God - The insecurity crutch

gramlab

May be just my opinion but from general everyday observations and reading for the last few months on this forum (and christianity) I have come to think that those who truly claim to know god and espouse his greatness, and the need to embrace him/her or face the consequences, come across as extremely insecure.

Their language and the frequent referral to scripture seems almost desperate at times to the point where it feels like they need to convince you in order to validate their own beliefs. God is like the crutch they need in order to make sense of what goes on around them. An atheist (or agnostic atheist like myself) seems to be able to see the world for what it is without needing to attribute the existence of its many wonders and even more failings to the words of a centuries old old book of chinese wispers.

It seems to be a case of the more of us there are the less likely we are wrong about the existence of the big guy. Reading some of the posters on the christianity forum its like they have found the biggest best kept secret and they have to let you know (or share with the other saved souls) what all the UNBELIEVERS are missing out on.

Its like me convincing myself that my beloved Liverpool will finally do it this season. I know they probably wont but if I say it long enough and with enough conviction(every year) - maybe it will come true - NO COMMENTS ABOUT THERE BEING BETTER ODDS OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD!

estebancambias

I would have thought Atheists IN GENERAL would be insecure. They're the ones who know that there s nothing after this life, no chance to see family etc, surely this would equal greater insecurity.

Sir Wanksalot

Liverpool could still win the champions League.

Me personally i'm a atheist thank god.

CerebralCortex

estebancambias wrote: »

I would have thought Atheists IN GENERAL would be insecure. They're the ones who know that there s nothing after this life, no chance to see family etc, surely this would equal greater insecurity.

Wow! I never realised how flexible and bendy logic was until now.

andrew

I can see what you mean. Generally trying to convince someone of your beliefs does come accross as insecure and a need for validation. Generally though I wouldn't go so far as to call God an insecurity crutch - some people may be insecure about their beliefs but surely that'd be indicative of a person who was generally insecure? What i'm trying to say is that people are insecure, and that a belief in god doesn't necesarly equal insecurity.

Zillah

estebancambias wrote: »

I would have thought Atheists IN GENERAL would be insecure. They're the ones who know that there s nothing after this life, no chance to see family etc, surely this would equal greater insecurity.

You're just amazing. Please look up the word insecurity.

Obni

Sir Wanksalot wrote: »

Liverpool could still win the champions League.

I think you may have been looking for the christian forum, they deal in miracles. Or perhaps a forum for those recovering from addiction to powerful hallucinogenics. :rolleyes:

Akrasia

estebancambias wrote: »

I would have thought Atheists IN GENERAL would be insecure. They're the ones who know that there s nothing after this life, no chance to see family etc, surely this would equal greater insecurity.

here's what the great epicurus had to say on this issue. (he was around hundreds of years before christ, and I believe his ethics are just as good if not better than the ethics of christ and epicurus never felt the need to declare himself god to get attention.

Accustom yourself to believing that death is nothing to us, for good and evil imply the capacity for sensation, and death is the privation of all sentience; therefore a correct understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, not by adding to life a limitless time, but by taking away the yearning after immortality. For life has no terrors for him who has thoroughly understood that there are no terrors for him in ceasing to live. Foolish, therefore, is the man who says that he fears death, not because it will pain when it comes, but because it pains in the prospect. Whatever causes no annoyance when it is present, causes only a groundless pain in the expectation. Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not. It is nothing, then, either to the living or to the dead, for with the living it is not and the dead exist no longer.

But in the world, at one time men shun death as the greatest of all evils, and at another time choose it as a respite from the evils in life. The wise man does not deprecate life nor does he fear the cessation of life. The thought of life is no offense to him, nor is the cessation of life regarded as an evil. And even as men choose of food not merely and simply the larger portion, but the more pleasant, so the wise seek to enjoy the time which is most pleasant and not merely that which is longest. And he who admonishes the young to live well and the old to make a good end speaks foolishly, not merely because of the desirability of life, but because the same exercise at once teaches to live well and to die well. Much worse is he who says that it were good not to be born, but when once one is born to pass quickly through the gates of Hades. For if he truly believes this, why does he not depart from life? It would be easy for him to do so once he were firmly convinced. If he speaks only in jest, his words are foolishness as those who hear him do not believe.

Galvasean

estebancambias wrote: »

I would have thought Atheists IN GENERAL would be insecure. They're the ones who know that there s nothing after this life, no chance to see family etc, surely this would equal greater insecurity.

IN GENERAL a lot of them would find religion for security.

Zombrex

estebancambias wrote: »

I would have thought Atheists IN GENERAL would be insecure

An insecure atheist is called a theist

PDN

andrew wrote: »

I can see what you mean. Generally trying to convince someone of your beliefs does come accross as insecure and a need for validation.

Would that explain why we find many more atheists posting in the Christianity forum than vice versa?

CerebralCortex

PDN wrote: »

Would that explain why we find many more atheists posting in the Christianity forum than vice versa?

