Atheists (or Non-christians) Are Horrible People!

[Dakota]

The topic may mislead you into thinking I believe atheists are horrible people. Sorry about that, but it grabbed your attention didn't it?

 

After spending many months reading the forums before I actualy began to post, the one thing that struck me was how kind and generous the people on here were.

 

When I was a Christian I was always told how atheists were evil, mean people, who would laugh at you and be nasty to you. I know some atheists do laugh at christians and call them names (I'm an atheist who does that from time to time) But the Christians generally deserve it, if not instigated it.

 

I have never met a more open, honest, or kinder bunch of people, than I have on this forum. I have never been treated with hostility or disrespect once since having come here, even when I admitted I had lied in another post.

 

This makes me wonder why Christians preach that atheists are horrible people, in my opinion, I have met tons of Christians who were the rudest, nastiest people, but have yet to be treated badly by an atheist.

 

What do you all think?

[Everglaze]

Christians preach about how horrible Atheists are, because Christians don't want to lead their fellow brethrens astray. According to many Christians, Atheists are bad influence, because they abide with activities that the Bible says is "Evil" or "Sinful." Such absurdity is the process of brainwash. A lot of Christians are rude, because they develop arrogance along the lines of, "I'm a Christian. I'm a child of God. Sinners are below me." There is no "love" in the "God" that they worship and maybe that's what also emulates their behaviour. They're loveless just as their "Father." Funny how the Bible teaches that without "Love" there is no benefit in the end or something. It's in the Corinthians. They're confused. The Bible says that Christians should stay away from people who do certain sinful activities, yet the Bible also says to preach to them? That's ridiculous, seeing how so many Christians show that hateful attitude in the first place that makes me lose respect for them. "Holier than thou" or something.

[StewartP]

but have yet to be treated badly by an atheist.

 

Well, just wait a while.

 

People are people, there's good, bad, and ugly. And I'm certain there are some atheists that are absolute shits. You just haven't come across them yet.

 

I can't remember the source of the quote but it goes something like "People are not chocolates, they are bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with a bastard filling"

 

 

I'm not that cynical, but I do think it would be unwise to trust any group of people implicitly, on the basis of their worldview.

[Lycorth]

Xians accuse Atheists of being so evil, but even in that the Xians are showing their true colors, that of prejudice and judgementalism.

 

There are Atheists who are assholes and Xians who are, and Atheists and Xians who both use their beliefs to justify their rotten attitudes.

 

But when you have Atheism, which encourages people to think for themselves, and Xianity which encourages people to be hateful jerks like their god is, it's no wonder more trash is found amongst the Xian camp.

[roman]

Some atheists are impatient. Some atheists are old people who cannot suffer fools gladly. Sometimes this is mistaken for rudeness.

 

Sometimes older atheists get barked at by Young Pups who are infected with the dread disease of Internet Anonymity and/or Belonging To The Popular Crowdism. In his/her reply to such, a mature atheist is often even more impatient than usual. Any or all of this frequently results in misunderstandings.

[godlessgrrl]

I think Xians say that atheists are awful people for a few reasons.

 

I remember when I was a Xian that atheists were like these weird foreign people who were diametrically opposed to everything Xians held dear. Like they were aliens from Mars or something, they were so different from Xians. I don't remember my church communities saying much about atheists really being awful, it was more like this sort of pity thing going on, because atheists didn't have Jesus and so were blind and unhappy, even though they didn't know it, so we were supposed to feel sorry for them.

 

There was just so much ignorance about it, it kind of amazes me now, looking back on it. I mean shit, I sure didn't know any outed atheists when I was Xian, and I don't think many of my fellow churchgoers did either. Although I can also look back and think about the people I knew, and retroactively realize that a lot of them were indeed atheists, or at least hard agnostics. And they were pretty cool people.

 

Maybe Xians vilify atheists because they want to make us seem like something "other". And something dangerous, so good little newbie Xians won't ever be tempted to actually talk to any atheists and get any ideas about how wrong the meme is.

 

And hell, maybe some Xians are just assholes and hate everybody who isn't like them anyway, atheist or not. And maybe some atheists are assholes too, and earn their reputation for being dicks.

 

Hmm, it just occurred to me that vilifying nonbelievers might also be a regional thing. I mean I live in Washington state, I was born & raised here, and though there are certainly plenty of Xians around, apparently we've got the highest percentage of folks who consider themselves "nonreligious" out of any state in the nation. Being diehard religious just isn't what folks do around here. Even most of the Xians are pretty mellow about nonbelievers, and non-Xians aren't afraid to assert their rights if they should be challenged, generally. So you get some wackjobs here but the overall flavor of WA isn't the "vilify atheists" flavor.

 

Until you get to Eastern WA, and then it's a different game entirely.

 

Anyway.

[Kurari]

I've met several athiests here who display the same worst traits we dislike in Christians. They are every bit as rude, snobbish, elitist, stubborn, and childish.

