Why Do People Fear Atheism???? (see details)?

Question

Inspired by recent question.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjBKwJ7hv5l3Tda83mfccjgezKIX?qid=20061007101226AAPjQSz

I would love some REAL answers, not the standard trying to save me bs that I get everytime I ask this question.

How do we threaten your well being? Why is it so important that you change us??

Real answers only please, elaborate if you will.

LUCKY U....I can only speak for myself, and I hope that I have been able to convey that I believe all people are free to live their lives as they see fit. My quest is not to change the world, but only to acquire knowledge. But you already knew that.

Answer 1

They fear Atheism because they fear death. They are afraid to die and cease existing; to alleviate this fear, they convince themselves that they'll be going to a place called heaven after they die where they'll continue to live for an eternity. Atheism challenges that belief. It's rather like telling a child there's no such thing as Santa Claus; the poor child is afraid that if he stops believing even for a minute, he will not get toys at Christmas time, so he insists that Santa Claus does exist in hopes that he will get exactly what he wants.

Another reason why they fear Atheism is because it challenges their assumption that they are the center of the universe. Atheism is a big blow to their ego.

Answer 2

Let me ask you this. Why is it so important that some atheist try to prove that God doesnt exist? Is it their fear of being controlled or not having control of their lives that scares them? Religion gives us hope and a degree of security in knowing that we are not alone. That in this chaotic world there is some meaning, some justice, some truth beyond the pathetic exsistance that some call a life. We pray that we will be safe from the bad people of the world who seek to make life hell for everyone around them. Last but not least we dont mind giving up ourselves for something greater and more majestic with the hope that there may be something greater and majestic beyond this world. Peace Too you SPOOKY I hope this helps. P.S. As atheist go i think that you are a pretty open and understanding person. Good luck in your quest for knowledge.

Answer 3

It's not that we fear atheism - the actual belief isn't threatening to us in any way. We fear for those who practice atheism.
I'm a Christian, and when I read the details on your question... it just breaks my heart: "...the standard trying to save me bs that i get everytime i ask..." We fear for ppl like you.
We're all brothers and sisters in Christ, and there's only so much I can do across the Internet, typing words, to try to change your views...
You said elaborate - well, here I go.
The rest of this is what you might consider that "standard trying to save me..." so you can stop reading now if you'd like. But I hope you don't, because I can tell you I am 500% certain that if you gave God the chance He deserves to come into your life, you'd be forever changed. You're missing out - and that's the truth. You may not believe in God, but he believes in you. Just give him a chance... and you might be surprised.

Answer 4

I continuously recommend for using reason and good judgment. If everybody used it, the international could be a extra perfect place. that doesn't inevitably mean I equate it with advocating atheism, although, by way of fact a individual can use reason and good judgment and nevertheless have self belief in a god. you in simple terms don't get as many fundamentalists. i don't recommend atheism in any respect, and that i don't think of all of us ought to be an atheist till they arrive to the top on their very own. I do, in spite of if, have self belief in expressing my evaluations on how the international operates and explaining what's clever to me, and that i spend extremely some time in this dialogue board doing so.

Answer 5

Arthur C Clark said that one of the greatest tragedies in the history of humanity was the hijacking of morality by religion.

I think that folk from the western religions are afraid of unbelievers because they believe they have no basis for morality.

Another thing is that Christianity in specific has degenerated into a religion with little inner focus & all its attention on externalities - shallow, fleeting, relative, but that's where the attention goes. So never mind how old JC kept talkin' about prayer (inner) & the heart (inner) & the father in heaven (inner) & the devil (inner). All of this became replaced by solid objects & places outside the body instead of aspects of the mind itself.

It explains alot, actually.

Answer 6

Reading through some of the answers, I have not attained any "information" from FB226 (nor anything which could be considered "useful" for that matter) and very little from other religious folk. What sort of ignorance makes someone think they have more information on something just because they believe it? From what I have found, many times they actually know LESS. and NOTHING about other religions they do not follow.

I can only reason that it is the "westborough baptist" train of thought. They will be punished because we make the sky daddy angry so they must convert us.

Then there might be the group that thinks if everyone believes the world is flat, it somehow will be.

