Friday, April 18, 2014

Why Do Atheists Push So Hard Against Believers?

I've been wondering why it is that atheists push so hard against believers and believing. What is so scary, terrifying and/or wrong with someone who has a belief system that teaches that person to be a better person, to put others first, to do no harm to others and to live a productive, valuable life? What's so scary about someone trying to do what's right that makes unbelievers so determined to debunk the thing that is causing people to strive toward a better, more peaceful, more giving life?

I mean, seriously, it makes no sense to me that people could be so scared of what they call a myth or a fantasy that they are hell-bent (no pun intended) on stamping out any and all means of expressing belief in what they consider to be non-existent. If, as they claim, God doesn't exist, then what does it matter if someone believes? What type of harm does an unbeliever truly face because someone else chooses to believe? And if God truly doesn't exist, what difference does it make if others pray or speak His name? His name is meaningless if He doesn't exist, right? Someone could be calling out "tree" or "cloud" or whatever word they may choose, and that doesn't mean that tree or cloud or whatever is going to do anything for them, or to the person who doesn't believe in that tree or cloud. So what does the prayer of that believer really do to the unbeliever? Make them uncomfortable? Why? If it's just all make-believe and myth, how could that make you feel uncomfortable?

I don't believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but I'm not uncomfortable when someone talks about either of those things in my presence. If they were to pray to those things, I wouldn't be uncomfortable. I might think them a wee bit strange, but it wouldn't really affect me in any way. I may even make a joke at their expense at some point, but that doesn't have an effect on me, and really doesn't on them, unless they hear about it, and then what do I care if they're offended because I don't believe in their fantasy?

Seems to me that the only reason someone who claims to be offended because I express a belief in God is that they must feel something and that makes them uncomfortable and they want me to stop speaking about my belief because they may have to recognize that what I'm saying is true and they don't want to do that, for some reason all their own. But, if they truly do not believe in God, then there is no reason for them to be offended or affected by my belief in God.