Are atheists shallow?

[Postmaster]

Just thought I'd start a general topic on atheists. I’m 100% convinced there is a god, he is as personal as my own thoughts and he is as far as infinity, he is everything, he is the all knowing and he is the creator. I believe that all life is as perfect as it can be and that we are existent in a perfect environment. Pain, suffering, fear, although they are things we do not desire they exist in order for life to animate and even if life was made so perfect that pain, fear and suffering never existed, then inevitably other stimulus would occur that we prefer to not-prefer, basically my view is we live in an all positive and monotheist exsistence. And the only reason why we fear and feel pain and understand death is to push us to achieve greater. The greater the fear and greater the understanding the greater we achieve. That's way we are greater then animals.

I'm an owner of a small Greek dating site, which is mostly used by the Greek Cypriot community in the UK for who are Greek descent or Greek. Most my members and I'd go as far to say all the Greek members to my site have added in there profiles that they are Christians (Greek Orthodox) or have faith in spirituality, of all ages. Feel free to take a look at the outstanding faith of the members, SeekaGreek.com as proof.

Today I was doing some marketing research and signed up to a popular UK dating site, when I created my profile I added that I'm a practising Christian. But when looking at the girls my age, I noticed that I never bumped into any of who considered themselves religious, and many considered themselves atheists, mostly girls of Anglo descent.

Now to me this shows a clash of culture, do I go on to think that people that don’t believe in a God are shallow? And do people who don’t believe in a God go on to think that I’ am illogical? If faith in a God is a uniquely human trait does that mean those who do not believe in God are less humane? Scientists say that humans have a developed part of the brain that is connected to religion and worship. If there is no God what evolutionary advantage does it play? Does believing in a God make us more courageous in battles and sacrifice. Has the brain just simply wired itself into believing something false for the benefit of a tribe. However when we read up on some religions it’s clear they don’t benefit even the human race let a lone a tribe, especially when it comes to protection of certain animals.

 

[hammer]

Hey PM,
I don't think that it's quite as black and white. I'm from the other side of the fence -being a strong Atheist, I used to think that all religious people were nutters - "Illogical". As time has gone on, some of my best mates have turned out to be quite religious...so have some of my enemies. My current theory is that if a person is good or bad has nothing to do with the belief system they follow. Some of the most spiritual people that I've ever met have been agnostic. I don't think hat being "shallow" has a lot to do with one being a theist or not.

 

[suanni]

I don't think its black and white either

Believers can be shallow too. One of the most shallow people I ever came across was minister to our local church.

This is an area that's down to the individual not the faith.

 

[Bellator]

Shallow people tend to be atheists because God is a serious subject and that is something shallow people don't care about. You shouldn't stereotype all atheists as being shallow because there are many atheists who think deeply. (how else would there be atheists on CR?)

 

[Jaiket]

Hello Postmaster.

Just thought I'd start a general topic on atheists.

I'm glad you're interested.

...when looking at the girls my age, I noticed that I never bumped into any of who considered themselves religious, and many considered themselves atheists, mostly girls of Anglo descent...

My own experience with women my age is similar. Though not many of the women I know are professed atheists, just not very religious.

You then said this:

...do I go on to think that people that don’t believe in a God are shallow?

This strikes me as a non-sequitur.

How does your second statement follow from the former?

If faith in a God is a uniquely human trait does that mean those who do not believe in God are less humane?

That's an unclear qualifier; is there any reason to believe that humans are the only animals that believe in the supernatural?

It might be worth noting that all of our unique attributes have other animal precedents or at the least prolougues. Tool use (chimpanzee), agriculture (ant species), art (chimps, elephants), substance abuse (elephants), genocide (ants, chimps), language (aquatic mammals and some monkey species) etc etc.

Scientists say that humans have a developed part of the brain that is connected to religion and worship. If there is no God what evolutionary advantage does it play?

I haven't heard of this department of the brain so I'll take it in faith for now. However didn't you answer your own questsion here when you said.

Does believing in a God make us more courageous in battles and sacrifice.

?

The evidence (jihads, crusades) would suggest it certainly does.

However when we read up on some religions it’s clear they don’t benefit even the human race let a lone a tribe, especially when it comes to protection of certain animals.

This makes no sense to me.

It's worth pointing out, I feel, that asking if atheists are anything only leads to unjustified generalisations. We're all very different, follow no defined doctrine, avoid dogma, and reach our own conclusions most of the time. No belief in god is probably the only thing all atheists agree on and even disagreements creep in there.

Quick answer, no atheists are not shallow, or, are not any more so than any other definable section of humanity.

 

[Awaiting_the_fifth]

Shallow people tend to be atheists because God is a serious subject and that is something shallow people don't care about.

I disagree strongly.

I think that shallow people accept whatever religion they are presented with, usually parentally, without question. It does take a great deal of thought, contemplation and strength of character to become an atheist if you are born into a religious family.

If God is a serious subject, then it takes a serious mind to question him.

 

[Bellator]

You are right, there are many people who say they beleive in a certain religion, but are not religious people. I guess I was thinking about people who are not presented with a religion.

 

[Jeff]

I must say that some of the generalizations you draw bother me

thats all i have to say

Not all athiests are shallow

not all christians are deep

These kinds of steriotypes dont help any one

 

[Jeff]

I disagree strongly.

I think that shallow people accept whatever religion they are presented with, usually parentally, without question. It does take a great deal of thought, contemplation and strength of character to become an atheist if you are born into a religious family.

If God is a serious subject, then it takes a serious mind to question him.

I agree 100%. Many "Christians" I know refuse to even discuss relgion with me seriously, they don't allow for one inch of speculation or thought to be applied to their idea of religion.

