Why do atheists get offended by people who believe in God and vice versa?

Question

How can someone’s beliefs offend you? I’m an atheist and it doesn’t bother me when people say, “God bless you” when someone sneezes. I don’t want the word “God” taken out of the pledge of allegiance or off of our money. Why so much hate over what we believe or don’t believe in?

Do we really have to act like kids who do or don’t believe in Santa Claus? The older kids pick on the younger ones for still believing. The younger kids think the older kids are going to be punished for not believing. Does this sound familiar?

Answer 1

Great point...I dont know. Human shortcomings. i fall into them as well, but gaining a level of consciousness helps us out with most of it. We must attain some!

I am a believer in Jesus and I am certianly NOT offended or threatened by those who do not. I am hurt by those who persecute me because I do believe, but it actually strengthens faith.

It is their right and their decision.

Thanks for asking, great question

David

Answer 2

Atheism and agnosticism are 2 separate questions. Agnosticism solutions the epistemological question “are you able to comprehend?�. everyone who does not think of that they comprehend if this is a god or no longer is an agnostic. (agnostic = without wisdom) Atheism is the lack of theory in a god. whilst that's a possibility to be an atheist without being an agnostic, it relatively is no longer very straightforward. a typical atheist admits which you will’t at the instant “teach� the non-life or life of a time-honored god. in spite of the undeniable fact that, the load of info lies on the guy making the declare for the life of something. maximum atheists are open to believing in a god, there only is not any empirical info for this type of declare. There are agnostics that are actually not atheists, yet they do no longer look to be as straightforward. To be a non-atheist agnostic, you will desire to admit there's no longer info for a god, yet nevertheless have self belief. as quickly as a individual comes to a decision that they are agnostic, they nevertheless would desire to ascertain no rely if or no longer they're an atheist or a theist. the two you have self belief in something, or you don’t. in case you think of there's a god, you're a theist; in case you don’t, you're an atheist. maximum people who use the term agnostic only don’t have the heart to apply the term atheist, or they don’t yet understand the words. An atheist is only somebody who does not have self belief in a god, often out of loss of info for a god. They don’t declare that they comprehend that there is not any god.

Answer 3

Your position is truly ideal. I think, basically, we are a bunch of intolerant people, because ther's no other way to explain it. Personally, I must admit I sometimes get upset too when I imagine that I had wasted 30 good years of my life believing in all the superstition of the Christian Church and in the Bible! Now I know better, but I think I have no one to blame but myself, having been too indolent to critically examine all I was brought up to believe. I will strive to get to your viewpoint of being tolerant or even permissive of other people's religious opinions; it's really ideal.

Answer 4

Your Santa Claus analogy sounds very familiar but what can be done about it? Sadly, IMO, absolutely nothing. You are definitely a new fresh breathe of air in this section especially coming from an atheist may I add. Please stay the way you are. Cheerio!

Answer 5

Well, it's kind of annoying when people think environmental factors or genetic make-up have nothing to do with the choices you make and that we should all know the same thing when we don't even choose our personality or life experiences. I don't care if someone believes in God, but to think that one day we are magically accountable for every step in our decision-making process, it's all very obtuse and degenerate.

Answer 6

I don't get offended by any means. They get offended by me.
If you are an athiest, why DOESN'T it bother you, that "God"is put on money, (thats a laugh), or out of the pledge? I never say the pledge of allegiance, cuz I don't feel a pledge to a flag. I have to feel it. Its a stick with a piece of cloth.

Answer 7

no one's offended because their lives haven't changed in the direction of the atheist. wait till the day when the money really does change and other religions value are replaced by PC values, then you will read the true answers.

Answer 8

I dunno. "Choose your arguement" has been the best advice I have ever heard or given.

Let's blame the washing machine, and various other modern inventions, which have given us ordinary folk very much free time. do you think people decide to use this extra time to contemplate or meditate or pray? No, they do not. they invent the radio, the TV and other such devices to fill that gap.

As a result, they get fat asses, along with disintegrating health and low self-worth. so might as well argue religion with someone.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

Answer 9

What about money that said "In Zeus We Trust" or "We accept there is no god"

I used to just ignore or laugh off religious believers. ( and I'm an ex-bornagain xian myself, btw) After 9/11 I take people of faith...ALL FAITH...to be dangerous to our very existence. We can no longer ignore religious people and their odd assorted delusions. People with access to weapons of mass destruction believe that a man rode on a winged horse to heaven, and another man died and rose again and floated up to heaven. People with the power to make decisions that affect my life and happiness pray to invisible imaginary beings for guidance. the lunatics are running the asylum.

The difference isn't just between moderates and the fundamentalists. Since all their beliefs are faith based, and they have "proof" of their beliefs with "sacred" books...there is no justification for moderates saying, "oh, they don't really represent our beliefs, they are fanatics" because ALL religious belief is faith based, and there is no objective standard by which to measure one end of the faith spectrum against the other. To a non-believer, it is all the same nonsense.

As a world society, we have outgrown whatever evolutionary advantages mystical beliefs conferred on humanity. It is time to leave such childhood delusions behind.

Answer 10

I don't have any problems with christians in general, just the narrow minded ones here.

Just look at christo's answers, how could anynody be that narrow minded. It's frightening