 

But several out of the what? Hundreds on this board is a pretty small number. I used to think athiests were bad people too simply because everybody said so (plus my brother is one, and he's really kind of fucked up in general so that kind of compounded my opinion). But I've learned a lot on this board, met a lot of awesome and very caring people, and I've pretty much deconverted into an athiest myself.

[Dave]

....This makes me wonder why Christians preach that atheists are horrible people, in my opinion, I have met tons of Christians who were the rudest, nastiest people, but have yet to be treated badly by an atheist.

 

What do you all think?

I think that people are more important than gods. Christians believe otherwise. You can see the difference it makes.

 

 

I've met several athiests here who display the same worst traits we dislike in Christians. They are every bit as rude, snobbish, elitist, stubborn, and childish.

Probably because you are projecting what you don't like about yourself into them. You also fail to realize that those you despise so much see those exact same traits that you project into them, in you.

[Dakota]

but have yet to be treated badly by an atheist.

 

Well, just wait a while.

 

People are people, there's good, bad, and ugly. And I'm certain there are some atheists that are absolute shits. You just haven't come across them yet.

 

I can't remember the source of the quote but it goes something like "People are not chocolates, they are bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with a bastard filling"

 

 

I'm not that cynical, but I do think it would be unwise to trust any group of people implicitly, on the basis of their worldview.

 

I hope I haven't given the impression I believe all atheists to be perfect, wonderful people. I don't, I know bad people come in all colors, shapes, and religions. I'm an atheist and I have been mean to people! I was just stating that as far as this forum is concerned, I have only seen christians being assholes, very few atheists being assholes unwarranted.

[riverbank]

 

Well, just wait a while.

 

People are people, there's good, bad, and ugly. And I'm certain there are some atheists that are absolute shits. You just haven't come across them yet.

 

 

I pretty much agree on that one. I think that maybe we are a bit surprised that some Christians act as complete twats, but that probably just goes to prove that Christianity and religion in general doesn't make that much difference to a person's character.

[Kurari]

 

I've met several athiests here who display the same worst traits we dislike in Christians. They are every bit as rude, snobbish, elitist, stubborn, and childish.

Probably because you are projecting what you don't like about yourself into them. You also fail to realize that those you despise so much see those exact same traits that you project into them, in you.

 

We speak for ourselves and others can draw their own conclusions. As for you and me, you are just a bunch of words on a screen to me and I'm about to turn you off and go fix some lunch. Bye now.

[MeiPassion]

When I was growing up as a Christian I wasn't really taught that Athiest are bad people or any other non-Christian for that matter. But I was taught that I was superior Athiests or that I was superior to non-Christians because I was "a child of God."

 

The problem with the "child of God" nonsense is that you suddenly have this sense of entitlement. And I think that's why alot of Christians are self-rightous jerks.

[Amethyst]

I was taught that also while growing up. I think a lot of that is because Christians are afraid that there wasn't such a stigma against atheists, more people would be openly atheist and the church would be threatened by it. Of course, anyone can do good or bad things. It does not depend on one's religion, or even lack thereof.

[Curtdude]

I've found there are good and bad in any group. The problem I have w/ christians is that they claim to be filled w/ the regenerative Spirit of the Almighty Lord - you'd think it would make at least the assholes in that group act a bit better, and in general make christians' level of judgment about the "outside world" less offensive. Doesn't seem to, but I haven't seen a double blind study proving as such.

 

As far as the folks at ex-c go, we seem to fit into the "some are very cool customers (I like them alot), some are rude jerks (I can live w/out 'em), and most are in between (probably me)." I think most of the hostile rudeness would disappear if the anonymity of the Internet was not a factor.

[R. S. Martin]

All my life I wanted to know what people believe who don't believe in God. Several years ago I finally met a professing agnostic. I observed that man like an insect under magnifying glass. I was stunned when I saw him practice out-right compassion and sympathy for his wife.

 

Why did that stun me? Because I, too, was raised with the dark paintings of unbelievers. After quite a few years I have finally found non-church-goers who are just as mean and nasty and prejudiced as the Christians where I lived most of my life. And yes, one of these is an atheist.

 

I don't know how the guy on this thread identifies but I really liked the way Kurari handled things.

 

In anthropology I learned that it is human nature to think the "outsider" or "other" is in some way inferior. I think that is what is going on with the Christian-atheist thing. Plus, they justify the prejudice with religion.

[Dave]

....We speak for ourselves and others can draw their own conclusions....

And it seems that you have become what you rale against in others.

[Seth C Triggs]

....We speak for ourselves and others can draw their own conclusions....

And it seems that you have become what you rale against in others.

 

'fraid I don't understand your banter, chap.

 

Kurari isn't intimating that you're stupid for being atheist, from what I can interpret here.

 

It's clear that the issue here is your behavior. You started out with the hostilities. Intimating that someone is stupid for not interpreting everything the same way you do is seriously not cool for atheism. I realize it can work in other contexts (like politics) but this is a bit much for ontology.

 

The problem is that the world really is infinite. As such it is impossible for science (and materialism) to have an answer for everything. We just don't have enough information to necessarily discount outright someone's experience. Who knows, there could even be some sort of metaphysical thing at play. I don't necessarily disbelieve it because...well...how can I test someone's actual experience and memory?

