# Are there atheists who are not really arrogant? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 31, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475 "2013-03-31T23:53:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/301 "2013-04-05T20:02:45Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Guin is softening because she’s showing you compassion. Technically, you are exactly the type of atheist that justifies Christian’s hate of atheists. You don’t give a shit that you may have hurt the feelings of a child. As long as you get to get back at the adult behind the child, the child is irrelevant. How about you show me a single child I’ve hurt. Just because you insist on reading into my post things I didn’t say (as you fucking _always_ do) doesn’t mean I actually _said_ what you claim. Shut the fuck up, **BigTard**. You are an idiot, and your life will go much easier once you realize that, and shut the fuck up. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/302 "2013-04-05T20:36:31Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yeah, you’re wrong. Again, my problem was his whole glee at telling the kid Santa didn’t exist. No, your problem is that you’re too stupid to blow your nose without your brains spilling out your ears. I’d like everyone to notice this crude attempt to move the goalposts WAAAAYY down the field, if not out of the stadium entirely. Now Guinnie the Ninny’s problem is “glee,” which no one ever expressed (I did assert that I’d feel good about myself after making the child in question cry, but if I didn’t feel good about myself, I wouldn’t have done it in the first place. I’d feel much better about myself if the hypothetical child hadn’t come to my door in the first place and interrupted my hypothetical day with specifous and offensive bullshit, but that’s another story). Please note how she began by labelling people taking my position to be “dicks,” and is attempting to shift the discussion away from our beings dicks for not patiently and politely enduring religious glurge coming from an eight-year-old to being dicks for expressing glee about that child’s tears, which not one of us has done. Her real problem is that sometimes she attempts to discuss things in general with her betters, which is everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/303 "2013-04-05T21:20:05Z")
Oh, yeah. This…: > [@BigT](#): > > … > And, unlike Guin, I won’t be backing down, because I’ve dealt with your kind before. Nothing works on you but a direct frontal assault. Nothing works but to make you feel bad, as processing the hurt of others is beyond you. And how is that working out for you, Dr. Phil? > [@](#): > > If you think I’m being mean to you, stop being a human vagina to little kids. You’re a contemptable asshole, aren’t you. Good **BigTard**! Nice boy! Yes, you’re a _good_ dog, aren’t you! Who’s a good dog!!! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/304 "2013-04-05T21:47:41Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > I’m still hoping that someone will provide some examples of the arrogance that atheists are so wont to show. You registered in 2002, but haven’t seen posts like these? [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14716521](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14716521) [QUOTE=Der Trihs] Now that’s a classic case of psychological projection if I ever saw one. That’s not atheism you are describing, it’s American Christianity. Anti-intellectual, ignorant, shrill, losing intellectual ground, intolerant, indoctrination, harsh punishments - that’s Christianity, not atheism. [/QUOTE] [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13066964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13066964) > [@A public service announcement for my fellow non-believers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-public-service-announcement-for-my-fellow-non-believers/514697/35): > > Being Christian is a silly thing in itself. And it does lean strongly towards the promotion and excuse of evil behavior. Being Christian is not a _ **nice** _ thing to be. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=11427802](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=11427802) > [@Whose non-existance would save the most lives, directly or indirectly?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-non-existance-would-save-the-most-lives-directly-or-indirectly/505790/41): > > The Cold War was a war of two evil sides as far as I’m concerned. And the founding fathers were genocidal slaveowners, and opposed to liberty and freedom save for a select few people. > > … > > Which probably wouldn’t be as bad as Christianity and it’s offspring. > > … > > Because religion is stupid and malignant; atheism is both correct and morally neutral. > > … > > Garbage; Christianity is all about believing the One True Way, ignoring the facts and denying that other beliefs are anything but evil. It’s the enemy of science, or any other sort of reason or attempt to understand the world. It is the champion of madness and ignorance. > > Garbage. It’s a religion of hate; malice as an ideology. It has spent about two thousand years grinding away at everything good in the world; compassion, reason, happiness, pleasure, knowledge; Christianity is the enemy of them all. It got to it’s present position of power due to it’s willingness and drive to overgrow and destroy everything but itself; it is the intellectual equivalent of a malignant cancer. It has caused grave and possibly irreparable harm to humanity’s collective nature; even many non-Christian cultures have been corrupted by it’s grim opposition to all form of happiness, beyond the malignant joy of harming others. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/305 "2013-04-05T22:13:33Z")
