Atheists? What do you gain from insulting/belittling those that believe in something greater than themselves?

Question

I'd like to first point out I am not asking this question of all atheists/non-believers. By and large you ask sincere, often thought provoking questions. I am addressing a minority of that group. There was, in fact, a terrific one posed yesterday that I really enjoyed thinking about and responding to.

I would sincerely like to know what those of you who come in here for the sole purpose of insulting people who have a different belief system from your own? You make the assumption that we are stupid & uneducated, incapable of thinking for ourselves. Denigrate the holy books (I'm not just speaking for Christians) If you are so sure in your belief in non-belief... If you are so sure that you're right and we're wrong, why not leave us in blissful ignorance. Why the taunting?

I apologize if I offend anyone. I don't mean to. This was prompted by a question I just read that was one of the most insulting and arrogant I've ever come across.

Korn? Agreed. It happens on both sides and I have been known to respond to those questions as well. No purpose is served by either side when insults either ARE the message or just part of it.

Eleven: Yes. Thank you. That is why I said at the outset that I am addressing a limited group of people.

MikeJ: I so sorry for your friends experience & your loss. Truly.

D-Cho: Yep You've got it. I appreciate that Einstein quotation very much. I'll have to look into that some more. Thanks.

Weemaryann: Why get riled up. OH I don't know. That's a good question :)

To all: Thank you for the good responses. One that seems to be a little bit in common: christians seem to beat their beliefs over-non-believers heads. Yes that might be true. However. There is a difference between trying to convince someone of something, and actually insulting the person with the opposite opinion. I don't even mind the occasional silly questions about things like the FSM. I think it's a hoot. I remember responding to one question about "it" by saying we'll know it's real or not if it drowns in marinara sauce. I thought it was funny at the time. :)

Answer 1

A little off topic, but I wanted to say a quick word of "thanks" for not generalizing that all atheists do this! Good for you!

Answer 2

There's a lot of rudeness and idiocy on both sides. I despise people who are rude. It's cowardly to do it anonymously on the net.
I'm an atheist and I believe that people who do this have deep personal issues that are being expressed at safe targets instead of being handled in their lives.
They justify this rage by painting religion as evil rather than simply mistaken or unbelievable to them.
I find religion unbelievable but mostly its not evil (there are exceptions, sure).
Furthermore given the difficulty of arguing about "what if" scenarios I don't think any one can rationally argue with certainty that religion (Christianity) is evil or that the world would be better off without it. It's a non-testable hypothesis.
I've met many religious people who are very decent.

Here's a post from a believer that is not insulting to Atheists but it is stunningly naive and ignorant:

ATHEISTS: If god doesn't exist then why does the wind exist?
We cant see it yet we can feel its effects. Cant you make the same argument for gods existence?

Can you understand why this disturbs us?

Answer 3

I do not consider myself one of the people that your post is aimed at. But I would like to respond to one thing.
Christians and all religions that I know of are not satisfied to live in blissful ignorance. They want to impose thier beliefs on everyone. They want the worlds leaders to make and pass laws according to the ideals that they think are right. They do not live and let live. The reason that we think that the religious are not capable of thinking for themselves is because most of them can only quote the bible in response to a question and they very often cannot comprehend how a person could ever become an Atheist and who could have taught them this. I have found this to be true both online and in my personal conversations.
There are insulting people of everykind everywhere. It is part of life.
Atheist are seldom offended by the fact that others do not agree with them.

Answer 4

I think I know which question you are refering to.

It was very rude, but if asked politely, fair.

Btw, Einstein was an atheist:

"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."

-- Albert Einstein, 1954, from Albert Einstein: The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press

Answer 5

It's a lose-lose situation. An atheist is considered an outcast from society and is frowned upon in most cases. They may make remarks about religion but I'll have all you ignorant believers know that your kind is not made of perfection. Some christians can be the nastiest assholes when it comes to something they don't believe in. Take Satanism for example. How many people can accept that? Sadly, not many.

Answer 6

If you've been on this board since last spring, you have no excuse for failing to notice how believers insult nonbelievers. If they're so sure that we're going to hell, why do they bother?

You can learn more from your enemies than from your friends -- because your enemies won't conceal their real opinions just to spare your feelings.

Finally: Why take offense at the rantings of complete strangers?

Answer 7

I'll apologize for any undue behavior. Sometimes it can be fun to see the shocked looks on many believers' faces when we say the word "atheist".
While most of us don't behave that way, remember how offensive it was the next time you get the opportunity to convert one of us unbelivers.

Answer 8

I'll answer seriously for a change.

When I was 18 a friend of mine committed suicide - he was a Christian and his church people kept pushing him and making him confused. This was in the Army.

My best friend for over 20 years was lovely, bright, curious, funny - she laughed all the time. Then she got caught up with this church group - now she never laughs, her life is all about Jesus she never speaks of ANYTHING else hardly. It's a waste! It makes me very angry.

I was also fired by christians once for not participating in their workplace christian activities. That took 4 months to happen and it was hell.

I could go on but I'm fed up with the christian cult. You can complain about being mocked and persecuted but you have noone to blame but yourselves. I realize not all are the same but there is something SERIOUSLY WRONG with your religion.

Answer 9

The problem for many of us is that we come here for debate, and instead find ourselves confronted with idiocies like "how were you brainwashed into not believing in Jesus as the king of kings"... After trying to deal intelligently with some of these idiotic statements (not really questions), one becomes a little trigger happy. I apologize if I have offended in answering some of these.

Answer 10

Great question. I'm an atheist and I'm sincerely frustrated with the image some people are projecting...But I think it is also our responsibility to remind ourselves that the few do not represent the many...

Answer 11

What about the smug christians who insult us, tell us we are hell bound, or just say terrible things about us? What about them?

Why not leave us alone? Why harass us at bus stops and on our why to a ballgame? Why try to preach to us? You all make the assumption that we are stupid. And we are bad people. Why taunt us? A CHRISTIAN man just ended is rant against atheists with something like. To atheists I hope the pink unicorn in space grants you blah blah blah. Tauting and rude.


Since you can't make me a christian and I can't make you an atheist then there really is no point for either side to talk about it or "preach" as it were BUT both sides need to stop posting insults against each other. I don't hate christians. I have nothing against them. It's only when they preach to me that I dislike them. I'd imagine religious people feel the same way about rabid atheists. This is yahoo answers people, not yahoo insults or yahoo preaching.