Doesn't it Take a Lot of Faith to Be an Atheist?

[Kylyssa]

My response to that annoying old question - Doesn't it Take a Lot of Faith to Be an Atheist?

I really got annoyed when one of my friends said that to me recently.  Actually, she didn't probably know I'm an atheist but we were in a bookstore together and she made disparaging remarks about an author of an atheist titled book.  Being as non-confrontational as I am, I just listened quietly as she ranted a bit.

[seasonsofmadness]

Good article. I was recently told that by a memeber of the church I used to attend. He was saying that atheists have faith that the universe came from nothing and then produced life through evolution, and that it is so much simpler to just say that God did it. Of course that is basically just saying "your complicated answer confuses me, so I'll just believe it was magic instead."

[curiosityandthecat]

Good article. I was recently told that by a memeber of the church I used to attend. He was saying that atheists have faith that the universe came from nothing and then produced life through evolution, and that it is so much simpler to just say that God did it. Of course that is basically just saying "your complicated answer confuses me, so I'll just believe it was magic instead."

The crux of Creationism and Intelligent Design ^^^^^.

[Hitsumei]

This reminds me of that recent debate Chrisopher Hitchens had with Frank Turek. Mr. Turek ended his closing statements by something something like: You just have to ask yourself, what is more plausible? That the universe came about by pure unaided physical, and natural forced, or that a person directed it, and was responsible for it.

I thought that he pretty much hit the nail on the head, whether he realizes it or not. I think that is pretty well what everyone does. Theists often claim that the atheist believes that the universe just happened by chance from nothing, and atheists often claim that theists believe that a magic man did it.

Both are merely saying that they find the others' position implausible by means of tongue-in-cheek caricature.

Though, both follow from their worldviews. There is of course no evidence, and we have absolutely no idea what the ultimate origin of existence was, or even if there was one, so of course believing any particular explanation for this requires a certain amount of faith, but thinking that it had to have been some kind of physical natural event, if there was a beginning at all is merely an inference from a physicalist, naturalist position.

Lifewise, saying that a god exists, and you know what it wants and such may take faith, but the inference from that worldview to the view that at one point a god somehow made everything follows equally well from a supernaturalist position.

The criticism should be towards the positions that one holds, not the inferences that they make from those positions -- unless of course your criticism doesn't hinge on their metaphysical and ontological positions being false, and you want to criticize the inference as being invalid even from their positions.

[Kylyssa]

I've gotten a boatload of private messages about this piece.  Holy crap does it make fundies pissed off!  No death threats yet but some pretty nasty stuff.

It's gotten some funny comments, too.  

This poorly thought out article misses the point entirely. Atheists must have VAST amounts of faith, just in atheism, not in the existence of an intelligent designer(s). Atheists believe in accidents, coincidences, and mind-bogglingly "good luck" involving everything from the sequencing of DNA to the complexity of the brain, ranging from quantum to macro sciences. Here is a person lacking the faith of an Atheist: "wow, this is a nice stapler! I wonder who made that?" Here is an atheist, filled with faith: "that stapler must have formed there after millions of failed stapler attempts, from accidental smelting and explosions." It takes a LOT less faith to think an intelligent designer MADE the stapler, than to think that it formed on its own via a series of statistically impossible accidents. And that is what is meant when a creationist says atheists have faith. How much more vastly complex is a human than a stapler? Orders of magnitude. Which means that atheist needs tha

Have you proven that there is no God? No. It's irrational to prove a negative. But you believe it to be so. That's "faith". Based on what? Evidence. Did you perform the research yourself? No. How do you know the "evidence" is true? You don't. But you believe it to be so. That's "faith". Did you see Hannibal cross the Alps? No. All you have is legend based on stories of a highly unlikely event. Yet you believe it to be so. That is "faith". In fact, take the word "Chupacabre" out of your statement and insert "macro evolution" and the arguement is the same. No witnesses, no video tape, all based on speculation and conjecture, yet you believe it to be so. That is called "faith". And you've got some.

[curiosityandthecat]

Is it still faith if it's based on evidence? I thought that's just... I dunno, drawing conclusions.  

[Kylyssa]

Oooh, ooh, apparently I'm a "stupid cunt" now!  At least he didn't say cow, I hate being called an ungulate.

[curiosityandthecat]

Oooh, ooh, apparently I'm a "stupid cunt" now!  At least he didn't say cow, I hate being called an ungulate.

My, how Christian. (Ironic.)

(...what am I saying? Isn't the attribute of being "Christian" defined, not by the teachings of Christ, but by the actions of his adherents? Guess I'll try that again.)

My, how Christian! (Observation.)

[Ihateyoumike]

Yet another very good article Kylyssa.    Thanks for the read.

[Rastelin]

The major stat for an atheist I would say is common sense. What faith one choose to deploy should be in humanity it's self.

There is little else to waist faith on. When I announced that I didn't believe anymore my uncle said. Don't mind their anger.
Half of them only have faith because the other half insists on it. He went to church but I don't think he really ever believed.

He didn't want to disappoint his wife, so I think I understand what he meant.

[Kylyssa]

You can vote on this article on Reddit here.  Thank you, Chancy!