Why do atheists like to talk about religion?

Question

I thought they weren't interested in it.

Answer 1

I just like to see what delusional garbage religious folks will come up with today. It's funny really,if a person were as delusional as some of the people on here,but didn't call their delusion "God" when they talked about it,they would end up being committed to a mental institution.

YTP

Answer 2

It is easier to have an objective conversation about a faith or philosophy when you don't have a vested interest.

For the true non-believer (most are really, technically agnostics, not atheists, but the Faithful tend to mix those words all willy-nilly, and have corrupted the meanings of those words) discussing religion is the same as discussing anthropology, psychology, or history.

I am an agnostic (the Divine cannot be empirically proven or effectively investigated in this life) and I am also a history enthusiast. In classical history, on up, it is impossible to separate religion, as it is responsible for much history. All five Crusades (including the one where they sent all children) that Spanish rape of South America, The Inquisition, the oppression of Ireland, the fall of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, the Ottomans, the Catholic/Protestant schism that gave way to an independent England (thus, the race for colonization, thus the founding of America)yadda yadda. To remove religion from historical discussion would be like taking women out of feminism... it just don't work.

Shall we not forget the current Christian/Muslim tension, or, heck, the Muslim/Muslim tension that plays into the historical and current state of affairs in the middle east.

Answer 3

Why would they not be? Why do people explore anything? Healthy curiosity, respect, maybe to vent, maybe to be heard by people that frankly do not have a reputation for being so nice to them. I am not interested in politics but I get irritated when an elected offical makes a stupid desicion and then I talk about it. I am not at all making light of your question because I think many people might wonder that and I am not an atheist but my friend is and he's interested in religion because he cares about me and what I beleive and I return the respect.

Answer 4

I don't believe in Sauron, but all the same, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and mythology are complex and interesting, and worth discussing. They can be useful metaphors, and exploring those metaphors allows exploration of our own selves.

I am an atheist -- yet I consider myself a Scion of Fenrirulfr and a Bastard of Sekhmet. I do not think Fenris Wolf or Sekhmet are real, they are simply useful symbols with which I strongly associate.

I even perform firedance rituals in honor of Fenrirulfr, rituals which end with me having an out-of-body experience. Just because I recognize these experiences as neurological abnormalities brought on by massive hyperthermia (heat exhaustion), essentially hallucinations, in no way invalidates the very intense feeling, and the self-wisdom I receive from them.

Answer 5

Because they despise it. Most atheist don't simply see religion as a thing in which they choose not to believe or participate. They tend to view it as detrimental to society in general and the practice of it as a sign of weak indedness or an inability or unwillingness to grasp the discoveries of modern science. They don't believe that religion and progressive modern society are compatible. This is often amplified when people of faith take a stand on a particular issue based on their beliefs and that stand contradicts what the atheists believe. They then view it as religion being pushed on the public but either fail or refuse to see that atheism is also pushed on society when religious voices are stifled.

I hope this answers your question.

PEACE

Answer 6

Actually, Atheists tend to be more interested in analyzing religion than people who simply buy into whatever mythology is spoon-fed them in church school. Generally, in fact, you'll find Atheists have read more religious texts than people who try to convince one that humans and dinosaurs once roamed the plains together...

Answer 7

Depends on the atheist. Some feel a moral obligation to stamp out religion for the benefit of future generations.

Just think of the billions of dollars that have been spent on religious buildings and programs instead of on legitimate charities that actually help people.

As many atheists have pointed out, religion is a cancer. So there is a moral obligation to tear it down.

Answer 8

There is a difference in not believing and being interested. I don't believe in zombies - but I like zombie movies and talking about them. Just as I don't believe in god, but I find discussions about religion interesting.

Answer 9

It's not that atheists are not interested in religion. By definition, an atheist is someone who does not believe in God.

Answer 10

Personally, I find religious thought very interesting and extremely relevant to the state of humanity. It's both fascinating and frustrating at the same time, which makes it a ripe topic for discussion.