"I disagree with you, but i don't think you're Hitler"

[thesummerqueen]

If anyone cares about my REAL opinion, I don't think eliminating the douchebags will change the stereotype. I think all of the reasonable, cordial, ethical and wonderful atheists there are in the world "coming out" would do way more to open people's eyes to how 'normal' they really are. After all...it's the sheer number of Christians that allows us to see the mix of good and bad, yeah?

I think this view is somewhat naive and optimistic. The stereotype of the atheist (rude, depressed, malcontent, etc.) is perpetuated more because it is politically and psychologically useful to those in-groups who are threatened by atheism and free-thought. It isn't going to go away, no matter how well we behave. Before the rancorous splash of the four horsemen of the new atheism, theists were regularly painting Madalyn Murray O'Hair as a devil in a dress. Demonizing out-groups and other threats is at the core of many religions' blueprint for survival. God didn't waste a second after liberating his chosen from Egypt to turn them loose upon a mass of Canaanites whose only real crime was that they were in the way. (Not that any of the conquest of Canaan actually happened, but regardless it was important enough to set a precedent for the attitude, even if it was not based on real events.)

I'm a hopeless optimist, sure, but word on the street in homophobic town, NC is that the sheer number of gays is making it "okay" to be gay, and "that's why they're allowin' them to run the streets!" When people are exposed to an idea enough, and they realize it's not as bad as they thought, they come to accept it into their lives a little more willingly. Then you're left with the problem of "do I believe fox news, or do I realize that my neighbor who just made me cookies is probably not a bad person?"

If it wasn't religion or lack thereof, people would find different barriers between themselves to suit their purposes.

[reverendjeremiah]

Found on a quick youtube comments search. Yes it's not too bad but it really does show not disagreement, but blind hatred, which is never good. Especially the "fuck God" really does not help the mindset that atheists are only hating God for no rational reason.

The problem is not necessarily the comments themselves, it's the mindset behind them. The condescension and the spite is what i find wrong.

Really? So atheists cant be honest? I have read the bible, and I can honestly say that I hate that God. I have read the koran (well, almost all of it) and I can honestly say that I hate Allah and Muhammad. The gods of the judaic based religions are pricks. I would not worship them even if clear evidence that they existed was presented to me right here and right now. Their books say the most AWFUL things about non-believers, women, gays, and people who arent Hebrew or Christian or Muslim or Arab. Racism runs rampant in those books. And every solution to any problem in those books is "KILL THEM!" One of the BIGGEST reasons why I am an atheist is because all of the gods I have read about are merciless, petty dick wads that are not worth worshipping.

So you tell me, since you are pushing this so much..are the Christians going to take an atheists word? Or are they going to take the "word of the lord" that says about atheists"they are fools, they do no good, not a single one"? .

We fight this war with two weapons: Raising awareness of unpopular sounding verses, and endless mocking. Why? Because bullshit deserves to be exposed and then ridiculed.

[Autumnlicious]

Don't you see? Rwandrall feels fit to criticize us, and we should listen!

[Rwandrall]

First, in no way, shape or form do i force people to behave a certain way. I merely state my reasons for thinking some behaviors are harmful. That's all i do. So saying "you think we SHOULD" or "CANT be honest". You can do whatever you want, but i am perfectly in my right to disagree with your actions.

Now, reverendjeremiah, most Christians are not insane god-freaks that actually follow what the Bible says. Hell most don't know shit about their religion except 1. Jesus was a cool dude, 2. Commandements (kindda), 3. If you're good, you go to Heaven. That's about it. Even Hell is a very blurry concept for most. Maybe it's different in America, but i can tell you that in Europe where i live, and South-East Asia where i used to live, that is how things are.

Now with your two weapons, i don't think that this is our main tools. Mocking, when badly executed, is a main reason why this stereotype of atheists persists, and again we need to make people see that we are not douchebags if we want them to listen to us.

Finally, it is perfectly fine even to mock their beliefs and even if i find it unproductive i do not condemn it in any way. You can make fun of their beliefs all you want. What i object to is mainly blanket generalizations, and ad hominem attacks.

[Jaysyn]

Now, reverendjeremiah, most Christians are not insane god-freaks that actually follow what the Bible says. Hell most don't know shit about their religion except 1. Jesus was a cool dude, 2. Commandements (kindda), 3. If you're good, you go to Heaven. That's about it. Even Hell is a very blurry concept for most. Maybe it's different in America, but i can tell you that in Europe where i live, and South-East Asia where i used to live, that is how things are.

Again, come live in the american south & you'll see how far off base you are.

[Rwandrall]

Again, come live in the american south & you'll see how far off base you are.

I said in my post that it may be different in America ^^
The American south is a very, very small part of the developed world. And not everyone in those areas is a Jesus-freak either. You can't put all theists under this standard.

[Jaysyn]

Again, come live in the american south & you'll see how far off base you are.

I said in my post that it may be different in America ^^
The American south is a very, very small part of the developed world. And not everyone in those areas is a Jesus-freak either. You can't put all theists under this standard.

Sure I can. Religion has been directly responsible for more evil, death & failure of human progress than any other force on Earth. You are crazy if you think I should respect their backward-assed notions for even a moment, just because their precious little feelings might be hurt.

[Rwandrall]

Religion has been responsible for a lot of harm. However the religious themselves are not all murderers and bigots. And Christianity did bring us notions like the sanctity of life, equality, and compassion that did not exist beforehand. NOTHING is all black or all white. And saying religion is the source of all evil is simply not true.

Also nowhere did i say you should respect their beliefs. What i am saying is that large generalizations and ad hominem attacks are things that need to be avoided.

And why all the deal about "their precious little feelings" ? Do you honestly think that insulting their God is going to make them UPSET ? No, all you are going to do is make them think you are an idiot. Or you're going to make them angry at you. How is that any good ? How does that further the dialogue in any way ?

There is a reason why people, when debating, do not throw insults at each other. It is because if everyone is shouting, no one is actually listening to anything the other has to say.

[Jaysyn]

Religion has been responsible for a lot of harm. However the religious themselves are not all murderers and bigots.

Maybe not, but they still support the system.

And Christianity did bring us notions like the sanctity of life, equality, and compassion that did not exist beforehand.

That are summarily ignored by most of it's adherents that I interact with. Christians love the death penalty. Most Christians have no tolerance for homosexuals. Many, many, many Christians, on both sides of the skin color spectrum, are extremely racist to this day. Also, the philosophy of Buddhism had all of those tennants covered 4 centuries before Christ ever came on the scene.

Also nowhere did i say you should respect their beliefs. What i am saying is that large generalizations and ad hominem attacks are things that need to be avoided.

And nowhere did I make either one of those, everything I claimed above has been measured & debated for decades before I was even born.

And why all the deal about "their precious little feelings" ? Do you honestly think that insulting their God is going to make them UPSET ?

And now you are putting words in my mouth, I never insulted their god, I stated what history has seen fit to call the truth.

No, all you are going to do is make them think you are an idiot. Or you're going to make them angry at you. How is that any good ? How does that further the dialogue in any way ?

Irrational dialog is useless. If they were rational to start with, they wouldn't be religious, now would they?

[leo-rcc]

And Christianity did bring us notions like the sanctity of life, equality, and compassion that did not exist beforehand.

That is utter bullshit, there are many religions other than Christianity that have the same message, some far older than that. And where did you ever get the idea from that Christianity brings us notions of equality?