I’ve been an atheist my whole life. Even though I was raised that atheism is “akin to Satanism”, I always felt that I was not an evil person. However, toleration for beliefs other than mine these days, is at times, very trying.
I love humans…not gods, but when a religious human approaches me with the “I’m Heavenbound” attitude, I tend to let my feathers get ruffled like a fighting rooster.
I speak of atheism openly online at different forums, as a free person in the US. And why not? We have been afforded that freedom in our Constitution.
Why do some of our fellow American Christians feel the need to enter Atheistic/Agnostic-themed web sites only to oppose the non-believers and doubters? Speaking for myself…I would never dream of entering Christian websites and challenging their faith. Why do they feel the need to proselytize without an invitation to do so! How dare you!
Atheists have just as much right to reside here as anyone else. We pay taxes, have children and relationships, own homes, work, become ill, sing, dance, read, eat, and sleep. We contribute to charities and “the needy”. We have feelings of love, hate, and guilt. Why would some religious folks treat us as lepers or demons in a country that is guaranteed the “freedom of religion” only to have that freedom compromised by the religious, “better than thou” club??? Your religion promises “God’s love and peace”…but love for the atheists is not shown? How dare you!
Wow, Some one must of rubbed you wrong. I am sorry to hear that.
Dear Mark
They see it as their God given right. We are wrong, they are arrogant enough to believe they are right (all gazillion different branches of religion).
They cannot even agree amongst themselves – and then have the audacity to come and preach to US.
Lu
Eric…
You’re almost correct in saying “some one must have rubbed you wrong”. It’s more than ONE person, more than ONE particular sect. Only a few of them actually show that they believe. I’m tired of their hypocritical, greedy, consumer-driven ways.
It sickens me when I witness a homeless person camped outside a LOCKED church door.
The first amendment of the constitution DOES NOT grant the right to free speech. It affirms the INHERENT right by prohibiting congress from abridging it. One might consider this to be semantics, but I think it is an important philosophical distinction. The constitution of the US establishes and limits the rights of the government, not the people. The Declaration of Independence foreshadowed this philosophy:
The government exists to protect these rights, not to grant them. The constitution establishes that government.
(Sorry for the rant – I feel that quite a few problems in this country stem from a feeling of subordination to government control. I feel we must demand our rights as humans, rather than as citizens)
Moving on:
Personally, I rather enjoy when the proselytizers come into Atheist forums and get their arguments ripped to shreds, and (in at least one notable incident involving several atheists and one particularly annoying proselytizer) have used a “Christian Intruder” as justification to ask the hard questions in various Christian forums.
(Unsurprisingly, although the interloper was granted free speech in our areas, we were either asked to leave or completely banned from ALL of the Christian forums we entered)
That said, some theists stop playing by the rules, as has happened on YouTube: Kent Hovind’s corporation recently had the Rational Response Squad kicked off YouTube with a bogus DMCA takedown notice; several other prominent YouTube atheists have been removed for as little as quoting the Qu’ran. This kind of stuff really pisses me off.
Hypocrisy is, in my opinion, the worst “sin” against rationality.
rivalarrival…
Actually, I was referring to the “freedom of religion”, as that was not clearly indicated.
Mark,
My bad – Argument still holds.
Rival
Hear,hear. I picked up a copy of Newsweek with a 4-page ad in it about the poor “persecuted christians” in this country. I nearly cursed out loud. Glad I didn’t, pediatric office. Woulda been frowned upon while “Mulan” was playing.
yeah ok, how dare them!
“I’m tired of their hypocritical, greedy, consumer-driven ways.
It sickens me when I witness a homeless person camped outside a LOCKED church door.”
Unless you yourself are doing something to change this within your own life I don’t see how you can claim moral high ground here.
aaron…
I agree. ..however I don’t control these church doors. I do volunteer work at a homeless shelter where many are Christians. I find it disheartening that their “God”, their fellow Christians, and their country have let them fall through the cracks of a “me, me, me” society.
Have you ever been to a buffet style restaurant on Sunday, early afternoon? I have witnessed people in nice clothes, wearing crosses around their necks as they devour endless helpings of food, while their homeless counterparts have nothing.
HI,
I AM RESPONDING TO YOUR “HOW DARE YOU”. I AM A CHRISTIAN BY HEART. I DO NOT PUSH MY BELIEF ON ANYONE. I TRULLY BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE MUST FIND THEIR OWN WAY IN THIS WORLD. WHO IS TO REALLY SAY IF THERE IS OR ISN’T A GOD OF SOME SORT. MOST HUMANS MUST BELIEVE IN SOMETHING. WHETHER IT BE THE SUN, THE MOON, A GOD, OR NO GOD, THE DEVIL, OR TREES, IT SHOULD NOT MATTER WHAT SOMEONE BELIEVES IN BUT HOW THEY LIVE THEIR LIFE. DID THEY TREAT OTHERS WITH KINDNESS AND RESPECT, DID THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, OR DID THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES? WE ALL MUST SHARE THIS PLANET TOGETHER, WHATEVER YOU BELIEVE IN. SO WHY TREAD ON SOMEONE ELSE’S BELIEVES.? I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THE QUESTION,”WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?”.? I AM A VERY PEACEFUL PERSON AT HEART.. BUT I ALSO DON’T WANT TO BE TREAD ON OR FORCED INTO ANYTHING. WE EACH HAVE A MIND AND THE FREEWILL TO USE IT. I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT YOU USE IT FOR.
