The Problem with Atheism
The Problem with Atheism
Atheism. The belief that deity is an invalid concept and that gods do not exist. It offends, frightens, and often provokes violent outbursts. Your belief says God exists? Atheism tells you you're wrong. Allah will reward your toils here on earth in the afterlife? Atheism says that there is no divine reward waiting for you, and it even suggests that there is nothing beyond death. Atheism embraces all of the things humans have feared for thousands of years. Atheism spits in the face of faith and demands evidence for all things. Atheism is provocative, but at the same time people who are atheists often keep to themselves and allow others to continue to believe in their "primitive religions."
Why are atheists so insular? It is my experience that most of them are so quiet about their belief because of its unpopularity and the propensity of zealots to cause harm to people who challenge them. Being an "open" atheist is difficult. It severely limits your ability to interact with others, especially with those who have strong faith. Atheism is also antagonistic. A believer can quote scripture, recount events, and impart wisdom during a conversation, and in response an atheist can simply say it is all invalid because there is no concrete evidence to support the fundamental belief, as seems to be the case in all faith based instances.
People will fire back with 'Prove there isn't a God!' There is no proof of the non-existence of God, just as there is no proof of the non-existence of Gandalf or Santa Claus. It is utter nonsense, but because there is no counterargument with proof, then there is no way you can change their mind. You are at an eternal impasse.
Atheism isn't very romantic or comforting. While atheism doesn't specifically deny there is an afterlife, it does deny the precepts most afterlife religions need to allow one. Death is final. Life is a moment in an unfathomable calendar. All things die. Some are fortunate enough to be replaced. What happens after death is irrelevant. Atheism strips away the warmth of childhood and thrusts a naked psyche into the harsh truth that people are only as important as they allow themselves to be, and that no one is safe from the erosion of time. All is forgotten. Nothing in the Universe can stop it.
Atheism lacks popularity because it destroys the comfort of imagination. It casts humanity into the chaotic soup of the cosmos, cold and alone. People don't want it to be true. That doesn't make it not true. The burden of proof is on the believer, and that is more than most can handle.
Atheism. The belief that deity is an invalid concept and that gods do not exist. It offends, frightens, and often provokes violent outbursts. Your belief says God exists? Atheism tells you you're wrong. Allah will reward your toils here on earth in the afterlife? Atheism says that there is no divine reward waiting for you, and it even suggests that there is nothing beyond death. Atheism embraces all of the things humans have feared for thousands of years. Atheism spits in the face of faith and demands evidence for all things. Atheism is provocative, but at the same time people who are atheists often keep to themselves and allow others to continue to believe in their "primitive religions."
Why are atheists so insular? It is my experience that most of them are so quiet about their belief because of its unpopularity and the propensity of zealots to cause harm to people who challenge them. Being an "open" atheist is difficult. It severely limits your ability to interact with others, especially with those who have strong faith. Atheism is also antagonistic. A believer can quote scripture, recount events, and impart wisdom during a conversation, and in response an atheist can simply say it is all invalid because there is no concrete evidence to support the fundamental belief, as seems to be the case in all faith based instances.
People will fire back with 'Prove there isn't a God!' There is no proof of the non-existence of God, just as there is no proof of the non-existence of Gandalf or Santa Claus. It is utter nonsense, but because there is no counterargument with proof, then there is no way you can change their mind. You are at an eternal impasse.
Atheism isn't very romantic or comforting. While atheism doesn't specifically deny there is an afterlife, it does deny the precepts most afterlife religions need to allow one. Death is final. Life is a moment in an unfathomable calendar. All things die. Some are fortunate enough to be replaced. What happens after death is irrelevant. Atheism strips away the warmth of childhood and thrusts a naked psyche into the harsh truth that people are only as important as they allow themselves to be, and that no one is safe from the erosion of time. All is forgotten. Nothing in the Universe can stop it.
Atheism lacks popularity because it destroys the comfort of imagination. It casts humanity into the chaotic soup of the cosmos, cold and alone. People don't want it to be true. That doesn't make it not true. The burden of proof is on the believer, and that is more than most can handle.