I just became a member and this is my first post. I have read a few of the other strings and I enjoy the debates. There are clearly a good number of well educated people contributing and it amazes me how well people are able to state their point of views and are able to back them up with facts. OK… enough sunshine.
My concern here is that I may be an “angry atheist” (to coin a term found in other topics). I don’t like it. I find myself quickly judging others as soon as I learn that they have a belief in a god… especially Christians. I can’t help but think that these are the same feelings that Protestants and Catholics have towards each other in Ireland with the only exception being that some of them feel a need to kill people with opposing views.
On one hand, I want everyone to just accept each other’s beliefs but on the other hand, I immediately lose respect for people with beliefs other than my own. Am I as bad as they are? (I know the answer is “Yes”).

Jabbajaw111 - 04 January 2013 01:49 PM

I just became a member and this is my first post. I have read a few of the other strings and I enjoy the debates. There are clearly a good number of well educated people contributing and it amazes me how well people are able to state their point of views and are able to back them up with facts. OK… enough sunshine.
My concern here is that I may be an “angry atheist” (to coin a term found in other topics). I don’t like it. I find myself quickly judging others as soon as I learn that they have a belief in a god… especially Christians. I can’t help but think that these are the same feelings that Protestants and Catholics have towards each other in Ireland with the only exception being that some of them feel a need to kill people with opposing views.
On one hand, I want everyone to just accept each other’s beliefs but on the other hand, I immediately lose respect for people with beliefs other than my own. Am I as bad as they are? (I know the answer is “Yes”).

I don’t know if you are as “bad as they are.”  IMO People should be judged on their actions not on their beliefs in a particular theology or philosophy.  Are they making the world around them a better place?  “Help thy neighbors” is much more than a merely religligous dictate.

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks Gary,
To further demonstrate my point, even theists who “Help thy neighbors” piss me off. In fact, it bothers me even more when Christian Charity groups get together to save some poor village in Haiti. Why do they have to associate themselves with a religious affiliation? I always get the feeling they are trying to say “Christians care about other people, so we are better than you”. Don’t get me wrong, I make my own contributions to charities but I make sure that there is no religious affiliation… maybe I’d feel better if the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation identified as an Atheist organization.

I think your problem, J., is that you expect people to think and behave rationally, and if they do something you consider damaging to others you assume they are “evil” or “bad”.  There is no rational reason to be a theist, but when one is brainwashed as a child or later when one is under stress, one accepts it purely emotionally and without reason.  Further, it then is inaccessible to their reason.  It’s quite unfortunate, but you’d do better feeling sorry for them rather than blaming them. 

I agree, in that I contribute to and support only those organizations and companies which have demonstrated views consenant with mine, economically, socially, politically, morally and religiously.  Although I’ve been a member of the local YMCA for eleven years so I can use their exercise facilities, and I’m delighted that one would be hard pressed to find any religious stuff there.  Recently they even changed their name to “The Y”.

I’m open about my atheism, but I don’t argue or proselytize.  However, if someone tries to convert me, then all bets are off.  I’ll be courteous but very strong in my arguments to point out the irrationallity of theism.

Besides, why let them get to you?  It’s better for your own emotional happiness if you just shrug and let them be. 

Occam

Jabbajaw111 - 04 January 2013 01:49 PM

I just became a member and this is my first post. I have read a few of the other strings and I enjoy the debates. There are clearly a good number of well educated people contributing and it amazes me how well people are able to state their point of views and are able to back them up with facts. OK… enough sunshine.
My concern here is that I may be an “angry atheist” (to coin a term found in other topics). I don’t like it. I find myself quickly judging others as soon as I learn that they have a belief in a god… especially Christians. I can’t help but think that these are the same feelings that Protestants and Catholics have towards each other in Ireland with the only exception being that some of them feel a need to kill people with opposing views.
On one hand, I want everyone to just accept each other’s beliefs but on the other hand, I immediately lose respect for people with beliefs other than my own. Am I as bad as they are? (I know the answer is “Yes”).

