Why are Atheists so angry?

[jhale667]

This is long, but a great speech from start to finish, and the speaker takes on ALL religions, so no one should feel singled out. Even if I were still a believer this makes you think. No belief system should be immune to criticism.

[Unchainme]

hmmmm...

Before I start, let it be clear that I do believe in Jesus Christ as my personal savior, and consider myself a Christian. To also add an asterisks to that, I am not a new earth creationist, I do accept Evolution as a scientific theory, I am pro-gay marriage, and I'm not a huge fan of abortion, but I think it should be up to the mother. I can't quite explain my faith via scientific means because it's really not a scientific concept. I did have a personal experience, and something I don't feel comfortable sharing with others.

Getting my own personal potential bias out the way, I shall move on to the topic.

I think a better way to define some of the more recent Atheists is not so much "Angry", as more so "Evangelical". Much like in the every faith there are people who seem to go a bit overboard and somewhat "Militant" as it were, Atheists as a belief system are not alone.

I think a few problems I've run in to with "Evangelical Atheists" is the inability to accept that not everything is black/white within religion. There is quite a bit of grey, much like in life. I've also ran into a few that clearly, clearly aren't theology majors and seem to have made the decision to become atheists because they went to a terrible (read: southern baptist) church growing up.

For example, I'll toss out "The Amazing Atheist", who I will often stand by when he's criticizing psuedo christian groups protesting against gay rights, etc.

In an interview with Shirley Phelps of Westboro Baptist, he continually agreed with her and insisted that she and the churh had perhaps the most "accurate" and "correct" interpretation of the bible. He then flipped off the camera, and then went off on a very ignorant about it, insisting that most modern Christians "pick and choose" along with "Adding their own beliefs in there as well".

To say as such without having no sort of theological background is well...stupid. Most of Shirley's arguments seem to stem from a very narrow minded view of the bible that mainly focuses on the Old Testament. This ignores the fact of the "New Covent" that pretty much goes "oh hey..that period of terrible shit that occurred back a long time a go? Ignore that, we cool".

He also seems to ignore, that yes, over a thousand years words may have changed in meaning, and there is quite a bit in disagreement as to what was mean't in some passages. It's going to happen because the book is again...old. Christ, people confused "Homosexual" with "Pedophile" in the 1950's for christ sake!

This all being said, do I have a problem with any atheists I come in contact with? No absolutely not. We may differ in beliefs, but I still see you as a fellow human being who's trying to find out what this world ultimately means. I don't have a problem with Atheism being in the arena of ideas, so long as I'm still allowed to believe in what I believe in. I don't have a problem with the "Imagine no religion.."" billboards, so long as you don't get offended about a christmas tree in public square. Also, I think we can both agree that religion has no place within science class, but something as silly as quoting a bible verse in class (so as long as it's not used to harm another student) shouldn't be grounds for suspension.

Just be chill. Life if short. We only get so many years on this planet, let's spend them not being angry with each other or fighting over small things.

[jhale667]

Did you listen to any of it? Just curious.

[BITEYOASS]

For example, I'll toss out "The Amazing Atheist", who I will often stand by when he's criticizing psuedo christian groups protesting against gay rights, etc.

OMG! LOL Did you just mention "The Amazing Atheist," the e-begging, money-whore clown who leaked out two sex-tapes of himself? He's not exactly a reliable representation of the atheist community. I'm not an atheist myself, but having him represent atheism is like having Jimmy Swaggart as pope.

Luckily I never watched any of "The Amazing Atheist" sex tapes (Which would make me want to stab my eyes with darts.), but here are some links to a few reaction videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6986i_Tg9YI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO60WMK0juY

[FORD]

Well, I watched the whole thing, and while I actually agree with much of what she says, I don't think it justifies anger at all people of faith overall.

The problem isn't religion in and of itself, it's fundamentalism, with the emphasis on mental. And yeah, it does apply to some fundagelical atheists as well. And most people in fundagelical religions haven't even read their damn holy books, they just listen to what their so-called holy man tells them, and more often than not, that holy man is working on his own agenda, and not the teachings of JC, Mohammed, Moses, or whomever.

If you want to be an "angry atheist", or an "angry believer", or even an agnostic who doesn't know if you're angry or not, don't make blanket statements like "All religions suck" (yeah I love the Dead Kennedys, but Jello was overgeneralizing there). Maybe it's better to call out the fucking fundagelical idiots to their face when they're making a mockery of the religion they claim to believe in (but are obviously failing miserably at practicing)

[jhale667]

I think her main point beyond no religion can justify genital mutilation, murder, war, etc. was

[ashstralia]

here's the ash scenario;

the observable universe contains billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars.
thinking we are alone?
statistically impossible.

[vandeleur]

Tim minchin on miracles and feet

[Seshmeister]

Frederick Douglass told in his Narrative how his condition as a slave became worse when his master underwent a religious conversion that allowed him to justify slavery as the punishment of the children of Ham. Mark Twain described his mother as a genuinely good person, whose soft heart pitied even Satan, but who had no doubt about the legitimacy of slavery, because in years of living in antebellum Missouri she had never heard any sermon opposing slavery, but only countless sermons preaching that slavery was God's will.

With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil — that takes religion.

Steven Weinberg

[Seshmeister]

here's the ash scenario;

the observable universe contains billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars.
thinking we are alone?
statistically impossible.

And as I said before, that's a hell of a lot of Jesuses...

If the good news of the zombie situation in Palestine had traveled at the speed of light from Earth then it isn't even a thousandth of the way to Andromeda yet never mind the other billion billion galaxies that are further away.

But how could superstitious iron age goat herders know that...?

[ashstralia]

the speed of light is a man made concept.

[Matt White]

the speed of light is a man made concept.

So is TIME...................

[ashstralia]

very true, matt. but we've had 10,000 years of conditioning on that one. 24/365 and all that.

isn't it a billion to one shot how the apparent discs of the sun and moon could be almost exactly the same size during a total solar eclipse?

and ancient dudes predicted eclipses. props ancient dudes using science.

[envy_me]

If you're dying of AIDS cause you believe that Jesus cries every time you use condom, well maybe the nature is doing its job with the natural selection.

[binnie]

Why are atheists so angry?

I can only assume that most of them have met Elvis.........