Is it possible for a person to be an atheist without being an anti-theist?

Question

That is, is it possible for atheists to accept the fact that there have always been people who have faith in a higher power, and most likely always will be? Can they accept that their lack of faith in any deity doesn't make them superior in any way to people of faith?
Why do so many atheists feel like they have to "bash" believers? Does it make them feel better about their lack of faith? Do they feel as if they have some sort of mission to "convert" believers?
Can't we all just get along?

Answer 1

It is possible, but not probable.

Answer 2

Is it possible for a person to be a christian without being an anti-non-believer?
That is, is it possible for christians to accept the fact that there have always been people who don't have faith in a higher power, and most likely always will be? Can they accept that their faith in a deity doesn't make them superior in any way to people of no faith?
Why do so many christians feel like they have to "bash" non-believers? Does it make them feel better about their faith? Do they feel as if they have some sort of mission to "convert" non-believers?
Can't we all just get along?


P.S.
I think "His divine shadow" embodies the reason why this will never be so. Self righteous smuggery on the part of christians will never allow a good portion of them to be secure enough in their beliefs to be exposed to people who believe differently and not have a problem with it. Intolerant bigots, the whole lot of them.

It works both ways.

Answer 3

I don't "bash" theists. Often we atheists are the ones getting bashed. I accept the fact that people worship a "Higher Power", whether I believe it exists or not. I don't feel superior. Do you feel superior for being "saved"? No, I don't want to "convert" theists to atheists. I would be proud of them if they decided to become atheists after examining the evidence, as I have, but if they're doing it to impress somebody, because it's popular, or they're ignorant of the evidence, then they shouldn't become atheist. I have no problem co-existing with theists, so we can get along just fine.

Answer 4

Sad thing is that on both sides of this coin, Theists and Atheists, there are those who have this irritating superiority complex which makes them believe that their faith (or lack of it) is superior to others who dont think like them...while theists have been bashing atheists (and I try to stand up against these imbeciles who give our faith(s) a bad name)...please also bear in mind that there are atheists here who also love to bash us theists and spit at our beliefs.

Blood (not literally I hope) has been spilled by both sides...until both sides can stop being mindless morons then do'nt expect anyone to get along for the moment.

Answer 5

Yes it is possible and I have indeed met a lot of Atheists who were not Anti-theist. It is perfectly possible to be Atheist and not be against people having faith. A lot of Atheists seem to think that it's a requirement that they have to look down their noses at people who do believe in a higher power of sorts, and that's just not true.

Answer 6

It's certainly possible for me to accept that there will always be theists. I am not anti-theist, at least not in the sense that I think theists are evil and horrible. I can accept the fact that my lack of faith doesn't make me superior to people of faith in most realms

But I think you're confused. You frame the question as though you and I are the same except that you have something additional that I don't. In fact I believe many things that you don't. I believe in the scientific method, Aristotelean logic, critical thinking and questioning tradition, antiquity and authority. I believe in seeking evidence instead of giving unmerited assent to propositions which have no basis outside tradition and subjective feeling. I believe that success results most often from coping with reality as it is and not as we might wish it to be. I believe it was these factors that led to the polio vaccine, antibiotics, surgical techniques, food safety, modern agriculture, pesticides, etc, not faith in gods or 2000 year old tales of magic beings, tales that blamed insects, illness and what have you on "evil spirits."

What I have that theists do not have is an appreciation for the fact that their method for discerning truth has done the world absolutely no good whatever and yielded no truth, but rather baseless assertions on which theists cannot agree . No theism has ever cured a disease, built an undersea tunnel, erected a skyscraper, sent men to the moon or satellites to the planets. But theisms have motivated endless wars, murders, bigotry, prejudice, witch burnings, killing of infidels, and wasting of endless resources building monuments, churches, cathedrals and enriching clerics and church organizations beyond the dreams of avarice. Add to that the endless hours and agonies believers endure importuning beings that neither exist nor can provide any actual assistance or fellowship beyond the invisible make-believe chums of childhood.

As to whether this makes me superior, not really since I was a theist too. But having had my own illogic and gullibility filleted before my eyes, I am now aware of all the holes in my prior viewpoint and how much they were based in intellectual laziness, gullibility and emotional immaturity. So I would say I've grown up, in the sense of having put aside childish nonsense.

As to being on a mission from godlessness, I'm not in the sense of demanding you become an atheist. All I really have to do is demand you think critically, examine your beliefs systematically and logically and accept only that which can be supported with verifiable evidence. My conflict is not with a belief in gods, but with a an unexamined belief in any proposition of any kind, whether theistic, political, social, scientific, medical, you name it. If I can get anyone to do that, it's progress.

Believing "just because I know it in my heart" or "cause it's in this here holy book" is no basis for social progress or individual achievement. Unlike some, I have high hopes for humanity and the things we can achieve if we take responsibility, hold on to our optimism, and not buy into misinterpreted apocalyptic visions of primitive cultures such that we fulfill through our unmerited belief in them. I want my children to have long and happy futures, not die in a nuclear fireball because some end-times nut convinces the president to attack Iran, which is my final point, i.e. believing false propositions have real-world consequences, and some of the false propositions of some theisms, such as "infidels must die", have real world consequences that I will and must resist.

Answer 7

I agree that people must leave others to believe in what ever they want. I'm also pretty offended by Christians who are telling me "You need Jesus", "You'll burn in Hell" and so on, only because I am not a Christian . But I don't agree that all the atheists are anti-theists. Atheist mean you don't believe in God, not that you don't have any faith or don't believe in any high power. I am an atheist cause I don't believe in any gods existing, but I still have my religion - I believe in life after death, in Carma, in Universe balance and so on. Being an atheist doesn't mean you don't believe in anything.

Answer 8

I agree with you, a guy emailed me a minute ago and said where was God when your baby died, and called God terrible names, all because I answered a question about why are their not any good guys left, All I said was they are out there you just have to look in the right places, like church. I didn't say that was the only place. So this guy felt like he needed to attack me and God because I mentioned finding a good guy at church. I think that whatever you believe and they way you are raised is the right way, I don't bash others religions nor do I try and change them

Answer 9

Yes it is. I am a strong anti-anti-theist. I've spent just as much time arguing with fellow atheists as I have Christians and other theists. The anti-religious and intellectual elitist vein that runs through many segments of the atheistic community is the main reason why I am no longer very involved with that community (I helped to begin and lead a campus freethought group and participated in numerous demonstrations and campaigns). I'd rather just have people learn to coexist with all different religious views.

Answer 10

"superior in any way"<----- why is it that theists think this?
Everyone thinks their beliefs and ideas are the right ones.
"Why do so many atheists feel like they have to "bash" believers?"
Hmmmm, i don't bash theists, they bash me. Very unethical of them.
I don't have any thought in my mind about converting believers. I don't want to to. It is their choice.
Why can't we get along where everyone accepts the fact that people have different beliefs. It sounds more like you are trying to convert atheists.

Answer 11

That would be super.

Do you think Christians can stay out of other peoples private lives? Is it possible for you to accept that there have always been people with homosexual tendencies and adulterous natures and there probably always will be? Can you accept that your moral guide book does not make you superior and you have no reason to pass laws against them?