King Solomon:
I (respectfully :-) disagree that atheists do not try to convert others.
The thing I LOVE is when theists claim that atheism is a religion, as if they can paint us with the same dirty brush that painted them, suggesting that, underneath it all, we're really no different from them. I take that as a nasty character attack and a personal insult, actually. :)
Of course, that's when I point out the lack of any demand to do anything to be saved, to convert others, to tithe money, to sacrifice anything to a blood-thirsty deity, to close one's eyes and say, "I really DO believe in Peanut Butter, so I clap my hands!!", etc.
The "you're just close-minded" charge is funny, too, as if I should feel compelled to believe in ANY imaginary being that's ever been suggested to exist, since I cannot disprove they DON'T exist... I say that God himself could clear it up YESTERDAY by presenting proof of his own existence: then I'd be forced to believe in Him, based on my own belief system. But God always seems to be too busy to do that (for the last... eh, forever? I know, I know: he's pretty heavily booked, making personal appearances on a burnt tortilla in Mexico City, etc.)
But yeah, I knew that would come up when I wrote those words, so thanks for taking the bait and allowing me to expound on the point. :)
When I challenge a theist to question their beliefs, I don't do it for ANY ulterior motives (like a reward from YHWH of everlasting life, or 70 virgins in Heaven, etc) aside from those motives that we ALL are susceptible to: namely, whateever thrills are to be had from the ego boost of proving you're right, and the reinforcement of the belief that we can have an effect on others. Besides, it's always nicer to have others agree with you than to disagree with you.
However, when I think of MY childhood, the most influential story in my young mind was the King's New Clothes, where the little boy points out the PLAIN TRUTH that no one else dares to speak: the King is standing butt-naked. There are no magical threads that are woven into clothes that only wise people can see. It's a cautionary tale of the dangers of group-think, and the tendency of humans (who are social animals) to want to cluster, whether physically, or in their beliefs.
Heck, I'd argue that giving into group-think (or the ability to FAKE it) has greater survival value, from an evolutionary standpoint. Most women are conditioned to see a "God-fearing" man as desirable, since whether it's true or not, they assume it means they're dealing with a male who's a productive member of the group, a joiner, a good family man. Rational free-thinkers are often the outcasts, the loners, the odd-balls. Mind you, I'm not saying it's TRUE, just that it's the stereotype (which is by definition, what most believe). And as the old saying goes, perception is EVERYTHING, esp when it comes to reproduction (evolution IS a popularity poll).
My "Jesus", as it were, is Socrates, the guy the Greeks put to death back in 500BC for asking too many difficult questions (he challenged youths' beliefs of in the Greek pantheon, something considered traitorous to the State. Questioning the existence of the State-approved deities was NOT a smart move for him, but he knew what he was doing). While I admire what he did, I certainly don't pray to him, or worship a statue, or would even die for a cause.
Along those lines, we all know many Xians who don't actually BELIEVE the theology, but find it convenient to simply follow the crowd because there are consequences for not doing so, whether it be financial, social (JWs shunning "apostates": need I say more?), or otherwise. I know a Mormon optometrist who cannot believe that Joseph Smith had "magic glasses" that allowed him to translate the golden tablets: the guys far too sharp for that.... HOWEVER, he was raised in the faith, and practices where many of his patients are fellow LDS; like JWs, once you're in that community, an exit strategy is next-to-impossible to pull off, unless you're willing to lose almost everything.
My experience is that exJW atheists do try to persuade others, especially exJWs, quite dogmatically in fact. On the other hand, I do not try to persuade neophyte atheists away from their perspective, since I believe they have made a fairly informed intentional decision.
Well you bring up a point I like to make:
I don't want anyone to NOT believe in God based on my non-belief: I want them to be able to rationally and cogently EXPLAIN WHY they don't believe in supernatural forces. If they accept my beliefs without understanding WHY I hold them, then they're only setting themselves up for relying on the next person that tells them anything. In other words, I want people to think rationally under their own steam, on their own two feet, ALA the goal of Socrates.
If they give me grief, I shut up. I don't win anything but personal satisfaction of knowing that I'm supporting the free exchange of ideas. :)
God perspective has little to do with intelligence or education.
Actually, I think there IS an association of non-belief with education level; you might google for it....
However, you can never know what people actually believe, eg some intelligent, educated people I know are closet atheists, but professing that in public means theyd lose their business associates (esp in JWs, where disfellowshipping for a small-business owner can mean a loss of customers, employees, etc).
