Can we stop saying that atheists are afraid to believe in god? [Spirituality & Religion]

Who the heck wouldn't want to believe that death is not the end and that we'll be reunited with our loved ones?

It seems to me that in fact fear is one of the strongest motivators TO believe in a god which soothes the terrors of death, oblivion and separation.

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LeopoldBloom · M

One of the stupidest theist arguments is "you know God exists, you just won't admit it." Theists like to create straw men and put words in atheists' mouths. Like "you're just angry at God." No, I'm not angry at a being I don't think exists, and I really don't "know" God exists because I haven't seen any evidence for him.

Change that to:

"You're afraid to believe in the Tooth Fairy"
"You know the Easter Bunny exists, you just won't admit it"
"You're just angry at Santa Claus"

"God" is no different from any other imaginary being, so substituting a different one in those arguments shows how fatuous they are.

Pikachu

@LeopoldBloom

lol yeah i like those ones. It seems hard for them to really understand the notion that we just don't believe in the thing they believe in.

Silverwings · 70-79, F

@Pikachu It saddens us for any who deny God.

Pikachu

@Silverwings

You can be sad about it all day long. Just don't assign false motivation to atheists.

Carazaa · F

@Pikachu Likewise!

Pikachu

@Carazaa

100% the point i was trying to get across earlier😉

Carazaa · F

@Pikachu Don't do it yourself then!

Pikachu

@Carazaa

lol carazaa, you get that this was what we were talking about before, right?
That you may have a presupposition about why group x believes y but that if you insists that your presupposition is right and their explanation is wrong then you're being arrogant.

LeopoldBloom · M

@Pikachu That is the problem with presuppositionalism as put forth by Greg Bahnsen. There's no reason to assume that anyone's presuppositions are any more valid than anyone else's.