Is atheism actually fear of the unknown?

Question

I have faced death and know there is God from this experience. (Flat lined with no pulse, hit with epinephrine and a punch to the chest to bring me out of anaphylaxsis. Up to this point I was an agnostic) plus I have seen combat where people were spared through nothing but the Act of God. Does your fear of the unknown and dispute with mortality masquerade as atheism?

Answer 1

I've been a hospital bed, Magnesium Sulfate being pumped into me through an IV in the hopes of bringing my blood pressure down enough so that I wouldn't be at risk of fatal seizures. My kidneys were failing. My pituitary had swollen so badly that it was pressing against my optic nerve to the point that my eyesight was being destroyed AND they thought it was a brain tumor (one of the doctors even wanted to "operate" on the same day he made the "diagnosis"). My 6½ month fetus was in danger of miscarrying, so they did an emergency c-section and pulled him out at 3½ pounds. 3½ pounds and he had no idea how to eat OR how to breathe properly.



I stayed at 4 hospitals, rode in 2 ambulances and a helicopter, had more IV's cut into my arms than you can imagine, had one arterial IV that spurted blood all over my bed, saw over a dozen specialists, and most of them told my husband that when it came to surviving, it would either be me or the baby, and maybe neither.



I'm alive and my baby is now nearly 2 years old. I didn't believe in God then and I don't believe in him now. No matter what happens to me, to my baby, to you, to anyone, GOD DOESN'T EXIST. No matter how afraid or happy I am, there is no God. The god concept is logically impossible regardless of what happens to me and you.



I don't have a single problem with morality. The difference is that I condone HUMAN compassion and altruism and Christians, many many Christians, cannot conceive of ANY reason to be moral beyond "God said so". And I do fear... I fear death. It's not the unknown... I know exactly what's going to happen. I'm going to cease to be. That scares me more than I can explain. AGAIN, this has no bearing on reality. The concept of god does not correspond to reality. This has NOTHING TO DO WITH ME.



AGAIN... it doesn't matter how happy or sad or afraid or content I am. "God" is logically impossible. God doesn't exist. Neither do any of the other god concepts.

Answer 2

Yay, Zero Cool!!



"Does your fear of the unknown and dispute with mortality masquerade as atheism." Sorry, Jim, but I think you've got that completely backwards, and the last part should say "religion". I too have survived a near-death experience and I certainly didn't see God. Is it because I wasn't looking hard enough? I don't think so. Is it because God faIfvors people? That would automatically make him less than "all-loving", eh?



Why would panic about the unknown make people atheists? Wouldn't they just become religious if they were so afraid of the unknown and death? Atheism is not a religion. It's simply a word for those who believe that there is no God. I am an Agnostic-Atheist. I believe in an energy beyond scientific realm that connects us all to one another. I do not believe in deities, however. I am afraid of death, like most people. However, I haven't chosen to "accept" God and thus my fears aren't ruling my life - wouldn't it just be easier to say, "Aw, I'll believe in some religion so I'm guaranteed a spot in a heaven, if there is one. That is Pascal's Wager. The God that is usually tossed about on here subjects those who don't worship him to hell and is given human traits. When I was younger I would tell people I believed in God, just not as they did to explain agnosticism. Now the definition has ceased to mean anything beyond religious affiliation. If 'God' were to mean 'energy' then I might sing a different tune. It doesn't. Honestly, Jim, I am giving you the best answer I can. The moment you use that word you fall into the category of "Christianity" (the others are rarely mentioned when someone mentions a belief in God), and to me, that is dangerous.

Answer 3

I don't think that atheism is the fear of the unknown. I believe atheism means "without belief." It comes from the Greek word atheos, meaning godless. It's different than agnosticism, meaning that the existence of a Supreme Being is unknown. It comes from the Greek word agnostos, meaning unknown.



Each person has a theory about what happens upon our death. I know that each person that has that experience comes back a changed person, regardless of belief.



Personally, I think it takes more faith to be an atheist than to be a believer in God. I'd rather live like there is a God and find out there isn't, than to live like there isn't a God and find out there is.

Answer 4

As an atheist, I can tell you know, it definitely is not. Additionally, any 'miracles' you may have experienced were almost certainly not divine in nature. People surviving nasty combat situations is either coincidence or just plain a lot of resilience on the part of the survivor. Seeing 'God' during a near death experience is also probably due to your brain not functioning properly and causing hallucinations. People have also had so-called 'religious' experiences when using hallucinogenic drugs, when this can easily be explained by a combination of their brain acting up and them having already been aware of religion. While it would be very difficult to do a psychological test on it, it seems likely that someone who had never heard of religion would not suddenly become religious after having an NDE or using drugs.

Answer 5

I think its a fear, or an inability to have faith. Also, a lot of Atheists question things more, particularly the existence of GOD. But its good to question. It keeps people smart.



Personally, I believe that there has got to be something better than this life; I have Faith that there is something on the other side.



If there was no god there wouldn't be any atheists.



I guess we'll each find out when we die.



To each his/her own.

Answer 6

No. Has nothing to do with fear of the unknown. I don't have a disproportionate fear of the unknown. I just don't believe in a deity. Even when I did, my fear of the unknown was about the same as it is now.

