The Bias of Certain Doubters

I want to start with a question: why are atheistic philosophers so much more certain of their beliefs than theistic philosophers are? (N. B.: I’m talking here just of atheistic and theistic philosophers – not the man in the street.) Robert Gressis

Mr. Gressis then goes on to give some good answers to this question. See the above link to read his answers. Below are some of my answers that I gave in the comments section. I like to get in over my head with people who are smarter than myself. Gives me an opportunity to learn and gain some humility.

I think one explanation is that philosophers, both theist and atheist, are a part of post modern academic culture and its biases.

1 People who are good at something tend to view it as the end all and be all. Post modern culture is good at science and technology, everything else is secondary. (Science can’t know God, therefor God is secondary and more likely not to exist.)

2. Our culture does not like uncertainty. We see ourselves as too smart for uncertainty. Science will sooner or later find all the answers and it is just a matter of time. Things of faith are uncertain and it requires the leap of faith. (Faith, viewed in this context is not a strength but a weakness.)

3. Progress (more like change) is viewed as the ultimate end. New things are good and old things are bad.. (Religion is old and therefore bad.)

4. Our culture looks for a truth to serve us and not a truth to serve (Jacques Maritain said something like this in a different context). (If there was a God it would demand that I serve him and not the other way around and this is not what we are wanting)

5. Left brain is valued more then right brain things. (God is not just rational but relational. Our culture is not comfortable with this and try to restrict it to our personal lives. It like we are autistic in some ways.)

All these cultural tendencies bias philosophers away from theism.