 

-Seth

[Lycorth]

Got to agree with Seth an Kurari.

 

Dave, you're pitching a fit because you think all Atheists are flawless individuals and Kurari challenged you on that.

 

You just proved her right by acting like a rude, snobbish, stubborn, childish elitist.

 

Now quit making us all look bad.

[Kurari]

....We speak for ourselves and others can draw their own conclusions....

And it seems that you have become what you rale against in others.

 

Yet once again you are the one drawing fire while I'm drawing support. You speak volumes better about your own behavior than I can with the fact you are following me around this forum like a petulant child and spamming Asimov's thread with your parroted armchair psychobabble.

 

Thank you Ruby, Seth, and Varokhar.

[truth]

I haven't really known a lot of atheists or at least ones that were openly atheists. I do remember my mother telling me that a neighbor was an "agnostic" and somehow that seemed to be bad.. I think also some relatives were also athiests... but were painted in the light that my great aunt got mad at god when her young son was killed and shook her hand and cursed god...and then never believed in god again...is how the story is told on the christian side of my family. We didn't have much to do with that side of the family...not sure exactly why.. maybe my great aunt didn't want christianity shoved down her throat by my religious grandmother who had since found religion.

 

I did have a friend in school who was an athiest that I would argue and debate with all the time. But that was my limitations of such people... I wasn't taught that they were horrible but more as ooooo they don't believe in god they are sinners and going to hell..more how dare they not believe.

 

I do now have one good friend who is an atheist, with secular human values. He is definilty not a horrible person at all but a very good person with good values..which I found myself agreeing more with secular humanist values than my so called christian values...

 

I have known and do know lots of christian people, some are very good people and others are truly horrible people. I have been hurt tremendoulsy over the years by various christian people. And at the moment am not too found of christians as a whole but there is the odd one or too that are ok..

 

 

I am sure that there are some horrible atheists out there.. such as in any population there are people of all sorts out there.

 

I would really like to get to know more atheists so I could form a better opinion.. as well as to expand my circle to include less christians who are constantly judging me and asking me to come to church and praying for my soul i am sure too...

[Evelyn]

One of my brothers is an atheist and he's gotten into disputes with my other siblings, who are fundies, so they think he's awful. My siblings don't know I've deconverted and, besides being concerned with how they would react if I told them, I don't want them to lump me in with my atheist brother and have them think that I'll act as he has.

 

We are all responsible for our own actions and their consequences, regardless of our beliefs or lack thereof, so I prefer to to be judged on my actions and my behavior and not because I might fit into a category. I try to do the same to others - are they nice or are they jerks? What their religious beliefs are is low priority for me.

[Dave]

....We speak for ourselves and others can draw their own conclusions....

And it seems that you have become what you rale against in others.

'fraid I don't understand your banter, chap.

 

Kurari isn't intimating that you're stupid for being atheist, from what I can interpret here.

 

It's clear that the issue here is your behavior. ......

No, the issue is HER behavior and attitude. Where is it written that I MUST act in a way that she demands I MUST. And she is the one that has been attacking people, calling them names, and such, not me. I have not said anyone is stupid for not "interpreting" things "my" way, nor have I even hinted at such a thing.

 

Yes, what she is doing works great in politics, but she is giving us Atheist a bad name with her demands.

 

 

Got to agree with Seth an Kurari.

Of course, it's safer to side with them.

Dave, you're pitching a fit because you think all Atheists are flawless individuals and Kurari challenged you on that.

What a load of crap. I never said anything about Atheists being flawless. Why did you make that up?

You just proved her right by acting like a rude, snobbish, stubborn, childish elitist.

 

Now quit making us all look bad.

Yes, I disagreed with someone and proved them wrong. Some Atheists just can't handle that. That's their problem, not mine. And look how you guys are now acting; like rude, snobbish, stubborn, childish elitists.

 

 

Yet once again you are the one drawing fire while I'm drawing support.

Of course. Manus manum lavat.

[Lycorth]

In her first post, she said that she has seen some Atheists who are jerks, but mostly met nice ones, especially here.

 

Your response was to quote only the part of her post where she mentioned that she has seen some jerk Atheists and then go out on a limb and accuse her of "projecting" her bad qualities (without bothering to prove that she has them to begin with) onto others. All without her having said a word to you to initiate hostilities.

 

Now make nice or give it a rest

[Fonkey]

I agree that people will be people. A rude christian, once deconverted, will probably become a rude atheist. Myself, I was a really elitist Christian. Now I'm an elitist atheist. Some things never change.

 

But I will say that my experiences on this board so far seem to indicate that non-christians tend to be more rude, angry, and negative than christians. HOWEVER, I think that's probably because the internet tends to bring out the worst in people. Mos of my Christian acquaintances I know in the real world, while the only meaningful communication I have with non-christians is on the web.

 

http://www.ishkur.com/posters/internet.jpg

[R. S. Martin]

Fonkey, you must have known extra-ordinarily nice Christians.