10 myths about atheists that just won’t go away

5. Atheists start to believe in God when their plane is going down

This argument takes many forms, from deathbed conversion to the famous “there are no atheists in foxholes.” Many people believe when faced with what seems like certain death, atheists will quickly start praying or believing.

This is often offensive to atheists because it states that the believer does not believe the atheist is truthful about his or her atheism. It also furthers the stereotype that religions feed on people’s fears. It capitalizes on them at their weakest and sells them a solution.

This can also be offensive when applied to military personnel who are willing to put their lives on the line to defend your right to have a religion, freedom, etcetera, and that they could never be an atheist when the bullets start flying. The truth is, atheist military groups exist and many of their members have seen combat and they did not become believers when faced with the possibility of death.