To believe in God nowadays is to be part of a hated minority. Why?

Question

Man, I tell you; those athiests are ANGRY. They hate anyone that even believes in God. They even hate the agnostics for acknowledging the mere possibility that there is a God.

I'm no religious fanatic here. Basically, I just believe that God wants people to be good, and apparently even this is perceived to be some radical statement. Religion isn't even important to God.

I'm NOT anti-science either. In fact, I'm currently finishing my coursework to be a life science teacher for kids between the grades of 7-12. Anti-science? Not me, but I guess that not being anti-God makes me a religious fanatic worthy of vicious insults.

Just check out the responses to my previous question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=At9hdRhrD50UlvsfHeNAgkDsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071211223726AAEMs3T

Is it BEING GOOD that's offensive to people these days? Hmmm?

Answer 1

I do understand and agree with you fully.

And it is true that many atheists have been bashed by self proclaimed "Christians". That's no excuse. But let's discuss the ones who use that as justification for calling Christians stupid, and slamming on anyone with faith.

Religion is not important to God. But everyone hating on Christianity hasn't even read the bible enough to know that "religion" and "religious people" are discussed within the bible. And God does not care about religion. As discussed in the bible.

My favorite funny that atheists tend to make is the "well I'm atheist and so I must be smarter than anyone else for not believing in anything at all" when a lot of them make "scientific claims" and know NOTHING about scientists OR science in general, whereas there are many MANY Christian (or spiritual, God believing, God following scientists). You can actually look up a list of all of the scientists who believed in God. Albert Einstein was one of them, and directly stated this.

I'm a Christian and I love science. It is my way of understanding God, and all of his creations and how they work. I mean, how can anyone NOT be amazed by the significance of every living organism and its place here on earth? Everything works accordingly. The human body. Every function. Ever organism has a function and a set up. This cannot be by random. It is most definitely intelligent design.

I've had discussions with many atheists. None of them were really all that intelligent, but they were certainly good at being angry and talking about the "followers" of faith. But they're making a judgment about a spirituality based on the followers. All of this is discussed in the bible. And people certainly cannot be good representatives of a faith. That's certain. Why? -- People are people. They're human. They're not perfect. They'll make mistakes. They'll contradict themselves. They'll act in their emotions.

It angers me a bit that so many people are so against the concept of God that they turn to hating him, and anyone that follows a deity in general.

For the record, there is much scientific backup to support the concept of intelligent design, and a God. -Something an atheist has likely never looked up. Funny however, it was an atheist SCIENTIST (a little more intelligent than your average atheist) that sought to disprove Christianity, creationism, intelligent design and the idea of a God existing). This guy was and still is a brilliant scientist. After all of his studying and efforts, he ended up finding God instead of disproving him. Funny huh?

Don't let people bother you. They can call you stupid all they want. They're just angry by their bad experiences with believers who send across the wrong messages. They're no more intelligent than you and I. But for the sake of their happiness, let's let them think so! (this isn't a slam at atheists). I'm not saying who's smarter. But you certainly have no right to call yourself smarter. Just because I have belief or faith in something, doesn't make me stupid. You shouldn't judge the length or extent of a persons knowledge for that reason. They may be more intelligent than you.

Answer 2

I'll be in trouble for this one - I can hear the fatwa brewing now! Before he became a prophet, Mohammed was a member of the Nestorian church. This was an offshoot from the Aryan heresy. Nestorians believed that Jesus was a prophet, but not that he was God. They also had their own gospel, rejected the four gospels used by mainstream Christianity. This had Jesus born in the desert, not in Bethlehem and had more miracles but less teaching. This helps to explain why there are many similarities between Christianity and Islam, but also why there are many differences. BTW, muslims don't believe in vengeance any more than Christians. They believe in a merciful God and that all muslims should show mercy, even to their enemies. From time to time, God visits his people and provides the same message. Love one another. Forgive your enemies. Don't exploit others. Then man comes along, turns the teaching into a religion and uses this as an excuse to do the opposite.

Answer 3

Excuse me if i generalise here, I'm just going by what I see as whats happening.

To me (and I think, many other people) the religious establishments of the world are 'hated' because they are things which are so rooted in illogical, unprovable and downright silly assumptions, yet are such powerful forces in our world nonetheless.

They have acted as a massive political force for centuries, giving 'moral' excuses to halt individual freedoms and acted as a brake on humanity's evolution - scientifically, socially and spiritually.

