Atheists, do you agree with this?

Question

"A person who believes in God for irrational reasons is just as bad as someone who is an atheist for irrational reasons."

Therefore, we shouldn't be trying to blindly convert people to atheism. Instead, us atheists should try to encourage skepticism and critical thinking, and people will naturally start to realize the fallacy of their faith and religion, and become atheists on their own.

Agree?

Linz: a good example would be someone who doesn't believe in God because a family memeber recently died. They think their life sucks, so they refuse to believe in a higher power soley for that reason. They may be right, but they're an atheist for the wrong reason.

Answer 1

I'm all for critical thinking, rationality and philosophical thought. But critical thinking, rationality and philosophical thought do not *always* lead to atheism...

Answer 2

Well atheism is just a result from looking at the world and concluding that the claims that there is a god don't hold up under scrutiny so you'll find that the atheists who've actually thought things through consider scepticism to be what needs promotion (though it is probably a lot less hard to promote critical thinking than out and out atheism in a majority religious country).

Atheism is also the default position that a person is required under the rules of logic to take if there is no good evidence for the existence of a god.

Right now about a third of people raised as religious end up losing their religion so we seem to be doing pretty well.

In terms of bad reasons to be an atheist, those who lose loved ones may actually have a good reason since for them to lose their loved one would contradict with an all-good, all-knowing and all-powerful god existing (the alternative to atheism in that case would be maltheism which few people seem able to accept without evidence for very long).

Answer 3

I'm not interested in converting anyone. Atheism isn't a religion so there is nothing to convert them to. If they decide there is no god because someone died then I doubt they are truly an atheist. In the end I don't care why they are a theist or an atheist. I am interested in explaining what atheism is so that fewer people talk like morons when I say I am one. If they would like a better understanding of my views and common views of other atheists then I'm also happy to discuss that.

Answer 4

"A person who believes in God for irrational reasons is just as bad as someone who is an atheist for irrational reasons."
I was looking for the logic and couldn't find any.

There is no rational (or at least a psychologically well balanced) reason to believe in Invisible Sky Critters (ISCs).
WHAT are the possible irrational reasons for being atheist?
Why not use a rational reason like - oh I dunno - what about the fact there's NO evidence to support the 'fact' any ISCs have ever existed.
ISCs were made up by powerful men who needed to control the peasants.
It's still working.
There's good money to be made from religion IF you can keep a straight face.
.

Answer 5

Converting people to atheism is none of my business. My main job here is answering questions on religion from my point of view, and all done in very good faith.
Nobody converted me from christianity to atheism a long, long time ago. I just realised he doesn't exist.

Answer 6

no, i disagree. Your question is synonymous to this:
A person who sees the sky is blue is as irrational as someone who believes the sky is pink. I do not try to convert people to atheism i do however challenge any irrationhal statement people make.

Answer 7

I agree but it is going to be a very difficult battle to do so. There are so many people who have been conditioned to think and believe in religion that it will be a challenge to break the shackles of relgion from society.

Answer 8

Agree

Answer 9

I try to convert noone. I say what I think and feel. If someone agrees with my thoughts and decides Christianity or any other religion is not right for them, then more power to them.

Answer 10

I do not try to convert, I simply reply to insulting question, and remind people that atheists do not believe in gods of any kind. I am not rude about it, but, i expect the same respect.