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Don Batten of [[Creation Ministries International]] wrote:

Don Batten of [[Creation Ministries International]] wrote:

{{cquote|Recently, I have had a lot of conversations with atheists. Many express a strong hatred of God. I have been at a loss to explain this. How can you hate someone you don’t believe in? Why the hostility? If God does not exist, shouldn’t atheists just relax and seek a good time before they become plant food? Why should it matter if people believe in God? Nothing matters if atheism is true<ref>[http://creation.com/atheist-god-hate Atheists hate God]</ref>}}

{{cquote|Recently, I have had a lot of conversations with atheists. Many express a strong hatred of God. I have been at a loss to explain this. How can you hate someone you don’t believe in? Why the hostility? If God does not exist, shouldn’t atheists just relax and seek a good time before they become plant food? Why should it matter if people believe in God? Nothing matters if atheism is true<ref>[https://creation.com/atheist-god-hate Atheists hate God]</ref>}}

The Christian evangelist [[Ray Comfort]] contends that atheists hate God because they know that He does exist.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2009/02/87777/ Evangelist: Atheists know they are wrong]</ref> Comfort declared in 2009: "Atheists don't hate fairies, leprauchans or unicorns because they don't exist. It is impossible to hate something that doesn't exist. And that makes the point."<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2009/02/87777/ Evangelist: Atheists know they are wrong]</ref>

The Christian evangelist [[Ray Comfort]] contends that atheists hate God because they know that He does exist.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2009/02/87777/ Evangelist: Atheists know they are wrong]</ref> Comfort declared in 2009: "Atheists don't hate fairies, leprauchans or unicorns because they don't exist. It is impossible to hate something that doesn't exist. And that makes the point."<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/2009/02/87777/ Evangelist: Atheists know they are wrong]</ref>

''See also:'' [[Atheism and purpose]]

''See also:'' [[Atheism and purpose]]

Also, in the 1970s atheists/agnostics/evolutionists suffered hundreds of losses in [[creation]] vs. [[evolution]] debates on college and university campuses and other public venues. As a result, prominent evolutionists are reluctant to debate scientists who are creationists (see: [[Creation vs. evolution debates]]).<ref>[http://www.icr.org/article/811/ Reason or Rhetoric] by [[Henry Morris]], PhD</ref><ref>[http://www.icr.org/article/811/ Reason or Rhetoric] by [[Henry Morris]], PhD</ref><ref>Ankerberg, John, and Weldon, John, [http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/science/SC0104W1E.htm Truth in Advertising: Damaging the Cause of Science]</ref>  Also, less prominent evolutionists are reluctant to debate Darwinism skeptics who are very knowledgeable on  creation vs. evolution issue.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/10/evolutionist-posers-naive-evolutionists.html Naive evolutionists, evolutionist poseurs and the headlights of the Question Evolution! Campaign]</ref>  Consequently, creationists have asserted that various atheists/agnostics are merely haters of God and atheist/agnostic/evolutionist poseurs.<ref>[http://creation.com/is-richard-dawkins-an-atheist Is Richard Dawkins an atheist]</ref><ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/10/evolutionist-posers-naive-evolutionists.html Naive evolutionists, evolutionist poseurs and the headlights of the Question Evolution! Campaign]</ref>  

Also, in the 1970s atheists/agnostics/evolutionists suffered hundreds of losses in [[creation]] vs. [[evolution]] debates on college and university campuses and other public venues. As a result, prominent evolutionists are reluctant to debate scientists who are creationists (see: [[Creation vs. evolution debates]]).<ref>[https://www.icr.org/article/811/ Reason or Rhetoric] by [[Henry Morris]], PhD</ref><ref>[https://www.icr.org/article/811/ Reason or Rhetoric] by [[Henry Morris]], PhD</ref><ref>Ankerberg, John, and Weldon, John, [http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/science/SC0104W1E.htm Truth in Advertising: Damaging the Cause of Science]</ref>  Also, less prominent evolutionists are reluctant to debate Darwinism skeptics who are very knowledgeable on  creation vs. evolution issue.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/10/evolutionist-posers-naive-evolutionists.html Naive evolutionists, evolutionist poseurs and the headlights of the Question Evolution! Campaign]</ref>  Consequently, creationists have asserted that various atheists/agnostics are merely haters of God and atheist/agnostic/evolutionist poseurs.<ref>[https://creation.com/is-richard-dawkins-an-atheist Is Richard Dawkins an atheist]</ref><ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/10/evolutionist-posers-naive-evolutionists.html Naive evolutionists, evolutionist poseurs and the headlights of the Question Evolution! Campaign]</ref>  

