the politics of the land.
The good thing about all religions is that they advocate morality. But it is my belief that morality need not be based on the reward of eternal bliss or the threat of eternal suffering (advocated by certain religious groups!). As Mahatma Ghandi said " There is no god higher than Truth". Remember one thing "our mind is free, nothing binds us". Also remember never stand on religious/moral high ground and think that your belief is the only TRUE one & condemn all those who believe in other religions to "hell".
Reasoning: Hundreds of years ago.. religious wars; Present time religious wars continue ... viz Christians vs Muslims (Middle-east, Acheh); Buddhists vs Muslims (S.Thailand); Hindus vs Sikhism (India); Terrorism getting worse, 11 Sept 2001, etc. Israel & Hizbollah still killing innocent humans!!!
In a free society you can believe in whatever you want.. including
atheism! Don't pass judgement! Use your faculty of reasoning.
Read about all religions, creationism vs evolution etc..the choice is ours to make. www.religioustolerance.org

Answer 2

It depends on what kind of atheist you are. True atheists would believe there is no reason to be scared to begin with. If one was afraid to be atheist because of eternal damnation, they wouldn't really be an atheist would they?

I get tired of being criticized, and I get tired of some Christians saying that Creationism is the only way. But I don't even think Darwinism is the only way. It needs to be refined.

Answer 3

I tell ya, it's a hoot to come on and read all these non-believers talking about how scared they aren't of hell..
It's a hoot when you see that they think we're all Darwin haters. I don't hate Darwin, he can't help what satan taught him. I don't hate atheists, or agnostics, nor any of the other misled people out there.
My mission is to show you where you need to go to gain salvation, after that, my obligation is complete. It's not my job to force you to read your bible, it's obvious that someone did in your past, and either you misinterpreted, or, it was misread to you. Like you, I was 'forced' to go to church when I was a child.. Like you, when I got to be an adult and satan could twist my thinking, I thought I was all the things you want to be. I thank God that I am back in a good, bible-preaching church.
I hope that, before it's eternally too late, you will accept Him as your Savior, as well. Here on earth, you recieve punishment, and reward, I guess it may be a little too deep for you to understand that that is what heaven and hell is all about.
Innocents will not be in hell, people who have heard the word, and refused to accept it are the ones who will be there.
Take notice that this is a respectful, well-thought out response to your question, and do not attempt to flame, nor otherwise, email me with your insults, should you feel so inclined. If you wish to discuss this logically, feel free.
God Bless you and Keep you

Answer 4

No, because if you are an Atheist you don't believe in hell, and you know the hatred of Darwin can't hurt you either.

If you think you are right and they are wrong, their opinions can't hurt you, though you might adopt the Galilean position and not argue. "But still it moves."

Of course, if you are surrounded by Christians, you might feel socially isolated, which is not comfortable for most people.

It might take a degree of intellectual courage.

If you lived in Spain during the Inquisition, it took courage to adopt any position that wasn't in accord with the prevailing brand of Catholicism.

Answer 5

Nah, the chance that I might burn in hell for not believing is the same as the chance that I might burn in hell for believing.

Also, I'm kind of a compassionate person. When I say "Kind of" I mean "extremely" which means I can think of no worse fate than living in paradise while others suffer. That means heaven is not a nice place for me.

Finally, the whole darwin hatred does scare me.

Actually, it is more the hatred in general.

Luckily, in my country, I never meet such hatred, but on the internet there are Americans, who know nothing about atheism but hate it all the same.

Answer 6

It takes more courage to stand up for what you believe in and are most comfortable with. I believe that there is no right or wrong path to follow, as each person is different and has his/her own ideas based on a number of factors. Each person has the right to choose whatever path is "right" for them, therefore whatever perception of Heaven and Hell a person wants to subscribe to. There's enough hatred and c**p in the world to worry about what others think, say or do. But what you do makes the difference. It's said that the "faith of one can move mountains, but the faith of many can flatten the mountain range". Whatever you believe in that is right for you and you feel most comfortable with is as important in the world because actions more than words shape the future. And nothing will change without that action and effort. Such scare-mongering tactics can often be attributed to ignorance and, if a person is going to judge you for who you truly are and what you choose to believe in, then they close themselves off to others and become ignorant of the person "inside". It takes more courage to question yourself than have others to question you. It only affects you if you allow it to.

Answer 7

As a Christian, i don't threaten every person. If experience badly that atheists do not seek for the certainty. If I somewhat have shared the Gospel with every person, and that they reject it, i've got faith unhappy yet I sleep properly at night. some have taken the Gospel heavily after which I rejoice. with the aid of the way, i'm getting a lot of know even from people who don't have faith. in comparison to you, i don't attempt to make human beings experience undesirable. Have an excellent day!

Answer 8

Not really. If you don't believe in eternal damnation, it wouldn't scare you a bit. Fear only works if you believe what they're saying. It would, however, take courage to say "Screw God!" if you actually believed he existed and would indeed be damning you eternally.

Answer 9

Christians don't scare me, none of the religions scare me it is just the fanatical nuts that belong to some of these religions, I don't think it requires any real courage to be an atheist, at least not of me anyways, I am actually rather kind of proud of it

Answer 10

Actually I think it takes a lot more courage to be a Christian than to be an atheist. Being a Christian means to take a stand for God, and in a place like this, it sure ain't easy.

As a Christian, I also have to walk with integrity, meaning I have to do what I say and to not be a hypocrite.

I also have to make decisions that others may not like, such as not doing things in my own life or not allowing my kids to do certain things.

I'm also learning how to walk in love. This concept is so difficult for many, including myself to understand. And that includes returning good for evil, and not retaliating when hurt. Not easy to do, but the right thing to do.

As a christian we are guided by certain principles that may not make sense to an atheist, but they make sense to the Christians. These principles are: love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, and self-control. These are not always easy to follow.

Sometimes doing the right thing is not always the easiest thing.

Tell me what an athesti faces that takes more courage than that?