I actually had an occurrence today with a Christian insulting me due to the fact that I am Atheist. The sad part is, she probably doesn't even think of it as insulting me. In her eyes I am a poor lost soul that needs saving. I was reaching out to her to give her some advice on her troubled teen. I myself was a troubled teen years ago and I thought my opinion would be of great help to her. She said "Thank you, but your story is always in the front of my mind. We don't want [insert her daughter's name here] to stray from the faith as you did." She worries everyday that her daughter will end up a non-believer like me. So pretty much my recovery and my positive outcome in life after a very difficult childhood did not matter to her.

Although I am successful financially, I am more than happy with my family and myself, she views my path in life as failure because I have converted from Christianity to Atheism. Christians are allowed to insult Atheists, but if an Atheist even just questions Christianity we are "attacking" them or insulting them. Often times I just want to engage in a healthy debate. I don't disrespect people's personal beliefs. But as I spend more time as an Atheist I realize that Christians are the most judgmental group of all.

(September 18, 2015 at 5:57 pm)KatieRoseOli Wrote: But as I spend more time as an Atheist I realize that Christians are the most judgmental group of all.

Some are. Most of them aren't.

It's the same with every group feeling the need to rally behind a flag. Radicalism is usually a sign of feeling insecure when left to their own devices. They need a group to identify with and the possible absence of that group frightens them more than anything else in their lives.

(September 18, 2015 at 5:57 pm)KatieRoseOli Wrote: I actually had an occurrence today with a Christian insulting me due to the fact that I am Atheist. The sad part is, she probably doesn't even think of it as insulting me. In her eyes I am a poor lost soul that needs saving. I was reaching out to her to give her some advice on her troubled teen. I myself was a troubled teen years ago and I thought my opinion would be of great help to her. She said "Thank you, but your story is always in the front of my mind. We don't want [insert her daughter's name here] to stray from the faith as you did." She worries everyday that her daughter will end up a non-believer like me. So pretty much my recovery and my positive outcome in life after a very difficult childhood did not matter to her.

Although I am successful financially, I am more than happy with my family and myself, she views my path in life as failure because I have converted from Christianity to Atheism. Christians are allowed to insult Atheists, but if an Atheist even just questions Christianity we are "attacking" them or insulting them. Often times I just want to engage in a healthy debate. I don't disrespect people's personal beliefs. But as I spend more time as an Atheist I realize that Christians are the most judgmental group of all.

It’s hard to pin down what group of anything that large is the most judgmental. Islam has some judgmental groups as well, that are willing to kill you, because of what you believe.

On the rare occasion a conversation was struck up in church (where I was a bystander), it would be about religion, and atheism was brought up most of the times as well as islam. These people would make fun of atheists for not believing in god, and I remember rolling my eyes at them every time. I remember thinking, they have no evidence for god, so how can you expect them to believe if god hasn’t revealed himself to them? (My standards of evidence for how I thought I knew god were more moronic, at best)

But, no doubt there are some insanely brainwashed christians out there, that are so judgmental they don’t even realize how full of hate they are towards other groups, because they think god is on their side. Even the ones that appear nice and friendly, the moment they find out that you’re an atheist, their whole expression changes, and you can tell that they want nothing to do with you. And, even the “nice” ones can think being gay is wrong, and they take other moronic moral positions like that, that you just have to lose respect for them as a person, not just because of their religious views. Although, it is their stupid, evil religion that is causing them to think this way.

Quote: I don't disrespect people's personal beliefs. But as I spend more time as an Atheist I realize that Christians are the most judgmental group of all.

Great first post, Katie.  Why don't you do an introduction?  You seem to have figured those people out quite well.  And I think you are right.  They don't think they are scumbags because they think 'god' is on their side.

It is hard to tolerate their attitude and I am one of the worst offenders - and proudly so - because they have nothing to say but the same old tired horseshit that they think is so profound...and it isn't.

I cannot take adults seriously who think they have an invisible friend.  That's a level of arrogance and stupidity which can't survive unopposed.  And if shits like Randy don't like me I regard that as a badge of honor.

(September 17, 2015 at 3:52 pm)JesusHChrist Wrote:

Yep, pretty much.

And somehow we're the loud ones.

Randy, I see you've learned nothing during your vacation. 

(September 18, 2015 at 2:20 pm)abaris Wrote:

(September 18, 2015 at 2:19 pm)lkingpinl Wrote: Gorgeous.  Love European Architecture.  Is that Austria?  

Vienna, 7th district. Building is from the late 19th century.

I saw that picture and thought we had Kafka's banker posting here!

(September 18, 2015 at 2:49 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:

(September 18, 2015 at 2:41 pm)Parkers Tan Wrote: Calling someone fake is is not a "mild rebuke", by my lights.

Agreed. It's not a swear word, but it's still probably one of the worst things you can call someone, imho.

It's much worse than cussing, I think, because it impugns someone's integrity.

(September 18, 2015 at 6:59 pm)Parkers Tan Wrote:

(September 18, 2015 at 2:49 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Agreed. It's not a swear word, but it's still probably one of the worst things you can call someone, imho.

It's much worse than cussing, I think, because it impugns someone's integrity.

Exactly.

(September 18, 2015 at 4:55 pm)Jenny A Wrote: So where is the OP? Or is this another shit and run thread?

I'm wondering if he's not embarrassed by the general sense of congeniality between believers and non-believers here, and how that reflects on his OP.

(September 18, 2015 at 12:07 pm)Drich Wrote: The only draw back is leaving before or not hitting back as hard as one is trying to hit you. I tried to live and let live a long time ago, but far too many times my kindness was mistaken as weakness and my message was more often than not was over run by the yappers and snipers/red herring-ists.