I have heard quite a lot of atheists dismiss the beliefs of religious people as just ‘pff yeah fairytales whatever’.
None of my religious friends have ever tried to make me feel uncomfortable about atheism in the same way. The few times we have discussed the subject, they take the position of compassion for my wellbeing of my immortal soul, rather than mocking of my understanding of the universe.
I know Richard Dawkins thinks that religion is a blight on humanity that should be wiped out, but atheists really can be the worst people sometimes.
Historically, I think religion has been a mixed bag. While you can certainly point to people of faith being willing to kill/die for their beliefs, you can also find examples of religion working for the greater good, with the classical civil rights movement just being one example. It’s all about context and power relations. Religious figures have at times been rebellious figures as well (Sufi Islam is kind of full of that kind of thing). As an atheist, I see no problem with religion that really does make people better…. but it can also make people mean and hateful, sadly. And then there is that awesome XTC song:
And since all of my beliefs about the world that don’t involve history are song based… there we go. My spouse finds the kid at the beginning and end creepy…
I said ‘none of my friends’, not ‘none of the people I have ever encountered’. But the religious people who have bothered me, door knockers and such, have always left me alone when I ignored them.
I’m not so much missing the point as taking the material in my own direction. I don’t actually have anything to say about atheists going to war over their beliefs, since that is silly.
I can’t stand it when people insist that marijuana use leads to heroin use. But I really can’t stand to listen when people try to educate people who believe that fallacy. How do conversations like that even get started.
I await the glorious day when, like any other large, persecuted group with the same religion, atheists take the grand step of forming their own country, where they will finally have the freedom to persecute people of other religions themselves.
I just got back from a day in the Carolinas, where I had to do a lot of driving*. I’m an atheist and unlike Dawkins I really don’t care what other people believe. The view from the highway indicates that many Christians there feel that their faith can be justified or defended with only the few words that will fit on a vinyl sticker. If only all philosophical matters were so simple.
*Ford Fusion Titanium Ecoboost is a great rental with baffling controls. Still recommended, though.
As soon as somebody tries to explain the world it becomes a religion, even if they’re only trying to do you a favor by saving you the time that it would have taken you to explain it to yourself. Since its really impossible to perceive reality for what it is through our limited bandwidth I am so happy that everyone keeps getting it wrong.
November 29, 2012
And I thought militant atheism was about insisting people not fight for what they believe in…
it doesn’t get any better, does it?
November 29, 2012
I have heard quite a lot of atheists dismiss the beliefs of religious people as just ‘pff yeah fairytales whatever’.
None of my religious friends have ever tried to make me feel uncomfortable about atheism in the same way. The few times we have discussed the subject, they take the position of compassion for my wellbeing of my immortal soul, rather than mocking of my understanding of the universe.
I know Richard Dawkins thinks that religion is a blight on humanity that should be wiped out, but atheists really can be the worst people sometimes.
November 29, 2012
Historically, I think religion has been a mixed bag. While you can certainly point to people of faith being willing to kill/die for their beliefs, you can also find examples of religion working for the greater good, with the classical civil rights movement just being one example. It’s all about context and power relations. Religious figures have at times been rebellious figures as well (Sufi Islam is kind of full of that kind of thing). As an atheist, I see no problem with religion that really does make people better…. but it can also make people mean and hateful, sadly. And then there is that awesome XTC song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk41Gbjljfo
And since all of my beliefs about the world that don’t involve history are song based… there we go. My spouse finds the kid at the beginning and end creepy…
November 29, 2012
I hate it to read in the papers everyday about all those atheists fighting and killing about who believes less in gods.
Oh, wait…
November 29, 2012
Black flags are for anarchism, not atheism…
November 29, 2012
@Hairy: Ni dieu ni maître!
November 29, 2012
“None of my religious friends have ever tried to make me feel uncomfortable about atheism.” David, you must in a wonderful place. How do we get there?
November 29, 2012
“I have heard quite a lot of atheists dismiss the beliefs of religious people as just ‘pff yeah fairytales whatever’.
None of my religious friends have ever tried to make me feel uncomfortable about atheism in the same way.”
Allow me to introduce you to a whole world of smug bullsh_t:
http://www.fstdt.net
November 29, 2012
I think the commentators might be missing the point.
November 29, 2012
We fight?
November 29, 2012
Ve Huuuuunt!
Sorry, I’ve been reading the “Girl Genius” archives for the past two days.
November 30, 2012
I said ‘none of my friends’, not ‘none of the people I have ever encountered’. But the religious people who have bothered me, door knockers and such, have always left me alone when I ignored them.
November 30, 2012
That’s silly. Everyone knows giraffes are Baptists.
November 30, 2012
I think cloud is right.
November 30, 2012
obsv that giraffe is an effigy. theyre going to burn it.
November 30, 2012
I’m not so much missing the point as taking the material in my own direction. I don’t actually have anything to say about atheists going to war over their beliefs, since that is silly.
November 30, 2012
I can’t stand it when people insist that marijuana use leads to heroin use. But I really can’t stand to listen when people try to educate people who believe that fallacy. How do conversations like that even get started.
November 30, 2012
I await the glorious day when, like any other large, persecuted group with the same religion, atheists take the grand step of forming their own country, where they will finally have the freedom to persecute people of other religions themselves.
December 1, 2012
I just got back from a day in the Carolinas, where I had to do a lot of driving*. I’m an atheist and unlike Dawkins I really don’t care what other people believe. The view from the highway indicates that many Christians there feel that their faith can be justified or defended with only the few words that will fit on a vinyl sticker. If only all philosophical matters were so simple.
*Ford Fusion Titanium Ecoboost is a great rental with baffling controls. Still recommended, though.
December 18, 2012
RossInDetroit might be a highly evolved spambot whose posts are designed to subtly advertise for car companies.
January 23, 2013
As soon as somebody tries to explain the world it becomes a religion, even if they’re only trying to do you a favor by saving you the time that it would have taken you to explain it to yourself. Since its really impossible to perceive reality for what it is through our limited bandwidth I am so happy that everyone keeps getting it wrong.
August 24, 2013
“Fight for nothing” sounds rather nihilistic than atheistic to me. I don’t think that atheists are per definitionem nihilists.
October 21, 2013
Militant atheists like Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, et.al. we can do without.
May 14, 2017
To be fair Phil, I can reason the ex-beatnik vampires to be within the purview of nihilism. Besides atheism.