Answer 7

Its interesting you should say that, because I've always thought the opposite. I'm sure youre familiar with the medieval guide to map making: "Where unknown, there place monsters".



A similar thing with religion, "Where unknown, there place gods".



I dont fear the unknown. I dont understand it, but I see no need to invent a diety to explain my world to me.



See my point? Its just a question of different perspectives. Your experiences bring you one perspective, and mine bring me another.



No-ones right or wrong, or at least, if one is, neither of us can prove it. Its all different points of view.

Answer 8

That's probably the origins of religion. I think a lot of people today however still are religions because it is a means of expressing oneself spiritually. Some religions aren't even trying to prove anything, so I would disagree with your statement right there.

Answer 9

On the contrary it is much more unnerving to think that there isn't some sentient superbeing watching over us - protecting us from the dangers of the cosmos.



My atheism is a result of logic and ethics, not fear.

Answer 10

> I have faced death and know there is God from this experience.



Atheists are revived in the same manner you described, and continue to remain atheists. It proves nothing.



I have faced death more than once, and I am still an atheist. I fear nothing about death, but I would prefer I didn't have to die, because I revere life.

Answer 11

How on earth would fear of the unknown make one an ATHEIST? Quite the opposite, no?

Answer 12

Nope, Atheism is LACK of fear of the unknown.



We are the ones who aren't afraid to say "I have no idea what the ultimate truth of the universe is"



Religious folks can't handle that unknown and make up the answer "God did it"

Answer 13

Dear mister, I'm scared of you! i used to watch daddy butcher the animals on the farm. they struggled and squealed and did everything they could do to keep from being killed and butchered. i think they were all afraid when he went after them. when the man with the axe came to get them they would run, he would corner them and haul them to the chopping block. i had a lot of time to think about the different animals that he "harvested." some were kinda my pets. our family ate them and it seem silly to worry about it but i was just sure they were afraid of dying, too. i still do. and i think people are naturally afraid of dying. i think they are terrified of dying and terrified of pain and the unknown. it is a genetic thing, i guess. i remember daddy belting me and my brother and bellowing, "This'll put the fear of God into you! This'll learn you!"

Answer 14

I think you may be correct. The fear of not being in control, and having to pay for our actions can be staggering. It's much simpler to just ignore the fact that we aren't in total control and that there are consequences beyond this life.

Answer 15

I've seen things i cant explain, I've been considered clinicly dead, and i still believe in evolution, being agnostic isnt fear, it knowing that you dont believe in any religion, get your facts straight before you come on here using word that you dont even understand kiddo, and stop acting like you done something great, get over yourself and just shut up.



LMAO...you are really that stupid arent you? I mean seriously...do you know what either of those 2 word mean?



Maybe you need to learn that while the two have become ever so slightly dfferent over the years, the tearm agnostic was created primarily to have a less negative sounding word to decribe those who were commonly refered to as athiests. So, go to bed kid, its past your bed time, and you wouldn't want mommy to catch you and gorund you.

Answer 16

It is not the fear

of the unknown.



It is the fear of not

being able to contribute.



In other words,

One believes that one

must do the "work" with one's

on hands and contribute.

Answer 17

I have also faced death.



For me atheism is the lack of fear of death.

Answer 18

I suspect the exact opposite.... fear of the unknown leads you to seek crutches to support your fear of death.... not that it is a bad thing... makes facing such facts of life easier.... (also having had a very close brush with death).

Answer 19

I think it's the other way around; people who're afraid of the unknown make up something after death to believe in.

Answer 20

I'd define it as the very opposite. It's lack of fear of the unknown.

Answer 21

no the christians fear death thay why thay came up with heaven to give them a happy ending

Answer 22

Where *have* you been? There's no "unknown" for us to fear - Dead = Nothing, Dead = end, Dead = rot (only one believing in some sort of afterlife would ever think like you.) Please remember: it's death after life, not life after death.

Answer 23

I've been shot, strangled, and flatlined in an ambulance after a car accident. God still doesn't exist.

Answer 24

medical error! when you flat line you receive chest compressions and no shock or punch!



check ACLS guidelines!



but good for you! must have had a good medical team!



many change their believe status after a sentinel event!

Answer 25

I'm an Atheist, I disbelieve the Pope is a robot, does that mean I'm afraid of Pope not being a robot?

Answer 26

It seems to me that if someone were afraid of death that they would be MORE willing to believe out of fear, not less.



Your logic is lacking.

Answer 27

you are baked!! religion is grounded in a fear of the unknown. we atheists dont fear such trivial things. why worry about what you cannot control??

Answer 28

No. I'm not afraid of the unknown and I'm not terribly afraid of death.

Answer 29

Actually, atheism isn't fear of anything. It is more of a recognition that there is nothing to fear.

Answer 30

Atheism is actually the belief in nothing. No God, No Jesus, No nothing.

Answer 31

Jim, everyone knows that God exists. Some people are angry at God, hate God, or indifferent toward God for a variety of selfish reasons. As a result, they tend to have the same feelings toward people like you who know and acknowledge the truth.



You can't really trust anything they say.



Atheists are basically liars and are in denial. Of course, God doesn't give up on them, and neither do I.

Answer 32

fear causes wars too.

Answer 33

We have nothing to fear but fear itself...

Answer 34

No, but fundamentalist Christianity is.

Answer 35

Yes...........................