Random Cognition writes:
I had an amazing conversation with an "atheist" the other night. It is very interesting to me how someone can believe in "nothing." It suprised me to find that she actually does have a system of beliefs but that they do not involve a spiritual realm or an afterlife. The thought of no afterlife used to really trouble me. Now, I can conceive of it, but I do not believe in it. I believe in a "god" and an afterlife and a spirituality. Anyway, it is interesting to ponder.
Why is it so surprising that an atheist would have a system of values or beliefs? This is why the disinformation spread by conservative, evangelical Christians about atheism and atheists is a problem: people develop prejudices and preconceptions about atheists that make it difficult for them to treat atheists as normal human beings.
This writer wouldn't be surprised to find a Muslim or Hindu who had a system of beliefs. They wouldn't put the label in scare quotes, like is done above with atheist, as if this person were someone not a "genuine" representative of that category. Even if they met a communist, they wouldn't be surprised to discover a system of values.
For some reason, that privilege is limited to atheists. Not believing in any gods is translated, somehow, into not believing in anything at all. Nevermind that it would be incoherent to have no beliefs, but there is no logical relation between the two positions.
I think the need for a belief lies in wanting to believe that departed loved ones are not really departed and that we will have a reunion someday.
I think that if this author isn't correct that this is the reason, it's at least a reason that has a lot to do with why people believe in an afterlife. What's curious is that this author has already expressed a belief in the afterlife, so is this their reason for that belief? It must be, given the words used.
This brings us to one of the things atheists find so troubling about faith: too often, it appears to be an excuse to believe what you want to be true, regardless of what reason, logic, and evidence suggest is (or at least is likely to be) true. If I believed other things were the case merely because I wanted them to be true (like that I was rich or that I were married to a movie star), not only would people regard me as irrational, they might even conclude that I'm mentally ill. Why, though, is it OK to do this with subjects like gods or an afterlife?
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