Fear of death more prevalent among intelligent design believers

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I have long thought that those who believe in magic, miracles, and nonsense like “God made me,” would be less uncomfortable with the prospect of death.  After all everyone I know who believes in intelligent design believes in God and a life after death of hanging around with God, basking in his glory and other silliness.

So, the results of this study are confusing to me.  The religious insist that faith is the essential element of their beliefs, so why does one of the most basic belief not provide them comfort.

Quite frankly, I found myself envying the believers from to time because they don’t hesitate to tell you how lucky they are and how unlucky we atheists are.  The thought of death, like death itself, is rarely a happy experience.  It is often filled with great pain and terrible fear, usually the fear of the unknown, so again shouldn’t the faithful be less trepidatious?

When you have finished reading the summary of the study let us know what you think by leaving a comment.

Here is the summary from Raw Story:

Research conducted at the University of British Columbia and Union College found that people’s death anxiety was associated with support of intelligent design and rejection of evolutionary theory.

Death anxiety also influenced those in the study to report an increased liking for Michael Behe, a prominent proponent of intelligent design, and an increased disliking for Richard Dawkins, a well-known evolutionary biologist.

The findings suggest that people are motivated to believe in intelligent design and doubt evolutionary theory because of unconscious psychological motives.

The study was lead by UBC Psychology Assistant Professor Jessica Tracy and and UBC psychology PhD student Jason Martens. It was published in the March 30 issue of the open access journal PLoS ONE.

“Our results suggest that when confronted with existential concerns, people respond by searching for a sense of meaning and purpose in life,” Tracy said. “For many, it appears that evolutionary theory doesn’t offer enough of a compelling answer to deal with these big questions.”

The research consisted of five studies with 1,674 U.S. and Canadian participants of different ages and educational, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds.

 

More about the study here…

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12 years ago

As one of the few resident non-atheist here at MMA, I’m am still perplexed why the ID crowd cannot come to grips with evolution. There is plenty of metaphysical speculation to be had within the framework of evolution. A specific example would be the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the French Jesuit and paleontologist.

jenny40
Reply to  The Lawyer
12 years ago

I am an atheist and I could never come to grips with anything like ID. I guess that makes me closed minded and I hate that, but I would believe if there was even one scintilla of evidence to support the possibility. Sorry. I can’t operate on faith alone.

Reply to  jenny40
12 years ago

A rough sketch of how I approach all that is, is to start with science and verifiable fact, and from there speculate like hell and see what I run into. Open-minded skepticism is my mantra.

12 years ago

Regardless of any study or how it was conducted, I think it is human nature, indeed animal nature, to fear the unknown and to fear a loss of control. We all fear death, whether we are theists or not.

Michael John Scott
Reply to  John Myste
12 years ago

Very true John.

12 years ago

The faithful are fearful, they call themselves “God-Fearing” and talk about putting the “fear of God” into people. The Abrahamic religions are full of fear.

Michael John Scott
Reply to  Holte Ender
12 years ago

From what I understand God is one fearful dude indeed.

Robert E. Lee
12 years ago

One of the reasons I was attracted to this place are the insightful articles that compliment the many studies and stories. Unlike the MSM you guys just say it like it is and your research is careful and studious, with a dollop of good humor thrown it. As an atheist in good standing I’m with dp on this one. No matter what the “faithful” say they are as “faithless” as the rest, they just do a good job of covering it up.

dp1053
12 years ago

They fear because they don’t really believe. Or because they know they have not lead Christ-like lives. Unlike science which is fact-based and therefore proveable, religion is faith-based and cannot be proven, leaving just that little, tiny bit of doubt.

Michael John Scott
Reply to  dp1053
12 years ago

I think that sums it up Deb. Regardless of what they say they believe there is always that little question: what if?

Phillip Zuniga
Reply to  dp1053
12 years ago

I think that may be part of it, that they subconciously know that what they believe more than likely is false. Else wise at a funeral it should be joy and happyness because if they were truly as good and wonderful as everyone always spouts about the deceased then they have to be in heaven, which is suppose to be the ultimate paradise where you meet up with all your loved ones for ever and ever… but no they all get sad because we all know deep down inside that death is it…but I think it goes even more than just the issue of death.

The issue of meaning to life I think is the real key factor in this. Religion teaches that life has a meaning.. even though the meaning is to serve the whims of a creator. Evolution offers no meaning to life. In fact, I find that evolution, if anything, tells us the complete opposite! There is no meaning to life, we just are.

Some people need meaning in a meaningless existance. Religion gives them the delusion that their existance has meaning. I think we have to be able to show the beauty of a world without meaning.

An existance without meaning is always treated with a negative tone. I think that existance without meaning is a wonderful thing It truly means that we live life with endless possiblities because life is what ever we as a whole make it. Sadly humanity doesn’t make life the best it can be by a long shot.

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