As an atheist, I'm afraid of Kryptonite**

[Keith&Co.]

(**The glowy green stuff, not the block on the periodic table)


My fundy coworker has been telling everyone except me that _I_ fear Hell.
I clearly fear Hell because I spend so much time and energy rejecting God.

Not sure how much time I actually dedicate to God. I mean, I have to portion it out, rejecting God, rejecting Odin, rejecting Zeus, rejecting Amateratsu, Quetzacoatl, Ra, Osiris, Thor, Loki, Apollo, Athena...

Not Aphrodite. Or Ishtar. Inana. Don't want to reject any fertility goddess on the off chance of divine whoopee-smoochies...

Anyway, I suppose it makes sense that atheists are atheists because they really believe in Hell and somehow don't understand the rules that will damn them there.

But then, I went and told the Idiot that I fear Kryptonite, too.
He smugly lectured me that humans have nothing to fear from Kryptonite, it's only a threat to Kryptonians. And I'm not claiming that I'm really a Kryptonian, am I?

Oh, no, of course not. However, what if something I had in my pocket was made out of, or made with, Kryptonite? And I was in a car accident, or falling off a skyscraper, or the Skrulls invaded? And Superman came to rescue me, but he couldn't do it because of my keychain, or the insoles in my diabetic shoes?
So I examine EVERYTHING I own, DEATHLY afraid of kryptonite. I even look for Kryptonite detectors on Amazon.

"But those are both fictional!" he insisted. "It makes no sense to fear Kryptonite, Superman's never going to save you!"

That's exactly my point. I have no reason to think that Hell is not a fictional detail, you moron. That's what atheist ACTUALLY means.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

(**The glowy green stuff, not the block on the periodic table)


My fundy coworker has been telling everyone except me that _I_ fear Hell.
I clearly fear Hell because I spend so much time and energy rejecting God.

Not sure how much time I actually dedicate to God. I mean, I have to portion it out, rejecting God, rejecting Odin, rejecting Zeus, rejecting Amateratsu, Quetzacoatl, Ra, Osiris, Thor, Loki, Apollo, Athena...

Not Aphrodite. Or Ishtar. Inana. Don't want to reject any fertility goddess on the off chance of divine whoopee-smoochies...

Anyway, I suppose it makes sense that atheists are atheists because they really believe in Hell and somehow don't understand the rules that will damn them there.

But then, I went and told the Idiot that I fear Kryptonite, too.
He smugly lectured me that humans have nothing to fear from Kryptonite, it's only a threat to Kryptonians. And I'm not claiming that I'm really a Kryptonian, am I?

Oh, no, of course not. However, what if something I had in my pocket was made out of, or made with, Kryptonite? And I was in a car accident, or falling off a skyscraper, or the Skrulls invaded? And Superman came to rescue me, but he couldn't do it because of my keychain, or the insoles in my diabetic shoes?
So I examine EVERYTHING I own, DEATHLY afraid of kryptonite. I even look for Kryptonite detectors on Amazon.

"But those are both fictional!" he insisted. "It makes no sense to fear Kryptonite, Superman's never going to save you!"

This argument screams short film or short feature film... of an argument being made about God while flying on a plane that, unbeknowest to the passengers, is doomed to crash. "...Superman's never going to save you!" seems like the perfect last line right before the plane crashes, killing everyone on the plane. The statement ironically being uttered while not being saved by his own imaginary deity while at the same time noting the imaginary character won't save the other.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

It's rationale to be afraid of kryptonite. It's a glowing green rock which, IIRC, has plutonium as one of its main components. It weakens Superman, but he recovers if it's taken away. The rest of us still die of cancer after exposure.

 

[Lion IRC]

The reason folks say that atheists are afraid that hell and God etc might be true is because it's the corollary of what atheists tell us about wishful thinking that God and heaven are true.

If garden-variety theists create/invent the type of God and afterlife they really really really wish is true, what then can we say about the wishful thinking of the atheist?

Atheist god.
- impotent
- invisible
- never intervenes
- never judges
- let's you live like there's no tomorrow (hedonism)

 

[Tom Sawyer]

The reason folks say that atheists are afraid that hell and God etc might be true is because it's the corollary of what atheists tell us about wishful thinking that God and heaven are true.

If garden-variety theists create/invent the type of God and afterlife they really really really wish is true, what then can we say about the wishful thinking of the atheist?

Atheist god.
- impotent
- invisible
- never intervenes
- never judges
- let's you live like there's no tomorrow (hedonism)

But that doesn't make any sense. Assuming for the sake of argument that what you posted is somehow remotely related to atheism, how would that lead to a fear of Hell being a factor for us? Our wishful thinking that we're living in a godless universe allows us to live out our hedonistic natures without any fear of consequence since we don't think there's anybody who'll be enforcing those consequences. Living without any fear of the consequences seems to me to be the exact opposite of living with a fear of the consequences, so I don't see how you get from one to the other and that this fear is a corollary of our wishful thinking.

 

[Lion IRC]

Im just accepting Richard Dawkins' logic. (He's an atheist)
Stop worrying about God and the afterlife. Time is short. Enjoy life.



...tempting but no thanks.

 

[abaddon]

Atheist god.
- impotent
- invisible
- never intervenes
- never judges
- let's you live like there's no tomorrow (hedonism)

This "atheist god" is far better than the biblical one. "Never intervenes", "never judges" and "let's you live [as you choose]" seem distinctly good. So, you came up with a "corollary" of atheist critiques, and it resulted in a non-evil sort of deity. Well done!

