# Are You An Atheist or Do You Just Hate Christians? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 13, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789 "2003-02-13T09:23:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/41 "2003-02-13T19:55:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nogginhead \* > \*\*Wow. Wacky. What’s it usually taken to mean? \*\* That you must value Him above all else, even your own family and your own life, to be His disciple. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/42 "2003-02-13T20:01:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BadDog \* > \*\*I was just kind of curious. > I have only seen a couple of people here that say they are Atheists but don’t seem to espouse an antagonistic attitude toward others that have a religious faith. > > I’m not here to convert anyone to anything and I sorta don’t care what your beliefs are, why do you care what those beliefs are in others? > > I was just whizzing through the Christian bumper sticker thread. Do some of you people realize how silly you sound to others that DON’T share your belief system? > > Why does the sight of a Christian bumper sticker, a nativity scene or a someone mentioning God just twist your panties up in a bunch? > > And the insistence of replacing the word “christ” with an X is just plain silly. > > So why the hate? \*\* LOL, you know, I’ve long wondered about the need of some people to put down christianity. And I’m not talking about the obvious and reasonable dislike of hypocrits like Tammy Faye, televangelists etc, but just garden variety church goers (or those who worship outside an organized religious setting) who don’t force their beliefs down anyone’s throats. It seems that some people are dead set on disproving and attemtping to “make fools” of those who believe. When I see the darwin fish, my first thought is not “gee, I’m a christian, I should key that car” but an amused “methinks they doth protest too much”. I mean, if atheists and agnostics think that the christian belief system is merely a pretty little fairy tale, and neither worthy of their thoughts, nor true… Why go to such angry, desparate and intense efforts to disprove it? Hey, to atheists/agnostics (sp?), God’s not real, and at best provides nice little stories (fairy tales) for Christmas (I put x in the interest of saving time when typing occasionally, lol), Easter and the like and, you don’t see people out there getting up in arms about “Snow White,” or “The Little Mermaid” do you? So what, regarding christianity (other than those who abuse it) makes nonbelievers go out of their way to “make ugly” regarding God? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/43 "2003-02-13T20:07:14Z")
Just another thought on the issue of attempting to convert people. While i get annoyed at people who come up to me on the street or knock on my door proselytizing for their religion, i really don’t mind it when someone i’m talking to in a social situation brings up the issue of religion, especially if it seems to be a natural development of the conversation we are already having. After all, i’m quite happy, when having a political discussion or debate with someone, to let them know what my political worldview is. Similarly, i’m quite happy to debate with someone whose outlook is shaped by Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Shinto, etc., etc. If someone brings up their religion in conversation, they should be prepared for me to question it, but i really don’t see why i should get annoyed with them for bringing it up. Even though i’m not religious, i don’t think we need to segregate religion and treat it as a topic that can only be addressed by itself and not in the broader social and political contexts of our everyday conversations. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/44 "2003-02-13T20:13:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CanvasShoes \* > \*\*So what, regarding christianity (other than those who abuse it) makes nonbelievers go out of their way to “make ugly” regarding God? \*\* I think for some people, they’ve been hurt by religion, and therefore go out of their way to fight against it. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/45 "2003-02-13T20:13:28Z")
I just don’t understand why these Christians flaunt their lifestyle choice in everyone’s face. I mean, can’t they just keep it in the church, where it belongs? The way they flaunt it in public - it’s disgusting! Esprix ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/46 "2003-02-13T20:18:18Z")
Snort!! Funny Esprix. ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/47 "2003-02-13T20:18:54Z")
