Why do some atheists care about convincing others they do not believe in God?

[quadrasaurus_pex]

I have been having this thought for a few days now. I thought I would ask because there is a fair amount of atheists on this board. And some of them like to bash other religions and make threads trying to invalidate religions.

But if you truly believe there is no afterlife or God/gods or whatever, why do you even take the effort to convince others of this? If life has no meaning, why even bother to let others know there is no meaning? Why go through all of the time and effort arguing to say there is nothing?

And to atheists (I'm sure there are plenty of answers), what do you live for? Because according to you (or my perception of your statements), we all lose equally in the end.

[nrellas]

because of threads like the anti-gay one we have to constantly be fighting back those who want to shove religion down our throats....

just because you dont believe in religion doesn't mean life has no meaning, it just doesn't have a religious one...

the problem i have with religion is that it forces people to live FOR something, instead of just living. while you are lost in the world of what happens after you die, im just enjoying the ride. the only thing that we can know for CERTAIN is that at the end of the day we all will have a home in the ground...anything other than that is hopeful speculation.

the other thing that you forget is that there is no uniform version of atheism besides the fact that we all agree to disagree.

[The Experiment]

I'm atheist and couldn't give a flying **** about convincing others nor is it my obligation to explain to militant theists about my beliefs.

The only time I actually bother to respond are the ****tards that think that without organized religion, we would just rape and pillage, as if it never happened under the banner of religion.

[stateless]

Originally Posted by quadrasaurus_pex

I have been having this thought for a few days now. I thought I would ask because there is a fair amount of atheists on this board. And some of them like to bash other religions and make threads trying to invalidate religions.

But if you truly believe there is no afterlife or God/gods or whatever, why do you even take the effort to convince others of this? If life has no meaning, why even bother to let others know there is no meaning? Why go through all of the time and effort arguing to say there is nothing?

And to atheists (I'm sure there are plenty of answers), what do you live for? Because according to you (or my perception of your statements), we all lose equally in the end.

Newsflash: Theists also attack atheists on this board

Newsflash 2: Those believing in God try to convince atheists to come around to their point on view, just as atheists try to reason with those believing in God. Both groups act the same way

Newsflash3: Just because someone in an atheist, it doesn't mean that they think that life has no meaning. Surely if a person believes that the life they are living is the one true life, then they very much do see the value in it.

[lollercopter]

Originally Posted by quadrasaurus_pex

I have been having this thought for a few days now. I thought I would ask because there is a fair amount of atheists on this board. And some of them like to bash other religions and make threads trying to invalidate religions.

But if you truly believe there is no afterlife or God/gods or whatever, why do you even take the effort to convince others of this? If life has no meaning, why even bother to let others know there is no meaning? Why go through all of the time and effort arguing to say there is nothing?

Not all atheists actively start these kinds of arguments. I don't go up to religious people and tell them that life is meaningless. I only discuss these things when religious people question my beliefs, or if people bring religion into issues that everyone (not just religious folks) faces. If someone argues that homosexuality is wrong because the Bible says so, I'll have a problem with that.

And to atheists (I'm sure there are plenty of answers), what do you live for? Because according to you (or my perception of your statements), we all lose equally in the end.

What do you mean by "live for"? If you're talking about a supernatural being, then no, I'm not living for anything. But here on Earth, I want to make a decent living, improve my physique, and so on. Why isn't that enough? I think the purpose of life is whatever you want it to be.

[int_bal23]

Originally Posted by The Experiment

The only time I actually bother to respond are the ****tards that think that without organized religion, we would just rape and pillage, as if it never happened under the banner of religion.

Ironically, there are Christians who dislike organized religion for those same reasons.

[Dragger]

I only respond to the pushy churchy bible banger types trying to shove their religion down everyone's throat, like that idiot who said "Christianity needs to be taught in public school".

Oh, and I respond to the "Why are all atheist so evil and trying to disprove religion" threads and my favorite, by some idiot who calls himself grapemaster, "Why don't atheist just kill themselves".

[Black_Spit]

Originally Posted by quadrasaurus_pex

Why do some atheists care about convincing others they do not believe in God?

I have no idea. I'm an atheist and I couldn't care less what everybody else believes in. In fact, I've asked this question before many times. *shrugs*

[Rune]

Change can only come from within. I am never out to convince anybody of anything I believe, I can only present my reasoning about what I do believe, if I change somebody's opinion in the process, so be it.

I live for new experience, and knowledge.

[LunicaAshes]

Try reading our f*cking sticky... or the other fifty threads on this exact topic.

[shadowwalker021]

I only ask that people open their eyes beyond their personal religion. What this world needs is unity, not petty bickering, and I believe religion only helps lead to the separation of the human race.

