# Intolerant Athiests **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 11, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172 "2012-01-11T16:04:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/141 "2012-01-11T23:44:22Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > It almost seems like what you’re saying is that atheists aren’t as jerkish as theists mainly because they’re not organized or motivated enough to cause problems. I’m not sure that was your intention, but that’s how it seems to come off. Kinda, although it has more to do with motivation than organization (I think organization is another factor, but it’s not what I had in mind). Imagine a random atheist who happens to be an arrogant asshole. Sure he’s an atheist, but, if he’s anything like most atheists, that’s not a hugely important part of his identity. Sure he gets vitriolic when religion comes up on message boards, but he doesn’t usually walk around all the time viewing the world through an active lens of there-is-no-God, he doesn’t go to atheist discussion and community group every Sunday, etc. Atheism is, fundamentally, not all that defining a part of who he is. So whatever way he ends up expressing his arrogant assholishness, it’s reasonably likely to have nothing to do with atheism… ie, it might end up being related to a sports team, or (as you suggest) his homeowner’s association. To most religious people, their religion is much more of an self-identifying trait than atheism is for atheists. So whatever way their assholishness expresses itself is far more likely to be religious in nature… not to mention that for many religious people, there is a book of rules that they believe to be divinely inspired which literally tells them to go out and do various things. Those are all crucial differences between your typical asshole atheist and your typical asshole religious person. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/142 "2012-01-12T00:00:42Z")
> [@IntelliQ](#): > > Science and religions both are littered with unproven beliefs. Fact. What a fascinating fact that is to learn. I’d love to study that fact in a bit more depth. Would you be kind enough to share with me, oh, let’s say, _three_ of the unproven beliefs that litter the scientific landscape? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/143 "2012-01-12T00:18:09Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > It almost seems like what you’re saying is that atheists aren’t as jerkish as theists mainly because they’re not organized or motivated enough to cause problems. I’m not sure that was your intention, but that’s how it seems to come off. Atheists are more than capable of being as jerkish as theists, we just can’t blame our assholery on the arcane rulebook of an imaginary dungeon master. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/144 "2012-01-12T00:50:18Z")
When are you going to change your name to DumbAssQ? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/145 "2012-01-12T00:57:15Z")
I’m an atheist. Most Christians, or people of other faiths, don’t bother me for the most part. I’m also a Broncos fan. I would like Tebow to get his completion rating north of 50%. He may pray all he likes, wherever he likes - I don’t care at all. However, anyone who thinks that organized religion hasn’t been responsible for far more horrible things in this world than atheism has been is out of their mind. That doesn’t put the blame at the feet of all religious people, but it’s a pretty good reason not to be too supportive of religion in general. Of course, as long as people aren’t advocating limiting other peoples’ freedoms, I won’t hold their belief against them, even if I find it to be quite silly (note, however, that many religious people _do_ want to do just that, and I’ll be happy to point out to them that their delusions are no basis for violating the Constitution or basic human dignity). In other news, my cat’s breath smells like cat food. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/146 "2012-01-12T00:58:08Z")
**Bryan Ekers** - That was a damn funny post. Regarding “belief”: A “belief” is acceptance of a fact or position by your brain. For some reason, some people don’t want to use that term with respect to sciency or empirical stuff, but it is the correct term to use in all cases. It’s not just a “religious” type of position. Regarding atheism as a religion: That’s a stretch. Actually, that’s pretty moronic. That basically renders the term “religion” meaningless. My set of beliefs regarding the best way to parallel park is now included in the term religion. Regarding “negative belief” vs “lack of belief”: It’s really both. Prior to any knowledge or thought about a particular position, it’s merely a “lack of belief”, but the minute it enters the consciousness, gets rolled around a few times and a conclusion is arrived at, then it just entered the set of “negative beliefs”, and that’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/147 "2012-01-12T01:18:34Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > **Bryan Ekers** - That was a damn funny post. Thanks. > [@](#): > > Regarding atheism as a religion: > That’s a stretch. Actually, that’s pretty moronic. That basically renders the term “religion” meaningless. My set of beliefs regarding the best way to parallel park is now included in the term religion. Yeah, this whole approach me as akin to someone who gets caught in a lie, and whose defense is “But you tell lies _too!_” It’s kinda immature, really. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/148 "2012-01-12T01:50:17Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Yeah, this whole approach me as akin to someone who gets caught in a lie, and whose defense is “But you tell lies _too!_” It’s not akin to it, it’s precisely what they are doing. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/149 "2012-01-12T02:05:10Z")
Well, I had to sugar-coat it. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/150 "2012-01-12T02:21:19Z")
