Atheist vs. Christian Personalities

[Brian37]

There is something that has been bothering me lately. The other day I had a drink with a friend of mine who is what I would call very christian. She doesn't talk about it much, but she is. You notice it in the way she acts and speaks, sometimes.
It struck me that she is a very nice person to be around. If I could select a personality to have, her's would clearly be nominated. In fact most christians I know are somewhat similar to her.
Now contrast her with the people I know who identify as atheists or 'anti-theists' as some would call them. (I would prefer the term 'anti-religious')
Quirky, narcissistic, poor listener, beligerent about everything, odd (in a bad way) false/poor self image, constantly pessimistic, rude, inconsiderate, selfish or just simply crazy...
Most of them are some or all of the above. I have my reasons for liking them and having them as friends, but I can't deny the negative feelings I get sometimes.
I'm not talking about people who don't give a damned about religion one way or another... I mean people who really care about the issue.
Now I'm not saying that all the christians I know are nice people. One is in fact a huge asshole who I dislike intensely.
Is there a trend here, or am I imagining things?

Way to lump both Christians and atheists into your own narrow view. If anything is narcissistic it your attitude that humans should behave the same way all the time. You think she is a nice person so what? No one is talking about her, her claims however and the history of ALL religion in our species history as far as the affect religion has politically on the world, that is a different subject.

You assume most atheists are foaming at the mouth, is that it? I can find you plenty of politically correct and extremely sensitive atheists who hate me personally for my bluntness and blasphemy. Not to mention while you like this individual, I live in North Carolina, where both right wing Christians and liberal Christians both together voted to ban gay marriage as a collective majority? Are you going to claim their bigotry in denying gay rights didn't come from their religion?

All I am getting from your rant here is that you wish atheists would be behave like you and be like you. The world doesn't work like that in reality. And pardon me for attacking the bigotry inherent in religion. Pardon me for attacking the divisive nature of it. Pardon me for caring about this giant rock being my only home which is used by religion as a geopolitical childish game of capture the flag where those religious people have nukes.

I think you need to learn to separate the person, from the ability to demonstrate the credibility of their claims that they make. I also think you do a disservice to oppressed people, including theists, when you insist on never offending religion. Jews, Christians, gays and atheists living in Iran have a right to bitch, they are oppressed. You and I and theists living in the west are doing great if we bitch at each other and still get to go to bed at night without being murdered by some sick fuck who hates us.

Someone being nice does not mean everything they say is true or good. I love Ann Frank but that doesn't make Yahweh a real god or everything modern Israel does good either. I love Malala but that does not make Allah a real god nor does it change that far too much of the east is still stuck in it's own dark ages. I love Martin Luther King Jr, but that does not change that religious based racism still exists.

So instead of painting all blunt blasphemous atheists to be the bad guys, maybe you need to understand why we are so vocal and blunt. I love the good intent of sensitive people, both atheist and theist. But blanket solutions are never a good idea so with how I approach someone, it always depends.

[archangle]

There is something that has been bothering me lately. The other day I had a drink with a friend of mine who is what I would call very christian. She doesn't talk about it much, but she is. You notice it in the way she acts and speaks, sometimes.
It struck me that she is a very nice person to be around. If I could select a personality to have, her's would clearly be nominated. In fact most christians I know are somewhat similar to her.
Now contrast her with the people I know who identify as atheists or 'anti-theists' as some would call them. (I would prefer the term 'anti-religious')
Quirky, narcissistic, poor listener, beligerent about everything, odd (in a bad way) false/poor self image, constantly pessimistic, rude, inconsiderate, selfish or just simply crazy...
Most of them are some or all of the above. I have my reasons for liking them and having them as friends, but I can't deny the negative feelings I get sometimes.
I'm not talking about people who don't give a damned about religion one way or another... I mean people who really care about the issue.
Now I'm not saying that all the christians I know are nice people. One is in fact a huge asshole who I dislike intensely.
Is there a trend here, or am I imagining things?

Way to lump both Christians and atheists into your own narrow view. If anything is narcissistic it your attitude that humans should behave the same way all the time. You think she is a nice person so what? No one is talking about her, her claims however and the history of ALL religion in our species history as far as the affect religion has politically on the world, that is a different subject.

You assume most atheists are foaming at the mouth, is that it? I can find you plenty of politically correct and extremely sensitive atheists who hate me personally for my bluntness and blasphemy. Not to mention while you like this individual, I live in North Carolina, where both right wing Christians and liberal Christians both together voted to ban gay marriage as a collective majority? Are you going to claim their bigotry in denying gay rights didn't come from their religion?

