What are Atheist's motivation for spreading their belief system?

Question

PLEASE note that I'm not trying to be ignorant or get a rise out of people. I truly do want to know. It makes sense that any religious groups push their beliefs because they believe they are doing the will of a higher power. But with Atheists there is no higher power, so why spread the beliefs?

My only thought about it was that Atheists believe that their knowledge is part of the evolutionary process, thus advancing the human race and its level on the evolutionary chain.

Please let me know if this is accurate, and if not, what is?

:0)

Answer 1

Everyone on both sides is motivated to spread what they believe is truth and to help protect others from what they perceive as an evil influence.

Answer 2

You reasoning sounds interesting :) I do think that eventually, events will lead to a loss of religion as we become more advanced. I don't think that time is anywhere close to the near future though. And that is certainly not why I'm here :)

I don't so much "spread" my beliefs around as I do try and squash misconceptions about atheists. Atheists are accused of some pretty unfair things, things based in emotion rather than fact. If I can change one theist's mind from believing all atheists are immoral, sad, lost souls to an understanding that we are people just like everyone else, then I've accomplished something worthwhile. I am not looking to convert anyone. :)

Answer 3

I have no idea where you would get the idea that any atheist believes the statement you made concerning what Atheists believe:


"My only thought about it was that Atheists believe that their knowledge is part of the evolutionary process, thus advancing the human race and its level on the evolutionary chain"

I can't conceive of any atheist saying or thinking such a thing, much less a multitude of atheists thinking or saying such a thing.
Thus, I can't see this conception of "what atheists think" as being based on any characteristic of ALL, much less ANY atheists.

I do not know how any atheist would seek to "spread" their "beliefs," since the essence of atheism is non-belief. What is there to spread?

What has been increasingly obvious is that more and more atheists have begun to speak out about their lack of belief in a divinity. This has resulted in their being asked how they can believe there is no divinity. Or, they are challanged to prove there is no divinity. Since they cannot prove a negative they are compelled to express defense for their honest inability to believe there is a divinity. More and more atheistic literature is hitting the market place and, combined with the increasing religious influence, particularly in America, over politics, the subject of atheism and/or secularism, has become more discussed, more attacked, more defended and has been rather distorted into some kind of atheistic movement or secular movement that is a threat that must be met with eradication. This process, of course, causes more and more persons to speak in defense of atheism, or in justification for their reasons of non belief in a divinity.

It is impossible to instill within a human being, without intense brain washing or conditioning, either the belief or non-belief in God with an absolute conviction, since that belief or non belief is within the deepest and most personal portions of a persons thoughts and feelings.

Atheists, who so often have felt the pressure of the majority of society to conform to a belief in a divinity, may express in words and acts such a conformity to the belief, but the part of their innermost thoughts that does not believe there is a divinity will remain untouched.

Since a believer cannot truly spread their beliefs to that innermost part of the non-believers mind, it is unlikely that the reverse could be true.

Since experience has most often been that believers have attempted to force the conformity of their beliefs upon others, most atheists have experienced this and know it does not work. Therefore, I see little sense in any atheist trying to "spread their beliefs."

I think your question is based upon a misinterpretation of the increase in discussions about atheists and secularists, rather than any actual reality that atheists are trying to "spread their beliefs."

This particular atheist goes to great lengths to avoid mention of my atheism to those who believe in a divinity. I am happy for those who do believe in a divinity to continue doing so because it is their most personal and individual right and their most personal and individual freedom. I would not seek to undermine their belief. I would appreciate the same respect for my belief that a divinity does not exist. I do not ask believers to explain to me or justify their belief, as it is thier very personal and private relationship, that of soul to divinity. I would appreciate it if believers would grant the same respect and acceptance to those whose innermost selves find the possibility of a divinity to be lacking.

Answer 4

I'm not an atheist but my husband is. In his case, it is because of how christians treated us. Refusing to take no for an answer. We just thankfully got a bigger house but at our last house, there was a church across the main street from us. We literally had to put up posted signs and had to call the police on several occasions because they would not leave us alone.

My husband is a truck driver and at truck stops the christains literally follow the drivers to their trucks and will try to open the truck door to force their tracts on the drivers.

So atheists tend to try to show others where they believe they are going wrong so there won't be so many of them trying to force their beliefs down their throats.

Answer 5

Atheist do not spread their disbelief, they questions the beliefs system, but doing so they destroyed some of the illusion and had since touted by Theist, especially Christianity, as spreading their disbelief of god.

You do not see atheist goes around asking people "Do you disbelieve god? If you do not disbelieve god you burn in hell" ..... instead you see atheist answering questions by theist with logics and in the end, the theist will be claiming the atheist is committing blasphemy for not believing what they believe and will burn in hell and accusing them of spreading false religion and being a satan's child ..... so on and so fore .....

Answer 6

Atheists' motivation for spreading their belief? To stop people from ignorantly believeing in a God and to shut up all those religious nutjobs that won't leave us along. That's our motivation, in a nutshell.
Atheistic knowledge can't be part of evolution. There's no gene for it.

Answer 7

Actually, we could care less what people believe.

All we care about is that those beliefs are not forced on us, specifically in this country via politics.

That's why we're all cheering the death of Jerry Falwell. He was a scourge on society, and the world will be a much better place without him.

But if religion would stay out of politics, and out of our lives, you wouldn't ever hear from us again.

Seriously... we don't care.

Answer 8

If you park a shiny new sports car on the side of the road, someone has to vandalize it. It might be ok to park an average car there. But a really nice car doesn't stand a chance. Someone needs to ruin it.

Atheists are the same way. They are always being negative and trying to tear things down. I think part of it is jealousy. Many of them want to be Christians, but things in their lives are holding them back.

I think along with the jealousy comes the need to tear down. If they can't have it, then they don't want anyone else to have it.

They can't help themselves because a relationship with GOD is so beautiful.

Answer 9

we don't have a "belief" ....we DON'T believe in any God....

WE don't need to spread it,atheism sells itself...it's just common sense...

captain:"That's why we're all cheering the death of Jerry Falwell"

speak for yourself.being an atheist doesn't automatically mean that i cheer for Falwell's death or anyone's death for that matter.i certainly do not.

Answer 10

We don't advance any agenda and our only commonality is that we don't believe in some supreme power.

I am getting really sick of these posts. Atheism is not the opposite of religion.