Atheists: May I ask a fair and logical question?

Question

Is it either fair or logical to say Christians (or people of other religious faiths) do not think for themselves or (as someone posted on another thread) don't use "as much of their brain" as an Athiest does?

Consider this, both Atheists and Believers have gone to school, many have gone to college, we work, have families, pay bills, have hobbies, friends, and talents. So in this regard we are all the same. However, believers are open to the spiritual which opens up a whole other portion of the mind. A portion in which the average Atheist doesnt use. Also, there isn't much debate between Atheists, it seems (and correct me if Im wrong) you all have a basic tenant of belief: There is no God, we die and go nowhere, life came to be by chance. Where as believers have thousands and thousands of beliefs that cause debates between them, isnt this more a sign of free thinking than settling on the basic Atheist tenants?

Please give me your ideas and corrections if needed.

Answer 1

Of course, you have a correct notion. It is totally incorrect to say 'in general' that ' all' Christians fail to use their brains.

I certainly agree with your analysis of that and for the most part I can agree with your thinking up to a point. Where you say that Christian thinking requires the use of an additional ability of brain power, I can yield at least a little though I tend to think of that ability as being little more than an appreciation for the delights of fantasy. However, it is where you say that "...there isn't much debate between Atheists..." that I begin to disagree with you strongly.

Atheists certainly don't debate moot questions, i.e., the question of the existence of God or the possibility of creationism, are not likely to be seriously rehashed between atheists... what would be the point except to offer remedial help to someone who was stuck in the darkness of religious dogma? As for free thinking, considerations of questions in areas outside of religion, an atheist is not only ready and willing to discuss, reason and argue the questions of plausibility or reality or truth but he also actively seeks out and attempts to build upon that which is already established.

Atheism is a search into the infinite future where the real truth of things is waiting to be found. By contrast to God-belief 'seekers of knowledge,' there is a far greater universe to be examined in the present and in the future than one could ever find by looking backward into the finite limitations of history, religious scripture and historical fiction. There is nothing in the holy books worth looking at a second, third or billionth time... it's all moot. Do you see the difference?

You have written a terrific question here... one that is much more worthy of an answer than “Did Mary ride on a donkey?” I hope you will reflect upon all of this a tad and then move on to a higher level of thinking and a better place for the exceptional efforts of your apparently talented mind.

Thanks for the brain exercise.

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
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Answer 2

I am not an atheist, but I'm going to chime in.

The reason for all the debates is because of the all "competing" denominations and religions out there. Just because these debates are going on, does not mean there is necessarily more thinking. A lot of people on here try to prove God because "the Bible says so", etc. Many only rattle off what they've always been told.

Most people grow up believing the faith of their parents (ever notice how many Baptist children are the children of Baptist parents, ditto for Catholics, Methodists, etc.?). Many (but not all) atheists are converts from a religion and have thought about it and have a reason for it.

I do think that Christianity does have its fair share of positives, but that does not necessarily make it so. I've seen it's fair share of very good answers, but also very bad ones (the usual "the Bible says so" type). To me, anyway, many Christians give this impression of "why anyone would not believe in their religion?" or "I said 'Jesus', so surely you must believe." Well, to you it sounds great, but to others it does not. The whole point of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is to make people think about how your religion looks to others. What motive do I have to simply believe in "faith" and "accept" the teachings of a 2000 year old book? To a lot of people, it is as superstitious as Friday the 13th.

One problem I do see in Christianity is a simple lack of checking into other beliefs. I have seem some truly, uneducated arguments against evolution, some of which show that the person has never read anything about it; wheras many atheists have examined religion.

I am Deist, but I have examined numerous other religions, and have objectively studied the sacred texts of them. After having studied them, I really don't find much support for them. I'm not saying that people who follow any religion are stupid, I just think they need to come at another belief with an objective mind, instead of going at it, looking for a way to disprove it, or having the attitude of "this is Satan's work". As long as you do that, you will never understand why people believe that particular way, and you will look stupid to them.

Answer 3

i don't know if I would really call myself an atheist but i don't really have any strong religious beliefs. I think that no one knows for sure what happens when you die or how exactly we came into existance.i don't currently believe in God because I have had no personal proof. I think a lot of peole who haven't had personal proof of God's existance conclude that there is no God and therefore anyone who believes in him is only going off of what other people tell them. In my opinion, this is where the belief comes from. I have many close friends who are true belivers and have good reasons for it they go to church and are led by religious leaders. I don't think this means they arent thinking for themselves or they don't use their whole brains. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who will buy into any bs their bible tells them. It is unfair to say that Atheists don't use the spiritual portion of their brains, because they can think about spiritual issues just as much as religious people. The only difference is that they have come to a different conclusion. You are comparing thousands of religions to people who don't believe in God. Yes there is much debate between different religous groups, but the same result can be acheived between a believer and a non-believer. Most people in the world maintain some kind of belief in a god. So are you saying that people who go against the common way of thinking are incapable of thinking for themselves? maybe Atheists share a similar tenant of belief, but look at one particular group of christians, look at how many people gather into one church and dicuss their common beliefs. Thank you for being open-minded and I hope this has helped you to understand that not all Atheists are out to attack christians. I agree with your point that in general we are all the same and in this regard, we all have our share of people who can't think for themselves.

Answer 4

First allow me to correct your assumptions about atheists. Atheists don't have tenants. The only thing every atheist can really agree on is that there are no gods. The word means "with out god" and that's exactly (and exclusively) what it is.

With that out of the way, i agree on the point that we are all humans and should treat each other accordingly. I also think that religion is a divisive agent that gets in the way of us actually doing so.

