Why the hostility?

Question

Why do I sense so much hostility in the religion/spirituality section mostly from atheists and agnostic people? I'm a Chrisitan but I don't hate my Morman, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist, Agnositic, (any other religion) neighbors and friends. I don't agree with their beliefs but the world is full of different people with different thoughts and we all should be able to get along anyway. Yes I'd like for you all to think the way I do and we can have great discussions about it but since we'll all never think exactly the same way - why can't we just discuss things nicely and politely without the hostility?

Answer 1

I agree with you that many seem hostile. Almost as if by believing we challenge there right to not believe. Can't we play nice.
I am a Catholic but I am interested in hearing about others beliefs and dis beliefs.

Pax,
Debra

Answer 2

Coming from a far-from-militant agnostic...

...I've found that a lot of atheists and agnostics feel an active hostility towards religion for a few reasons:

1.) There is the tried and true "religion is the original cause of war" argument and its cousin, "religion causes most wars now" argument. Well, "true" isn't quite right. This is sort of a silly straw man that I tend to see used by less-informed non-religious types. In reality, that's sort of a logical fallacy--*** hoc, ergo propter hoc. (They occur together, therefore one causes the other.)

2.) In recent years, the expanded reach and louder voice of the evangelical Christian movement in the United States has made some atheists and agnostics a little bit "touchy." When one is not religious oneself, it is easy to feel under siege by the faith of others when regularly being preached at with conversion in mind.

It's not just the Evangelicals, though. In the US, religion is damn-near omnipresent. It can feel oppressive.

3.) Again, in the United States, the ties between religious Conservatives and the current power-holders heightens an already existing sense of being a minority held by many atheists and agnostics. Not necessarily true, but...

4.) And the ugly one, which I don't have a counter-argument for. I know that all religious people are not judgmental, fire-and-brimstone, sectarian polemicists. But, with religion as all things, the ones who talk the most and the loudest tend to be the ones with the most unpleasant things to say.

An atheist could be sitting next to a very dedicated, devout Catholic, having a conversation with him, and have absolutely no problems. Why? Because our hypothetical Catholic fellow doesn't feel the need to tell our hypothetical atheist that he's on his way to hell for failing to believe in Jesus. Mr. Catholic probably isn't even going to ask how Mr. Atheist feels about Jesus in the first place.

That same atheist could move over a few tables and find another conscientious, devout Catholic and have a completely different experience. Why? Because the second Catholic individual feels that everybody else had better be Catholic; he's going to find out who is and who isn't, and when he finds someone who isn't, he's going to give that person a piece of his mind.

When Mr. Atheist runs into enough of the second kind of Catholic and gets loudly condemned enough times, he's going to start to get angry. It is only natura for him, when condemned, to desire to condemn the person passing judgment on him. He is being judged negatively for his lack of faith, which he feels is valid and harmless; he will therefore judge others for their posession of faith, which he now believes from sad experience is toxic and worthy of condemnation itself.

Of course, this doesn't cover the entire spectrum. It doesn't even cover me, for that matter. And I'm not picking on Catholics in particular--that was just the religious group I chose. But it does reflect a lot of what I hear from people who I know and whom I discuss this sort of thing with.

I hope this helps!

Answer 3

I think the hostility I have seen has been when people ask valid questions and they don't actually get answers just religious platitudes.

I personally don't have mainstream beliefs & tend to dislike organized religions. But I respect everyone's right to believe as they do (well, okay; I don't respect that right if their beliefs harm others) as long as they respect that I don't necessarily believe that way. But if they don't respect my beliefs (they don't have to believe them, they can even hate them; but they should respect that I have a right to them) that's when there's a problem.

Answer 4

Your statement in false in that you are ignoring the rebirth at the point that a true believer in Jesus Christ is saved from his sins and born again.

You need to remember that God knows the very intents of the heart before you say or do anything. And based on our true intent we are judged as a sinner.

Please examine your motives for you postings on this site. If they are evil, God is making a record of every thing that you think, say and do.

You will answer for all on the day of Judgment. And will spend eternity in Heaven or Hell based on your relationship with Jesus Christ.

I pray that you ask Christ to forgive and save you today.

David Source(s) King James Version of the Holy Bible

Answer 5

That's nice, talk about hostility and point out atheists and agnostics, when there are hostile people of all religions on this website.

Answer 6

You are so right. I believe there is some truth in every religion. But spirituality is tortured by religion and people are veiled by deception. It is their soul's learning. They are on their own journey. We are here to learn and teach. If they can't learn this time around, it just takes them longer to reach the state of perfection. Not too many souls find light merely through religion. it lies within the individual soul.

Answer 7

People won't give in. If they discuss anything with you they will feel like they are giving in and lending value to your beliefs. They can't see that you can have intelligent discussions while remaining different and not choosing who wins or loses.

And some of them honestly don't know how to discuss...

Answer 8

Good with you! I agree with you in all. We must be tolerant with another person believing. I am Christians, I respect other religions and their believe too, also I respect atheism person, they have the right although to believe their is no God
The only thing I disagree, is the violence, murder and extreme situations.

Answer 9

I haven't seen much hostility here. I think you are just sensitive because atheists are making valid points and you are feeling threatened

Answer 10

What people don't realise is that the feeling we have about God and the supernatural, the higher powers is a very intimate feeling. We do not like it when other people tell us how we should feel. It is a deep personal intimate feeling.

Just as comparison, no one likes to share what they feel about their intimate partner when they make love because they don't want to compare that feeling with other people's feelings. We do not like to be told how we should FEEL about intimate things.

Religion is not politics, most people treat it like it is!

Answer 11

Matthew 10:33-35 (King James version) 33But whosoever shall deny me earlier adult males, him will I also deny earlier my Father that is in heaven. 34Think not that i'm come to deliver peace in the international: I got here now to not deliver peace, yet a sword. 35For i'm come to set a guy at variance antagonistic to his father, and the daughter antagonistic to her mom, and the daughter in regulation antagonistic to her mom in regulation.