Atheists' Attitude?

[ApeNotKillApe]

Or they more often react defensively, they dodge around the question and they rationalize the absurd beliefs in the same way an alcoholic rationalizes drinking.

I look at it as a spectrum, similar to 5 stages of grief.

1. Denial - outright rejecting the possibility of the belief being erroneous. Theists at this stage tend to think other people don't share their faith, because they don't know it or don't understand it.

2. Anger - upon realization, that disbelief can withstand their limited assortment of arguments, theists begin to lash out, or assume a condescending, passive-aggressive posture, trying to present the opposition as inferior to themselves, intellectually, or morally. Physical violence is not out of the question, depending on the natural tendencies of the individual and physical proximity of un-believers.

3. Bargaining - when anger doesn't have the expected results, it's time to rationalize the beliefs, massage them to suit current social standards and try find a place for them in the gaps of scientific knowledge.

4. Depression - that's when they just shut themselves off from the discussion, defiantly clutching what remains of their beliefs.

5. Acceptance - when they finally come to terms with the core of their beliefs being irrational and fairly irrelevant.
They may keep their faith, but they don't push it on other people. Most theists die way before reaching this stage...

I had this thought a while ago that, well, you know how they're always saying things like 'atheism is a religion' and they try to claim that we place 'faith' in reason and other shit. It puts me in mind of a heroin addict confronted by a concerned friend, rationalizing his use of the drug in the manner of: "So what if I use heroin? You smoke weed! And weed is a drug, just like smack.'

No it isn't, imaginary stand in, no it isn't.