Answer 7

some people think that if you don't believe the way they do,whatever the belief is,there is something wrong with you or that you cant possibly know what you are talking about simply because you choose not to conform,simple as that.so they resort to outlandish claims (atheists cant have morals) or they try to say that nonbelievers contribute to the decay of society,or that we are bad influences simply because we don't follow a religion or submit to a "god" well,with a mind as little as some believers,I'm not surprised in the least.

rkirby...I'm sorry but quit making assumptions that a person cannot live successfully without all the lord crap...that may work for you but not everyone ,you sound like a cult leader and frankly i find you scary

Answer 8

Sometimes I think about a question you asked after I have answered it a usually cuz I have something to learn about myself, but this one I think was bcuz What I thought and wrote was incomplete. Hopefully you go back and read these ans award a best, and when you do here I think is the actual answe to your question. Sociopaths are most likely athiests. We have all met them and feel that these people are different in some way. They are and here it is. They know right from wrong but really only use that knowledge to furhter their own agenda, in other words they know but they do not care. There are several of these around, and they are dangerous, many CEO's are sociopaths. We all know at least one and I venture to guess 99% of them are atheists. It is possible to be a christian sociopath I know cuz I had a client once like that. She had made a decision to act righteous because she believed Jesus. If a sociopath believes in God then just as they do when in jail they perform admirably, not because they have the same motivation as others but because they know they are being watched and that there will be consequences and rewards, however it is not likely a scociopath will make that assumption that there is a God, simply because they then lose their advantage. Therefor I surmise the possible cause of the fear you percieve is rooted in the fear that an atheist is a sociopath and therefor dangerous. I will keep watching to see if this theory is correct, and then there is the earlir writting below which I have forgotten now but am sure is worth reading.

Perhaps some are afraid but I doubt those are people who are actually friends of God. Think about it why would a friend of God be afraid of an athiest who was not a physical threat.
You are aware that as an atheist you get some persecution but are you aware that christians also endure persecution. Problem here in America is they got used to not being persecuted until the 60's. Living unpersecuted made them weak and unacustomed to persecution. It also made it easy to be a christian and not much need for many to get close to God. You want to find a real Christian look for one who came to know Jesus in Poland b4 1985, when to be a christian could cost your life. That kind of persecution makes the church strong. Also builds up the individuals. No one says they are a christian if it is gonna be hard unless they are one. Here now today we have members of a recreational place who say they are christians by association they believe. These want to think they are on a team. Just like if you challenge a bear fan you will get knocked about verbally and if you are a fan of a rival team they will appear to be motivated by the fear of losing to your team and then they too look like losers. These afraid ones are mosy likely worried about being the fan of a losing team.
Those true friends know they have alreaady won and that the game was over b4 it started. These oppose not because they are afraid for themselves but for the many potential people who may be led astray and therefor lost.

I myself from experience know If God calls that person He will respond regardless of others influence. God will put the decision in front of that one so they know exactly what the decision is about b4 they can actually choose.

I also think there are those who become friends on their own without being called, but for them it is a more difficult road, not having been one of these I do not understand this cuz I have not experienced it but by observation I see a differance.

Here's the thing is if a person is it is afraid then it is due to ignorance. The cause of that ignorance is many fold. The root of fear is pride, and my guess they think people getting to know Jesus is dependant on them and atheists get in the way, but fact is God does not need us, he just uses us as a more efficient method. our part is just to talk about it to those who will listen. the rest is up to the Spirit, but I think you know how that works.

I hope this helps. I for one am not afraid of any of you all. It has been my experience that one time atheists make the most productive christians and they make pretty good citizens either way. The ones who say they are christians and are not they get me angry and the root of anger is fear, so I have something to learn yet myself. as an example Bush comes to mind

Answer 9

I don't know of a single person who "fears" atheists. Christians want to convert atheists , not out of fear, but because we know how important it is, and we care about your eternity. If you held a belief or knowledge that you could save someones life, and you didn't do it, wouldn't you feel bad? Like what if you had say....some antidote for some poison and someone needed it, wouldnt you want to give it to them. Its sort of like that.
The only fear Christians have of atheism is the way it affects the world in which we all live. People who are atheists , also have to believe in evolutionary thinking, and that train of thought means that we are just animals, and anything anyone does is ok. Look at where that has brought our world. Look at Hitler. He tried to help evolution along. He may have been raised in Christianity, but turned atheist and rejected God. Its the consequences of atheism that people are afraid of.

Answer 10

Because it is not simplistic. Most people want it to be simple. You die, either you go to heaven or hell. Simple right?? If there are more factors, people get scared, cause they don't know what is going to happen next. Many people fear change cause it could be for the worse. I feel that life these days are more complicated cause of all the factors. For example: Back 50 years ago, it was a women's job to raise the kids, and stay in the home. now it is so different and more complicated. Get my point???