I post in the Christianity forum to maybe wake some people up and piss christians off because I find the religion repulsive. This a christian country and even as an atheist theres no getting away from that so we(I) need to vent my frustrations somewhere.

Dr Galen

OP i think you're preaching to the choir here. I agree that my athesim actually gives me security, knowing that I'm not relying on a man-made god fable to get me through the day is very grounding, and in my own case, comforting in itself.

As to posting on the christianity forum, well i might lurk about, but it mainly for the comedy value. I control the urge to post there, because I know its like talking to the wall. CerebralCortex your right, there's no way to get away from it all here. for example, when I had to go into hospital recently, and gave my religion as atheist, i got some funny looks! You'd think I had just professed to being a purple dragon called ted

gramlab

estebancambias wrote: »

I would have thought Atheists IN GENERAL would be insecure. They're the ones who know that there s nothing after this life, no chance to see family etc, surely this would equal greater insecurity.

Think thats the whole point about atheists/agnostics. We know that we dont know everything and are open to being corrected if there is tangible evidence to support it.

Personally I have no idea if there is anything out there when I pop my clogs - hopefully there might be a couple of those virgins there for me or maybe I'll just be staring at my coffin lid for eternity. But I certainly dont want to start believing in the biblical boss to kid myself into a false sense of security.

Also I dont believe all christians are insecure - just the ones that feel they need to convert others/scare them into believing their point of view.

gramlab

Obni wrote: »

I think you may have been looking for the christian forum, they deal in miracles. Or perhaps a forum for those recovering from addiction to powerful hallucinogenics. :rolleyes:

Hallucinogenics didn't win 5 european/champions league cups:)

YogiBear

CerebralCortex wrote: »

I post in the Christianity forum to maybe wake some people up and piss christians off because I find the religion repulsive. This a christian country and even as an atheist theres no getting away from that so we(I) need to vent my frustrations somewhere.

Here here!! I am currently residing with 2 sanctimonious born again christians & they are driving me potty!!! I don't know how many times I've had to turn their "god loves you" fridge magnets upsidedown at this stage!!!!

No seriously.. HELP!!!

YogiBear

Oh, and yes I really think it's an insecurity crutch and an inability to break away from the crowd and from a book written 2000 years ago....
Oh give me a break!!!! :mad:

(Sorry, rant over.. like I said, the "christians" I live with are going to turn me into a god-hater.... Normally I live and let live sorta thing )

PDN

PDN wrote: »

Would that explain why we find many more atheists posting in the Christianity forum than vice versa?

i dont think the creationist thread counts

in any case, many are there to ask questions and understand more, i would say

andrew

PDN wrote: »

Would that explain why we find many more atheists posting in the Christianity forum than vice versa?

Maybe on some sort of deep, deep level atheists actually want to be convinced there is a god, who knows? I'm no psychologist, so couldn't explain that one anyway.

Agnostic theism ftw!

CerebralCortex

YogiBear wrote: »

Here here!! I am currently residing with 2 sanctimonious born again christians & they are driving me potty!!! I don't know how many times I've had to turn their "god loves you" fridge magnets upsidedown at this stage!!!!

No seriously.. HELP!!!

Be strong and don't get angry, I suppose you could post in the christianity forum, or you could buy some atheist/agnostic/Thor/Zues magnets

An Fear Aniar

YogiBear wrote: »

Here here!! I am currently residing with 2 sanctimonious born again christians & they are driving me potty!!! I don't know how many times I've had to turn their "god loves you" fridge magnets upsidedown at this stage!!!!

That sounds unbearable. You must have done something terrible in a past life, like been Vlad the Impaler or King Leopold of the Belgians.



.

irishconvert

Mystik Monkey wrote: »

for example, when I had to go into hospital recently, and gave my religion as atheist, i got some funny looks! You'd think I had just professed to being a purple dragon called ted

I know what you mean! You should see their face when you tell them you are Muslim! lol

PDN

YogiBear wrote: »

Here here!! I am currently residing with 2 sanctimonious born again christians & they are driving me potty!!! I don't know how many times I've had to turn their "god loves you" fridge magnets upsidedown at this stage!!!!

No seriously.. HELP!!!

I find a bit of tolerance helps in these situations.

PDN

irishconvert wrote: »

I know what you mean! You should see their face when you tell them you are Muslim! lol

Or Pentecostal. Funny though, it doesn't make me want to go on a Catholic forum and .... them off.

YogiBear

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Be strong and don't get angry, I suppose you could post in the christianity forum, or you could buy some atheist/agnostic/Thor/Zues magnets

I keep Richard Dawkins "The Anchestor's Tale" with me at all times & hold it up to them everytime they tell me I should go along to one of their meetings!
They think I'm mad though... and Richard Dawkins' insane!!

YogiBear

PDN wrote: »

I find a bit of tolerance helps in these situations.

A lot of tolerance helped for a while but it's gone past that..
I'm going to move out.. only solution! :cool: