Not just indifferent, but genuinely combative to the idea? This puzzles me. I don't think I ever cared what anyone believed, God was just completely irrelevant. I don't understand the need to tear down faith. You go your way, I'll go mine. If I ask you for YOUR opinion, give it to me, but if I'm asking another believer, don't add your two cents unless it is relevant to my question. You say you don't want me imposing my beliefs on you? Well, why are you trying to do it to others?
Note, I know not all atheists are like that. But i do tend to only make friends with the ones who have something to say other than "There is no God, you're stupid".
All answers welcome, and please, don't hold back. Won't hurt my feelings.
2007-12-01 12:26:10 · 15 answers · asked by Princess Ninja 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jeff, i suppose it is that fish asking if he's wet thing I guess....
2007-12-01 12:31:49 · update #1
But it's not jsut knocking it, it is systematically trying to destroy and convert, much the way many Christians try to..... and I don't get it! You've become what you hate when you do that!
2007-12-01 12:33:13 · update #2
The God delusion was the inspiration for this question.
And angels, I don't buy the jealousy thing either.
2007-12-01 12:36:42 · update #3
until you embrace religion, you cannot truly reject it.
many have never been on both sides of the fence like you and i my dear.
2007-12-01 12:31:07 · answer #1 · answered by Jeff S Phoenix_AM 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well it's worth pointing out the difference between atheism and antitheism aka militant atheism, myself being the latter.
The typical atheist doesn't believe in God or care about the issue, and probably doesn't spend a lot of time on yahoo answers r&s section.
The antitheist sees religion as a problem. For one, religion has hijacked morality and twisted into something completely irrelevant to human suffering (working on sunday is bad but slavery is ok as long as your slaves aren't christians). It's also divisive, and it encourages people to embrace ignorance. Atheists don't go to court to fight the teaching of evolution, and atheists don't suicide bomb in the name of atheism.
I also feel its a huge insult to our natural world to just be like "God did it". In the world there are countless species competing for survival, evolving, adapting, fighting against the elements and each other to live and reproduce, to just lump it all together and credit it to some supernatural deity which necessarily cannot be understood is to rob our world of it's natural beauty.
Astronomy is the same way. Yes we are an insignificant speck in the scale of things, but you could turn it around and think about what a enormous, beautiful, elegant, and complex universe we are a part of. Again to claim that controlling it all is some human-like being who values us above everything else is utterly arrogant and short sighted.
Richard dawkins discusses the problems of religion extensively in his book "The God Delusion"
2007-12-01 12:35:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some atheists are hostile toward religion because they have been given the wrong teachings by churches that were started during the Apostasy (After the Crucifixion). Others are afraid of having to take responsibility for their wrongdoings. Those of us who are believers in an Eternal Heavenly Father are commanded not to speak against our neighbour, and to be humble, to trust in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and to NOT revile against the revilers.
2007-12-01 16:31:40 · answer #3 · answered by D L R 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While I do not agree with them I do understand why they are hostile. Most atheists are extheists and have spent many years trying to come to terms with the fact that they are atheists. Being ridiculed by friends, family and members of the church. Having their beliefs questioned and laughed at. And when they do finally come to terms with it and are confident about it, people still ridicule them and tell them they are going to hell. At some point a person has had enough and fights back.
SAVE ME Jeebus! -Homer Simpson
2007-12-01 12:34:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Because they are still harboring resentments. If they truly didn't believe they wouldn't have so many emotional issues about it. They are pissed off at God and their environment, so they just say He doesn't exist and want to convince anyone who believes the same, because that will help them feel better justified in their beliefs, or lack thereof.
2007-12-01 12:39:02 · answer #5 · answered by plastik punk -Bottom Contributor 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We (atheists) all tend to have a bone to pick with religious beliefs. It might be more personal. I like many others, were born from parents too insecure in themselves to find strength and guidance outside organized religion, so of course by mostly convenience, they were taught to covert their children to their beliefs. Even the ones (like me) who wanted to have nothing to do with them. My mother tried to covert me into the Jehovah's Witnesses cult. I almost fell into their mind control trap, but deep down inside I always felt resistant in my mind to whatever they taught me. Eventually over the years I learned to discredit and purge everything they crammed into my head, but the anger from remembering how they suppressed my personality with their teachings is still with me....I feel I'll always react negatively towards them.
2007-12-01 12:54:25 · answer #6 · answered by Daemon 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They're just jealous that you have something that you compassionately believe in, whereas they really don't have anything...
Poor atheists...they need to build some kind of statue of a capitalistic or materialistic God or something, and begin worshiping it...it's not much different from what they are doing now without paying much attention...might as well go all the way and build the damn thing!!
I propose they build it in Haifa, Israel, next to the Bahai temple...
2007-12-01 12:35:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Well said, Princess. Instead of being indifferent (true atheists) they want us to know that they are.... atheists. Not enough that they are... they want to be SEEN as atheists.
Well, each of us have our different ways to try to be KOOL. That's theirs. They are pretty miserable so and soes.... it is like being a fanatic in reverse.... Muslims one way, them the other, opposite, way...
Do you know what I think, Princess... there is no such thing as a true atheist. An intelligent person cannot possibly be an atheist.
2007-12-01 12:41:46 · answer #8 · answered by RED-CHROME 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because people going around telling other people things which just aren't true and have no basis in fact is just wrong, and hearing it is hard to tolerate. If there was a "flat earth movement", they'd get the same treatment.
2007-12-01 12:31:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because some religion is hostile toward atheists. Not many atheists are out to impose anything on anyone; those same are usually just out to keep you from imposing yours on anyone as well. Try not to see that as hostile.
2007-12-01 12:31:40 · answer #10 · answered by Dashes 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