I’m not defending such an attitude, but perhaps it is based on Christians’ higher propensity toward proselytizing. Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus strike me as being less aggressive in their recruiting practices than Christians. People tend to be more defensive when dealing with someone who they’re suspicious may be trying to convert them. Just look at the way people tend to react to Scientologists, Jehova’s Witnesses, Moonies, and Krishnas. Those religions tend to be aggressive recruiters, and so they’re probably going to get the cold shoulder a lot more than other people.
In the UK atheism or agnosticism doesn’t carry a stigma – luckily we’re a pretty Godless country (despite God being a Englishman), even the official Church of England get embarrassed if it has to mention God too often. Coming across an intelligent Christian is rare in my experience – and I feel sorry for them as they get associated with the more common nutjob type.
Muslim, Hindu or Jewish believers are generally seen more favourably I think, because it’s seen as a cultural thing rather than a personal choice (Catholicism falls somewhere in between).
For the most part, at least amongst the people I’ve known, Baby Jesus is for the kiddies like Father Christmas or the Tooth Fairy – something you grow out of.
When I told my family that I didn’t beleive in any kind of God my mother said she felt sorry for me and my father yelled at me and tried to convince me I was an idiot for not believing in God.
My point of view is that either there isn’t a supreme being, or that is one and it hates us. Now, I come from a Christian background, so all my religious upbringing it was pounded into my head that God loves all of humanity. Ok, fine but love is nothing without action. If you were a parent and your kids started to kill each other in front of you would you let them do it? Free will is one thing but letting your children slaughter each other by the millions for thousands of years shows only signs of maliciousness and contempt. I find it much more comforting to beleive that there is no supreme being rather than beleive that there IS one and it hates me.
The other idea is that there was some being that created our universe and then left. The problem with this is that it’s totally unprovable either way. The further we delve into the underlying physics of our universe the more we find that it seems to operate with a kind of elegance (just watched the episode of Nova about string theory). We can either look at this as meaning some sentient thing set it up, or that the universe juse naturally operates in the most energy efficient way. It’s irrelevent, really, which is true, since the universe obviously works. I don’t feel any great need for the universe to have meaning though, I’m totally willing to accept that is simply was, is and will be, it’s moot whether something had a hand in making it.
What really pisses me off about not beleiving in God is the arrogance I get from religious people. They feel sorry for me because I don’t beleive in God, and therefore must be always sad and empty inside. They think that pitying me makes them better Christians or something.
I think this type of mentality is one of the biggest reasons for hostility towards Atheists. Most believers seem to feel that atheism is a reaction against theism rather than a belief in itself. I can’t count the people I’ve met who assume that my atheism is a result of my being “angry with God” because of my daughter’s disability. Others, learning that I was raised in a generically christian home, want to know what I “have against” Christianity that caused me to reject it. So, my experience with believers has often been that they either want to counsel me – explain why my daughter’s disability is part of God’s plan, blah, blah, blah, or – and this is where the hostility comes in – they want to treat my lack of belief as some sort of aspersion against their own. For the most part, believers seem able to understand people who hold a different belief system – the “They’ve chosen a different path to God.” mentality that someone else mentioned – whereas many believers take atheism as a personal rejection of their personal God. And that makes them kind of pissy.
I should also say that I personally encounter very little hostility – I’m much more likely to get the counselling approach I mentioned above. I think this is because I’m a very, very soft atheist. My lack of belief itself is quite firm, but I kind of enjoy the trappings of Christianity – Christmas, Easter, etc. – and actually have an emotional response to much of Christian mythology. So, probably the biggest response I get from believers is that they refuse to accept that I really am an atheist – “Oh, no. In your heart of hearts, you really believe.” Feh.
I believe that in Muslim countries it’s actually dangerous to profess atheism … the Koran IIRC says specifically that other believers might be OK, but atheists are not to be tolerated. We don’t see Islam as being that inimical because they aren’t that powerful in the U.S., but I think things are pretty rough for atheists in the Middle East, Pakistan, etc.
Yes, of course, blame the Christians for the atheist taking it out on ME, just like black people are to blame for the KKK.
Face it, there are atheists who are religious bigots, and making excuses for them reveals one as yet another religious bigot.
Actually, to [well, some, at least] Christians, unbelief is itself somewhat immoral. Its not simply another choice you can make, its a sin.
I think it is because other religions who believe in a god feel threatened. I was asked by some religious friends why I didn’t go around killing everyone because I don’t believe in God. I think this is exactly it. They assume because they need somebody to hold them accountable for their actions that everyone does. Since there is nobody to hold Atheists accountable they think we could “snap” at any minute. Just my guess.
