Why assume that those who believe in God are ignorant?

Question

First off, to assume so is to assume the ignorance of the majority of the world, because most people accept the possibility of God as have many of the brilliant thinkers. Is it possible that the God accepting majority as not ignorant, but have simply drawn a different conclusion after examining the same evidence? Because most people who believe in God DO NOT reject or dismiss empirical evidence, but some may disagree with the interpretations and speculations based in that evidence.

So moving on, if merely disagreeing with the prevailing thought of the day makes one ignorant then atheists would automatically be ignorant for rejecting the majority view of God. I don’t believe that and for the same reason I have no reason to assume that a person who believes in God is ignorant for interpreting the evidence differently than an atheist.

Furthermore, even if somehow an atheist did know more than all of those who believe in God, one cannot reasonably claim that God does not exist without also believing that they are all-knowing. But that is not possible, because our human ability to contain knowledge is most definitely finite. Therefore, since we are only a tiny (finite) part of a universe (if not infinite) that is much bigger than our human ability to comprehend fully, that alone proves it is impossible to even know all that is contained within our universe, not to mention that might be beyond it. Thus to claim that there is no God with any degree of certainty is not a logical conclusion. The only logical conclusion is that God may or may not exist.

My question is this, why do some who reject the concept of God attempt to paint all who disagree as ignorant? Why paint with such a broad brush? Why rely on straw man arguments to attack those who disagree? Why not address the arguments for God at their strongest point?

Note: It is no secret that some who believe in God are ignorant, that is not my question. Again my question, if you don’t believe in God, why assume that those who believe in God believe so because they don’t know what you do?

Additional info to address this argument:

"Painting people who believe in God as ignorant is no different than painting people who do not believe in God as sinners/infidels or any other name leveled at people of different or non belief."

Saying somebody a sinner/infidel is not like calling them ignorant, the first being objective the other subjective.

Sin is behavior as it is described in books like the Bible. So, if you engage in those behaviors then by definition of those books you are sinner. The books that define sin are the basis for calling you a sinner. Even if you don't believe that a behavior described as sin is wrong, if it is called sin in the those writings then it can be accurately described as sin.

And likewise, the word "Infidel" is simply another way of saying non-believer.

On the other hand, igorance is a subjective term that implies a lack of knowledge or less knowledge. To call somebody ignorant is both presumptive and a subjective opinion.

"My question is this, why do some who reject the concept of God attempt to paint all who disagree as ignorant?"

Micheal_D wrote: "Do they? Is this really a common position among atheists? Speaking as an atheist myself, this seems like quite an over-generalization."

First off, I clearly did not over-generalize, because I clearly said "some" atheists, not all.

Second, the evidence of my assurtion exists in some of the responses to this very question, like the response "because they are."

Answer 1

wow, such a long essay!

well, i used to be atheist, even though i had few doubts that i should believe in god..

anyways, i think it's a style, a fashion, some type of fad that all teens do and i don't know what they're looking at nowadays.. it seems "embarrassing" to read a bible, so i guess that's why they don't pick it up and read it
and if they think everyone's ignorant, they're displaying that themselves

i've read a couple of stories out of the bible and it's like god does everything for those people because they're the first to live on land. and abraham is like a teacher's pet or sumthing..

i know i may seem off topic, but i believe in what da Vinci has to say about the world: "blinding ignorance does mislead us.. oh wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

Answer 2

Painting people who believe in God as ignorant is no different than painting people who do not believe in God as sinners/infidels or any other name leveled at people of different or non belief.

The view point of anyone person is subjective and just as many and varied.

The main point of any form of belief is that is means something personally to you and that you get some greater meaning out of it. If it make the world a better place in the meantime better still.

There is little understanding and too much attack in the religion versus atheism debate and sometimes when people get personal with each other, many arguments come off as looking ignorant.


Additional comment:

I noticed that you highlighted my answer in your additional comments and so I just want you to consider something for a moment - sometimes ignorance towards a certain subject isn't an indication of how intelligent a person is - sometimes (and more often than not lately) people "choose" to be ignorant on a subject (especially when it comes to religion.)

The circular black and white arguments presented by a lot of fundamental religious people is a turn off for many modern people. The atmosphere is accusatory, judgemental and not at all user friendly. Many people who start religious arguments do so by delving into dogma and resort to finger pointing - causing many normal humans to say:

"Hey buddy isn't that so last Century and ignorant to think that the rest of the world should care about your religious baggage?"

Do you see where I'm going here? It's a PR thing more than anything else. People need good old fashioned help and support these days. Not some guy telling them that they're all wrong for everything and very possibly going to hell.

Answer 3

"My question is this, why do some who reject the concept of God attempt to paint all who disagree as ignorant?"

Do they? Is this really a common position among atheists? Speaking as an atheist myself, this seems like quite an over-generalization.

"If you don’t believe in God, why assume that those who believe in God believe so because they don’t know what you do?"

Probably for the same reason that we'd like to assume that members of the Flat Earth Society could be brought to their senses, if only someone laid out the arguments in front of them.

Answer 4

The Will is positive, the Judgment is negative. As it is with man, so it is with God, any God. What the main point in the dispute is, is the utility value for the Judgment and the identification for positive human essence. Mercy is not self evident for the Judgment, but is mediately understood in the Will according to the peculiar particular teaching. Therefor that teaching is in dispute when it contradicts others. The Will that is subsumed in its own Judgment is evil and infinitely destructive. That is why believing in God is disputed.

Answer 5

Nobody in his right mind goes around saying that Socrates or Einstein were ignorant, but they believed, yet did not practice any religion. The list is long. But there's a huge difference, these people did their homework, when most just believe what others say.

Good luck!

Answer 6

It's not so much the belief in "god", it's the actions of the believers. Their relentless drive to recruit others to their way of thinking. To drive their agenda into the mainstream conduct of day to day life for ALL citizens. The constant scandals that are brought to light only after being internally hush-hushed, (at least in America. In Iraq they just kill your entire family).

Oh, the belief in "god" is fine; it's the adherants that create the ignorance.

Answer 7

I often think about this comparing us vs animals to us vs. God.

Think about it.
Rabbits dig holes, run from things, eat, and multiply. In the context of a rabbit's understanding, nothing a human does beyond building houses, running from things, eating, or multiplying makes any sense. Why would we build a building SOLELY for eating in? (restaurant). Why would we make things that make sounds and use them? (instruments). They would never think that we were doing that, and they would try to apply THEIR logic to what they see us doing. A restaurant must be another house. The noises must be to scare away bad things.

Same story with us and God, we're trying to apply OUR own logic to something that we define as FAR beyond us. It isn't... logical.

Answer 8

properly technically we don't think in something. i do no longer "have self belief" in evolution or the great Bang concept, I only think of it makes the main smart experience, in terms of explaining particular components of existence. yet you do no longer could believe any concept to be Atheist. all and sundry gets stereotyped, if no longer in keeping with non secular options, then on something else. it rather is unavoidable, regrettably.

Answer 9

man you are long winded......even atheist believe in something maybe themselves you tell me, stop stereotyping all christian are not the same. though we may believe in 1- God,we may share different ways spreading the gospel

Answer 10

I am a Christian and you make a very good point. I am anxious to see what others write...