European Union Forums

[Cassie78]

I see clearly that self-preservation is a strong motivation for religions to lie to us - regardless of whether what they claim is true or not, they have to have followers to survive. But, I don't see any motivation for atheists to lie to theists. So, what motivation would atheists have to lie to theists?

[Fritzie]

None.
We don't lie.

[Dru987]

None that I can think of.

[Minnie]

The same motivations anyone has to lie to anyone else. To prove a point or ignorance or win the argument or whatever.

Example: Not long ago there was an atheist here representing the flawed Tripoli Treaty was written by George Washington. After I laughed, I proved it was written by Libyans in Arabic, she insisted she was right. Too funny.

Certainly you are not suggesting the faithless do not lie, are you? That would make you a hypocrite and I dont think of you as hypcritical as your peers.

[Vivi]

To lead them to the lake of fire obviously.

Didn't you get the memo?

[Dree4]

Simple what we say is true.

[Evie98]

If an atheist wanted to serve as a highly elected politician, an atheist would have to lie and say they were a Christian for political expediency.

[Lettie]

Money.

We become Tele Evangelists, and fleece the flock.

[Billie78]

Its very hard for me to lie.

[Fifi11]

before reading your explanation i say self preservation, but its religious people i see mainly trying to kill others though.

[AbbyF]

Herd mentality. Atheists aren't immune to it. We all feel better about our beliefs if we're among an ever larger community that shares and validates our beliefs.

I think atheists are less susceptible to it, but not immune.

[Emme76]

I guess you could say atheists could lie to "be right" but if atheists knew they were wrong, but lied to "be right" wouldn't they just be christians because more people would believe them? I find the closer my knowledge and opinions actually align with truth and reality, the more unpopular I get, and the less credible I seem to people.
Believe me, if I wanted people to think I was "right" I wouldn't be an atheist. I'm an atheist because it is right.

[Jaz34]

I dont believe atheists are liars, I do believe they are misinformed.

[Maisie]

I don't think most atheists see it as lying. They think they have a better grasp of reality. It just so happens that people of any creed or lack thereof are bigoted. For every bigot theist there is a bigot atheist. Don't let them get to you, all bigot are just talking out of their azzholes. Besides, not all religions even accept God as real. I am a Buddhist, and I follow Buddhism's right view of at least considering the possibility of literal rebirth. But I also don't believe in God. Am I still an atheists?

[Tessie4]

You are born a liar. That settles it.

[Edie65]

Uh...self-preservation ? Assuming that we are lying, which, by your question, is a necessary assumption, we'd be wrong about God. Now, for whatever reason we chose to lie about God, it's still a reason that's quite dear to us, obviously, since we'd be going to Hell, so we wouldn't want for the theists to thin our ranks, and, conversely, we'd want our own ranks to grow (by feeding on theirs). So, self preservation.

[AbbyF]

As someone that was once an atheist myself, I believe atheists wont see the bigger picture. I dont believe they are more ignorant than a christian, however, when it comes to spiritual things, they get an F, and a C for Buddhist atheists that at least bother with trying to be spiritual.

[Liv]

They don't have any motivation to lie.
That explains why they don't.
Empirical data can be generated by anyone.