(July 20, 2014 at 10:41 pm)GalacticBusDriver Wrote:

(July 20, 2014 at 10:21 pm)Blackout Wrote: The typical 'you're just an agnostic, not an atheist' or 'you're no an atheist, you're just mad at god or haven't found him yet'.

I usually respond to this particular bullshit with:
"You're fucking right I haven't found him. Because he's not fucking there."

Usually shuts 'em up.

Their belief that god exists is so certain that anyone who doesn't share it is against god, it makes sense in their dull minds since they are positive their god is real, so all people who disagree are against their gods and deserve hell.

I never quite understood the other argument of 'How can you not believe in god?' as if it was supposed to claim a standard and make atheism seem like an abnormal position.

The stereotypical atheist that brings the most attention from my observations is a middle-class white teenage male.

(July 20, 2014 at 11:20 pm)Polaris Wrote: The stereotypical atheist that brings the most attention from my observations is a middle-class white teenage male.

Yeah, I think I've met that guy before, and usually it's his father he wants to annoy the most. Usually he'll grow out of the strutting.

(July 20, 2014 at 4:09 pm)Blackout Wrote: I always find fascinating how all believers of a specific religion believe their faith is the one and only truthful to god. After all, shouldn't a person wonder 'I preach this, but the other guy preaches another stuff, this other stuff claims to be right too, why?

They do wonder about the differences. The answer is simple: Satan has corrupted all opposing views.

(July 20, 2014 at 4:02 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Well, to be fair, don't we, as atheists, tend to stereotype Christians and other believers? Be honest - we're notorious for painting believers with a VERY broad brush.

Boru

No one should stereotype others. But there is a huge difference between hate of a claim, or a concept, and hate of a group. Religion starts with naked assertions, it sets up in group vs out group, and that group think infects politics at a very dangerous and divisive level.

Penn Jillette said "Don't hate the faithful hate faith itself". I think it is perfectly reasonable to hate claims that are not backed up by evidence, and hate actions of humans that are based on those naked assertions.

Political correctness and setting up taboos out of some well intended sense of fairness does nothing to get to the knowledge of reality or our common existence. Not all claims are equal even if you agree to the human right to make a claim. Humans deserve the right to make whatever claims they want but that does not mean the claim itself deserves blind value.