Are atheists shallow, since the only side of the spiritual faith issue they seem to see is denial?

Question

What follows is globally non-denominational, so please do not jump to religious conclusions.

“The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

I think atheists they can only see one side of an issue because they do not have the capacity to see the depth of the issues. Most people of faith had to struggle to reach their faith. Atheists refuse to struggle and use excuses by pointing at some story in the Bible (for example), rather than developing their own spiritual faith.

“God enters by a private door into every individual.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

They certainly fear the unknown and are overly attached to certainty.

“If we begin with certainties, we shall end in doubts; but if we begin with doubts, and are patient in them, we shall end in certainties.” – Sir Francis Bacon

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Answer 1

“The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

GREAT quote!! I think this quote sums up your question perfectly.

As far as an answer, my opinion is that people need to chill out and think a little more. I am not atheist or Christian, but I see narrow-mindedness and the inability to think in both camps.

A lot of Christians swallow whatever the church tells them to.

A lot of Athiests swallow whatever science tells them to.

...just my opinion.

Answer 2

First of all spiritually is best when it doesn't involve some dogamatic belief in a non-existant biblical God.

Second, most atheist have struggled with the belief in God and the evidence and illogic and come to the conclusion that he can't possibly exist as he is said to be by the world's religions.

Third, we don't pick out certain stories of the bible just to prove you guys wrong, nearly every verse in the bible is a load of crap therefore worthy of being pointed out, we just can't fit the entire thing on one post.

Fourth, the biggest hypocritical statement you made is saying that intelligence is holding to opposing view at a time and functioning. Well more than anyone theist are unable to even consider the side of an atheist, never using logic or even considering that their faith may be wrong. They use every pathetic justification to support their beliefs no matter how stupid. Atheist on the other hand have usually held both views and decided that one was bogus. Theist never even bothered to do so.

For you enjoyment, I have included some quotes by people I've actually and others have actually heard of.

It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere.... Science has been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.
-- Albert Einstein

There are those who scoff at the school boy, calling him frivolous and SHALLOW. Yet it was the schoolboy who said, "Faith is believing what you know ain't so."
-- Mark Twain

They say that God is everywhere, and yet we always think of Him as somewhat of a recluse.
-- Emily Dickinson

As I understand the Christian religion, it was, and is, a revelation. But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends, have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?
-- John Adams

Answer 3

"Most people of faith had to struggle to reach their faith. Atheists refuse to struggle and use excuses by pointing at some story in the Bible (for example), rather than developing their own spiritual faith."

No. Many atheists are ex-theists. They have already "developed" their belief in god and through more searching have found that there is no evidence for that god's existence. In many cases, it's the atheists who have seen both sides of the coin, not the other way around.

“If we begin with certainties, we shall end in doubts; but if we begin with doubts, and are patient in them, we shall end in certainties.” – Sir Francis Bacon

That quote works against your argument. It is the atheists that doubt and the theists that are certain that their god and their "holy book" is 100% true.

Answer 4

You are assuming allatheists have reached their belief without any thought. That really is as shallow as believing all of the people that adhere to a religious belief do so after great struggles. It is an unfortunate fact that many people follow the path of least resistance in developing beliefs. For example, some Christians retain their belief because it was how they were brought up. Their parents took them to church as children and they continued throughout their live. There is nothing wrong with that, most are wonderful, moral people. It is just incorrect to think that all of them have had to struggle to remain true to their religion. The same holds true for a number of atheists. They can struggle through many different belief systems before deciding that there is no god. They can be well versed in scripture and the history of religions, yet still choose to reject them. What my argument comes down to is that there will always be exceptions to rules and that it is dangerous to assume a group of people are one way based on a few examples.

Answer 5

First of all, most people of faith did not struggle to reach their faith. Most people of faith were born into their faith. That is an undeniable sociological fact. If this were not the case you would see maps in atlases which show geographical distributions of religion. The VAST majority of people gain their religious belief from their parents and the society in which they level. They may read around the subject in later life, but largely validate their own indoctrination in doing so. This is not holding different opinions in one's mind.

Secondly, most of us quote the Bible / Qu'ran to simply point out to you that you are taking the holding two ideas in your head to a logically absurd extreme - i.e. believing in MULTIPLE different statements within a books such as the Bible and Qu'ran which inherently contradict each other. If one holds more than one opposed idea in one's head without critically assessing the contradiction, then that is simply failure of decision-making, and hardly something to be applauded.

