ARE ATHEISTS SCARY?

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