Fundamentalist Atheism

[ScepticOrganism]

Perhaps I should have added this quote from Richard Dawkins in my OP.

"I am hostile to religion because of what it did to Kurt Wise. And if it did that to a Harvard educated geologist, just think what it can do to others less gifted and less well armed."

[Celestine]

Hello everyone, Hope you're all having a good day

I've often encountered individuals who parsimoniously claim that atheistic fundamentalism is an actual thing. But what does fundamentalism mean in the first place? According to dictionary.com, and several other lexicons, it is the strict adherence to any basic set of ideas or principles.

Just on that alone, you would get the impression that atheism is anything but fundamentalism. Atheists are intellectually flexible by nature. 

Any atheist would tell you that if sufficient evidence/scientific consensus becomes present, they would change their beliefs in a heartbeat. But I think the key phrase here is  " intellectually flexible by nature " With the emphasis being put on " Intellectually".

Sure, atheists might be willing to change their ideas based on reasoning and scientific/critical thinking, but what about those who harbor excessive hatred to not only religion itself, but to individuals who happen to follow it.

Does that in itself, constitute as fundamentalism?

1. atheism is only the adherence to one principle which is the disbelief in a god.
2. Just being an atheist does not make one intellectually flexible at all in fact I find this to be false for many atheists
3. Though almost all atheists would tell you that if sufficient evidence were presented they would change their mind this I can assure you is most certainly not the case, many atheists become stupendously stupid when faced with controversial subjects in which they become emotionally charged in, they thus refute all evidence presented to them.
4. Atheists who bear hatred for religions are illogical, hatred makes one blind to reason and biased, one should judge a person by their words and deeds, not their religion.
5. I believe strongly that many atheists have reached their conclusion that there is no god  not because it was the more rational choice to them, but because they thought it was either what all the cool kids were doing, or because they wanted to lead a more debauched life than what their previous religious beliefs allowed them to.

[vorlon13]

I suppose if I was fundamentalist atheist I wouldn't say (and type) Jesus Fucking Christ so often.

Jesus Fucking Christ, should I be concerned ??

[robvalue]

Celestine: I don't know what kind of atheists you've met, but they don't sound representative. Do you have some specific examples of the kind of evidence some atheists are ignoring?

You're an atheist, right?

[Chad32]

Yes, there are extremist atheists. No one can deny that. Minimalist is probably the best example of someone around here who has no patience for them, but he has to deal with the likes of Drich and GodsChild.

They deserveth to be shitteth upon.

I judgeth not. I only stateth the facts.

[Minimalist]

Yes, there are extremist atheists. No one can deny that. Minimalist is probably the best example of someone around here who has no patience for them, but he has to deal with the likes of Drich and GodsChild.

Min is actually a rather lovable bigot. He realizes not all theists deserve the same level of abuse, his level of bigotry scales with the theist.

But they all deserve some.

You wouldn't cook a steak as long as you'd cook a sausage.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Hello everyone, Hope you're all having a good day

I've often encountered individuals who parsimoniously claim that atheistic fundamentalism is an actual thing. But what does fundamentalism mean in the first place? According to dictionary.com, and several other lexicons, it is the strict adherence to any basic set of ideas or principles.

Just on that alone, you would get the impression that atheism is anything but fundamentalism. Atheists are intellectually flexible by nature. 

Any atheist would tell you that if sufficient evidence/scientific consensus becomes present, they would change their beliefs in a heartbeat. But I think the key phrase here is  " intellectually flexible by nature " With the emphasis being put on " Intellectually".

Sure, atheists might be willing to change their ideas based on reasoning and scientific/critical thinking, but what about those who harbor excessive hatred to not only religion itself, but to individuals who happen to follow it.

Does that in itself, constitute as fundamentalism?

1. atheism is only the adherence to one principle which is the disbelief in a god.
2. Just being an atheist does not make one intellectually flexible at all in fact I find this to be false for many atheists
3. Though almost all atheists would tell you that if sufficient evidence were presented they would change their mind this I can assure you is most certainly not the case, many atheists become stupendously stupid when faced with controversial subjects in which they become emotionally charged in, they thus refute all evidence presented to them.
4. Atheists who bear hatred for religions are illogical, hatred makes one blind to reason and biased, one should judge a person by their words and deeds, not their religion.
5. I believe strongly that many atheists have reached their conclusion that there is no god  not because it was the more rational choice to them, but because they thought it was either what all the cool kids were doing, or because they wanted to lead a more debauched life than what their previous religious beliefs allowed them to.