First let me say this: I am not pulling out the guns here. I have no real interest in bagging religion, each to their own and all, but I might have some insight into _why_ some atheists do. Just guesses mind you. \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CanvasShoes \* > > I mean, if atheists and agnostics think that the christian belief system is merely a pretty little fairy tale, and neither worthy of their thoughts, nor true… > \*\* To be frank, I am not sure that it is very pretty. More disturbing than attractive methinks. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Hey, to atheists/agnostics (sp?), God’s not real, and at best provides nice little stories (fairy tales) for Christmas (I put x in the interest of saving time when typing occasionally, lol), Easter and the like and, you don’t see people out there getting up in arms about “Snow White,” or “The Little Mermaid” do you? > \*\* How many people ‘believe in’ and try to order their lives according to the gospel of snow white? If they did, i would consider them just as irrational. Incidentally, that is the basis of my own atheism and lack of superstition. Superstition (and religion of any sort is simply superstition writ large) is irrational. > [@](#): > > \*\* > So what, regarding christianity (other than those who abuse it) makes nonbelievers go out of their way to “make ugly” regarding God? \*\* It is the prevailing religion in the culture most of us inhabit. Remember, people order their lives around religion, take a look some time. All of the religions I have had a look at have one thing in common. Their ultimate reward is death. 'Be miserable now, deny yourself a great deal of your essential humanity. Then die. All rewards on death." ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/48 "2003-02-13T20:21:04Z")
> [@](#): > > **Are You An Atheist or Do You Just Hate Christians?** I don’t understand why it has to be an either/or thing. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/49 "2003-02-13T20:31:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > An atheist makes a positive assertion that God does not exist. > > Note, it’s not a failure to worship God, but an assertion that God does not exist. Many people who identify as atheists actually use the term to mean “one who lacks a belief in God”, not “one who makes a positive assertion that God does not exist”. Of course, most people will vary in terms of whether they lack a belief in God or positively assert that God does not exist depending on which “God” is being talked about. The God of the Christian fundamenatlist who asserts the Protestant Bible is free of all contradiction and error? The God of a Catholic theologian? Or the “First Cause” of a Deist? One person will likely have different attitudes towards each of these proposed beings. See [The Atheism Web: An Introduction to Atheism](http://www.infidels.org/news/atheism/intro.html) for a discussion of the difference between “strong atheism” and “weak atheism” and the relationship between “atheism” and “agnosticism” and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Ego\_Mk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Ego\_Mk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ego_Mk2)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/50 "2003-02-13T20:43:45Z")
**Hey, to atheists/agnostics (sp?), God’s not real, and at best provides nice little stories (fairy tales) for Christmas (I put x in the interest of saving time when typing occasionally, lol), Easter and the like and, you don’t see people out there getting up in arms about “Snow White,” or “The Little Mermaid” do you?** Snow White and The Little Mermaid have never (to my knowledge) caused thousands of people on horseback and otherwise to march many miles to some other country and pick a fight just because a book says that the place might belong to them (The Crusades, in other words) Neither have they caused untold pain and suffering to thousands of innocent people (the Inquisition) Neither have they caused others to fly airplanes into buildings or blow themselves up or otherwise try to kill other people in the hopes that they will be rewarded for it. (Some other religion I’ve been hearing about lately.) “Religion” is the biggest cause of suffering in the history of the human race, imo. To those who want to convert me, as soon as you can start throwing stones (I KNOW you understand that little quote) come look me up. Otherwise, leave me alone to live my happy moral religion free life. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/51 "2003-02-13T20:50:16Z")
Ego\_Mk2 wrote: > [@](#): > > “Religion” is the biggest cause of suffering in the history of the human race, imo. What was Stalin’s religion? ---
**Author:** ![nogginhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5e9695/32.png) [@nogginhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogginhead)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/52 "2003-02-13T21:04:42Z")
> [@](#): > > * * * > > ## “Religion” is the biggest cause of suffering in the history of the human race, imo. > > What was Stalin’s religion? Irrelevant. Regardless of whether Stalin or religion has caused more suffering, you won’t deny that religion has caused a great deal of suffering, I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/53 "2003-02-13T21:15:51Z")
I don’t hate Christianity at all. I actually like natitivity scenes and stuff like that, it reminds me of being a little kid. Only reason I would criticize it anymore then another religion is I know much more about christianity than the other ones having been forced to go to church every week when I lived at home. I simply have a lot more material to use. ---
