The emotional need for Apologetics to be accepted?

[Divine Insight]

From Wikipedia:

Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of information.

Why is it important for religious people to apologize for, or defend, their beliefs?

Do religious people need the approval of others?

And more importantly, why do they become emotionally upset and hostile toward anyone who doesn't accept or embrace their apologies?

[Bust Nak]

Why is it important for religious people to apologize for, or defend, their beliefs?

Do religious people need the approval of others?

And more importantly, why do they become emotionally upset and hostile toward anyone who doesn't accept or embrace their apologies?

Answering from the other direction, it is important for atheists to defend our beliefs because we want to convince others, not necessarily to become atheists, but to acknowledge our beliefs have merits. It's not that I need their approval as such, I just want approval. It's easy to feel upset and hostile towards others when they don't give me what I want - in this case approval. I propose that it's the same for Christians, it's just being human.

[Divine Insight]

Why is it important for religious people to apologize for, or defend, their beliefs?

Do religious people need the approval of others?

And more importantly, why do they become emotionally upset and hostile toward anyone who doesn't accept or embrace their apologies?

Answering from the other direction, it is important for atheists to defend our beliefs because we want to convince others, not necessarily to become atheists, but to acknowledge our beliefs have merits. It's not that I need their approval as such, I just want approval. It's easy to feel upset and hostile towards others when they don't give me what I want - in this case approval. I propose that it's the same for Christians, it's just being human.

I would suggest that if you wear the label "Atheist" and are seeking approval for that label, then you're basically doing the same thing the theists are doing.

Why bother with that?

[Bust Nak]

Answering from the other direction, it is important for atheists to defend our beliefs because we want to convince others, not necessarily to become atheists, but to acknowledge our beliefs have merits. It's not that I need their approval as such, I just want approval. It's easy to feel upset and hostile towards others when they don't give me what I want - in this case approval. I propose that it's the same for Christians, it's just being human.

I would suggest that if you wear the label "Atheist" and are seeking approval for that label, then you're basically doing the same thing the theists are doing.

Why bother with that?

Why does anyone want approval? Because approval makes me happy.

[Divine Insight]

Why does anyone want approval? Because approval makes me happy.

Desiring approval is not a problem. I'm sure we all enjoy approval.

However, if failure to obtain approval causes a person to become sad, or otherwise unhappy, then they have basically chosen to place themselves at the mercy of anyone and everyone who refuses to offer approval.

Does that sound like a rational way to seek happiness?

[bluethread]

Why does anyone want approval? Because approval makes me happy.

Desiring approval is not a problem. I'm sure we all enjoy approval.

However, if failure to obtain approval causes a person to become sad, or otherwise unhappy, then they have basically chosen to place themselves at the mercy of anyone and everyone who refuses to offer approval.

Does that sound like a rational way to seek happiness?

As Bust Nak is pointing out, what does that have to do with theism? I am not aware of any theistic tenet that says, If thou doest not obtain approval, thou shalt become sad and otherwise unhappy. In fact, Yeshua says, (Mt. 5:11-12) "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." So, even if the arguments are simply Ad Hominem, one is not to let them make one "sad, or otherwise unhappy".

[Goat]

Why does anyone want approval? Because approval makes me happy.

Desiring approval is not a problem. I'm sure we all enjoy approval.

However, if failure to obtain approval causes a person to become sad, or otherwise unhappy, then they have basically chosen to place themselves at the mercy of anyone and everyone who refuses to offer approval.

Does that sound like a rational way to seek happiness?

Who says there is any rational way to seek happiness. Some people seem content to try to attack everyone else's personal beliefs. Is that a way to seek happiness?? It's not rational, but some people do it.

[Bust Nak]

Desiring approval is not a problem. I'm sure we all enjoy approval.

However, if failure to obtain approval causes a person to become sad, or otherwise unhappy, then they have basically chosen to place themselves at the mercy of anyone and everyone who refuses to offer approval.

Does that sound like a rational way to seek happiness?

No, hence the word "emotional." It's not really something that bothers particularly. I am also not entirely sure what could be done about it, it's just human nature. If anything religion could help one detaches oneself from (for lack of a better word) unhealthy level of desire of approval. Like bluethread said, Christianity teaches that the only approval you need to worry about is from God.

Having said all that, it would be an interesting topic to see if the level of desire of approval correspond with religiosity.

[Goat]

Why is it important for religious people to apologize for, or defend, their beliefs?

Do religious people need the approval of others?

And more importantly, why do they become emotionally upset and hostile toward anyone who doesn't accept or embrace their apologies?

Answering from the other direction, it is important for atheists to defend our beliefs because we want to convince others, not necessarily to become atheists, but to acknowledge our beliefs have merits. It's not that I need their approval as such, I just want approval. It's easy to feel upset and hostile towards others when they don't give me what I want - in this case approval. I propose that it's the same for Christians, it's just being human.

Well, there are two different issues here. The apologist wants to convert people quite often. A lot of time, people with a divergent opinion just want to be accepted without discrimination or verbal assault.

[Divine Insight]

Some people seem content to try to attack everyone else's personal beliefs. Is that a way to seek happiness?? It's not rational, but some people do it.

I'm sure some people do. However, most atheists and non-theists aren't "attacking" anyone's personally beliefs. To the contrary they are actually responding defensively to outrageous and absurd charges being made by organized religions and their specific dogma.

The very claim that "personal beliefs" are being attack is actually an invalid claim. This is often times used by theists as a way of crying "foul" that the atheists don't accept ancient dogma.

So the whole "Attack on Personal Beliefs" is an invalid argument that merely tries to side-step the real issues.

For example, no modern day person could even lay claim to being responsible for what's written in the Bible. Therefore for them to claim that the Bible represents their "personal beliefs" is a misguided notion to begin with. They simply believe in the Bible, but the Bible in no way represents their personal beliefs.