I agree with 2 & 4 (in that being an atheist doesn't actually mean anything beyond lack of belief as a minimum), 3 is speculation with a tinge of bitterness, 1 replaces lack of belief to active disbelief when in fact this is a sleight of hand to legitimise the claims made and infer denial, which is nonsense and dumb, 5 might just be stupidest thing I've ever read written by another human.

To educate you friend, not all atheists were once theists. I have never been religious and never harbored any belief in a deity, ever, and it's unlikely I ever will based on current precedents. Being an atheist in my country is not viewed as 'cool' or a way to wanting to lead a debauched life. What I was 6, which was when I first identified as being someone who didn't believe in the claims of gods being made to me, I wasn't thinking 'hmm, I wonder what I can do to be more hedonistic?' I was wondering why nobody was thinking about all the people killed in the flood when reading the 'good news' bible.

When theists post dumb shit like this, it makes me wonder why they don't take a step back and realise that it makes no sense at all. I presume you're a theist, so apologies if not, but in either case, I don't actually care.

[Celestine]

1. atheism is only the adherence to one principle which is the disbelief in a god.
2. Just being an atheist does not make one intellectually flexible at all in fact I find this to be false for many atheists
3. Though almost all atheists would tell you that if sufficient evidence were presented they would change their mind this I can assure you is most certainly not the case, many atheists become stupendously stupid when faced with controversial subjects in which they become emotionally charged in, they thus refute all evidence presented to them.
4. Atheists who bear hatred for religions are illogical, hatred makes one blind to reason and biased, one should judge a person by their words and deeds, not their religion.
5. I believe strongly that many atheists have reached their conclusion that there is no god  not because it was the more rational choice to them, but because they thought it was either what all the cool kids were doing, or because they wanted to lead a more debauched life than what their previous religious beliefs allowed them to.

I agree with  2 & 4 (in that being an atheist doesn't actually mean anything beyond lack of belief as a minimum), 3 is speculation with a tinge of bitterness, 1 replaces lack of belief to active disbelief when in fact this is a sleight of hand to legitimise the claims made and infer denial, which is nonsense and dumb, 5 might just be stupidest thing I've ever read written by another human.

To educate you friend, not all atheists were once theists. I have never been religious and never harbored any belief in a deity, ever, and it's unlikely I ever will based on current precedents. Being an atheist in my country is not viewed as 'cool' or a way to wanting to lead a debauched life. What I was 6, which was when I first identified as being someone who didn't believe in the claims of gods being made to me, I wasn't thinking 'hmm, I wonder what I can do to be more hedonistic?' I was wondering why nobody was thinking about all the people killed in the flood when reading the 'good news' bible. 

When theists post dumb shit like this, it makes me wonder why they don't take a step back and realise that it makes no sense at all. I presume you're a theist, so apologies if not, but in either case, I don't actually care.

A point on 5 did I say all? No. I said many, how many is many? at least a few, probably quite a few. Please don't get so chagrined, but there are atheists like that, am I saying you? Not at all, but I do not think people who identify themselves as atheists to be of any higher intellectual standard than anyone else, or at least not as a whole, surely there atheists out there who are smarter than some theists and the reverse would be true as well.

A point about 3. it was very stark realization.

Lastly I am an atheist, but I prefer to call myself a naturalist.

I can only guess from your response that you were emotionally hurt by my comment, that I threatened to disintegrate your illusions of superiority over your theistic brothers and sisters. Otherwise there would be no reason for the flack at the end of your post.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Qualify you quantification. Evidence your assertions plz. 'Many'= ? And justification for "?" Is what exactly? Your personal interaction online and in RL?

Bear in mind that if your reply is anything other than something people can analyse and inspect for themselves I do not care one iota, and neither will anyone else, and people will rightly be justified in concluded you have an axe to grind.

I agree 100% that being an atheist =/= 'more' intelligence however. I just fundamentally reject your insinuation that 'many' [???] atheists have reached their conclusion simply to indulge in a lifestyle I would infer for your description above that you find somehow questionable or indeed objectionable. This screams of someone having an inherent bias against a position thus making their position on it questionable.

[Silver]

Perhaps someone has been confusing militant atheism with fundamentalist atheism.