 

[Postmaster]

I agree 100%. Many "Christians" I know refuse to even discuss relgion with me seriously, they don't allow for one inch of speculation or thought to be applied to their idea of religion.

But it takes a great deal of devotion, acceptance and faith in teachings of one person and God then an atheist can do.

 

[hammer]

DUDE!!! Have you ever stopped to consider that it takes A LOT of self discipline, devotion ,acceptance and faith NOT to believe in a God or follow a faith's teachings? As an atheist, your views on life the universe and everything are not set in stone. You have to work all the out for yourself. It's not all laid out in front of you in a book. There's no church to guide you and you're mortal.
Just because Atheists don't believe in a higher being, It doesn't mean that we're bad, shallow, stupid, interresting, boring...whatever! That's a personal/individual thing -It has nothing to do with which faith you belong to.
Generalising that all atheists are shallow is the same as deciding that all muslims are terrorists. It just doesn't work like that.

 

[Bellator]

Well said, hammer.

Tell me, postmaster, why do you feel the need to demonize atheists?
One could argue that christians are shallow, blindly following what their religion tells them to do, and not thinking for themselves. (I'm not saying that I beleive this) Not beleiving in God does not make you any less capable of deep thought. I don't see where you get this from.

 

[Awaiting_the_fifth]

But it takes a great deal of devotion, acceptance and faith in teachings of one person and God then an atheist can do.

An unquestioned faith is easy to follow. If you have not considered the alternatives, then there is only one path open to you, therefore what you follow is not faith, it is ignorance.

Someone who has heard all the arguments, all the points of view and all the options and stills says, "I follow Jesus" has faith.

Someone who buries his head in the sand and just shouts "JESUS JESUS JESUS" so loud that it blocks out all other thought, well, he's just shallow.

The same is certainly true of atheism. You must consider the possibility of God, the incredible co-incidence of the universe, the miracle of the human mind and the mystery of human death, if you still consider yourself an atheist at this point, so be it.

 

[Postmaster]

Faiths say that a lack of love and devotion to God is a negative, like I said before I really wish sometimes I was an atheist, I feel my life would be easier. There's no doubt I'd still want to lead an ethical life, but when you have faith in a God everything becomes more meaningful, suddenly everything can be justified right or wrong on a higher level. I think it takes more to believe in a God then it doesn't. I'm not trying to demonize atheists, in fact I was once one (but not subconsciously). I can name all parts of the Brain, I understand on a tiny scale how neurotransmitters are passed and the names of the cells which control these functions. Science can always explain HOW as long as you search hard enough for the answers but it will never explain WHY. And all it takes is a little heart and a leap of faith to give yourself up to God. I'm not one to judge atheists, in fact I've stated many times on this forum even there role in Christianity (Greek philosophers) for paving the way for Christ. But to believe in a God and not to, certainly does bring about a clash, and although this may sound judgmental , but I prefer say more opinionated I believe maybe atheists are more shallow but then again, it's one of those things that you can't talk for everyone and talking broad and general.

 

[Saponification]

An unquestioned faith is easy to follow. If you have not considered the alternatives, then there is only one path open to you, therefore what you follow is not faith, it is ignorance.

Someone who has heard all the arguments, all the points of view and all the options and stills says, "I follow Jesus" has faith.

Someone who buries his head in the sand and just shouts "JESUS JESUS JESUS" so loud that it blocks out all other thought, well, he's just shallow.

The same is certainly true of atheism. You must consider the possibility of God, the incredible co-incidence of the universe, the miracle of the human mind and the mystery of human death, if you still consider yourself an atheist at this point, so be it.

++;

 

[Awaiting_the_fifth]

++;

What does that mean?

 

[Jaiket]

when you have faith in a God everything becomes more meaningful, suddenly everything can be justified right or wrong on a higher level.

That's a bit worrying.

although this may sound judgmental , but I prefer say more opinionated I believe maybe atheists are more shallow but then again, it's one of those things that you can't talk for everyone and talking broad and general.

You are well entitled to your opinion and I admire your honesty, but you haven't really made a case. What I understand is,

• that you think it's difficult to believe in god/s
• atheists don't believe in gods
• atheists are therfore shallow

Not entirely convincing. Since your claim that faith is difficult is debatable there is no argument here unless you can show this to be true.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts though.

 

[Postmaster]

Not entirely convincing. Since your claim that faith is difficult is debatable there is no argument here unless you can show this to be true.

That's the thing you see, atheists need to see proof and clear cut evidence for something to be perceived as correct. We all have a purpose, to an atheist the purpose of person is to reproduce? Whereas to a believer in a creator the purpose of a person doesn't have any limits.

 

[Jaiket]

That's the thing you see, atheists need to see proof and clear cut evidence for something to be perceived as correct. We all have a purpose, to an atheist the purpose of person is to reproduce? Whereas to a believer in a creator the purpose of a person doesn't have any limits.

Evidence supporting a claim is a base requirment for most people I presume. Would you be happy to accept any wierd or wonderful statement on faith?

Re purpose: Personally, I do not see purpose in living organisms any more than I see in the rocks and the oceans. Differing degrees of chemical complexity I do see, and in the case of 'living' chemical systems the tendency to replicate.

So far, Postmaster, you've asked whether atheists are shallow. I said no more than any other section of society. You then said you thought they were. I pointed out you made no case.

I still feel that you haven't brougt anything to this thread meriting the conclusion that atheists are shallow, or any more so than any other definable section of society.

 

[Awaiting_the_fifth]

That's the thing you see, atheists need to see proof and clear cut evidence for something to be perceived as correct.

I am sure that even the religious mind will require proof for your sweeping, discriminatory statements.