Atheists Only, please.?

Question

I am asking this question for the Atheists who linger on the R&S section of Y!A. I am constantly being bombarded with questions of, "Why can't you provide proof of your God?" or other comments such as, "Gods are fake." So, I have a question for you. Since I am an open-minded Christian who believes in Evolution and other non-Catholic ideas, why do you constantly assault MY beliefs when I have never attacked yours? I feel as if my faith in a God is being used against me because somebody wants me to believe what THEY think. And isn't that Atheists main complaint... Christians won't listen to you and think you're wrong? That seems like what you're doing to me, a person who simply listens to other's opinions and does not pass judgement. Atheists do the same when they listen to opinions, but many pass judgement and harsh words on MY beliefs, which, in my opinion, have never harmed you, at least, coming from me. So please, explain why many Atheists feel alright with assaulting my faith.

I do not believe I am taking it personally, it is a rational question that an Atheist should explain with a decent answer.

Also, I do not believe that is a generalization. I said, MANY. And in fact, many do. As for the person who said they have never adressed me personally, I believe you have quite directly addressed me when you ask about my God.

Alright everyone, I have reached the answer I have been looking for. Except for the few people who called me close-minded like I expected, I recieved fantastic answers, and would like to thank all of you for participating in my question.

Answer 1

Although I am an atheist, I have never asked anyone to prove the existence of their God unless they have first asked me to disprove His existence.
I do not ask you to explain the actions of the fundies who bash all other faiths (including other sects of Christianity) or bombard atheists with idiotic questions on evolution or our obvious lack of morality.
Please show me the same courtesy by not asking me to explain the actions of another atheist. I can not control the actions of others- I do not have that kind of power.

Answer 2

"I am constantly being bombarded with questions of, "Why can't you provide proof of your God?" or other comments such as, "Gods are fake." So, I have a question for you. Since I am an open-minded Christian who believes in Evolution and other non-Catholic ideas, why do you constantly assault MY beliefs when I have never attacked yours?"

You're too thin-skinned about your beliefs. In fact you cannot provide any evidence that your "God" exists, because he does not. My saying that is not "assaulting" your beliefs: it's pointing out that they're false.

If you don't like it, you can either keep your beliefs to yourself, get rid of your false beliefs and replace them with true ones, or go off to some site that's for Christians only. But don't expect other people to lie for your just to keep you from being offended. This kind of PC nonsense doesn't cut it out here in the real world.
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"I do not believe I am taking it personally, it is a rational question that an Atheist should explain with a decent answer"

Okay, as soon as you answer this one:
Have you stopped beating your wife yet?

Answer 3

Um... generalizations are dangerous, my dear.

Just as many Atheists make generalizations about Christianity, so do you make a generalization about us.

PS: Get off your high horse. This is a two-way street with injured on both sides.

Let's play find the generalization game:

Atheists Only, please.?
I am asking this question for the Atheists who linger on the R&S section of Y!A [GENERALIZATION #1]. I am constantly being bombarded with questions of, "Why can't you provide proof of your God?" or other comments such as, "Gods are fake." So, I have a question for you. Since I am an open-minded Christian who believes in Evolution and other non-Catholic ideas, why do you [GENERALIZATION #2] constantly assault MY beliefs when I have never attacked yours? I feel as if my faith in a God is being used against me because somebody wants me to believe what THEY think. And isn't that Atheists main complaint [GENERALIZATION #3]... Christians won't listen to you and think you're wrong? That seems like what you're doing to me, a person who simply listens to other's opinions and does not pass judgement. Atheists [GENERALIZATION #4] do the same when they listen to opinions, but many pass judgement and harsh words on MY beliefs, which, in my opinion, have never harmed you, at least, coming from me. So please, explain why many Atheists feel alright with assaulting my faith.

So, you've made 4 generalizations.

Answer 4

Two reason, to be honest.

1. Moderate Christians, like yourself, who protect the name of Christianity (regardless of who wears it) only gives cover to those who have really messed up beliefs. You share just a large a burden ridding the world of inane beliefs such as young-earth creationists as any secular person does, because you too recognize they are harmful. However, if you insist on protecting your "fellow Christians for their beliefs" you only empower them to both our detriment.

2. You still maintain belief in at least some untenable things. You are like someone who says "Of course I don't believe leprechauns wear purple hats, only eat sunflowers on Tuesdays and certainly don't have anything to do with rainbows, but leprechauns still exist!". Although I completely agree with you on most, the fact is you still believe that 2,000 years ago someone walked on water, turned water into wine and raised himself from the dead. And you very likely believe that that belief is important to the world. Even stripped of the more incredulous and empty claims, at the core still lies an unhealthy belief, in my opinion.

Note: I know often here, and I certainly have probably been guilty of this, we all tend to paint with a broad brush. You really cannot take offense to that in a forum such as this, no more so then I can take offense every time people say Stalin the atheist killed millions. This forum is not conducive to nuance.

Answer 5

The problem with your belief is that it demonstrates a lack of thought. This is a common problem; few people have the intelligence, training, and time to do a good job of thinking about religion -- but if/when they do, they recognize that it is not only spurious, but detrimental to thought processes in general as well as to society as a whole. You cannot provide a proof that god exists, nor that one does not -- but it follows from these that a belief in any sort of god is useless: it can have no consequences in the real world. For much more on this, see:

Answer 6

I have never attacked you - I don't know you. I have never attacked your belief directly, either.

If I saw a child put his hand into a fire would I not try and stop the pain and more? We are not and, have never attacked you personally. We cannot do that on the website! We might question your beliefs, if you really believe - you would not find that an assault, a challenge is always the best way to understand a belief in either direction. Open dialog is advantageous in both directions. It is called communication and without it there would be no growth.

Answer 7

In all seriousness, if you are firm in your faith, why are you allowig all of this to bother you?

Peopel ahve questioned me for years about my beliefs, even being downright insulting and evena threat on my life once- but it doesn't sway me, nor do I run about feeling persecuted because of it.

The reason? I know this is a mainly anonymous forum- as are most internet forums - and it's not going to affect my offline reality.

Stop letting it affect yours.

EDIT - but you are takking it personally, or you wouldn't use words like "attacked" and "assaulted". You've not been attacked or assaulted in any way - a set of beliefs that you are not the only one holding have.

However, I have no clue who you are - by screen name or in person, so the likelyhood I even commmented on your beliefs is small to none.

Answer 8

The majority of the atheists regard people like you as harmless bystanders and are targetting the Fundies.
I am of a slightly different opinion.
I view the main body of Christianity as supporting the Fundamentalist Lunatic Fringe.

Answer 9

I don't assault anyones faith. I am using my freedom of speach right just as religious people do when they come knocking on my door at 8am on a saturday morning when i am trying to sleep!!! And when i tell them i am a atheist and no thank you they bible bash until i have to close the door in their face because they wont take no for a answer! Now that is assualting because i'm in my own home and they have no right to bug me.

Answer 10

I do also think you are overly offended. No one on here really knows you, so you are only judged by your answers and, yes, your beliefs. Also, try to understand that many atheists were raised theists and had the opposite fired at them everyday. There is a serious change happening and atheists feel its time their voices are just as loud as religions has been for way too long. It's just as uncomfortable for you as it has been for everyone else for whom your religion was pushed on and continues to be pushed upon them and theirs (or any other religion, I'm just using yours so you understand).

I believe, and in a way hope, it is something that continues. Not for the purpose of pushing it on you, but so that no one view has a monopoly on human spirituality!