Fake Atheists

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Just as there are phony Preachers who are really businessmen tapping into a market, could there also be phony atheists and antitheists doing the same?

[Aruntraveller]

In as much as there will always be con artists of every stripe, yes, of course.

Is there a point to your question?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

In as much as there will always be con artists of every stripe, yes, of course.

Is there a point to your question?

I suppose we move on to stage 2 namely who are they.
I wouldn't counsel naming names though.

[Aruntraveller]

I suppose we move on to stage 2 namely who are they.
I wouldn't counsel naming names though.

Well, I have no idea. The ones I've come across, which aren't that many, whether I agree with them or not, seem genuine.

You obviously have some people in mind, else why would you have started the thread?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Well, I have no idea. The ones I've come across, which aren't that many, whether I agree with them or not, seem genuine.

You obviously have some people in mind, else why would you have started the thread?

Well there are a plethora of Internet atheists and a website, blog or channel can always be monetised.
Is it possible to start out as a genuine "for free" professing atheist and ending up a serving em up the hot stuff for a fee atheist? I WONDER what Bertrand Russell's YouTube channel would have been like?

[splashscuba]

Fake atheists who really believe in god(s) is an interesting concept. The only reason I can personally think someone would do this is to somehow try to 'expose' some athiests. Surely a true believer would not choose to con people though and risk the wrath of their chosen god(s).

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Fake atheists who really believe in god(s) is an interesting concept. The only reason I can personally think someone would do this is to somehow try to 'expose' some athiests. Surely a true believer would not choose to con people though and risk the wrath of their chosen god(s).

What about a deist fake atheist?

[splashscuba]

What about a deist fake atheist?

I guess they'll be punished by nature in some way.

[ProfessorDavey]

Just as there are phony Preachers who are really businessmen tapping into a market, could there also be phony atheists and antitheists doing the same?

I guess in theory there might be, but I'm not sure there would be much to gain as there isn't really an obvious 'community' to market in the manner that there is for evangelical preachers.

I think the most obvious example are ex-fake-atheists - in other words people who claim to have been fervent atheists in order to make a claimed 'conversion' seem more impressive. I think these people are pretty common but you tend to be able to sniff them out by the manner in which they describe their atheism, which is often in relation to something (god) that they aren't supposed to believe in.

[Gordon]

Just as there are phony Preachers who are really businessmen tapping into a market, could there also be phony atheists and antitheists doing the same?

Possibly - but how could you ever tell?

If, for example, there was a devout Christian who pretended to be an atheist in order to stage a later dramatic conversion to Christianity, what would give them away as being a fake atheist? Plus, if they were doing this, wouldn't it mean bearing false witness or something?

[ProfessorDavey]

If, for example, there was a devout Christian who pretended to be an atheist in order to stage a later dramatic conversion to Christianity, what would give them away as being a fake atheist?

I think this alludes to my comment earlier.

I'm not sure there are devoid christians who pretend to be atheist and then 'convert' to demonstrate how 'right' christianity is. However I think there is an element of retrospective re-writing of history. So a christian claiming that in the past they were an ardent atheist, in order to make their subsequent 'conversion' look really impressive. Now making a generalised comment - but there are cases where you scratch below the surface and their apparent 'atheism' seems to be little more than rebelling against a religious upbringing - largely about being 'lapsed' rather than unbelieving. In many cases this, as you infer, will be hard to spot but when someone claims to have been 'angry with god for not existing' as an atheist - well, that ain't no atheist comment.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Possibly - but how could you ever tell?

If, for example, there was a devout Christian who pretended to be an atheist in order to stage a later dramatic conversion to Christianity, what would give them away as being a fake atheist? Plus, if they were doing this, wouldn't it mean bearing false witness or something?

That's really on the ball Gordon. It would as you suggest seem a little misguided to try to pull something like that off.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

It would therefore be easier for an atheist to pretend to be a Christian then "become" an atheist.

[ProfessorDavey]

It would therefore be easier for an atheist to pretend to be a Christian then "become" an atheist.

Sure - in principle - but the topic is about fake atheists, not fake christians and you are the person who started the topic.

But there is another reason why that might be a little less likely - specifically that if you were 'pretending' to be christian you'd likely feel the need to engage in practice etc to demonstrate your (albeit fake) christianity. That is surely a lot more effort on the part of the pretender than pretending to be atheist which would require no specific time commitment or practice on the part of the faker.

[Gordon]

That's really on the ball Gordon. It would as you suggest seem a little misguided to try to pull something like that off.

But you haven't answered my question, and you raised the possibility of phony atheists - how could you tell?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

But you haven't answered my question, and you raised the possibility of phony atheists - how could you tell?

I'm going to plump for you probably couldn't unless you were able to wring out a confession

[Gordon]

If so, then it doesn't seem worth you starting this thread.