Why Do Atheists Criticize People's Beliefs?

[CapnAwesome]

Some here at AF have expressed puzzlement at why atheist criticize the Abrahamic religions just because we don’t believe in them. One even likened it to his criticizing Zeus.

As I said in th tat thread, if zeusian evangelists tried to get public schools to teach Mr. Olympus and Hades in science classes or a group of them tried to get a law passed saying only those shot by Cupid could get married, it’s very unlikely they wouldn’t have anything to say about it.

Theists teach their respective doctrines as if they were self evident truths.  I’ve never heard one say. “This is just my opinion, but I       think my god is probably the only true god, and those who disagree are welcome to express     their own opinions.”

Yet, these “truths” don’t stand up to close scrutiny, so the theist would much rather not be subjected to scrutiny. Which makes me wonder why    they come to an atheist website looking for fiat credulity and act dismayed when they find it not.

The whole premise is based on the notion that Christians and Muslims are somehow just casually talking about their beliefs, instead of doing real and often terrible actions that have wide scale negative effects on the world.

[Succubus]

I am just a chimp so I need to throw a little poop once in awhile just to remind us that we are just apes with silly ideas.
Or fascinating creatures with a wealth of imagination and agency.  Depends how you look at it.  Neither way is objectively better than the other.  If you take care of a garden, you're bound to nurture a few weeds.  Likewise, if you're constantly throwing poop at knaves, you're bound to hit a few knights.  The world needs both outlooks, but neither one is perfect.  I tend to want to err on the side of vulnerability to danger, whereas others would err on the side of unjust persecution.  The only thing that's guaranteed is that people will err.

Is that from the book of tautology or the book of cliché?

Edit to add. I must apologize. On reflection, that one liner makes me sound a right pompous twat. I'm English, but my command of the English language is rather limited. Sounds odd that, init? I'm well read but I can't write worth a fuck.
Edit #2
Valyza1. You use an awful lot of words and say nothing.

Edit #3
"Even if that's true for all Mormons, that they don't understand their own beliefs (and there's no way to know that), I fail to see how mockery helps.  Children don't understand what they're doing when they pretend to do grown up tasks.  Is ridicule really going to help them grow up?  It serves no purpose but to gratify the person doing the ridiculing, and it's a cheap gratification to boot.  You can't expect anyone in the wrong to learn something when they are on the defensive." 

This is exactly what I'm talkin bout. Where you bin all your life! Listening to punkrock music and and badmouthing your country!

[vorlon13]

anyone thinking religious beliefs shouldn't be mocked otta go read the Mormon take on the Trinity . . . .


On the best of days mainline Christian denoms have a tough time splainin' the Trinity from their viewpoint, you can't imagine how filtering 'regular' Trinitarian dogma through the LDS lens of gobbledygook totally scrambles an already difficult and confusing aspect of faith into something you can tell even they are palpably uncomfortable recounting.

[Valyza1]

anyone thinking religious beliefs shouldn't be mocked otta go read the Mormon take on the Trinity . . . .


On the best of days mainline Christian denoms have a tough time splainin' the Trinity from their viewpoint, you can't imagine how filtering 'regular' Trinitarian dogma through the LDS lens of gobbledygook totally scrambles an already difficult and confusing aspect of faith into something you can tell even they are palpably uncomfortable recounting.

I.e. "I don't understand something, therefore it deserves to be mocked"

[vorlon13]

anyone thinking religious beliefs shouldn't be mocked otta go read the Mormon take on the Trinity . . . .


On the best of days mainline Christian denoms have a tough time splainin' the Trinity from their viewpoint, you can't imagine how filtering 'regular' Trinitarian dogma through the LDS lens of gobbledygook totally scrambles an already difficult and confusing aspect of faith into something you can tell even they are palpably uncomfortable recounting.

I.e. "I don't understand something, therefore it deserves to be mocked"

The point being, they don't understand it either, and you can read my "palpably uncomfortable" as "embarrassed".  See, even THEY know they are schilling BS.

[Valyza1]

I.e. "I don't understand something, therefore it deserves to be mocked"

The point being, they don't understand it either, and you can read my "palpably uncomfortable" as "embarrassed".  See, even THEY know they are schilling BS.

Even if that's true for all Mormons, that they don't understand their own beliefs (and there's no way to know that), I fail to see how mockery helps. Children don't understand what they're doing when they pretend to do grown up tasks. Is ridicule really going to help them grow up? It serves no purpose but to gratify the person doing the ridiculing, and it's a cheap gratification to boot. You can't expect anyone in the wrong to learn something when they are on the defensive.

[Succubus]

Sorry, double post.

[Valyza1]

^I think your response got deleted?

[Succubus]

^I think your response got deleted?

Now that, was quick.

[vorlon13]

In the Mormon discourse on the Trinity, the question of why the Holy Spirit does not have a physical body might arise.  Turns out even Brigham Young doesn't know the answer to that.

(It's a 'thing' in Mormonism to be a spiritual entity of sorts without a corporeal body as that has been revealed by God to be a punishment, and of course, there is a racial angle that arises since in the pre-life disembodied souls destined to become negroes were judged to be 'problem' and it's why they were subsequently denied the priesthood till the late 70s and were also pronounced as eligible for their own planets only after all the 'white and delightful' Mormons got their own planets first, BUT, the HOLY GHOST IS DEFINITELY NOT A NEGRO.  At least not till 1978, or there abouts . . . . . )


So, think twice before decrying jibing Mormons about aspects of their faith lest the rest of us think you're racist.