(About a 10 minute read)
As everyone knows, there are more false notions of why atheists become atheists than their are exaggerated tales of sexual prowess in a high school boy’s locker room.
Seems to me one of those ideas — an idea that is popular in some quarters — is to believe that people become atheists to escape any demands a god might put upon them.
But the idea strikes me as flawed. For one thing, it seems to contradict itself: How could someone both not believe in a god, and also feel a need to escape from that god? So far as I can see, that’s a “locker room idea”.
That doesn’t mean it could not happen, but I wonder whether someone who was that slow running of a faucet could properly be said to comprehend well enough what atheism is to actually be called an atheist?
In answer to your title question, Paul, my answer is no. I neither ask people if they are atheist, nor do I ask them why they are atheist if they happen to volunteer that info. Have YOU known anyone who is an atheist because they don’t want to obey a god?
Nope. I’ve never known anyone to tell me that the reason for their atheism was they didn’t want to obey God. The closest I’ve come to that were two people who separately told me they were atheists because God had somehow angered them. But both went back to being believers within a few years.
Actually, my first thoughts on this were of the book of Jonah, which is the funniest bible story ever, and how people who don’t want to obey God just think to themselves (like Jonah) “That can’t possibly be what God means!” and then go on their own way. But… I went with my short & cold comment. It was kind of cold that day. And rainy, And I was in a drab waiting room anticipating a blood draw, knowing that my veins are a phlebotomist’s nightmare….
That’s an excellent reference! I hadn’t thought of Jonah, but you’re right.
I hope the blood drawing wasn’t for something too serious?
Ha! A chance to bore someone with my health issues. The thing is, my personal biochemistry is being very unfair to me. Although I maintain a healthy weight, exercise every day, and eat NOTHING but healthy food, I have a problem with high cholesterol and lately have been diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. The blood draw was to see if I had made any progress over the past 3 or 4 months, seeing as my doc had changed my cholesterol med and also (in view of the diabetes) I have lost a bit of weight & cut EVERY remotely unhealthy thing out of my diet. Good news, the blood draw went fairly smoothly and my cholesterol and hemoglobin A1C (a measure indicative of blood glucose levels over time) have both improved.
Ouch! That really is unfair! Glad to hear you’re doing better, but dang it!