THANK YOU
SANDYLOU
Sandylou….
Your quote, “MOST HUMANS MUST BELIEVE IN SOMETHING. WHETHER IT BE THE SUN, THE MOON, A GOD, OR NO GOD, THE DEVIL, OR TREES, IT SHOULD NOT MATTER WHAT SOMEONE BELIEVES IN BUT HOW THEY LIVE THEIR LIFE.”
How about just believing in “ourselves”? Is that so terrible?
Religion is business and you’ve been had!
You also stated, “I’M A CHRISTIAN BY HEART.”
Do you eat pork, shellfish, or consume dairy products with beef? Christ didn’t. He was a Jew and adhered to dietary laws of his people.
So, what makes you a Christian? What differs you from others that aren’t of your faith?
clap,clap,clap, very well put needed to be said!!
I am merely questioning how you feel on this matter.
‘How dare you’ I should be saying that to you, because I have more people against me than you do. Atheist persecution of Christianity is much more harsh than Christianity on Atheism.
I bet I can find a video on youtube that insults Christianity… in less than ten seconds.
It USED to be a sin to eat pork, shellfish, and all those things. But now that Jesus has died for our sins, our sins have been payed in full.
My father is pastor, so I know a LOT more on this subject than you do. The church I go to is continually giving offerings to the poor.
My dad isn’t a world-famous pastor, so Atheists must have some person to represent their warm-heartedness to the poor! Robert Dawkins, oh wait, never heard him talk about the poor. He was too busy calling Darwin a genius, trying to disprove Christianity unsuccessfully, talking about Evolution ALL THE TIME, and he should probably see an orthodontist too.
As for your side of things, how come I’ve never heard of a major Atheist group of people to help the poor? Only hear about Christian groups that do those things.
YOU are the preacher’s offspring, I am sure that you are quite familiar with both the Old and New Testament. Surely you would not toss to the side all the scriptures telling slaves to submit to their owners….
To “The Truth”,
I’m sorry little man, but as your rant clearly points out? Christianity isn’t tolerant of anything else besides itself.
I think it’s funny that you claim to know more than any Atheist, on the subject of Christianity or the Bible. Most Atheists have read the Bible, have been raised in religious families, and have dispelled the “teachings” of your god through reasoning, questioning and understanding.
What I find truly funny about your post, is your claim that you can keep sinning, because your god died for your sins. When in fact if you take the time to understand what your Bible says, your god died for your sins to give each and every person the opportunity to begin life sin-free, not the other way around. And yes, if it says in your Bible that it IS a sin?! You must follow that “law” and consider it a sin, even today. You cannot say that it “used to be a sin”, to try and force the idea that you know more about the subject.
You are a hypocrite, plain and simple.
I can gaurantee you this: I have been told that I am going to hell, more times in my life because I don’t believe in a god or gods, then you have attended a church sermon or function in your life. And yet you claim that it is Atheism that attacks Christianity?!
Do not speak on issues you have no knowledge of, that’s the best advice I can give you. Most if not all Middle-Eastern and Western religions have no grounds to stand upon, when it comes to who said who or hold any moral grounds. Middle-Eastern and Western religions have untold centuries of blood on their hands, and have no claims to being divine or moral on any level. There is a reason that Christianity, in all it’s forms, have had such a grip on the Western hemisphere, and I’d advise you to go and learn why. It has nothing to do with your god’s loving and blah, blah, blah.
Go research it, and then answer this question:
How many original and unique cultures and religions or faiths do not or have not exist(ed) today, since it started spreading across the globe?
After you find out that answer? Try and tell anyone that Christianity is a loving and/or moral religion, I seriously dare you too.
Go look up Christianity in Japan and it’s history, then ask yourself this: If my god is so “all-powerful”, so “all-knowing” and is thee creator….then how could that have happened? And why is it that my god isn’t everybody’s god, if he truly is thee “God”? Why was he not the god of the Ancient Egyptians in the beginning? Why where there and still so many other gods out there, both before and after my god came on the scene????
Once you can answer these questions, truthfully? You’ll be miles away from your god, and closer to believing in what is true, which is the world, nature and everything else around you. Peace.
By the way, I was raised Southern Baptist, and am currently Anti-Religious.
Hell, I think it’s a safe bet to say, that I’ve probably attended more sermons and church functions then you have, in my life.
I do know for a fact that I have more exposure to Christianity, then most people outside of the Church itself have, on a weekly basis. As I air multiple Christian and Catholic programs, every single week and I watch em sometimes just for kicks. Not to mention, I purposely find out what Christians think of me, and also unintentionely find out as well.
Let me tell you this:
Christians, real Christians, hate, HATE anything but themselves. I don’t know how many times I can hear that everyone but a “True” Christian, is amoral or hatefilled or damned to hell, for believing or practicing anything but Christianity. Hell, they even attack other forms of Christianity. Now, how in the hell can you find any morality in that?
But good for you, little man. Just don’t blame a Atheist for your concerns or blame any atheist when you discover upon death that, indeed there is no god, or anything your Bible has promised. Good day.