All I am getting from your rant here is that you wish atheists would be behave like you and be like you. The world doesn't work like that in reality. And pardon me for attacking the bigotry inherent in religion. Pardon me for attacking the divisive nature of it. Pardon me for caring about this giant rock being my only home which is used by religion as a geopolitical childish game of capture the flag where those religious people have nukes.

I think you need to learn to separate the person, from the ability to demonstrate the credibility of their claims that they make. I also think you do a disservice to oppressed people, including theists, when you insist on never offending religion. Jews, Christians, gays and atheists living in Iran have a right to bitch, they are oppressed. You and I and theists living in the west are doing great if we bitch at each other and still get to go to bed at night without being murdered by some sick fuck who hates us.

Someone being nice does not mean everything they say is true or good. I love Ann Frank but that doesn't make Yahweh a real god or everything modern Israel does good either. I love Malala but that does not make Allah a real god nor does it change that far too much of the east is still stuck in it's own dark ages. I love Martin Luther King Jr, but that does not change that religious based racism still exists.

So instead of painting all blunt blasphemous atheists to be the bad guys, maybe you need to understand why we are so vocal and blunt. I love the good intent of sensitive people, both atheist and theist. But blanket solutions are never a good idea so with how I approach someone, it always depends.

I think he was asking. He was even polite about it. He was thinking he might be wrong. That's is an admiral trait dontcha think.

unlike some chas-tizers around here. But maybe conflict increases the number of post = moo money.

[Whateverist]

I seriously doubt if this site makes anyone any money.

[GrandizerII]

There is something that has been bothering me lately. The other day I had a drink with a friend of mine who is what I would call very christian. She doesn't talk about it much, but she is. You notice it in the way she acts and speaks, sometimes.
It struck me that she is a very nice person to be around. If I could select a personality to have, her's would clearly be nominated. In fact most christians I know are somewhat similar to her.
Now contrast her with the people I know who identify as atheists or 'anti-theists' as some would call them. (I would prefer the term 'anti-religious')
Quirky, narcissistic, poor listener, beligerent about everything, odd (in a bad way) false/poor self image, constantly pessimistic, rude, inconsiderate, selfish or just simply crazy...
Most of them are some or all of the above. I have my reasons for liking them and having them as friends, but I can't deny the negative feelings I get sometimes.
I'm not talking about people who don't give a damned about religion one way or another... I mean people who really care about the issue.
Now I'm not saying that all the christians I know are nice people. One is in fact a huge asshole who I dislike intensely.
Is there a trend here, or am I imagining things?

I don't think there's a trend. Judgements about other people are subjective anyway. Also, you compare just one Christian woman to a bunch of atheists. Doesn't sound like a reasonable way to make a conclusion about atheists vs Christians.

If I were to look at people I know on the whole, I personally find Christians around me tend to be bigoted and narcissistic while atheists around me tend to be kind and insightful.

I will grant, however, that online, both theists and atheists very usually come off as equally rude and arrogant. Must be the online nature of the Internet.

[Rampant.A.I.]

It's sort of how some recent ex-smokers are the most outspoken and against smoking. They yell at people on the street about it, they can't stand seeing someone without hollering a lecture.

Newly religious people are usually "fire and brimstone" "save the sinners" types, so why wouldn't new atheists be?

Why would holding irrational beliefs make you a nicer person to be around by default?

[archangle]

I seriously doubt if this site makes anyone any money.

Really? address the meat fuk ... the bits.

[Tonus]

That's is an admiral trait dontcha think.

I sea what you did there.

[Dosolid]

One thing we have in common with Christians is that we are very firm in our beliefs and not afraid to express our opinions lol - But I think that's more of an internet thing. I find people of all beliefs to be much friendlier offline.

[archangle]

One thing we have in common with Christians is that we are very firm in our beliefs and not afraid to express our opinions lol - But I think that's more of an internet thing. I find people of all beliefs to be much friendlier offline.

so true.

In this forum it just the way it is. A cesspool of anti- "reasonable" -discussions." I mean if you even suggest, in any way, that the "Enemy" has a point. The high school-ers, abused and 100 IQers pounce. In person we don't even have to address them as "reasonable" if they are not acting as such. In fact we can laugh ... and have 911 ready to go.

[Black_Pegasus]

It's unfair to compare the personality of an Atheist to a Theist because most atheists are closeted which can make for poor generalizations about who we really are as people. There are countless examples of human beings who Cheat, Lie, Steal and Kill who just so happen to be Theist. I wouldn't call these the best people to be around.