Question:
Religious People: Why do you think we are angry?
anonymous
2012-04-10 12:05:14 UTC
People have sometimes tried to discredit Atheists by claiming that they are just "angry at God". It's meant to dismiss non-belief as meerly a personal issue of sorts. Something that's the result of a bad experience or a bad attitude. Apparently it just isn't genuinely possible for someone not to believe in a "God". As if this belief is so universal that those of us who profess otherwise must be deceiving even ourselves. That's very presumptious on the part of believers - no matter what their faith. As suprising as it may be, it's not as if everyone secretely believes in your "God". Incase it isn't obvious, Atheists are not 'ANGRY' at something we don't believe in... that wouldn't make sense, but when believers treat a difference in views as pathological in nature, it allows them to refuse to consider the actual merits of the position they don't agree with. Without actually listening to someone else's perspective, it's easy to see why they might not understand what Atheists do take issue with. Just because we're angry, and not all of us are, it doesn't mean we must be angry at your "God". What we do object to, is the belief in a God, which is the only sense in which "God" can be said to exist - as a concept in people's minds. When we look upon how people act on this belief, we do get angry - and there's a reason for that. We're angry at the fact that religion is used as a liscense to avoid reality. We've seen how faith is used to elevate beliefs from complete uncertainty, to complete certainty, simply by choosing to believe. That bothers us. We find it absurd that meer strength of belief is considered sufficient to constitute knowledge and we're outraged on what this has been used to justify. We're angry at how religious texts are regarded as authority, for no other reason than the belief that they are.
Thirteen answers:
anonymous
2012-04-10 12:24:26 UTC
I would agree that not all atheists are angry, but most who frequently post here are.



Why would you go out of your way to insult and demean others simply because they do not agree with you, if you are not angry?



You make some weak claim about avoidance of reality? The just a crock. I would prefer someone who accepted a fairy tale and believed in love thy neighbor and judge not lest ye be judged, to someone arrogant enough to demean the beliefs of others while cowardly enough to claim they don't even have a belief to attack.



You hide behind non-belief while you are insulting, entirely unaware that true non-belief would mean that one would not insult. This type of mental cowardice is the trademark of bullies who love to pick on others but hide the moment someone stands up to them. What is sick is how much you mess with the Christians and say horrible evil things about Christ, and then any time they even curse, you say the Christians are hypocrits. It is truly disgusting.



I am a deist and not a Christian, so none of your garbage bothers me in the slightest, but that does not mean I cannot see what is going on.



Fortunately I have met enough intelligent and kind atheists, to know that atheism is not the cause. It is just that the anonymous environment of YA has brought out the atheist bullies.



This is not to say the Chrsitians are any better. YA seems to bring out more of the hit them over the head with a bible type of Christians than is normally seen in society too.



Now as for you being specifically angry, lets see. Let's put aside the fact that you constantly speak for all atheists as if you have that authority.



"When we look upon how people act on this belief, we do get angry"

You get angry when people give to charity, feed the homeless and the number of other things religion call one to do as well? Or are you talking about going to war, when Jesus said to turn the other cheek? Why the anger?



"We're angry at the fact that religion is used as a liscense to avoid reality."

Angry? And what reality is being avoided, your reality that we die and cease to exist for which you have no evidence? And other "reality" like evolution would likely be subjective on the individual Christian (most Christians accept evolution as true). So why are you angry?



"That bothers us" - Elevating belief to certianty, like the belief of judge not lest ye be judged or love thy neighbor? And how are your beliefs not also painted as certainty. Most atheists I know seem pretty darn certain that one ceases to exist when they die. Where does that certainty stem from? they have evidence?



"we're outraged on what this has been used to justify."

Like evolution being used by Hitler to justify genocide or nuclear physics being used to create the atomic bomb? really how many things can you name that has not been used for evil purposes. Atheism and communism was used by Mao and Stalin to justify more atrocities in the last 100 years than all others atrocities combined.



"We're angry at how religious texts are regarded as authority, for no other reason than the belief that they are."

I would prefer an authority that says love thy neighbor and it is written down and has been the same for more than 1600 years, then a leader that may change their views daily. Further, the Bible has been tested numerous times. You live like Jesus says one should live and you will find that you are more caring, considerate and forgiving, which BTW, psychology 101 says is much healthier.



You state that you are angry, outraged and bothered multiple times without once mentioning a slight that you have suffered. Am I to assume you are not an angry person?
Pastafarian
2012-04-10 19:08:42 UTC
As an Atheist, I would be mad at god if I believed he existed. Even if I were a devout religious person, I would see all the bad in the world and see how poorly god prepared his own 'children' for the hardships we face on a daily basis.



I would also wonder why an 'all-loving' and 'merciful' god would create a place of torment (hell).
na
2012-04-10 19:11:19 UTC
Most Christians as we know aren't perfect. As you can see they can generalize atheists by just giving excuses like those you have mentioned.



Don't be angry, there really is no sense in fighting with religious folk and expecting them to understand.



I have learned this through personal experience, and believe me this is probably the best thing I could've done.
Rick L
2012-04-10 19:21:12 UTC
Don't try to claim that you speak for me, or that you know what may or may not get atheists angry.



You speak in way too many broad generalizations:

"What we do object to"

"we do get angry "

"We've seen how faith is used "

"That bothers us"



You speak only for yourself, not other atheists, and presuming to do so is not only the height of arrogance, but it devalues your argument as well.
?
2012-04-10 19:10:03 UTC
I don't hold the perception that all atheists are angry, but obviously out of all the emotions tied in with what people say here, anger is the most overt.
?
2012-04-10 19:12:38 UTC
@Altruistic Atheist;

Well, be a little kind to God. I do not have any religion - but I don't call myself an atheist either - but all those critic to God... there's also a Satan, and God is just a person; if you had his powers, you couldn't do better. All evil comes from humans, or Satan if you believe in him (I don't).
anonymous
2012-04-10 19:07:24 UTC
Too long, Clanky!



I don't think you're angry. At least, I didn't until I saw this rant...



@Reginald: Alright, you've uncovered my secret. I am lividly wrathful towards the Flying Spaghetti Monster (sauce be upon him) and his stupid noodly appendage. Why won't He just leave me alone?
anonymous
2012-04-10 19:12:45 UTC
You are it's because you didn't have your way with something so you hate god for it and Atheists are always trying to argue with us and change our beliefs because misery loves company.
?
2012-04-10 19:12:11 UTC
because so many of you can not figure out how to make a paragraph or use the ..... to make your posts more user friendly and you get so frustratedthatyoujustgoonandonandonandonandonnandon..... so you take your frustrations out on innocent YA visitors
Flying Penguins.
2012-04-10 19:07:03 UTC
Holy wall of text batman!
anonymous
2012-04-10 19:07:06 UTC
Charles Darwin was mad at god. Because his daughter died he blamed it on god. Then he started to believe there wasn't a god. Because a real god would had saved his daughter.



Many Christian don't believe you are angry at god, But you push him away for a certain reason
anonymous
2012-04-10 19:08:22 UTC
You rant suggests otherwise
Reginald
2012-04-10 19:06:57 UTC
If we are angry at god, then christians are angry at odin, zeus and FSM


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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