Thirdly - Sir Francis Bacon's comments are entirely a vindication of a rational attitude towards science. Doubt everything. Accept nothing a priori. Belief that Jesus is the son of God, or that Muhammad was the prophet of God are a priori beliefs. There is no doubt there. It is taken on trust. You are doing and celebrating the very antithesis of that which you claim to oppose.

Fourthly, atheism is not necessarily attached to any certainty. Most of us (though not all) do not explicitly make the a priori claim that God does not exist, but simply that we do not believe that God exists in the absence of evidence. This is not a certainty. Although I describe myself as an atheist for convenience, I am technically an agnostic and most of us are.

Answer 6

I think that you have the depth of a teaspoon and are very good at sweeping generalizations and ignorant assumptions. I believe that it is the theists that are shallow. They dodge responsibility, they lack understanding of anything outside of their chosen path, they attack anything that questions their choice, they cannot hold a conversation that has substance or meaning even regarding their belief system. I also do not know any religious ppl who have had to struggle to reach their faith...where do you get that from? It's ridiculous. Most ppl simply fall into the religion of their family or environment. Atheists struggle daily to keep the mass hysteria at bay, to not give in to the effective brainwashing techniques employed by fundaMENTALS. Atheists struggled to reach their own faith, faith in science and reason. Do you think it is easy to let go of a beautiful dream of eternal life? Do you think it is easy to take full responsibility for yourself and not slough it off on god or the devil? Do you think it is easy to rely solely on yourself without an imaginary crutch? Do you think that it is easy to be different in a world of insane, ranting religious nuts? I also do not know a single atheists that fears the unknown. Atheists embrace the unknown and search within it for truth and fact. It is the theists who are so afraid of the unknown they resort to making up stories and giving away their personal power to assuage their fear. Atheists are also NOT attached to certainty. They are attached to evidence and have no problem when science changes a previously held "truth". However on the other hand it is easy to rock the theists boat when science changes one of their previously held beliefs. They run screaming and tell everyone they know that science is debunk, evil and wrong. Or better yet that the scientists work for the devil. As for your last quote I would say that it applies to Atheists perfectly, as it was doubt that led them on the path for truth and reason. It is the theists who claim certainty.

Come up with something better than your transparent, shallow attempt to give Atheists the attributes that are more easily found in theists.

Answer 7

i'll attempt to truly answer you right here. you're springing up a faux argument, you could no longer see the timber for the timber. Atheists at the instant are not in denial approximately having faith in themselves and their ideals, they are in denial with reference to the life of a appropriate being or beings. For them to be ignorant, there would would desire to be evidence of such life which they have been ignoring, and for an Atheist no such evidence exists. you're appropriate that an atheist extremely has no evidence of their theory in no appropriate beings, yet it extremely is the entire factor of theory/faith which you have defined! sure they have confidence of their theory, being an Aethist does no longer mean you won't have the ability to have confidence in something! An Atheist belives the solar will upward push day after today and that their cola will style the comparable as final time! no longer all Atheists attack, and that i'd say as a very impartial observer, they are generally much less susceptible to attain this than maximum religious human beings. i'd like open and common debate and communicate than the slander and lies that the two events (religious and atheist) generally throw at one yet another.

Answer 8

Atheists are not shallow. We do not force our beliefs on anyone.
As a matter of fact isnt shallowness only believing in one god and putting anyone down who does not like your god and telling them they will gotto hell.


I am saying this to the non-denominational statement not the person asking the question.


There are two things Atheists and Religious persons can both agree on or atleast should.

1. An atheist can not physically Give 100% proof god or a god exists.

2. A religious person cannot give 100% proof there is a god or superior power.


We are hear to believe what we wish to believe not what everyone wants us to.

Answer 9

Atheists refuse to struggle? Where the hell did that come from? Is it so much harder to just accept the religion your parents give you? And how is it that theists are better able to see both sides of an issue when their judgement is clouded by faith? And to say that atheists "do not have the capacity to see the depth of the issues" is just insulting. You're saying atheists have reduced mental capacities? That isn't supported by any of your quotes, nor by logic.

Answer 10

You clearly have no idea what atheists think. I was a believer until I grew up, and had to consider whether I felt the whole thing was reasonable or not. I ultimately, after much pondering, concluded that it wasn't.

Since you bring it up, I think "They certainly fear the unknown and are overly attached to certainty" applies much more to fundamentalist Christians than Atheists.