Why are so many atheists on here incapable of answering a question with condecension or name calling?

Question

Maybe it's just the time of night, but the answers I've been getting to what I thought was simply an interesting philosophical inquiry have been really, scathingly heated.

Where does this intollerant venom come from? Why the bigotted, searing contempt for views that differ from yours?

How can people get so empassioned about something they don't believe in anyway?

the question above should read "without condecension or name calling".

I never said there arn't christians on here who do the same thing, but I've been around over a year and far and away the most rancorous, hate-filled diatribes come from atheists by about a 3 to 1 margin.

Duchess,

Who said you couldn't? That wasn't the question. The question was "Why do you do it?"

And if you don't believe "Why do you care?"

Wow Born Again Atheist,

That is about the most bigotted, offensive, hateful thing I've read yet.

Thanks for proving my point.

There's so much name calling now, I don't have enough space to respond to each one individually.

Thanks to all you lovely atheists for proving my point.

No Robin...VT,

I just asked where your morality comes from. In responce, rather than actually answer the question I asked, you decided to attack me personally.

You might not have noticed but this questino wasn't about how the English language is spelled. Does someone want to tell me what my typos have to do with the content of this querry?

Answer 1

Look, I was insulted just yesterday, I believe primarily because the poster misunderstood what I said, took it the wrong way, and transformed it into an insult in his own mind. Whenever a Christian attempts to interact with a nonbeliever, they have to remember how different the perspectives are. For the atheists reading this, I expect you to consistently misunderstand us theists, so to avoid irritation, please stop reading here. Is the coast clear? OK, here's the deal. When a Christian presents a view that spiritual truth is discoverable, this makes the Christian appear condescending, condemning, and exclusionary to anyone who might hold a different view. In addition, because the single greatest truth of the modern secular mind is that nonscientific truth is inherently not discoverable, this makes the Christian (or other believers in truth) appear naïve at best. Thus, we are met with terms like "moron, disgusting, delusional," etc.

Atheists (if you kept reading) should know that in general, Christians do not hold out a moral standard to make themselves feel or appear superior to others. We really believe we have discovered absolute moral and spiritual truth (that which falsifies it's opposite), that it has had a positive transformative effect in our lives, and that in all earnestness we do not wish anyone to suffer the ill consequences of ignoring it. By analogy, if you knew that by a certain act, your friend could contract a debilitating STD, you would advise that person to stop the act, or at least so modify the act as to remain healthy, because you care for that friend’s well-being. Is telling that person they are in danger the moral equivalent of a threat? Is it really so self-motivated as you say? Wouldn't you want such a warning for yourself?

That is how Christians regard the warnings about hell. The nonbeliever sees those warnings as a threat from an essentially hostile religious machine trying to take away his or her freedom. The believer sees it as a warning rooted in love. The nonbeliever lives in a universe without answers, and resents those who claim they have found answers. It is only natural they should express that resentment in brutal terms, as it does prove (or at least give evidence of) the theorem that atheism, because it has no ultimate arbiter of right and wrong, discourages coherent moral thinking. Incidentally, I am not surprised that atheists are adept at living within the existing law. They are indeed intelligent and quite adaptable to whatever the prevalent social structure requires for survival. Going to jail is so not pragmatic.

But morality and law, while they influence one another, are not identical. Morality is when you do what is right even when the system doesn't reward you, or avoid doing what is wrong even when the system will not punish you. Therefore, morality entails being kind to those with whom you disagree, as in being respectful, not calling names, not using ad hominem attacks, etc, even if there is no particular reward for the kind act. But such kindness is an attribute of love, and love has no reason to be in a universe produced entirely by chaos mechanics. Christians and other theists here at R&S need to remember these things. We have a reasonable basis for being kind, even if it is so frequently misunderstood. We really should just accept that as going with the territory. Jesus said it would be this way, that the world system would be hostile to us because it was first hostile to him. So what reason is there for our surprise? He also said that love would be the calling card of His authentic followers. Let it be true of us here, so that in the end, we will indeed be known as a people uniquely committed to love.

Answer 2

Good point and question. If ten Christians answer a question, I'd estimate that six to nine state their honest opinion and state that they would like to see that all that don't believe would come to a saving faith in God. It's not a degrading answer. It's an answer of hope and eternal well being. One to three Christians may answer by saying something about the unbeliever will definitely go to Hell. Look an the answers Atheists and the like give Christians. Six to nine seem to degrade, ridicule, cut down, Christians. Who shows the greater disrespect ?? May God bless and guide them anyway !

Answer 3

Well, I will tell you one thing, I was pretty pissed off when George Bush got "elected" in 2000.

That is just one example of how someone can become so impassioned by something they do not believe in.

By the way -- it's not an "atheist" thing, it's an ignorance thing. People of all different beliefs make mistakes. It is unfair to think an entire group, or even "so many" of a group is one particular way.

Answer 4

I would be nice to see people IE Christian and Atheist to think about this. I have seen both of them to be so hateful and there is no reason for it. If you can not answer the question intelligently don't answer. There is no reason to bash one another.

Answer 5

I paged back to find the question you were referring to and I must say, I didn't find a whole lot of it offensive, especially since it was asked as an objective question. But what really gets on our nerves is that people accuse us all the time of not being moral, since they can't conceive of a morality that is not enforced by fear. It gets tiring and some people vent.

Answer 6

Because the un-believers god, is the god of this earth. And he is full of rage and bitterness towards the things of God Almighty. Unbelievers speak from the spirit that indwells them. We have all been there and need to show compassion and understanding towards them. God saved us and He can save them also.

Answer 7

Damn! You picked up the missing 'out'.
LOLz

I don't get impassioned about something I don't believe in.
THAT would be ludicrous.
THAT is exactly the same as one of your foolish fundie friends saying that I hate god.

I think y'all get a bit sensitive at us pointing and laughing at you - I suppose I would to but none of you ever point and laugh at us - y'all just threaten us with your Invisible Sky Critter's (ISC) hell and damnation … after I’m dead.
Let’s face it your ISC can’t even answer the prayers of all the starving and otherwise abused children in Africa.
He’s all-powerful? Sure he is.

Making fun of fundies is easier than shooting dairy cows with a hi-powered rifle and scope.
.

Answer 8

As someone who doesn't resort to ad hominid attacks, I looked through your Q/A and don't see very many questions of yours that I would answer. Your questions seem to have, as premises, broad generalizations.

Examples:

Q: "Why did every other atheist I meet at one time attend catholic school?"

A: Huh?

Q: "Why do atheists equate Christianity with "not thinking for yourself"?"

A: I do?

Q: "Atheists, do you really believe that something doesn't exist until it is proven/discovered?"

A: Who said we do?

Q: "Without a God or ultimate accountability for the things you do wrong, why is there any reason to be moral?"

A: Morality is not brown-nosing to a deity who is watching, it's doing what's right regardless of who is watching. (This one isn't a generalization, but it is a FAQ)

Answer 9

It's a two-way street, pal. I just saw someone accuse atheists of having burned down a church, something I daresay none of us would do.

And perhaps your presentation was actually a loaded question. Don't challenge someone to a gunfight when all you have is a plastic Spork.

While you're at it, you may try getting a thicker skin.
I was called fat this morning by someone who was trying to score points with the women.

Answer 10

Because there are so many absurd, insulting, venom filled questions from theists.

"How can people get so impassioned about something they don't believe in anyway?"

Because irrational theistic beliefs harm our world, and intrude on my lifestyle. When was the last time an atheistic holiday prevented you from mailing a letter?