Countless people have died and killed, defending religious ideas that could be logically defeated by a four year old.

They stunt the growth of the individual, and prevent people from finding their true selves by leaving them in a maze of false morals, contradictions and propaganda.

And these, among others, are the main reasons atheists and others are so hostile towards those who are part of the religious establishment.

IMO, it is unfortunate that people such as yourself have this hostility directed at you, even though you just believe in God and want to do good. I thing most non-religious people are happy to let people believe what they believe, God or no-God, but see it as an act of existential cowardice to submit to the will of a religious authority.

Answer 4

In defense of Michael F, I don't think that his questions was meant to target all atheist (at least I hope not), mostly the ones here on Yahoo Answers.

Regardless, to answer the question at hand, it is not that there are angry atheist out in the world who hate religion. It is that there are just some people in general that are so close minded, regardless of there ideological/religious/social/cultural stances, that hate anything that is not the same as themselves. The worst part (or best part, depending on one's personal perspective) is that every single person in this world is entitled to be close minded if they chose. You just have to live with it, and hope/pray for the best.

Answer 5

Some people don't want to explore ideas or consider the possibility that new ideas might change the way they view things. In other words, a lot of these so called discussions are just bashing matches with no sincere desire to share diverse and contrary points of view.
A good discussion should be honest, respectful with some small degree of tolerance and open mindedness, but that takes a level of maturity and common sense so often lacking in many human communities.
It often sounds like kids in the school yard yelling "your stupid", "NO, Your stupid" back and forth till recess is over.

Believers and Atheist and agnostics are not well represented here.

Answer 6

Simple answer, it's not.

You are in the majority. And your last question was not that great to be honest. Also, it was mostly criticism of your "argument", not hatred towards you.

Something like 80% of the US is religious to one extent or another.

And yes atheists are angry. Being told you're going to hell gets old, especially when the hell in question is lifted from Dante's Inferno and Paradise Lost, rather than the bible.

What could be more annoying than an ignorant person claiming to be more knowledgeable than you? People who haven't even read the bible, and just accept a popular image of hell painted in works of fiction.

Answer 7

You're the one that hates people (that God wants people to be good would make no sense since God if it exists must be evil).

It is scary that people such as yourself (who are hateful and unable to evaluate the evidence around them) will be teaching children about science.

Being good isn't offensive, but claiming that others can't be good is offensive and that is what you are doing here (and in case you haven't heard, theists are still a majority in the general population, though they are losing their majority rather rapidly and have already lost it among elite scientists).

Answer 8

Sadly Atheists have been attacked and bashed by many who claim to be Christian. I don't blame them for being bitter. I am a Christian and on here, I have seen so many people who claim to be Christian just rip other people to shreds because their belief is different. Even some Christian Questions I have asked, other Christians have gone out of their way to irritate.

Example: I asked a question recently about why 7 is perceived to be God's number and suddenly someone is saying I shouldn't worry about it because it has nothing to do with being saved! What? That had nothing to do with my question.

Some 'Christians' in this forum think no one is saved but them and go around spouting about hell and other various things that offend on purpose. They aren't even answering the question, just trying to force their beliefs.

Now, as a Christian.... I give my input on various questions but I try to answer the question that is posed according to my beliefs. I don't tell people to get saved. Only God can convict someone of that and it makes it all the harder for the Holy Spirit to do that work when some of his so called "followers" are making Him out to be some hateful God.

Answer 9

I'm a believer, and don't feel that I'm part of a hated minority (in fact, as a believer, at least in the country I live in, I'm very much in the majority). I have plenty of atheist friends, and don't see them as bitter or angry. Then again, I don't behave like an insensitive jerk toward them and attack them, or try to shove my beliefs down their throat. We treat each other with respect, and get along just fine. It's not being good that's offensive to people. It's poor debating skills, irrationality, intolerance, unsolicited proselytizing, and a lack of critical thinking that's offensive.

Answer 10

Dude, atheists aren't angry. Well, except for the angry ones. The angry atheists are angry.

Anyway, atheists make up something like 3% of the world population and at most 10% of the US population. I'm wondering how theists are a persecuted minority. Have you ever seen the US Pledge of Allegiance, its currency, or its ritual for being sworn into office?

But by all means, don't let me interfere with any kind of persecution complex.