People who don't care whether the theists thinks we are going to hell:
I don't care either. I'm very certain that the afterlife is a myth. But, I think it's an important conversation to have, because we know so many theists who are our friends and family who may very well think we are going to hell, or try to avoid thinking about it. This came up a month ago in my family when my cousin, an atheist, died quite young. Everyone was very sad, but there was this awkward tension in that the Catholics in our family knew that he was an atheist... did they think he was going to hell? That's a troublesome thought, and not one that you want to discuss with your grieving family.
So for me it's actually important to understand if and how religious people can rationalize atheists not burning in hell, and it's a lot easier on an internet forum than with the people we love at a time of grieving (which is the only time it's really been relevant in my life). It's a more objective, and less personal, place to have that discussion.
I don't care either. I'm very certain that the afterlife is a myth. But, I think it's an important conversation to have, because we know so many theists who are our friends and family who may very well think we are going to hell, or try to avoid thinking about it. This came up a month ago in my family when my cousin, an atheist, died quite young. Everyone was very sad, but there was this awkward tension in that the Catholics in our family knew that he was an atheist... did they think he was going to hell? That's a troublesome thought, and not one that you want to discuss with your grieving family.
So for me it's actually important to understand if and how religious people can rationalize atheists not burning in hell, and it's a lot easier on an internet forum than with the people we love at a time of grieving (which is the only time it's really been relevant in my life). It's a more objective, and less personal, place to have that discussion.
