Have you noticed that atheists never, ever proselytise?

Question

People sometimes complain about atheists putting their views across in public forums but I guarantee you will never, ever see an atheist pop up in any non-religious group to announce that gods don't exist. You will never see someone on a train-spotting discussion group just say out of the blue "Hey, did you know that Heaven is a myth?". You will never see someone go onto a football website and announce that you have no soul and that death is the end of you. It just doesn't happen. We respond to people who spout religious nonsense uninvited in inappropriate places, as they often do, but we never do anything like that ourselves.

Why is that, do you think?

Stylus Happe...: This is a group for discussing religious beliefs. Where else would it be more appropriate to discuss religious beliefs? I was talking about places unrelated to religion, remember?

Cris C: You missed the point. Atheists don't go uninvited to inappropriate places to announce their views on religion, as theists often do.

john d: You missed the point. Atheists don't go uninvited to inappropriate places to announce their views on religion, as theists often do.

achtung_heiss: Give me one example.

kenny p: Read the question. We don't go announcing atheist worldview uninvited in inappropriate places. Of *course* we give our views on religious discussion groups - That's what they're there for!

Dooder: I am prepared to accept what you say about your colleague BUT who brought up the subject of religion first? It's hard to imagine why an atheist would engage someone in conversation, whose views they were completely unfamiliar with, and start off by announcing that there are no gods. Why would anyone do that? Seems more likely that he was responding to something coming from you.

Answer 1

Atheists don't bring up their views as often because they are not beliefs as such, more an acceptance of facts. People who do not accept certain facts are in denial and need to stengthen their fabricated beliefs through argumentation.

Answer 2

Of course, atheists and other rational thinkers don't proselytize. There is no money involved, and they are not seeking control or power over others.

However, this is not necessarily a virtue. Because humans are nothing if not suggestible, religionists know that salesmanship is vital to their life's work of corralling as many of the potential faithful as possible, shamelessly, in any venue they happen to find themselves.

I propose that atheists and agnostics, in self-defense, adopt religionist tactics.

Get non-religious tracts printed and knock on doors all morning on Tuesdays.

Offer 'rational thinking' mini-classes on the local adult learning schedule.

Set up Meetups for discussions on the non-existence of various gods and religious figures.

Put 'No Services Available' ads in the paper on the Religion pages.

Call in to talk shows about (fill in the blank) and spout non-faith un-doctrine.

You people are falling way behind the religionists in the battle for minds and hearts. Get with the human program, and get out there and sell your philosophical views, or you're doomed to die out!

Answer 3

This has not been my experience. Ages ago when I lived back east I'd ride a train to school (graduate school). During the ride I'd often read philosophy/religion books. I can't tell you how many times I had some atheist try to drag me into a conversation so he could tell me how foolish I was.

What I did find was that the Christian evangelist were generally polite. The atheists tended to berate and belittle you for believing a "fairytale".

Answer 4

I do not expect this answer to be chosen by you, but I will take the 2 points and reply anyway. I have to disagree with you. I worked with an atheist and his main desire was to come to work everyday and attempt to dispute Christian views of creation and such. I mean he would come up to myself or someone who was having a personal conversation and begin to rave about his ideas about religion and such. This is one individual, but according to the way you worded your question, you speak as though no atheists do this, and I mean no disrespect in saying this, but you are wrong sir. Do you pay attention to the internet at all sir? In response to the last sentence of your question this IS a category dedicated to religion and spirituality, so it does not constitute an "innapropriate" place. To be fair though, you are right on the point that there are SOME Christians (as well as SOME atheists) who do exactly as you say, but please do not label all of us that way. The truth is that you have different personalities in this world whether religious or not, and unfortunately they feel the need to take their personal convictions and beliefs WAY too far. Although I am a Christian, let me say that even though I may not completely agree with your question, I do understand the point you are trying to get across as well as where you are coming from. Peace.

Answer 5

I thought this was sarcasm until I read the details. Have you looked in this section at all?

I mean, these fundamentalists get on my nerves, too, but you must be joking.

edit:
I see what you mean, but you're confusing proselytizing with trolling. It's true that you see a whole lot less trolling in non-religious forums from atheists (and no, I can't give you specific examples of the few times I've seen that) but when somebody asks a question about the Bible (such as asking where a particular passage is) and an atheist posts a 300-word explanation of why you shouldn't believe in God, what do you call that? Or if you post a question like "Why do you idiots believe in God?", that's proselytizing, and it's no better than these Pentecostals and creationists.

(I try to stay away from this section, but I keep seeing this stuff on the main page. I think yours is the first one I've ever answered. And to be fair, the stuff I see from Christians bothers me a whole lot more.)

Answer 6

Ignoring what these other idiots are answering with, I agree. I fail to remember ever recieving a flier, a telephone call, or being woke up at 7 in the morning by athiests at my door asking me if "I felt safe about my immortal soul." Athiests are by far, BY FAR, the most considerate about other peoples religious beliefs in general. Why? Because we don't have one! Athiests don't care! It's when self-righteous, pompous, jesus freaks that look down on us in their idiotic religous pity, that gets me fired as hell and makes me want to absolutly go on a two hour religious rant.

But other then that, athiests just don't care enough. Oh sure, there are a few who actively HATE religion, but I'm going to avoid the obvious idea that you will stereotype them with ALL athiests. On the flip side though, when was the last time your church told you to be sensitive to your friends religious preference when they tell you to spread the word of God? Hmm.......

Answer 7

*sigh* Once again believers prove they can't read correctly. Maybe that's why they believe the bible? If you people could pull your eyes out of your **** with the rest of your head you would have seen he says "pop up in any non-religious group". Obviously, there is some proselytizing going on in the religion and spirituality group because that is the place for it. This post is directed towards those that bring it to uninvited places.

Hookd on phonix can werk 4 u.

Answer 8

Freedom of speech doesn't give one a license.

Atheists have right not to be exposed to views that they don't want to hear. Christians on the other hand have right to express their views.

Evangelism v. Proselytism
The difference between the two terms is not easily defined. What one person considers legitimate evangelising, or witness bearing, another may consider intrusive and improper.

Answer 9

i think those who got here from a faith that does ought to, as an atheist, nevertheless talk interior an same way, purely reversed. in spite of the undeniable fact that atheism as an total, no. Atheism does no longer actively seek for contributors. If someone turns into one persons, it is as a lot as them. maximum religions even do not even go searching for contributors, that is very few that try this. i imagine commonly i imagine that is the years of "discover Jesus, grow to be a Christian" yadda yadda...that persons *ironically* throw the opposite back at human beings at the moment, yet no longer in a experience to extremely "proselytized." If someone does no longer have it in them to be one persons, we do not favor them, sorry.

Answer 10

There *are* some who spam just to rise a reaction. Just being fair. It is fun to see them squirm sometimes.
Generally, The worse questions I ask are "faith testers": EX: Why do you believe, etc.
We are more of a curious lot and are simply more comfortable with our non-belief than others are of their own beliefs. If you are comfortable there is no need to proselytise.