 

[Lion IRC]

I know! Right?
I can see why people might be attracted to atheism.

If God can be imagined to exist there's no reason He can't be imagined NOT to exist.

Motive is a two-way street.

 

[Sarpedon]

Atheist god.
- impotent
- invisible
- never intervenes
- never judges
- let's you live like there's no tomorrow (hedonism)

Just out of curiosity, what's the difference between this god and the one you claim exists?

 

[skepticalbip]

The reason folks say that atheists are afraid that hell and God etc might be true is because....

Beginning an argument with such an absurd straw man is rather disingenuous. No one who understands atheists would say that atheists are afraid that hell and god may exist.

 

[Lion IRC]

The reason folks say that atheists are afraid that hell and God etc might be true is because....

Beginning an argument with such an absurd straw man is rather disingenuous. No one who understands atheists would say that atheists are afraid that hell and god may exist.

Wait up pal.
You can't have it both ways.
If it's a straw argument to claim that atheists are guilty of wishful thinking then it's equally a strawman to claim that God is wishful thinking for theists.

 

[skepticalbip]

Wait up pal.
You can't have it both ways.
If it's a straw argument to claim that atheists are guilty of wishful thinking then it's equally a strawman to claim that God is wishful thinking for theists.

Another straw man???

What wishful thinking are you claiming that atheists are guilty of?

 

[Lion IRC]

You first.
What wishful thinking are you claiming that theists are guilty of? Inventing God as a palliative?

To be clear, all I'm arguing is that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
If you assert that my theism is wishful thinking, I'm gonna return the compliment.

 

[Rhea]

"Enjoy life."



...tempting but no thanks.

The things you say make so much more sense now that you've stated your feelings about life (the only one you'll have). No wonder you're so scared of your god!

 

[abaddon]

Wait up pal.
You can't have it both ways.
If it's a straw argument to claim that atheists are guilty of wishful thinking then it's equally a strawman to claim that God is wishful thinking for theists.

Another straw man???

What wishful thinking are you claiming that atheists are guilty of?

I think maybe he's suggesting any claim of "wishful thinking" is mind-reading. "If you do what looks like a fallacy to me, then I can do the same presumed fallacies to you".

He's not much a fan of clarity, he just wants to lob "corollaries" as part of his "reverse apologetics".


----------
ETA:

... To be clear, all I'm arguing is that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
If you assert that my theism is wishful thinking, I'm gonna return the compliment.

Yeah, there, a bit of delayed clarity.

 

[Rhea]

Wait up pal.
You can't have it both ways.
If it's a straw argument to claim that atheists are guilty of wishful thinking then it's equally a strawman to claim that God is wishful thinking for theists.

Wut.

It is a straw argument to claim atheists actually believe in hell because THEY DON'T.
It is not a straw argument to claim that theists believe in god.

That was really ridiculous, Lion.

 

[skepticalbip]

You first.
What wishful thinking are you claiming that theists are guilty of? Inventing God as a palliative?

To be clear, all I'm arguing is that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
If you assert that my theism is wishful thinking, I'm gonna return the compliment.

Where did I claim that the religious are guilty of wishful thinking? "Wishful thinking" implies that someone knows better but wishes otherwise. The religious seem to honestly believe (not simply wish otherwise) a universe for which there is no evidence. There is only tales handed down that they will never "die" and will be cared for throughout eternity, which they firmly believe.

 

[steve_bank]

I was in the facility library today on a computer when a Christian group was meeting.

I used to try to be accommodating and resectful and I still do to a point.

Christians in a group get agitated if they see nor perceive no response to their rants and raves. The leader began rasing his force and raining about being at war with others seeking to 'overcome them with the flesh'.

Many may not realize how deep Certainty goes. There are people here who are always quoting scripture and invoking god. For me it is just part of the background and has no effect.

I try and be respectful but the truth is there is rarely any reciprocation. I am the enemy. Just doing notching can be seen as an attack on faith.

 

[bilby]

The reason folks say that people who don't believe in Superman are afraid that Metropolis and Superman etc might be true is because it's the corollary of what people who don't believe in Superman tell us about wishful thinking that Superman and Metropolis are true.

If garden-variety Superman believers create/invent the type of Superman and Metropolis they really really really wish is true, what then can we say about the wishful thinking of the person who thinks Superman is fictional?

Non-believer's superhero.
- impotent
- invisible
- never intervenes
- never judges
- let's you live like there's no superheroes (commit crimes).

FTFY

Oh, look - Your description of atheism is indistinguishable from any sane person's description of people who don't think that Superman is real.

This bit is particularly amusing:

like there's no tomorrow (hedonism)

No sane atheist can "live like there's no tomorrow" - because there IS a tomorrow. What there isn't is an afterlife.

In the absence of Superman, I can rape, kill, and steal as much as I like, without fear of superheroic intervention.

But this isn't a problem, because I ALREADY rape, kill, and steal as much as I like - and that amount is 'none'.

Hedonism isn't implied by atheism any more than crime is implied by the absence of the Justice League. No bank robber ever decided to commit his crime solely because he had concluded that Superman wasn't going to stop him.

Have you ever considered actually thinking through your points before posting them? If you did, you might well post a lot less; But you would appear a great deal less idiotic too.

 

[Keith&Co.]

The reason folks say that atheists are afraid that hell and God etc might be true is because it's the corollary of what atheists tell us about wishful thinking that God and heaven are true.

But that's not a corollary. It's you trying to get some back, a prolix "i know you are but whast am i?"
And just as meaningful as any schoolyard taunt.