Atheists, what do you think of the statement "Angry Atheist's"?

Question

I have seen anger and back biting from most atheist's on any belief talked about in this forum. And was wondering how you feel about being shown as angry by a few bitter people. And why do you let them make you look bad?

This question is based on the Albert Molher show which I listen to. I wanted to see what the response was here.

SS:
I understand what you are saying.. And I think you might be somewhat right.

Humor is not done at the expense of others, so I don't think people who use humor as an excuse for making a dig at another is funny. I get upset at loved ones who do this sort of thing.

Answer 1

Anonymity gives people carte blanche to say whatever they wish, or so it seems on Yahoo Answers. The userbase here has an incredibly high proportion of immature, trollish activists, none of whom accurately represent the population of the real world, let alone proponents of either atheistic or religious views.

If you understood that second sentence, by the way, I'm probably not talking about you. :)

Answer 2

One could say the same thing about any group on this site. Maybe with the exception of the people in "Cats". I certainly am not angry, nor are most of the atheists I know angry.

I do know that when you post insults such as you have done here, some people will take offense. That is simply part of human nature. It has nothing to do with one's religious belief.

Answer 3

I think the term "Angry Atheists" is a term used by someone who is prejudicial. That is, prejudiced against atheists. Does it characterize all atheists? No and it is unlikely that it characterizes more than a few.

Do those who act angry and bitter reflect on me? Only to those who want it too.

True some atheists are fervent non-believers but for most they don't really care what others think and live their lives as they wish. This is called freedom and it is a wonderful thing.

Answer 4

well, okay, i'm not an atheist so i don't know if i have the authority to answer, but i am an agnostic and usually christians lump us together anyway, right? haha and maybe it's because anyone who doesn't follow the cookie cutter christianity rules usually gets looked down upon for questioning things, so maybe that makes us bitter...or as christians like to put it "sinful lost souls living alternative lifestyles". besides you want to talk about angry, why don't you take a look at the religious right and what they say to people in this world. i mean come on, they inform people they are to suffer an eternity of anguish, pain, and sadness and that's even after they have to endure all the laws made to make their earthly lives a struggle....and the atheists are the mean ones????

Answer 5

My strategies run from the previous canard, that the load of information is on those making a impressive declare, to the certainty, that atheism, like theism, describes a single guiding principle, theory or disbelief in deities. Hindus, Jews, Pagans, Christians, Muslims, Animists, etc., are all theists. maximum Buddhists, Taoists, Secular Humanists, pantheists, etc., are all atheists. they simply commonality between those very disparate religions or philosophies are ideals or lack thereof in deities. attempt asking an ardent Christian to teach, not in hassle-free terms that some uncreated author, some smart dressmaker exists, yet that Christian version is the perfect one.

Answer 6

They look at atheism as a belief rather than a lack of belief. And they feel that the "belief" is immoral and therefore we are angry because we follow this immoral "belief." I've tried explaining that atheists aren't angry at their deities, but these sort of people do not "believe in" reasoning. Very seldom will you see an entire question in caps lock from an atheist.

Answer 7

Because I am angry. Every time I hear that schools are up in arms over whether or not to teach a scientifically-based theory (evolution and the Big Bang theory come to mind) or some made-up fairy tale as written by primitive men thousands of years ago--a tale that has mounting evidence against it, no less. I'm upset every time Fundies stand in the way of stem cell research without having done one iota of research on the topic at hand before flapping their mouths. I'm livid when I see Fundie protesters picketing gay funerals and standing in the way of gay marriages.

What would make me look worse? Being accepting of all this crap... or being angry and bitter?

Answer 8

I'm a very happy person, content with my life and what I have, trying to make my dreams come true and thinking that, frankly, I'm one lucky person to live where I live at this time (and not 300 years ago with no future at all or something). I can't say I'm angry, definitely not.

I get angry at believers when they try to push their views on me - I don't do that, and I don't mention my lack of belief unless asked first, and then I am always polite. Why do I have to put up with strangers telling me I'll go to hell? I would never stoop so low as to show my anger, but that IS a mean thing to do.

Answer 9

The truth of the matter is that in any group there are always those who make the rest of the group look bad...whether religious, political, racial or any other grouping there are always those who associate themselves with the group, though they don't represent the sentiment of the group.

What's even more pathetic is when someone uses these types as representative of the group, then attacks the entire group on the basis of those few. It's the basic straw man fallacy, and I see it nowhere more prevalent than here on yahoo answers.

Answer 10

I don't "let" them do anything. It's not like I have any control over it. There isn't even a code of beliefs or fellowship or anything. They are people putting forward their point of view.

Make up your mind though -- is it 'most' or 'few'? Do you honestly think there's so much anger? Or are you just not understanding the humour?

But seriously, if you keep asking 'questions' like this, you're going to draw the ire of the least patient. You've made yourself an easy target.

And I can't take responsibility for that.