Do you believe that theists are evil?  If not, then you are not as bad as theists. They believe you are evil, because you are an atheist.

I don’t hate theists, I fear them. As long as their delusion is beneficial, fine. When the delusion gives permission to kill someone else, I worry.

Jabbajaw111 - 04 January 2013 02:24 PM

Thanks Gary,
To further demonstrate my point, even theists who “Help thy neighbors” piss me off. In fact, it bothers me even more when Christian Charity groups get together to save some poor village in Haiti. Why do they have to associate themselves with a religious affiliation? I always get the feeling they are trying to say “Christians care about other people, so we are better than you”. Don’t get me wrong, I make my own contributions to charities but I make sure that there is no religious affiliation… maybe I’d feel better if the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation identified as an Atheist organization.

Well, what if a football or baseball team did the same thing? Or a city or country? Would that piss you off? If so, it’s nothing about theism in particular.

If it is about theists in particular, then it might help to try to figure out what the problem is that’s pissing you off about theism. You might say: “Well, theism is false.” OK, but so are a lot of beliefs, like 9/11 trutherism, belief that the moon landings were a hoax, belief in bigfoot or alien abductions, etc. True, people who believe in alien abductions don’t generally give aid to Haiti on behalf of the aliens, but if they were to do so, at least they would be doing some good.

I can see that one might be annoyed that people could gain support by doing ethically good things on behalf of false beliefs. Perhaps that’s the issue. But then the problem is the false beliefs rather than what they do with them. And then there are lots of false beliefs that aren’t theistic. Not to say we shouldn’t point out the falsity of theism, but just to say that one can perhaps put theism in context: it’s not the be-all and end-all of false beliefs.

Great comments. I actually feel a bit better about my uncontrollable stereotyping of theists.
I also think Doug makes good points about false beliefs with one exception… Bigfoot is real… and he watches every move we make.
Thanks for the feedback!

Jabbajaw111 - 04 January 2013 01:49 PM

I just became a member and this is my first post. I have read a few of the other strings and I enjoy the debates. There are clearly a good number of well educated people contributing and it amazes me how well people are able to state their point of views and are able to back them up with facts. OK… enough sunshine.
My concern here is that I may be an “angry atheist” (to coin a term found in other topics). I don’t like it. I find myself quickly judging others as soon as I learn that they have a belief in a god… especially Christians. I can’t help but think that these are the same feelings that Protestants and Catholics have towards each other in Ireland with the only exception being that some of them feel a need to kill people with opposing views.
On one hand, I want everyone to just accept each other’s beliefs but on the other hand, I immediately lose respect for people with beliefs other than my own. Am I as bad as they are? (I know the answer is “Yes”).

Yes, you are as bad as them!

But we all are. I also tend to look down on passionate theists, I sort of imagine they look down on me the same way. It’s already been said by Gary, but what you do is more important then what you feel, or say.

However, if you’re truly an “angry atheist”, there may be something more going on.

Jabbajaw111 - 04 January 2013 07:09 PM

Great comments. I actually feel a bit better about my uncontrollable stereotyping of theists.
I also think Doug makes good points about false beliefs with one exception… Bigfoot is real… and he watches every move we make.
Thanks for the feedback!

And he collects the screams of our children to power his monstrous city!

Jabbajaw111 - 04 January 2013 07:09 PM

Great comments. I actually feel a bit better about my uncontrollable stereotyping of theists.
I also think Doug makes good points about false beliefs with one exception… Bigfoot is real… and he watches every move we make.
Thanks for the feedback!

I have a staute ofm Big Foot in my shrine to one of the true “gods” Moola.

“Moola dosen’t care to be worshiped, but demands respect.”

Moola’s comandment -

BALANCE YOUR CHECKBOOK.