. . . But that’s what Christians keep telling us, over and over, right here on the SDMB! “If there is no God, there are no rules or morality, so what’s to keep you from killing people?”
Cite, please?
Besides, if you’re going to criticize Christians for kiling and murdering, don’t forget that the greatest mass murderers in history (Lenin, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot and the like) were atheists. Not only that, but many (if not all) of them executed people for professing to believe in God.
That’s NOT the same as saying that “only thing preventing him from committing wanton raping and pillaging and looting is the Fear of Being Smitted By The Big Voice In the Sky.” Not even remotely. One can believe that true morality can only be rooted in a deity’s existence, and yet be motivated by a sense of justice rather than fear.
Sort of. Part of it may be an ability to make assumptions. For example, in general, I know the moral dictates of Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc. and so can immediately make a guess as to what he or she is like. And if you know what type of Jew or Christian or whatnot, you make an even better guess. Now, obviously, there are people who claim affiliation to a certain religion and don’t follow the moral code - but I have some sort of guideline as to what it is.
Now, with an atheist, you don’t necessarily have that (unless they identify themselves as a secular humanist or something and not just atheist). I have no clue what that person’s moral code is, so it puts me at a defensive.
Look at how we go through life. We make assumptions about people all the time about where they grew up, how they’re dressed, and what not when we first meet and base our actions on those assumptions at first. Religion is just another assumption we can initially base our actions on until we get to know the person better. Unfortunately, atheism doesn’t offer the known guidelines that most religions do and so you can’t make those assumptions and become uncomfortable at first.
Incidentally, I’m not religious myself.
Please produce a single quote from me, a Christian, to that effect.
So, riddle me this: Why is it wrong for Christians to indulge in prejudicial and bigoted thinking of the sort quoted above but perfectly good and acceptable for non-Christians to indulge in such bigotry?
Oh of course Dogfaced one.SIlly me to forget about all of those atheists who constantly knock on my door pushing tracts and brochures and “atheist-bibles”.Why, I cannot remember the last time I saw some poor christian walking out of a record store who wasn’t harrassed by some atheistic street-corner evangelist!
That’s why I am an atheist!It is just so much easier!When I go to cash my check I don’t have to be reminded by the very legal tender I earn about what a second class citizen I am!I am content to know that during my childhood I had the easy time of it in school during the pledge of allegiance but those christians were sure squirming having to say that bit about “One nation AGAINST GOD”!LOL!Poor shmucks!
WHy just the other day I saw a poor christian sitting on a bus minding hois own business adn reading his Bible when this atheist saddles up to him and starts with that “Have you accepted that christianity is irrational and wrong?” sermon.I would’ve punched that atheists lights out but then I remembered “Hey…no worries.They are on MY side!”
/Sarcasm
You need to get out more Junior.
Cite please?
I spoke of narrow-minded, intolerant atheists who act like asses, and now I get evidence to back my claims.
Thank you.
Yes, he is speaking of narrow-minded, egocentric christians that act like asses and push their religion on others. Christians that are pretty ubiquious here in the United states and are FAR from being persecuted, yet… are so blind and ignorant that they think they are. And we have evidence to back up our claims now, thank you.
I have not stated that Christians are being persecuted in the USA. I demand a DIRECT QUOTE of me so stating. The plain truth is that atheist bigots do actually exist, and pretending that they don’t exist is essentially assisting them in their bigotry. I realize that it is possible to be so blinded by delusions of persecution as to think that the USA actively and viciously persecutes all atheists everywhere, hunting them down, Christians all conspiring our every waking moment to exterminate them with guns and bombs and fire and such a PINCH, but it’s just not the case.
Go to Iran and start talking about the benefits of atheism. I challenge you. Then come back and tell me about how MUCH MORE TOLERANT they are over there than here–of course, don’t lie.
Likewise, please give DIRECT QUOTES of me proselytizing here on these boards. After all, you DO have direct evidence of me actually “pushing” my religion, or is it “pushing” my religion to merely state my own opinion.
Lemme guess–atheists are permitted to speak their opinions but Christians are not permitted to disagree. That is what you consider to be “just” and “fair”. I’m glad I know enough atheists to know that this sort of persecution-complex narrow-minded atheism is not necessarily the norm.
JThunder: There’s more to causal links than the affiliation of the people involved. None of Stalin, Mao, etc. actions were in the cause of or inspired by atheism. You can claim that if they were religious, they would not commit such atrocites, but history doesn’t support you there.