Are we atheists just as bad as religious people?

[Eilonnwy]

It's called the Cage Stage, that period after conversion when the person should be locked in a 'cage' until his passion has settled down and he's had time to let his convictions marinate. It doesn't matter what he has converted from or to, whether Christianity to atheism or vice-versa. It can even happen within a particular belief system—a Christian who converts from Roman Catholic theology to Reformed Protestant theology, for example, can be on fire about his new-found views. At any rate, some of the most annoying atheists in my experience were recent converts to atheism, underscoring the necessity of a Cage Stage. (It also seems that the more 'fundy' the religious belief they left behind the more fiery their atheistic convictions.)

That's really an eloquent way of putting it. I admit I fell pray to this "Cage Stage" to some small degree when I started to investigate atheism/religion more (and learning the more intricate arguments), despite having been an atheist for years.

[Retorth]

(It also seems that the more 'fundy' the religious belief they left behind the more fiery their atheistic convictions.)

It works the other way around too, I believe.

[Amphora]

My own personal encounters with the feeling of confusion, doubt etc when I began to question the whole 'god' idea has given me great motivation and passion to not just question god, but everything around me. I think it is a good trait to pick up early on.

I believe so to. Realizing things early on is a good thing to do.

Anyway, this fervor has kind of spilled over into my personal life where I now regularly question my friends beliefs/religion and point out the flaws in their beliefs. Whenever I do this, sometimes I get the response that I am just as bad as religious people for trying to push my views.

-pez

I would say giving the situation, you are not as bad a religious people. Unless you think that you are. And people who force their religious views on to you are nut jobs, atheist will not be swayed to believe something that they don't.

Amp