[Lestat]

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How many atheists might contemplate God aboard a plane that lost its engines?

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Cheeesh, Bluffthis just told us that answer. None. Because if they did they they weren't true atheists to begin with. :-)

I don't know what is special about the threat of an airplane disaster that would case an atheist to do anything but hang onto his seat. Atheists are faced with life-threatening situations as much as anyone, and the usual loved ones dying etc so if there was a significant force in those scenarios they'd have all converted by now.

Atheists had to face the finality of death in order to reach their conclusions, so it isn't the shock to them that others may expect. Agnostics of the 3rd order may be a more interesting study.

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One of us is missing the point. I took the OP to be about doubt in one's beliefs. I could be wrong and maybe he was suggesting that people outright lie about their beliefs. If that's the case. I won't argue that.