**Der Trihs** isn’t arrogant; **Der Trihs** is fucking batshit. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/306 "2013-04-05T22:17:29Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > :rolleyes: > > Yeah, you’re wrong. Let me just check for clarification here. You _would_ think it was wrong for someone to claim the existence of god or gods in front of my child…yes? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/307 "2013-04-05T22:23:43Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > You registered in 2002, but haven’t seen posts like these? > \ And how is any of that _arrogant?_ ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/308 "2013-04-05T22:29:26Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > And how is any of that _arrogant?_ Well, **Elmwood** disagrees with it, and it’s apparently arrogant of you to say stuff that he disagrees with. Simple really. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/309 "2013-04-05T23:28:51Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Let me just check for clarification here. You _would_ think it was wrong for someone to claim the existence of god or gods in front of my child…yes? Did you read the rest of my post? I SAID I had a problem with him telling the kid Santa wasn’t real. As for belief in religion, it depends. Does he say, “Well, I believe God/Gods exist?” Then no, I don’t give a shit. Does he say, “You’ll go to HELL if you don’t believe!” then yeah, he’s being a douche. MY comment was in regards to > [@For You](#): > > OK, hold on, where do we get that? I kind of remember what I was like those four decades ago: first grade, yeah, I think those spectres were prettymuch gone from my creduliset by that age, and I was even a good christian in those days. If a six or seven year old child believes in Santa and the Pillow Pixie, I would think they were having developmental issues. It was probably time for that bubble to pop anyway, if it was still holding. **It’s not up to him to decide a kid’s too old to believe in Santa.** I don’t give a shit what you teach your kids about religion. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/310 "2013-04-05T23:48:44Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Her real problem is that sometimes she attempts to discuss things in general with her betters, which is everyone. With the obvious exception of yourself, of course. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/311 "2013-04-06T01:50:42Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I don’t think it’s quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up. > [@For You](#): > > Then you did not read that thread. There were numerous anecdotes of the gross failures of homeschooling. AFAICT, it is not a “program”, rather, some parents who feel that copulation qualifies them as educators. At least the rest of us do not have to deal with their folly :rolleyes: Is that a B-52 passing overhead? I’m sorry, but when I joined the SDMB there were certain prerequisites we expected new members to either show on their transcripts or fulfill shortly after they joined. I don’t blame you. I blame a system in which standards have slipped. ☹ But my original point was not that homeschooling does not deprive many of its students even a basic education. It does, but it does so legally. Nothing much we can do about it until they are adults. Then, of course, we can point and laugh with clear consciences. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/312 "2013-04-06T10:15:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Did you read the rest of my post? I SAID I had a problem with him telling the kid Santa wasn’t real. As for belief in religion, it depends. You are free to think it was done in a dickish way, I was never arguing either way on that. I’m just highlighting the unwarranted deference given to religion in these circumstances. Do you see my confusion with where you draw the line? A factual statement about Santa? bad. A factual statement about religion? …it depends. i.e. that you would probably not be too bothered if someone said to your child “there is a god” but would be more concerned if they did say “there is a darth vader” or “there isn’t a tooth fairy” Culturally and socially accepted double standards that some seem unwilling to acknowledge. It’s OK to agree that the above situation\* is\* how it is. As a society we make a distinction between what is “OK” to challenge and what isn’t. Even when the entities in question have equal probability of existence. ---
**Author:** ![Doughbag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Doughbag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughbag)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/313 "2013-04-06T13:23:14Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > If so I have not met any of them. To be fair I don’t know many atheists so it’s a small sample. How about, you show me where theists are not really arrogant? God bless you – always :):):):)🙂 P.S.: Now, fuck off and let me have my dinner, that some farmer produced with a tractor, running on fossil fuel. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/314 "2013-04-06T15:37:16Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > If you think I’m being mean to you, stop being a human vagina to little kids. **BigT** , I understand your only joy in life is beating off while sanctimoniously taking others to task. However, I hate to inform you\* that, tragically, you clearly suffer from [the Dunning-Kruger effect](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dunning-Kruger_effect) > [@](#): > > The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when incompetent people not only fail to realise their incompetence, but consider themselves much more competent than everyone else. You love to see yourself as the SDMB’s moral compass but somehow fail to see how badly you SUCK at it. The best is when you lecture someone on how horrible their position is that relates to other people and you end up hhhwwwaaaayyyyyy more condescending and insulting towards the person/group. And you NEVER SEE THIS. So this post I replied to: _how in the goddamned fuck do you think it’s fine and dandy to describe what you see as horrific and despicable behavior as BEING A HUMAN VAGINA???_ This is so incredibly insulting to basically all Vaginal-Americans (ie women). Once again, you managed to be even nastier than the people you attempt to shame. - This is a lie. I don’t hate it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/315 "2013-04-06T16:56:15Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > You are free to think it was done in a dickish way, I was never arguing either way on that. I’m just highlighting the unwarranted deference given to religion in these circumstances. > > Do you see my confusion with where you draw the line? A factual statement about Santa? bad. A factual statement about religion? …it depends. > > i.e. that you would probably not be too bothered if someone said to your child “there is a god” but would be more concerned if they did say “there is a darth vader” or “there isn’t a tooth fairy” Depends on _how_ it was said. Most kids know people have different beliefs when it comes to religion. IF you just have someone saying, “I believe/don’t believe in god”, meh, who gives a shit? If you have someone saying, “YOU’RE GOING TO HELL IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE, LITTLE BOY!!!” Or saying, “God isn’t real and you’re a stupid poopyhead for believing in him.” Don’t do either of those. Don’t get into dick waving contests with kids. As far as Santa, a lot of kids tend to get upset when they first find out. I’ve noticed more kids getting upset about being told there’s no Santa than they do by the fact that some people believe/don’t believe in god. Oh, and **BigT**? Don’t try to speak for me. Okay? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/316 "2013-04-06T19:01:37Z")
**Guinastasia** , it seems like you’re doing a lot of projecting about the trauma of finding out there’s no Santa. You’re making unwarranted and unverifiable assumptions, that (for instance) this is the first time the child had encountered that. While I agree he shouldn’t have said it, I think you should dial back the outrage a bit because you just don’t know that the child was upset, but you DO know that the child had a built-in defence: this stranger didn’t believe in God, either, so his entire worldview was suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/317 "2013-04-06T19:58:14Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Depends on _how_ it was said. . . . > > . . . saying, “God isn’t real and you’re a stupid poopyhead for believing in him.” . . . How about, simply and quietly, “God isn’t real. It’s a story made up long ago when people didn’t know better.” There’s no name-calling, no glee, no harsh cawing laughter, no finger-pointing, just a statement of honest belief. And remember, the kid opened the conversation, and brought up the subject in the first place. It isn’t as if I had knocked on their living room door. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/318 "2013-04-06T21:44:17Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > How about, simply and quietly, “God isn’t real. It’s a story made up long ago when people didn’t know better.” But what if the kid cries as a result of your reasoned, calm, soothing disquisition? You’ve still done a terrible, awful, reprehensible, dickish thing to him because the bottom line, and your most sacred duty on this earth, is to prevent him from crying. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/319 "2013-04-06T22:13:36Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > How about, simply and quietly, “God isn’t real. It’s a story made up long ago when people didn’t know better.” There’s no name-calling, no glee, no harsh cawing laughter, no finger-pointing, just a statement of honest belief. And remember, the kid opened the conversation, and brought up the subject in the first place. It isn’t as if I had knocked on their living room door. Sounds fine to me. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475/320 "2013-04-06T22:28:02Z")
But what if he cries? That’s the important thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-atheists-who-are-not-really-arrogant/654475.md?page=17)