Originally Posted by Original Poster

And to atheists (I'm sure there are plenty of answers), what do you live for?

That's kind of a broad question, but here's one answer. Personally, I'm a very curious person. Knowing full well that there are answers and secrets that are just laying in wait drives me crazy. I simply want to understand.

I'm also a writer. My dream is to write something so new, groundbreaking, and fantastic that it lives on "forever".

Originally Posted by Original Poster

Because according to you (or my perception of your statements), we all lose equally in the end."

No, not at all. Because there is an inevitable end to our consciousness, that means that we lose? Not at all. This quote might shed some light on how inconceivably lucky we all are.

"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they?re never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place, but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of the Sahara. Certainly some of those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, Scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively outnumbers the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds, it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here. We, privileged few, who won the lottery of birth against all odds, how dare we whine at our inevitable return to that prior state for which the vast majority have never stirred.
- Dawkins

[HatesFat]

Originally Posted by quadrasaurus_pex

I have been having this thought for a few days now. I thought I would ask because there is a fair amount of atheists on this board. And some of them like to bash other religions and make threads trying to invalidate religions.

Atheists have differing views on this. Many of my fellow atheists are of the view, "who gives a crap what anyone else thinks, it's all good, live and let live".

I try to live that way whenever possible, but there are some areas where you draw the line. Tolerance has boundaries, but it's really a tough boundary to define, things get really fuzzy.

For example take child indoctrination.

Is it FINE for people to convince a child that there is a monster called satan who will take them to hell where they will serve an eternal penance consisting mainly of burning flesh?

Take the 9/11 and 7/7 hijackers / bombers.... middle class, engineers, architects.. physicians, residents of US and UK. It wasn't the socio-political climate that caused them to fly into the towers. It was the promise of paradise. A promise that I find the equivalent of the promise of a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, or chasing a leprechaun to get it's lucky charms.

When you view the two promises the same way, the absurdity and potential DANGER of religion / supernatural-based dogma is compelling.

How will you dissuade someone from killing if he or she thinks that killing is the command of God, and God is infallible?

But if you truly believe there is no afterlife or God/gods or whatever, why do you even take the effort to convince others of this?

See above.

If life has no meaning, why even bother to let others know there is no meaning?

If life has no meaning for you without religion, I'm very sorry to hear that, try having a family. Perhaps your views will change. Or maybe you DO have a family. Think... if God were proven to not exist tomorrow, would you stop loving them? Would you lose your personal ambition? Would you lose the enjoyment you get when hanging out with your buds?

Why go through all of the time and effort arguing to say there is nothing?

If it was one or two people or even say 3 hundred thousand people who believed that Santa Claus was real, then I'd be fine with it.

But we live in a world, as Sam Harris says, where we have people who can build a nuclear device AND believe they will get 72 virgins in heaven. It is an epidemic.. it's like 5 billion people in the world believe that Santa Claus is for real and flies around the world in one night on a reindeer sleigh. Once you think of it like that, is it not easier to see why we try to convince?

And to atheists (I'm sure there are plenty of answers), what do you live for? Because according to you (or my perception of your statements), we all lose equally in the end.

What do you mean 'lose equally'. There is no evidence to suggest that there is anything but NOTHING.. no consciousness, when you die. So you don't win or lose. You just stop being.

- Family, Friends
- Personal Ambition, etc.
- This is the only life i've got, so I'm going to make the most of it.

[hokiebird]

Originally Posted by Rune

Change can only come from within. I am never out to convince anybody of anything I believe, I can only present my reasoning about what I do believe, if I change somebody's opinion in the process, so be it.

I live for new experience, and knowledge.

I feel the same as you do in this area.

[hokiebird]

Originally Posted by sheduma

Try reading our f*cking sticky... or the other fifty threads on this exact topic.

How many times a day do you say that? No one wants to read your sticky.

[hokiebird]

Originally Posted by shadowwalker021

I only ask that people open their eyes beyond their personal religion. What this world needs is unity, not petty bickering, and I believe religion only helps lead to the separation of the human race.


That's kind of a broad question, but here's one answer. Personally, I'm a very curious person. Knowing full well that there are answers and secrets that are just laying in wait drives me crazy. I simply want to understand.

I'm also a writer. My dream is to write something so new, groundbreaking, and fantastic that it lives on "forever".


No, not at all. Because there is an inevitable end to our consciousness, that means that we lose? Not at all. This quote might shed some light on how inconceivably lucky we all are.

"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they?re never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place, but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of the Sahara. Certainly some of those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, Scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively outnumbers the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds, it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here. We, privileged few, who won the lottery of birth against all odds, how dare we whine at our inevitable return to that prior state for which the vast majority have never stirred.
- Dawkins

You said:I only ask that people open their eyes beyond their personal religion. What this world needs is unity, not petty bickering, and I believe religion only helps lead to the separation of the human race.