**Author:** ![Ego\_Mk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Ego\_Mk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ego_Mk2)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/54 "2003-02-13T21:17:31Z")
**What was Stalin’s religion?** Apparently it was Stalinism: “If you kill one man, you are a murderer, if you kill a thousand men, you are a conquerer, if you kill everyone, you are God.” – Joseph Stalin ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/55 "2003-02-13T21:26:25Z")
I find the extremes on both sides to be amusing. I’m rarely approached by people looking to convert me. The last time was two years ago and they left when I yelled through the door that I wasn’t interested. I’ve never had an atheist try to convert me either. Regarding the bumper stickers, I find them all to be equally amusing. Does anyone really think that a bumper sticker is going to change anyone’s mind? “Gosh Betty, I didn’t believe in (Jesus, Evolution, Brahma, etc. etc.) but now that I’ve read that bumper sticker, I believe!” I’ve never really liked bumper stickers and would never put one on my car. To my eyes it always looks a little odd to see old political stickers on a car. I find it interesting that the OP should feel that his faith is under attack since it is the majority faith. Exactly who is attacking your faith? Maybe I’m living in some alternate universe which doesn’t work the same way as the rest of the world, but religion almost never comes up as a topic of conversation with people I meet as aquaintances. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/56 "2003-02-13T21:31:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nogginhead \* > \*\*Irrelevant. > > Regardless of whether Stalin or religion has caused more suffering, you won’t deny that religion has caused a great deal of suffering, I suspect. \*\* He said “the biggest”, Nogginhead, not “a great deal”. But as Cecil has [pointed out](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/021018.html), the two biggest mass murderers in history were atheists: Stalin with 43 million, and Mao with 38 million. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/57 "2003-02-13T21:38:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*Are the atheist bumper stickers okey-dokey? > \*\* I have two, conflicting responses to such bumper stickers. On one level, I find them funny: a small part of my personality is my love for blasphemous humor. It makes me laugh like nothing else. I’m a goob that way. And some of those bumper stickers are funny. On another level, they’re mean. Though I’m atheist, I don’t want to go pissing off the religious folks around me, so I wouldn’t have one. Thesis, antithesis. Synthesis: some antireligious bumper-stickers are in direct response to snotty religious stickers like, “When the rapture comes, this car will be unmanned.” “We Still Pray”\*. When an atheist comes up with a witty comeback – “When the rapture comes, can I have your car?” and, “We’re Still Gay,” I’ve got no problem with it. A snarky atheist bumper-sticker that is funny only in the context of a snarky religious bumper-sticker is fine by me. For the same reason, I’ve got no problem with the Darwin-Fish. Daniel - “We Still Pray” is an obnoxious movement in Western North Carolina, prevalent amongst religious right wanna-be-martyrs who believe that the Supreme Court’s decision onot to allow prayers at footbal games represents the government’s hatred of Jesus Christ. They like to hold rallies at public schools, totally oblivious to the irony of doing so. Hate 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Spakler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/57b2e6/32.png) [@Carl\_Spakler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Spakler)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/58 "2003-02-13T22:13:48Z")
I’m of the opinion that pretty much all bumperstickers are silly, regardless of religious orientation. I also feel that there’s some inverse relationship between the number of bumperstickers on a car and the general intelligence of the owner of the car. I’ve mocked Christian bumper stickers. I’ve mocked vegetarian, liberal, conservative, band, pet, auto manufacturer, and all sorts of other bumper stickers, as well. This doesn’t mean I **hate** Christians, vegetarians, liberals, conservatives, bands, pets, and auto manufacturers, just that some of their slogans are rather silly and eminently mockable. Christian bumper stickers and other ostentatious displays of “righteousness” make me think of Matthew 6:1-21. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/59 "2003-02-13T22:18:47Z")
Yep, and Matthew 23 as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mars\_Horizon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mars_horizon/32/2804_2.png) [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789/60 "2003-02-13T22:45:23Z")
When I first deconverted I was very anxious to show Christians how wrong they were. I liked to get into fights, albeit mostly online. Now I attend a Methodist church with my wife, and they are some of the nicest people you could ever meet. I have learned that many Christians are not “fundies”. I don’t hate Christians at all. But the willfully ignorant self righteous smugness of many fundies is very, very **irritating**. But then again, so is the willfully ignorant self righteousness of our latest “atheifundie” over in GD. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-atheist-or-do-you-just-hate-christians/154789.md?page=4)