Or maybe you’re mad at Santa, is that it? You didn’t get what you want one year, so you pretend he doesn’t exist? You’re not fooling anyone, you know. Everyone knows Santa exists.

I find it useful to recast the whole question when it comes up. Depending on the context, I either say “Just as you don’t believe in Shiva” or (if they’re the kind that thinks someone else’s god is really their own devil) “Belief doesn’t come into to; I’m just not convinced of the existence of any gods”. Those at least get us away from the “denial” that “not believing in” god often seems to reduce to.

Well, it doesn’t really need to come from anywhere, does it? Evolutionarily speaking, it wouldn’t take a great leap of intellect to come to the following conclusion:

‘hey, these other beings walking around… these other machines of flesh and bone and hair… they’ve got brains rattling around inside their skulls, too. I’ll bet that they have dreams and wishes and feelings just like me! Since they’re so much like me, it would probably be a good thing not to hurt them or kill them or steal from them. After all, I know I wouldn’t like any of that, and being that they seem so much like me, I’ll bet they wouldn’t like it either.’

Plain ol’ empathy, that’s what keeps us responsible and moral. We’ve got advanced enough brains to imagine how other people must feel.

Well said. I’m not sure where it would come from but, well said.

Is that the old “belief in the afterlife is the only thing keeping people from becoming monsters” argument?

Responsible for what? If there is no God, and there is nothing to do after death, what is there to do in life? Seems to me it would be whatever I want.

As for acknowledging the fact that there is no god. Could you please prove it to me. I mean, you state it as fact, you do have support for your facts don’t you?

I think you mean, acknowledging your opinion.

People are also naturally scared to die, and so the idea that this is the only life you get, and there isn’t anything to do when you’re dead, also scares people.

By saying there is no god, you are threatening their security and you are threatening their comfort in their belief that god will make it right (and that they don’t need to lift a finger to help, they just have to pray some more).

This is why atheism threatens them; it requires them to be responsible and take action.

Pedro’s recent post at Way of the Mind got me thinking about a criticism I periodically encounter around the blogosphere and in the comments here. According to many Christians, we atheists are simply in denial……

I have no trouble “believing in” atheists. (Irony, perhaps?)

I have no feeling that it is a sin to doubt. I openly express and/or acknowledge my doubts. I certainly have considered atheism, and respect it as a viewpoint. I don’t believe there would be any punishment waiting for me if I were to become an atheist, thus my belief does not stem from fear.

I have no fear of losing the respect of other believers. I already gave that up when I disavowed church.

My belief rests on my opinion that Christianity is the most logically consistent worldview available.

-micah

Basically, hating someone doesn’t help, you’re actually spending your time and energy hating them and that means that somehow, you like them enough to do so.
Where ignoring them completely means that they have NO effect on you.

It’s also got to do with denial in itself, which is funny, because when you deny the truth, it’s usually because you can’t handle it.
Denying that there IS a God would be so hard for someone someone who’se lived thier lives surrounded by religion. Yet, it would be much easier to deny the question of God itself.

I completely agree with you. Those words would appear to be from people who haven’t thought it through very much at all and are very belittling. Don’t get me wrong, many atheists are very arrogant and belittling themselves.

Robert, I’ll be praying for you ;>