Why do atheists, tell people who do believe in God, that there isn't?

Question

Why do they try to hurt people that way? For some people the thought of God is all they have left.

And I understand that believers try to force the fact of God onto atheists, but atheists don't have anything to lose, it's not going to hurt them emotionally to be told that there is a God out there that cares.

Please people, don't be hateful, and don't try to bring me down because I do believe in God.

I just want to know why.

Paul, read the question.

I'm not telling atheists to believe in God, they can do what they please, I'm just saying why do they tell believers things that they sometimes can't deal with.

And by the way...

I'm not saying the just because you are an atheist, you are going to hell.

I don't think that way. When answering the question please don't mix me up with someone else you've argued with who has been rude to you.

I agree with some of your points zero cool.

Answer 1

I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm also not going to refrain from saying what is real and true just because people can't acknowledge it.

What DOES hurt me is the legislating of religious dogma. If people would stop enacting laws that are based solely on religious morality, I wouldn't have much to complain about.

I'd still be worried about the people who are influenced by the major religions to kill. That's a definite downside to religion.

Answer 2

I agree with you that this discussion can be carried out in a hurtful, aggressive, way. From both sides. A quick scan through these question lists confirms it.

But is to share what one believes with other people intrinsically hurtful? Surely not. Through sharing information and thoughts is understanding and education achieved.

Belief in God functions at (at least) two levels and it is here your suggestion that atheists should keep quiet is awkward. On a religious and social plane belief in god operates psychologically. To question that may well be to disturb a person. This should be approached with delicacy.
But there is another level, where the question is of truth and reality. Belief in god does not necessarily equate to there being a god. And if the question is raised at this level, not at the one of personal conviction, then all points of view should be examined for truth, not for comfort or convenience.

There is a world of difference between "I believe this..."
and "This is true and I believe it" but that is far from always appreciated.

But as to "atheists have nothing to lose..." I disagree profoundly. I like the idea of believing in what is true.
Even St Paul maintained that Christianity had to be true, not merely comforting. "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."

So I take it that it is utterly a question of truth, not comforting imagery.

And having looked at this carefully, over many years, I don't think there is a god, only a belief in one. Which many find comforting.

Answer 3

Not all athiests try to confront people about God, just like not all Christians do.

Just like Christians believe it's important for people to know about God so they can lead the best possible life, so do some athiests.

Athiests think that people do many foolish things out of a belief in God, when they believe decisions about how the planet is run should be based only on the things we can see and study. So, they think that belief in God is destructive.

They see environmental destruction as a big problem, but many Christians think that the apocolypse is coming, so why worry about it?

They see overpopulation and terrible diseases that can be controlled by the use of condoms, but religeons that say not to use them, so many people do not, and get pregnant or get AIDS on a massive scale. Then, some Christians say, "Well, AIDS is God's punishment."

These things seem cruel to Athiests, and some of them have anger about that. They want people to think about problems using the information at hand, and not what they think an invisible being wants.

That is my best explanation, having known many athiests.

(I took real care and thought in answering this question. If it was the best answer, please mark it.)

Answer 4

I don't have any objections to anyone who wants to believe in a loving God. But it seems to me that many Christians don't believe in a loving God. They believe in a God that makes threats -- worship me or be damned for all eternity! Their belief allows them to justify all kinds of ignorance & bigotry & hate. And they want to legislate their belief and turn the U.S. into a theocracy -- a Christian Iran.

If you can figure out a way to make Christians stop doing these negative things, and instead truly love all people, then I'll stop telling Christians that their beliefs are delusional. Until then, if I am going to have any influence over the world my daughter will grow up in, I feel honor bound to (peacefullly) resist the delusional thinking of Christians any way I can.

Answer 5

There is a saying, "The truth hurts".

It's not that non-believers want to hurt you, it's just that your own feelings about faith make you feel sad when people say that what you believe in is like believing in Santa Claus. But your pain doesn't make your belief true. In fact, for many children, the most devastating revelation is that Santa isn't real. It hurts because you feel betrayed, it hurts because you have so much invested into the belief, but none the less, it doesn't make Santa real.

Non believers don't not(I know, double neg) believe in anything, they believe in what is real(what is definable, what can be seen, accounted for, logically concluded,etc). Non believers in surreal believe in the REAL(humans, love on earth, life on earth, friends on earth, relationships on earth). We believe we can solve our own problems, with the help of others who also see the potential in humanity. Why look to the sky when life exist right here on earth?

Believing in God is fine, but non believers would rather convince you to believing in yourself-because you are real.

Answer 6

you sound as if only god-fearing people matter. Everyone matters and if you tell me god exists and tell me there is a heaven but I'm going to hell of course I'm going to tell you it doesn't exist. What do you want my reaction to be? oh ok thanks for the information? Force feed me and I'm going to give it right back. I don't care to contemplate the situation until someone shoves religion down my throat.

Answer 7

Melodramatic or what ?
Stop using such mawkish emotional blackmail to silence people, it is playing dirty.

You aren't concerned with the truth only in trying to delude yourself and gag others who are trying to wake you up from your living death and intellectual torpor.

And look who's calling the kettle black. Why in the past and why now do you Christians gallop around the world depriving poor people of their native religions and destroying native peoples Gods and culture, it's just Christian empire building and religious power seeking and it's extremely ugly and aggressive... face up to it..

Answer 8

Why do Christians, knowing i'm a Pagan, tell me I'm going to Hell for believing differently than them? Just to hurt me or bring me down?

:(
boohoo

Answer 9

Sometimes they just dont get the concept of God,,they think & find it hard to beleive there is a guy floating around in the sky who is everywhere.

Answer 10

no one said being a christian was gonna be cake. faith takes believing in something you dont see. there are forces that act in the world that we dont see, but they are here. the devil influences people, thats why they do something thinking its the best thing to do one day, and then the next they dont know why they did it. he is a deceiver. dont be deceived. dont get all your strength from people, because we're sinners and we will let you down. god wont. stick to your guns. be a fisher for heaven, dont let the deciever fish you into fire :)