As a militant atheist I need to know who the fuck this Tebow person is before I grab my pitchfork. What the hell, who cares what he did, it’s about time we atheists start throwing people to the lions too. No more pussyfooting. > [@Lobohan](#): > > Atheists aren’t forming a _compulsory abortion_ movement. Speak for yourself! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/151 "2012-01-12T02:40:53Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > As a militant atheist I need to know who the fuck this Tebow person is before I grab my pitchfork. I don’t think you understand how the militant thing works. We’re going to have a seminar about it after the discussion group next Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/152 "2012-01-12T02:58:01Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I’ve got one of them there iron chariots. Nissan Altima. It’s pretty nice, but I had no idea until just now it was actually God-proof. Faraday cage. Holy smites just travel through the frame and harmlessly ground themselves. Science, bitches ! WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW ?! ---
**Author:** ![Paralogic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Paralogic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paralogic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/153 "2012-01-12T03:05:15Z")
> [@IntelliQ](#): > > A few seconds of getting down on a knee invokes what type of imagery or thoughts they find so offensive? It’s not offensive. It’s insulting. The stance is irrelevant and meaningless and even entertaining to see in a competitor. But he has elevated it up to a statement of religious faith. It’s a public show of mental masturbation – thanking a divine slot machine for paying him back multiple times the quarter he gambled with. That’s mental trash. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/154 "2012-01-12T03:18:30Z")
Every time he does that, the Baby Jesus pukes His tiny little guts out. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/155 "2012-01-12T03:21:30Z")
> [@](#): > > But he has elevated it up to a statement of religious faith. Matthew 6:6 > [@](#): > > But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. There’s more to this. Basically, the Christian Bible says that those who pray in public will be rewarded by people seeing them pray in public, that God is not pleased by public prayer and will not reward it. This always amuses the hell out of me when I see a Christian or group of them praying ostensibly in public. Clearly they don’t know their Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Paralogic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Paralogic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paralogic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/156 "2012-01-12T03:27:44Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Clearly they don’t know their Bible. Some do. But most are driven by the need to declare superiority. That person making a public statement that he’s of a Christian religion is more important to the hundreds of thousands that watch him, verifying their superiority over other un-christian people who are destined for christian hell, by definition. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/157 "2012-01-12T03:29:47Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Matthew 6:6 There’s more to this. Basically, the Christian Bible says that those who pray in public will be rewarded by people seeing them pray in public, that God is not pleased by public prayer and will not reward it. > > This always amuses the hell out of me when I see a Christian or group of them praying ostensibly in public. Clearly they don’t know their Bible. Maybe the Broncos can put a prayer closet in each end zone, for just such an occasion. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/158 "2012-01-12T03:29:59Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Matthew 6:6 There’s more to this. Basically, the Christian Bible says that those who pray in public will be rewarded by people seeing them pray in public, that God is not pleased by public prayer and will not reward it. > > This always amuses the hell out of me when I see a Christian or group of them praying ostensibly in public. Clearly they don’t know their Bible. I have seen mentioned on here on the boards another verse about “not hiding your light under a bushel”. I always thought that meant to be seen living a good Christian life but some take that to mean they can make an ass of themselves praying in public. ---
**Author:** ![bigdfrombigd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bigdfrombigd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigdfrombigd)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/159 "2012-01-12T03:36:21Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Bullshit. > > Other than that, yawn. Seriously, there are like 23 Tebow threads, I don’t believe for a moment that you have no dog in this fight, and it’d be awesome if you would maybe consider not boring us all to death. Rude. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172/160 "2012-01-12T03:37:36Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I have seen mentioned on here on the boards another verse about “not hiding your light under a bushel”. I always thought that meant to be seen living a good Christian life. Nah, that was just an early draft of “Only you can prevent forest fires”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intolerant-athiests/609172.md?page=9)