To answer that I would say that i will not and cannot look beyond my personal relationship with Christ to appease people. I believe what i believe for a reason, the reason being that is what the Bible teaches. YOu seem to think compromising the truth creates unity, but it does not. It only produces compromise that teaches that everyone can do what they want regardless of the outcome. THat is a hideous statement to make in my opinion.

[quadrasaurus_pex]

Originally Posted by sheduma

Try reading our f*cking sticky... or the other fifty threads on this exact topic.

I actually have a life and don't spend 10 hours a day on a board with people I do not know.

Originally Posted by HatesFat

What do you mean 'lose equally'. There is no evidence to suggest that there is anything but NOTHING.. no consciousness, when you die. So you don't win or lose. You just stop being.

- Family, Friends
- Personal Ambition, etc.
- This is the only life i've got, so I'm going to make the most of it.

OK. When you cease to exist, why should anything else matter?

[LunicaAshes]

Originally Posted by quadrasaurus_pex

I actually have a life and don't spend 10 hours a day on a board with people I do not know.

How does it take longer to read a sticky than it does to CREATE a new thread and then keep checking back for responses? It would be faster for everyone. That's the point.

And it's just common decency on any forum to do a search on a topic before making a new thread.

[stateless]

Originally Posted by hokiebird

You said:I only ask that people open their eyes beyond their personal religion. What this world needs is unity, not petty bickering, and I believe religion only helps lead to the separation of the human race.

To answer that I would say that i will not and cannot look beyond my personal relationship with Christ to appease people. I believe what i believe for a reason, the reason being that is what the Bible teaches. YOu seem to think compromising the truth creates unity, but it does not. It only produces compromise that teaches that everyone can do what they want regardless of the outcome. THat is a hideous statement to make in my opinion.

It's the truth to you. Your truth. Not THE truth. There is a difference.

[An hero]

This video might answer your question, OP:

[dangerbird]

Originally Posted by An hero

This video might answer your question, OP:

Good vid, i think that he makes good points. Especially when it comes to stemcells. It takes the maximum ammount of selfishness to put a stop to medical research which will save lives+pain for millions of people based on your personal beliefs. Absolute selfishness on religions part there, if thats not a selfish thing to do then wtf is selfish?

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by An hero

This video might answer your question, OP:

you've just gave me a book to read. I'm ordering The End of Faith as we speak.

repped.

[nrellas]

Originally Posted by sheduma

How does it take longer to read a sticky than it does to CREATE a new thread and then keep checking back for responses? It would be faster for everyone. That's the point.

And it's just common decency on any forum to do a search on a topic before making a new thread.

relax, its the internet

[hokiebird]

Originally Posted by stateless

It's the truth to you. Your truth. Not THE truth. There is a difference.

No, its the truth.

[GBLynden]

Originally Posted by quadrasaurus_pex

I have been having this thought for a few days now. I thought I would ask because there is a fair amount of atheists on this board. And some of them like to bash other religions and make threads trying to invalidate religions.

But if you truly believe there is no afterlife or God/gods or whatever, why do you even take the effort to convince others of this? If life has no meaning, why even bother to let others know there is no meaning? Why go through all of the time and effort arguing to say there is nothing?

And to atheists (I'm sure there are plenty of answers), what do you live for? Because according to you (or my perception of your statements), we all lose equally in the end.

This is one of the most hypocritical posts I have ever read. How can a group of people that spend large chunks of their time trying to influence the beliefs of others really believe that those that don't believe in God need to be quiet? Yet, they have the right to tell other people how to live their lives?

[stateless]

Originally Posted by hokiebird

No, its the truth.

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

[LunicaAshes]

Originally Posted by nrellas

relax, its the internet

And everyone knows that no one needs to take any amount of self-accountability while claiming a moral high ground, so long as you're on a computer when doing so, because this makes you a pretend person

[shadowwalker021]

Originally Posted by sheduma

And everyone knows that no one needs to take any amount of self-accountability while claiming a moral high ground, so long as you're on a computer when doing so, because this makes you a pretend person

strong srs cat pic

[Mike-anon]

Because we're the scum of the Earth, duh.

Haven't you been listening in Church?

[hokiebird]

Originally Posted by sheduma

And everyone knows that no one needs to take any amount of self-accountability while claiming a moral high ground, so long as you're on a computer when doing so, because this makes you a pretend person

What are you pretending about?

[hokiebird]

Originally Posted by Mike-anon

Because we're the scum of the Earth, duh.

Haven't you been listening in Church?

No you are not, God loves you, you are his child. Ever read the passage about the Prodigal Son?