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Would someone care to discuss what it is all about to be an atheist? I am a member of a messageboard where there is a religion forum. Would you believe that most of the screen names belong to atheists? Atheists don't believe in God but they spend loads of time discussing religion. What's up with that? They flood the forum with their hang ups on Christianity and there reason for not believing in God. The reasons are usually selfish and whiny. Is this normal behaviour for an atheist or are these people really just crazy, depressed, and unfulfilled. It really paints a bad picture of an atheist.

2007-02-26 04:40:21 · 35 answers · asked by qwerty 3 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

35 answers

There are those types on both sides of the fence unfortunately.

As an atheist I get constantly harrased by christians to convert, save my soul, accept christ as my saviour, etc. I don't wear a shirt that says "Atheist" in big flaming letters on it, but they constantly ask me what my religion is. It's almost like there is a "conversion quota" that must be met for them.

It sometimes seems like a battle. Christians on one side trying to convert the heathens. Atheists on the other side trying to get christians to see the side of science, and their way of viewing things so that christians will leave them alone. At least thats the way I feel when the hundredth christian comes up to me and tells me I MUST accept yadda yadda yadda.

Personally I like to just stick in places where it is a multi belief format such as Y!A. I just like to debate and discuss views, question for better understanding of what and why people believe. The more I understand and know about things, the better person I become.

Just my $0.02

2007-02-26 04:50:08 · answer #1 · answered by DimensionalStryder 4 · 3 0

First you need to get a better understanding of atheists or anyone from a different religion then christianity. If most of the screen names belong to atheists then that just means there are less people who think like you on the board. From my experiences and the atheists I know, they enjoy sharing their knowledge with others. Just because you do not belong to a religion does not mean you know nothing about it. I am not christian nor atheist and I can tell you more about the christian faith then most christians.
The reasons you are claiming to be selfish could be yours or their misunderstanding. I have noticed that christians whine alot more then atheists. Look at this question.
Atheists are not crazy, depressed or unfulfilled. And the picture they are painting is the truth about christianity. anything an atheist says a christian will think it is a bad picture. Where most (not all) christains today give the christian faith a bad rep

2007-02-26 04:55:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1 1

I'm not an atheist, but I believe no matter WHAT you believe, everyone to some extent believe they're right and need to share their beliefs. So I guess atheists "harass" believers of God the same way believers of God "harass" atheists. It isn't always a matter of harassment, but discussion. Then whoever the opposing viewpoint is discussing the issue with feels victimized because that certain individual doesn't agree with their viewpoint. Then that person labels it as harassment. Good luck and just remember... be open minded.

2007-02-26 04:47:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Which message board is this? You do realize that most Christian forums will ban and/or servilely restrict anyone who disagrees with them, right?

People like to discuss religion in general, so what? It's a interesting topic. Besides, I notice you Christians have a bad habit of assuming all non-Christians are atheists. Atheist just means that the person doesn't believe Gods exist.

2007-02-26 05:31:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

Atheists spend a lot of time discussing religion because religion is so pervasive in the society of which they are a part, especially here in the US. Religious Amricans, mostly christians, harrass atheists all the time, in a number of ways. There are christian groups and politicians who constantly seek to impose their religious beliefs on non-christians. Look at what is going on now with people trying to ban abortion, ban gay marriage, get creationism into public schools. The list goes on. Atheists are the last minority in the US that it is socially acceptable to discriminate against, can you blame the few of us that can be hostile towards a religion that teaches it's adhearents to hate us? There have been people who have been disowned and shunned by their own families for their lack of belief, can you blame them for having the point of view that religion is a negative thing?

So, in answer to your question, most atheists who harass christians usually come to that point because of harassment, discrimination and hurt that they have been subjected to by christians. I think atheists like that do not represent the majority of atheists, but it is understandably how they get to that point. As a member of the christian majority, you can't know what we go through or how we feel.

2007-02-26 05:08:24 · answer #5 · answered by eviltruitt 4 · 0 1

Well how about for believers repeatedly and brutally killing non-believers for the last 1500 years? Did you know some historians estimate that without religion (which halted all civilized progress and all but destroyed the marvels the romans and greeks had created) we might have invented the internet as far back as the 1600s?

Or how about your broad, sweeping generalization of atheists in general?

Really though, religion is a pernicious delusion - it does far more harm than its ever done good. Even today it's causing tremendous problems when we have several countries who hate us because our progress is an insult to their god and we have a leader who invades countries and makes other major decisions because "god told me to." Religion is an insanity that's only acceptable because it's widely shared, it's people still clinging to bronze age myths - as technology and weapons improve either religion goes or the entire human race becomes quickly extinct.

2007-02-26 04:53:25 · answer #6 · answered by Mike K 5 · 2 1

There's no simple answer to that. I'm from England where practically everyone is an atheist so I have no bad experiences to make me hostile to religious folks, but I know that some atheists in other parts of the world (even supposedly civilised places like the US) can have a very hard time. Perhaps that makes them very keen to debunk religion and do their best to help its demise. Other people are just trolls and like to annoy people for fun - they probably aren't interested in the debate as such. For myself, I discuss religion for entertainment, for intellectual stimulation and in the genuine view that religion is on balance harmful (as well as obviously false) and should therefore be challenged at every opportunity. I also believe that anyone who is weaned off religion is glad that it happened, so by extension I feel that anyone still involved in religion would in the end be grateful for the people who are trying to steer them clear of it.

2007-02-26 04:48:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1 1

Why do atheists harass believers of God? What goes around come around. Believers of God have been harass Atheists since the beginning of time, so Atheists are just returning the favor.

2007-02-26 04:47:43 · answer #8 · answered by jetthrustpy 4 · 2 1

Or it could be that they see Christians wasting their lives on an old book that is so obviously full of holes that swiss cheese is like "dang that book has a lot of holes" and they would rather see 2.1 billion people stop focusing on not "sinning" and focus on uniting this world for a righteous cause. That of course being the peaceful uniting of the human race. But instead Christians are too interested in telling me why I'm living my life wrong, because it's sooooo obvious they have it all figured out by trying to live their lives like a fictional "perfect" mangod despite the fact perfection is unobtainable.

That might be why.

2007-02-26 04:47:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5 2

Funny thing, I have yet to be bugged by someone ringing my doorbell with a copy of Origen of the Species, but I HAVE been annoyed by Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups trolling for followers interrupting my day. I would say your "followers of god" are more likely to harass and bug someone than an atheist.

2007-02-26 04:47:28 · answer #10 · answered by Rico E Suave 4 · 5 1

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