Atheistophobia

[Regina]

Apostaphobia rolls off the tongue easier for me, although not sure if that can apply to hatred of atheism in general or just people who were religious but renounced. Oh well...

[Cyberman]

Ooh! I've got it. My new word is 'secularmist'. A secularmist is anyone who goes bat shit crazy about secularism.

I like it. It's up there with 'nullshit' (bullshit that's not only bullshit, it's totally irrelevant bullshit) and Drich's 'indivisual' (something that can only be seen by one person).

Neologisms ftw!

[Mudhammam]

Apostaphobia rolls off the tongue easier for me, although not sure if that can apply to hatred of atheism in general or just people who were religious but renounced. Oh well...

Apastaphobia... Quick, trademark it!

[AFTT47]

Perhaps we---as in the free thought community---should adopt a page or two from the multiculturalists and LBGT movement?

We should and here is: We have to stop making enemies of those non-atheists who are not against us. We need them on our side.

We are a tiny minority - at least in the U.S. If it's us against them, we lose. Can you imagine blacks trying to win civil rights by lashing out against all non-blacks or homosexuals rallying the cause with the cry of, "straight people suck?" Far too often, we make enemies where we should be making friends. We do that in the course of debate. We constantly ridicule and belittle theists we debate with. Sometimes they deserve it but everytime we do that, it plants a seed in the mind of all theists in earshot that atheists are arrogant pricks who think they're smarter than everyone else. As long as that perception persists, we atheists (at least those of us outside Europe) will continue to be a mistrusted and disliked group.

[KevinM1]

Perhaps we---as in the free thought community---should adopt a page or two from the multiculturalists and LBGT movement?

We should and here is: We have to stop making enemies of those non-atheists who are not against us. We need them on our side.

We are a tiny minority - at least in the U.S. If it's us against them, we lose. Can you imagine blacks trying to win civil rights by lashing out against all non-blacks or homosexuals rallying the cause with the cry of, "straight people suck?" Far too often, we make enemies where we should be making friends. We do that in the course of debate. We constantly ridicule and belittle theists we debate with. Sometimes they deserve it but everytime we do that, it plants a seed in the mind of all theists in earshot that atheists are arrogant pricks who think they're smarter than everyone else. As long as that perception persists, we atheists (at least those of us outside Europe) will continue to be a mistrusted and disliked group.

I agree with the sentiment, but outside of actual important issues like creationism or prayer in school, when do atheists actually debate theists?

I mean, there's probably an internal debate to be had regarding whether some of the fights we've had in the past with theists - like "under God" in the pledge or complaints about nativity scenes - were worth having in terms of a long term strategy of engendering acceptance because they seem small and petty to the mainstream. But beyond that?

I'm just not convinced that we actually interact with the zealous theists about their religions or how their beliefs are negatively impacting society enough for there to be a negative spillover of resentment with the more reasonable theists.

[AFTT47]

KevinM1, I see it alot in comment sections of major news websites. There's plenty of it on social media too. I mentioned this example in another thread but one situation I see it in often is where there is an article about some kind of tragedy with a lone survivor. The theists will post praise of God for saving the survivor. An atheist will jump right in and point out that if you credit God for saving the one, you have to hold him responsible for the death of the others. I've done it myself. It ALWAYS degenerates into personal attacks on both sides.

[CapnAwesome]

Phobia ranks second on my list of overused and/or misused suffixes; gate being the first. I would also be cautious with the idea since Islamaphobia, homophobia, and the like are deployed as ad hominem arguments meant to shut off debate.

Yeah. Lets not copy something extremely stupid that muslims do.

[KevinM1]

KevinM1, I see it alot in comment sections of major news websites. There's plenty of it on social media too. I mentioned this example in another thread but one situation I see it in often is where there is an article about some kind of tragedy with a lone survivor. The theists will post praise of God for saving the survivor. An atheist will jump right in and point out that if you credit God for saving the one, you have to hold him responsible for the death of the others. I've done it myself. It ALWAYS degenerates into personal attacks on both sides.

Fair enough.

Yeah, it's tricky. Personally, while I ignore news comment sections, I find it really hard to not be an asshole on the forums I frequent when people start praising god or otherwise talk about religion. I just want to reach through the monitor, grab them by their shoulders, and shake them while asking them to think about the logical conclusion of their statements.

It's a personal failing that likely does only harm, but it's really hard to stay silent in those situations.

[Alex K]

Phobia ranks second on my list of overused and/or misused suffixes; gate being the first. I would also be cautious with the idea since Islamaphobia, homophobia, and the like are deployed as ad hominem arguments meant to shut off debate.

OMG, it's Phobiagate!


p.s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB9JgxhXW5w

[AFTT47]

KevinM1, I see it alot in comment sections of major news websites. There's plenty of it on social media too. I mentioned this example in another thread but one situation I see it in often is where there is an article about some kind of tragedy with a lone survivor. The theists will post praise of God for saving the survivor. An atheist will jump right in and point out that if you credit God for saving the one, you have to hold him responsible for the death of the others. I've done it myself. It ALWAYS degenerates into personal attacks on both sides.

Fair enough.

Yeah, it's tricky. Personally, while I ignore news comment sections, I find it really hard to not be an asshole on the forums I frequent when people start praising god or otherwise talk about religion. I just want to reach through the monitor, grab them by their shoulders, and shake them while asking them to think about the logical conclusion of their statements.

It's a personal failing that likely does only harm, but it's really hard to stay silent in those situations.

Exactly the same here. One point I always make in those discussions is that if it's okay for them to bring up their religious beliefs then they shouldn't fault us for bringing up ours. The problem is they don't understand WHY we're doing it. They see it like this: Bad shit has happened but I have this comforting belief which takes the edge off. Why are you atheists coming in and messing that up? Don't you have anything better to do than come in here and make us feel bad?