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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 4:24PM #1
wohali
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Just what is it that causes some theistic people to be so frightened of atheists?
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 4:38PM #2
steven_guy
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Apr 21, 2012 -- 4:24PM, wohali wrote:

Just what is it that causes some theistic people to be so frightened of atheists?



Maybe they're taught to do so in church? We see that even supposedly liberal Christian clergymen frequently treat atheism and atheists with contempt and they clearly harbour bigotry against atheists. Is it any wonder that their flocks are frightened of atheists and frightened of understanding the atheist position on the issue of the existence of god/gods.
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 5:01PM #3
chevy956
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Apr 21, 2012 -- 4:24PM, wohali wrote:

Just what is it that causes some theistic people to be so frightened of atheists?


I believe that they are taught by their church that atheists are lacking in morality due to lack of god belief, therefore not to be trusted for any reason.


    Interestingly enough, the rare times I've been burned financially in 35 years in the music industry have been by self-proclaimed born-again Christians who claim the monopoly on morality. Go figure.


   Chevy
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 5:08PM #4
Ken
Ken
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They're afraid atheists might be right. If you had to believe the things that some of them are expected to believe, you'd be afraid too.
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 5:14PM #5
chevy956
chevy956
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Apr 21, 2012 -- 5:08PM, Ken wrote:

They're afraid atheists might be right. If you had to believe the things that some of them are expected to believe, you'd be afraid too.


Ken, I'm sure that many are quite aware that atheists are right. They don't want to publically agree because in the US, Christianity's main function is as a social support network and the price for public atheism is loss of relationships and mistrust. Actual Christian praxis is the least concern of most churchgoers.
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 5:21PM #6
mainecaptain
mainecaptain
Posts: 20,502

Apr 21, 2012 -- 5:01PM, chevy956 wrote:

Apr 21, 2012 -- 4:24PM, wohali wrote:

Just what is it that causes some theistic people to be so frightened of atheists?



I believe that they are taught by their church that atheists are lacking in morality due to lack of god belief, therefore not to be trusted for any reason.


    Interestingly enough, the rare times I've been burned financially in 35 years in the music industry have been by self-proclaimed born-again Christians who claim the monopoly on morality. Go figure.


   Chevy




Well as long as they have Jesus they will be forgiven, so they have no incentive to be moral.


But the fear in interesting. I agree they are taught in church to be afraid of atheists, and others not their particular denom.

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. Aristotle
Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato..
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" Jackie Robinson
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 5:53PM #7
steven_guy
steven_guy
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Apr 21, 2012 -- 5:14PM, chevy956 wrote:

Apr 21, 2012 -- 5:08PM, Ken wrote:


They're afraid atheists might be right. If you had to believe the things that some of them are expected to believe, you'd be afraid too.




Ken, I'm sure that many are quite aware that atheists are right. They don't want to publically agree because in the US, Christianity's main function is as a social support network and the price for public atheism is loss of relationships and mistrust. Actual Christian praxis is the least concern of most churchgoers.




I am sure that you're both onto something. I frequently get the feeling that a couple of the Creationists are almightily pissed off with science and atheism because they know damned well that their Creationist beliefs don't hold a candle to science and atheism. And look at what happened to some theists when The God Delusion was published, they went completely gonzo.
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 6:33PM #8
mountain_man
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Apr 21, 2012 -- 4:24PM, wohali wrote:

Just what is it that causes some theistic people to be so frightened of atheists?


We cause an internal dissonance they can't deal with. Our very existence poses a threat to their closely held beliefs. We cause them to think when such thinking is not allowed.

Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.

I am a Humanist. I believe in a rational philosophy of life, informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by a desire to do good for its own sake and not by an expectation of a reward or fear of punishment in an afterlife.
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 8:32PM #9
Blü
Blü
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When we eat children we use different sauces to the theist ones.  They find this very off-putting.
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1 year ago  ::  Apr 21, 2012 - 8:42PM #10
mainecaptain
mainecaptain
Posts: 20,502

Apr 21, 2012 -- 8:32PM, Blü wrote:


When we eat children we use different sauces to the theist ones.  They find this very off-putting.




That explains why they (Christians) tend to fear Pagans, We use different sauces as well. LOLWink

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. Aristotle
Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato..
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" Jackie Robinson
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