Research and historical data indicate that atheists/agnostics often see the world and their lives as being the product of purposeful design (see: [[Atheism and purpose]]).<ref>

Research and historical data indicate that atheists/agnostics often see the world and their lives as being the product of purposeful design (see: [[Atheism and purpose]]).<ref>

*[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/opinion/sunday/does-everything-happen-for-a-reason.html ''Does everything happen for a reason?''],'' New York Times'', October 17, 2014

*[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/opinion/sunday/does-everything-happen-for-a-reason.html ''Does everything happen for a reason?''],'' New York Times'', October 17, 2014

*[http://creation.com/children-see-the-world-as-designed Children see the world as designed] by  David Catchpoole, [[Creation Ministries International]], Published: 16 July 2009

*[https://creation.com/children-see-the-world-as-designed Children see the world as designed] by  David Catchpoole, [[Creation Ministries International]], Published: 16 July 2009

*Atheist [[Jean-Paul Sartre]] made the candid confession: "As for me, I don’t see myself as so much dust that has appeared in the world but as a being that was expected, prefigured, called forth. In short, as a being that could, it seems, come only from a creator; and this idea of a creating hand that created me refers me back to God. Naturally this is not a clear, exact idea that I set in motion every time I think of myself. It contradicts many of my other ideas; but it is there, floating vaguely. And when I think of myself I often think rather in this way, for wont of being able to think otherwise." Source: ''Escape from God: The Use of Religion and Philosophy to Evade Responsibility'' By Dean Turner, page 109

*Atheist [[Jean-Paul Sartre]] made the candid confession: "As for me, I don’t see myself as so much dust that has appeared in the world but as a being that was expected, prefigured, called forth. In short, as a being that could, it seems, come only from a creator; and this idea of a creating hand that created me refers me back to God. Naturally this is not a clear, exact idea that I set in motion every time I think of myself. It contradicts many of my other ideas; but it is there, floating vaguely. And when I think of myself I often think rather in this way, for wont of being able to think otherwise." Source: ''Escape from God: The Use of Religion and Philosophy to Evade Responsibility'' By Dean Turner, page 109

*The ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' declares: "In 1885, the Duke of Argyll recounted a conversation he had had with [[Charles Darwin]] the year before Darwin's death: In the course of that conversation I said to Mr. Darwin, with reference to some of his own remarkable works on the Fertilization of [[Orchid]]s, and upon The [[Earthworm]]s, and various other observations he made of the wonderful contrivances for certain purposes in nature — I said it was impossible to look at these without seeing that they were the effect and the expression of Mind. I shall never forget Mr. Darwin's answer. He looked at me very hard and said, 'Well, that often comes over me with overwhelming force; but at other times,' and he shook his head vaguely, adding, 'it seems to go away.'(Argyll 1885, 244)[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/teleological-arguments/notes.html Notes to Teleological Arguments for God's Existence]</ref>   

*The ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' declares: "In 1885, the Duke of Argyll recounted a conversation he had had with [[Charles Darwin]] the year before Darwin's death: In the course of that conversation I said to Mr. Darwin, with reference to some of his own remarkable works on the Fertilization of [[Orchid]]s, and upon The [[Earthworm]]s, and various other observations he made of the wonderful contrivances for certain purposes in nature — I said it was impossible to look at these without seeing that they were the effect and the expression of Mind. I shall never forget Mr. Darwin's answer. He looked at me very hard and said, 'Well, that often comes over me with overwhelming force; but at other times,' and he shook his head vaguely, adding, 'it seems to go away.'(Argyll 1885, 244)[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/teleological-arguments/notes.html Notes to Teleological Arguments for God's Existence]</ref>