Why do atheists attack people for having faith?

Question

Just because you can't prove there is a God, doesn't mean there isn't one.

Look at it this way, you CAN'T prove there ISN'T one. When you think about how complex life is, the burden of proof is on the atheists.

What do you think?

Answer 1

We don't. We combat those who try to FORCE their sadistic, immoral, killer God on US. Read more carefully. We couldn't care less what YOU PERSONALLY choose to believe. WE simply DON'T NEED a god, book, or list to tell US how to behave - we are naturally good people.

The burden of proof is ALWAYS on the party that claims something DOES exist. That's just the way it works.

Answer 2

Probably for the same reason that anyone attacks someone who doesn't believe the same as they do. Some people think that their way is the right and only way and thats it. If you think differently, you're wrong. Then, of course, they have to try to prove it and show you why you're wrong.

My thoughts are if people are happy, comfortable and secure with what they think and they're not hurting themselves or anyone else, then let them believe (or not ) in what they want and leave them alone. Why try so hard to change them or try to prove you're right? Sure, it could just be that you are just that strong in what you think. But at the same time it could make you seem insecure and unsure and thats why you have to try so hard to make others agree with you.

Either way, I don't think the burden of proof lies on anyone. How do you really prove your own personal thoughts and beliefs? And why should you have to? They're a part of you, so it would be like trying to prove yourself. Believer or non believer, nobody really knows for sure. I mean, how many people can really say 'Oh been there, done that'.? Someday we'll all find out who was "right" and who was "wrong", but even then it won't matter. That's why this debate continues. Nobody has given strong enough 'proof' to sway everyones opinnion one way.

If what you believe or think helps you and makes you want to get through life and its challenges, gives some meaning to what you do and makes you happy....then I say more power to you.

Answer 3

As usual, you're ALL getting the cart before the horse. And neither side is getting much done except expanding each other's vulgar vocabularies.

For those of you, if any, with IQ's higher than that of a begonia:

A) The whole point of faith is that there is no proof, there can be no proof, there is no explanation: you take it on faith.

B) When you walk into a dark room you reach for the light switch. You flick the switch and the light comes on. You have faith that as long as you've paid the electric bill and there's been no power outage, that the bloody light's gonna come on when you flick that switch.
You don't know how it works. NOBODY, including the scientists, knows how electricity actually works. They just empirically make use of the phenomenon to everyone's benefit. But every time anyone uses it, they are committing an act of faith. (Don't try pushing this analogy any further. It's only an analogy, not an equivalency).

C) Believing in God and His promises is flicking the switch. We have faith that the Light's gonna go on, because we paid our bill (Christ's sacrifice) and there's no power outage (the End of the World ain't here yet).

D) You who do not choose to believe in Him may refuse to flick the switch. That's your right and this American will defend to the death that right. Just remember, you can stumble in the dark and really do yourself a mischief. You ever get tired stumbling around in the dark, come on and flick the switch.

Answer 4

People like to generalize, much as you're doing with your question. Atheists don't attack anyone, atheist INDIVIDUALS do. But the exact same thing can be thrown back at certain individuals of religious factions. Generally, the group as a whole is not guilty of such things, but perhaps there are members or even leaders that are.

Secondly, religions, including atheism, are not based on proof. They are based on BELIEF. When it gets down to bare bones, the so-called "proof" of any religion is nothing more than a possible history that can no longer be reassured it's accurate or even real at all. So to your comment that the burden of proof is on the atheists, you are incorrect. The burden of proof is on anyone that truly wants the truth.

Now, the question is: Why are you attacking atheists when most of them have done nothing wrong?

Answer 5

Why people of faith attack atheists?
So far, they have more proof that God doesn't exists than people who believe in it.
And let me correct you also in one comment, life is not complex at all, we make it complicated, and my friend, the burden of proof is always on the plaintiff, and you can't try a case only based in circumstantial evidence.

Answer 6

And it works both ways...just because you can't proove there is a god doesn't mean there is. And people of faith constantly attack non believers and agnostics. I'm agnostic, and I don't see how you can possibly take either side. An open mind seems to be the best solution in my book.

Answer 7

What I think is that you need to stay in school. A basic tenent of intelligent thought processes is that you cannot prove a negative. Thus, you cannot prove that something does not exist. It can be proven to exist or throught to not exist, but not proven to not exist. You are correct in that there is no evidence that god does or does not exist. So with a little intelligence, which you seem to be lacking here, the burden of proof is on you to prove existence.

Answer 8

You attacked and I was just sitting here.

Your argument is so dumb i shouldn't answer but I will.

I can't prove that these don't exist -

Aliens
Santa
Easter bunny
Bugs bunny
Pegasus
Thor
Zena
Smurfs
Sylvester the cat
The Lady of the lake
Merlin

I can assume they don't exist because I can reason.
you have the burden of proof; please show with evidence not produced by man that god does exist.

Answer 9

Complexity of life? Is that really an argument for the existence of your god?

We attack people's faith for the same reason that you attack people's faith (Muslims, Jews, Hindus)... you need evidence in order to decide what to believe.

Answer 10

I think that because faith=belief with no evidence, it would be unfair to myself to accept it.

Simply put- your burden, not mine. You want me to believe in a god? Why not introduce us in person? Why would I take ANYTHING on faith? I might lend out 20 dollars with faith in another person- but if that person doesn't pay me back, I'm out 20 bucks... I didn't waste my entire life apologizing to an entity I don't even truly know exists. There's a difference here. A big one.

Answer 11

Bertram Russell answered this:

"If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is an intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time."