To say one human being uses more of their brain than another is ludicrous. We all use the same amount of brain power, so this is obviously not the problem. The problem lies in the types of values religion rewards, and the types of values free thinking rewards. Religious people are trained basically not to question things. When you hear a fantastical story don't ask how it could have happened, just have faith that it did. On the other hand a free thinker would wonder what agent could possibly have done such a thing and would wonder why these sorts of things don't continue to happen today. Religious people are also taught to take their scripture as the highest authority. Those of us that have taken the time to study the history of these texts and read the texts themselves with a critical eye can tell you, there are major problems within these texts that limit our ability to take them too seriously.

It's not a case of how much we think... it's a case of HOW we think.

Answer 5

Indeed, I attended a Methodist College where I majored in religion and many of my classmates, with whom I am still in contact, entered the ministry. Many of those people are very intelligent. One of them is a member of MENSA. Still, the statistics bear out that the better educated a person becomes, the more likely they will be an atheist. This has nothing to do with brain capacity, but with logical examination of theology, epistemology, and cosmology.

There are two points in your second paragraph that are a bit presumptive: (1) "believers are open to the spiritual." I believe that if you examine what you mean, you intend to say that you are willing to see yourselves as not the center of the universe, not able to answer all questions, insufficient for all of your own needs, and open to connections outside of yourself to help fulfill these inadequacies. I believe most atheists would agree with those aspects of being "open to the spiritual." I, however, decline to insert a deity into that. I crave connections, but with other people and with my environment. And none of that requires God.

(2) It is an asset to have "thousands and thousands of beliefs that cause debates." I sincerely doubt that the debates that are raging between the Shias and the Sunnis, Northern Ireland's Catholics & Protestants, or even the debates on evolution and creationism do anything to promote solutions to problems. Instead, they waste a lot of energy while problems continue to fester. I truly believe that the internal debates are ways to try to quell anxiety. Anxiety that if you're wrong, God will be displeased. Anxiety that you will die, and you must cling to a faith that, in spite of its illogical bases & minutely detailed dogma, at least prevents you from feeling dread at dying. Anxiety that you will be cut off from all of your family and all of your own history if you were to decide the basis of your faith has feet of clay. And ultimately, free thinking is not acknowledging that anything is open to debate, but instead that nothing is certain.

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Answer 6

I think the main point that atheists cannot see, (and will never understand), is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. I didn't understand it myself, until it happened to me. It is by continual prayer and reading the Bible that we come to know what a supernatural book it really is. No, I am not brain-washed; nor I am unintelligent. I continue to study every day in order to reach out to self-proclaimed atheists before they are lost forever. I carefully research every logical argument brought forth by atheists, as well as others that hold a non-Christian belief. I have to tell you, I have not been stumped yet. The Bible has all of the answers!

"These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
1 Corinthians 2:13-14

Answer 7

ALL THIS TALK and no one can just admit that no matter what you believe in or don't believe in you have absolutely no ground to spread messages of hate, talk down to people, call people ignorant or uneducated because they do not believe what you do. All the young man is trying to say is let your point be heard and trust me your point is well taken but can you do it without belittling someone else.


NOT ALL Christians tell you are going to hell I for one have respect for Atheist like Parrot who may not agree with religion or God but never is he disrespectful, belligerent, or ignorant in his questions or answers. It's not cool For Christians to do it, and it's not cool for Atheist to do it either. Stop hiding behind the fact that MOST of you are simply building your selves up by tearing someone else down.


You do NOT have to be religious to have some dignity. I have never once called an Atheist retarded, or stupid, nor have I ever said that your views are valid as a matter of fact it's been quite the contrary, and their are many more Christians who give the same level of respect. Just as I show respect because of ONE ATHEIST named PARROT has been respectful, why can't you get your point across with out belittling people, insulting, and talking down to people? Right is right and wrong is wrong God or no God!

Answer 8

Since you didn't bash religion and are trying to speak from your point of view I'll speak from mine. I'm a Christian and a Catholic. I believe in something more than if we die we're gone forever. If that were true, people would act whatever way they wanted and(think about this honestly) the world would be selfish, hateful and lustful. I believe in a Truth greater than anything I've ever felt or heard of before or ever will. I think that were you're getting your idea of Christians as not as intelligent are people that instead of being loving and honest they say that Atheistic views are stupid and you're going to hell. Am I saying that people that people that commit sins don't go to hell if they don't repent? No, I'm saying that God's love is stronger than the weight of Sin that separates us from His love against his will. He loves us so much that Christ would suffer so much and die a horrible death just to give us a way to Him. So I pray that you may think about this and see the Truth. God bless!

Answer 9

What portion of the mind gets opened? Now, maybe, the whole religious-spiritual thing is just a function of human brain-chemistry and structure that we do not yet understand.

Doesn’t the more plausible pattern seem to be that for some people, the child-like part of the brain/mind that does not distinguish fantasy and the imaginary from reality simply does not fully mature?

Based on what we poor humans can observe and understand, what is the difference between Santa, God, Zeus, etc, other than the demographics and historical situations of the believers? You can believe but you can never know.

Answer 10

You're trying to be fair and logical, but you fail in that you are not considering the fact that atheists are essentially the same as believers in that they also have faith. Their faith is in what they believe, but it is their belief as well.

As for free thinking, the problem is that religious texts are MEANT to be read literally. (see The End of Faith by Sam Harris). Thus anyone who does not literally interpret a text, the people causing these debates, are going against their religion's fundamental views.

Your view of atheism is skewed. There is not a line on one side of which there are believers and the other atheists. Rather, everyone has different levels of faith in what happens. I have known plenty of atheists that have believed in, say, reincarnation. Atheist means having no God, it does not mean having no spirituality. I am, myself, a Buddhist.

There are no common **tenets** between all atheists, as there are no common tenets between all believers.