franz kiekeben
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ARE ATHEISTS SCARY?

5/11/2015

2 Comments

 
The lack of an afterlife is the toughest part of the traditional atheist worldview to sell. As some believers are quick to point out, atheism has nothing to offer except the cold, hard grave. That's not actually true, of course: atheism has something to offer everyone here and now – namely, a life free of religious delusions. And the traditional Christian view of the afterlife – which consists of eternal punishment for a majority of humanity – is, if anything, worse than the end envisioned by nonbelievers. But in spite of all that, it's certainly understandable if many find atheism's lack of a hereafter utterly unappealing.

But could any of this be related to a dislike of atheists? According to a new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, the answer, surprisingly, is yes. Two experiments were conducted, and the first found that negative feelings towards atheists was greater among those who had very recently thought about death, while the second showed that “the mere contemplation of atheism can arouse intimations of mortality.” The finality of death associated with atheism appears to be subconsciously translated into a distrust of those who dare to espouse the view.

If true, this means nonbelievers have even greater obstacles to overcome than previously thought.

For more on the study, see: http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/why-atheists-terrify-believers

2 Comments
Drue
5/18/2015 09:46:50 am

Once, years ago, a Boy Scout official explained to me that while the organization was founded on Christian ideals, it welcomes members of other faiths. All that matters is that a member believes in something. I named various things that as far as I know everyone believes in, and I wondered how it would be possible for someone not to believe in anything; he clarified that a prospective member should believe in something bigger than himself; I named several things bigger than myself in which I believe, including the moon, but he further explained that it must be a god. Now this is a strange thing: they believe in the Christian god, and they welcome members who, from their point of view, believe incorrectly in some other god -- even, I suppose, one that is inconsistent with the Christian god; but those standing on neutral ground, taking no gods at all, need not apply. Your post and the study to which it links provides a plausible explanation.

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Franz Kiekeben
5/22/2015 02:49:03 pm

Yes, it has always seemed strange to me that certain Christians are perfectly respectful of Hindus (say), yet regard atheists with suspicion. Especially when the first commandment is Thou shalt have no OTHER GODS before me.

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