Why are some moderate religious afraid of atheism?

[Chad32]

I was referring to religious who don't believe in Hell at all, or any kind of punishment from God.

My best guess is for most of those it is not nearly so much a matter of belief as it is of avoiding trigger words and subjects that might lead to unpleasant confrontations with family and friends.

Many Catholics (and probably other Christians and Muslims) do not even necessarily believe in God exactly, but still prefer to go through the motions if that is what it takes for a measure of mutual acceptance and cooperation to be established in their social circles.

I suspect that it is a very common thing among children.

I think that's what my parents do. I'm quite certain they don't go to church regularly, or read the bible, but they don't want me feeding my nieces atheistic information either because my sister wants to raise them christian. To them it's just something you pay lip service to, and not much else.

[LuisDantas]

My best guess is for most of those it is not nearly so much a matter of belief as it is of avoiding trigger words and subjects that might lead to unpleasant confrontations with family and friends.

Many Catholics (and probably other Christians and Muslims) do not even necessarily believe in God exactly, but still prefer to go through the motions if that is what it takes for a measure of mutual acceptance and cooperation to be established in their social circles.

I suspect that it is a very common thing among children.

I think that's what my parents do. I'm quite certain they don't go to church regularly, or read the bible, but they don't want me feeding my nieces atheistic information either because my sister wants to raise them christian. To them it's just something you pay lip service to, and not much else.

That would not be unusual.

I find it sad, though.  It must be painful to feel so fragile on what one teaches to their own children that there is an actual perceived need to keep them ignorant of dissenting viewpoints.

I don't think it reflects a lot of respect towards those daughters, either.

[Chad32]

I'm afraid they're going to grow up like me, all repressed and ignorant, because they only hear one thing all their life. At one point I realized, as they're in a christian school, they don't even know most schools don't require you to learn anything from the bible to pass your grade. Because I kept calling it a christian school, instead of just a school, and they asked me why I said it like that.

[WinterHold]

It goes both ways: a religious person might feel threatened mentally when an atheist tries to "convert them"; and atheist person might also feel threatened when a religious person tries to convert them.

That goes for everything in life; btw. Humans usually reject change. It's not a specific of the religious.

[Silver]

It goes both ways: a religious person might feel threatened mentally when an atheist tries to "convert them"; and atheist person might also feel threatened when a religious person tries to convert them.

That goes for everything in life; btw. Humans usually reject change. It's not a specific of the religious.

Bolded: I am not aware of an atheist movement geared toward missions and ministry; that's more of a primitive theistic problem.

[WinterHold]

It goes both ways: a religious person might feel threatened mentally when an atheist tries to "convert them"; and atheist person might also feel threatened when a religious person tries to convert them.

That goes for everything in life; btw. Humans usually reject change. It's not a specific of the religious.

Bolded: I am not aware of an atheist movement geared toward missions and ministry; that's more of a primitive theistic problem.

Appearances differ; but goals are the same.

Atheist organizations are appearing; their advent to the scene is sometimes soft:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21319945

And sometimes violent and destructive:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_...t_Atheists

Humans are tribal creations. They will always form tribes, families, gangs, armies...etc.

[Succubus]

I think it's either the sunk cost fallacy: They have invested so much emotion over the years that they dare not let go.
Or more likely it's just just plain embarrassment: They know they've been shafted but dare not admit as much, not openly anyway.

[Chad32]

It goes both ways: a religious person might feel threatened mentally when an atheist tries to "convert them"; and atheist person might also feel threatened when a religious person tries to convert them.

That goes for everything in life; btw. Humans usually reject change. It's not a specific of the religious.

I can agree with that. We usually don't change all that much unless we're forced.

[Cod]

with the God of the universe on my side

That must be rather uncomfortable, I had a large boil on my side once and couldn't wait to get rid of it.