Total Fucking Fuck You Rant: Please Ignore

[Whateverist]

It's just silly. We must admit that for the most part, atheists are as a group in the 21st century, very hateful. Towards religion, but in many ways towards many things. It's just fact. I'm not going to deny it and neither should you. Hate is a big part of our community. It's the fuel for our existence.

I have no problem with this except that what you describe as hatred, to me, is first and foremost about anger. It is unfortunate and unpleasant. It is the reason why I didn't stay long the first time I came upon this forum. But if you think we all just embrace and revel in it you are mistaken.

When I considered returning I happened upon the open letter SummerQueen had written http://atheistforums.org/post-172428.html#pid172428 I shared some of my own complaints with her in PM's prior to returning:

To me one of the most boring things about conversing with most theists is their unshakable certainty about everything. They live in black and white. Many of the atheists here have the same quality. They seem equally unwilling to consider any idea or a person's reason for putting it out there. Instead it just sets off predictable responses which show no reflection at all.

I have come to see things pretty much the way she described them in that letter. There is and probably will always be strong anti-theism expressed on an atheist forums, and oft times in offensive ways. But that shouldn't be too surprising. The feelings invoked when one feels they have been taken in by those responsible for their upbringing can be strong. With any luck everyone will get over it in time and lose the chip. I don't advocate a zero tolerance for such behavior for this very reason. But neither will I seek to stir it up or revel in it, and there are plenty more here who have told me they feel the same way.

From the outside, it can look like former Christians just exchange the smugness of one truth for the smugness of another. I wonder what it is you feel smug about on your secret forums with your league of extraordinary men, Vinny?