Why are atheists so obsessed with religion?

[Simon Moon]

As per title, why are atheists so utterly consumed / obsessed by religion?

At the time of writing, the number of posts on this site are:

atheism: 1559
religiion: 3186
philosophy: 403

Religion is the clear winner, beating even the other two combined. Seems quite odd to me.

If I was an atheist, religion would be the last thing I would talk about.

People's beliefs inform their actions.

Religious beliefs lead to real world, negative consequences. I believe that any time religious beliefs can be refuted and shown to be what they really are (baseless assertions and wishful thinking), is a good thing. It must be working, in the US, the largest growing response to questions about religion is "No religious affiliation".

So why is religion so popular here? Is it because Atheism is fundamentally empty, and correspondingly has no topics to discuss within itself?

(I suppose I could understand it better, if the discussion about religion was at least accurate and informed, but in my experience thus far it is anything but accurate and informed)

Among other reasons, I love to debate. I find that dissecting theists arguments, discovering logical fallacies in them, and pointing them out is fun.

If you feel there are inaccuracies in the debate in the religious section, join in and correct them. There are studies that show that the average atheist is more knowledgeable on religion than theists.

Dont say - "oh its because religion has such power over my life", because unless you like in Saudi Arabia or Iran, thats an absurd thing to say.

I will agree, that religion does not have too much control over my life at this time, but theists (Christians specifically in the US) are constantly trying to get more control. So the fear of the US slipping toward a theocracy is very real. Just look at a few of the recent Republican presidential candidates.

But religion does have control over other people's lives and rights. There is no argument against gay marriage that does not stem from religious beliefs.

Christians are constantly trying to get pseudoscience (creationism) taught in schools. Again, this is purely theist motivation.

[ManMachine]

As per title, why are atheists so utterly consumed / obsessed by religion?

At the time of writing, the number of posts on this site are:

atheism: 1559
religiion: 3186
philosophy: 403

Religion is the clear winner, beating even the other two combined. Seems quite odd to me.

If I was an atheist, religion would be the last thing I would talk about.

So why is religion so popular here? Is it because Atheism is fundamentally empty, and correspondingly has no topics to discuss within itself?

(I suppose I could understand it better, if the discussion about religion was at least accurate and informed, but in my experience thus far it is anything but accurate and informed)

Dont say - "oh its because religion has such power over my life", because unless you like in Saudi Arabia or Iran, thats an absurd thing to say.

Look forward to hearing your point of view.

It's tantamount to heresy to propose new or different atheist ideas and philosophies. My own atheist philosophy is very different to most and I get very weary debating other atheists who think that atheism means some kind of fundamentalist adherence to scientific theory and don't understand when I disagree.

I would suggest atheism is less tolerent of different ideas than religion which has had thousands of years to examine the different ideologies and get used to them.

There is a world beyond science-based atheism but most are too afraid to explore it. But then people are quite protective of their systems of belief... even atheists.

MM

[Confused Ape]

I'm quoting my Forum introduction post because it's the easiest way of replying to this topic.

I'm an atheist who is very interested in religion. Why have so many humans got it and what is it that's really going on? I think it's been firmly established that people have subjective religious experiences so I'm also interested in that branch of neuroscience which investigates what happens in the brains of people having these experiences. In 'The God Delusion', Richard Dawkins described having what he called a quasi mystical experience which indicates that a belief in deities isn't necessary for someone to have this kind of experience.

I'm also interested in The Golden Rule which has turned up everywhere. A number of scientists are looking into how it has a biologial basis so I follow what I can depending on how technical the articles/videos are.

Another area of personal curiosity is possible similarities between religions and ideologies such as the Khmer Rouge's Communist ideology.

Some atheists here might find me a little odd. I have the kind of brain which produces certain subjective experiences and I've learned how to switch over to them. I find this very useful because I can ask myself questions like "Is this what New Agers mean by Earth energies?" I also use Jungian psychology as a tool for exploring the symbolic imagery found in myth, dreams and religions etc. Why can such symbols have so much power over people? Is this related to those subjective religious experiences which neuroscience is investigating? Don't worry - I've been using Jungian psychology for this purpose for over 25 years and haven't been converted to a religion yet.

[mr.atheist]

The question is why are the religious so obsessed with atheism?

[Simon Moon]

Insecurity amongst Atheists perhaps?

Insecurity about what?

That Ahura Mazda really does exist and I am afraid that I'll end up in the Zoroastrian hell?

Or that Hinduism is true and I'll be reincarnated as a mouse or some other animal?

Are you insecure about either of those religions being true? I'll bet you are not. I feel the same way. Add your god to the list pf gods I am not insecure about.

[Gilgamesh]

ITT: Obsessed atheists.

[archangle]

"the atheist" is obsessed with religion because many people think their "religions" should be everybody's religion. The "there is no god types" are just trying to force their beliefs onto others.

They are "fundamentalist". I think the average believer and non-believer should ignore these types. Forcing "this only god" or "this no-god-only" on others is lame.

[The Magic Pudding]

I don't think I'm obsessed with religion.
I find it extremely bizarre in many ways.
For good or bad it influenced our history.
Human aspirations, failings and oppression.
Long past use by date and still they swallow it.

[Ben Davis]

"the atheist" is obsessed with religion...

Not all atheists are obsessed with religion.

...because many people think their "religions" should be everybody's religion.

Atheism is not a religion. Google 'the non-stamp-collector fallacy'

The "there is no god types" are just trying to force their beliefs onto others. They are "fundamentalist".

Not all antitheists try to force their beliefs on to others. Also, it's wrong to conflate atheists with antitheists; antitheism is a subset of atheism not a descriptor.

I think the average believer and non-believer should ignore these types. Forcing "this only god" or "this no-god-only" on others is lame.

I disagree. Ignoring them means that their positions are not taken into consideration in debates & discussions; people who can impact real-world events can be marginalised consequently having a greater negative impact than if they're accepted into social processes.

[Tonus]

If I was an atheist, religion would be the last thing I would talk about.

Why? If you went through a process of de-conversion from your present set of beliefs, are you confident that you would completely detach from it mentally and emotionally? Could it truly become "the last thing [you] would talk about?"

So why is religion so popular here? Is it because Atheism is fundamentally empty, and correspondingly has no topics to discuss within itself?

I think the "emptiness" of atheism is a small part of it. Since atheism is the lack of belief in god, there's not much to talk about in regards to it, and what topics there are will likely relate to religion in some way.

Dont say - "oh its because religion has such power over my life", because unless you like in Saudi Arabia or Iran, thats an absurd thing to say.

I may not believe in god or follow any religion, but most members of my family do. To them, it's a very important part of their lives. The same with friends and co-workers. That is aside from the influence that religion exerts over culture and politics that can affect me directly or indirectly. I don't know if that is described as "religion has power over my life" as much as "religion gets in the way from time to time."

It's kind of like asking why we are "obsessed" with religion, as opposed to wondering why some of us are interested in it, or as in my case, fascinated by it and the ways it causes people to think and behave. I spent a number of years altering the way I thought and acted as a direct result of my acceptance of religion and belief in god. Having overcome that, I find it very interesting to see the phenomenon from the other side.