There is no such thing as the "atheist truth". Atheists aren't making a positive statement about the universe. They are only saying that there is no evidence for any of the thousands of religions' truth. It's like asking "would you start playing basketball if somebody threatens you he'll kick your ass if you don't?"
To answer your specific questions:
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Someone threatens to kill you, unless you convert to his religion.
If a religious fanatic points a gun at my face and says "if you don't accept Christ as your savior, I'll kill you now!", I'll probably say what he wants me to say. Would I have actually converted? Obviously not, I still don't believe in his religion. I'd just call the police and report the guy, and once he's arrested I wouldn't be thinking about him again for the rest of my life.
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Someone will give you a million dollar, if you convert to his religion, and adhere to the principles of his religion etc.
There are different kinds of atheists. Some simply don't give a damn about religion and aren't thinking about it in their lives. If somebody offers them $1M, they might well say "Fine, whatever, I'll pretend I'm religious, now give me the money". Other atheists are actually active ones who think that religion is harmful to our planet and it's not going to be that easy to buy them. This is like asking a green peace activist "would you stop making campaigns to raise awareness for global warming if I gave you money?" This would obviously depend on many factors:
1. What is his financial situation?
2. Does the money being offered mean a lot for him?
3. How seriously is he invested in the campaign?
4. How much does he value money in general?
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What do you think of martyrs (the Christian definition of martyrs, not the Islamic)? Are they 'respectable' for dying for something which is (according to them) the truth? Or are they stupid for giving their life for their religion?
FYP.
I would certainly admit that they are pretty courageous, but that doesn't make them more respectable in my eyes. There are people who would die for their football club. Does that make them respectable?
The opposite of being brave isn't necessarily being a coward. It could also be being reckless and foolish.
Last edited by la6ki; 01-03-2011 at 08:34 AM.