No one is an atheist

[Minimalist]

Going way back to the original post, mainly because I'm new here and just getting into the conversation, I really, really don't understand why it is that Christians feel it necessary to convince themselves that there really are no atheists at all. I've seen posts like that many, many times where they try to use twisted logic to "prove" that atheists don't exist.

Our existence terrifies them, my friend. We are proof that people can live without fairy tales and they find that very threatening.

[Doubting Thomas]

Yes, that explains their hatred of us. But I also wonder if a lot of it is something like, "Look at them, they get to sleep in on Sunday, don't have to tithe to the church, get to have sex out of wedlock, get to drink, and generally enjoy life, but I don't get to do any of that because I'm a fundie Christian who has to follow very strict rules in order to try not to offend God so I can get to heaven. It's not fair. Therefore, the only reason they claim to be atheists is so they can do all that stuff and not feel guilty."

[ilikeMe]

Not beleaving doesn't mean not to leave. it is possible leaving a rich life with no beleaves, finding logical reasons for ones behaviour and chossing ones actions acordingly. Why is it so hard for theistic people understand that faith isn't a necessity but a choice!

[thesummerqueen]

1) it allows them not to make choices - they can have "god" and their pastor make all of them for them

2) some like thinking that god "needs" them. It gives them comfort to know something's watching them and having some sort of interaction with them and the rest of the world. It takes the effort out of really interacting with the rest of us smelly ingrates.

3) being a grown up is scary - you're responsible for yourself and your progeny. God is the ultimate parent making sure YOU don't fuck up.

4) "faith is hard" and that satisfies some people's need to appear to put for effort into anything at all without actually having to put forth effort.

[Doubting Thomas]

And that's all fine if they think they need that belief to get through life. The part that pisses me off is when they think you need that belief to get through life, too, and then getting all upset when you tell them you don't. That, and the sheer hatred for anyone who doesn't feel the need to believe in a magical sky daddy.

[thesummerqueen]

It blows people's ever-loving minds that someone else doesn't think EXACTLY the way they do. A lot of people can't handle that.

[Watson]

And that's all fine if they think they need that belief to get through life. The part that pisses me off is when they think you need that belief to get through life, too, and then getting all upset when you tell them you don't. That, and the sheer hatred for anyone who doesn't feel the need to believe in a magical sky daddy.

I'm not particularly hateful towards atheists, and I don't go out of my way to be either. I hope at the very least that, if we met on the street by chance, we could be friends. Nothing pleases me more than meeting new people and making new friends.

[Cinjin]

[thesummerqueen]

Hold the fuck on there, Cinjin.

Yes, on this forum there are a few good Christians. I happen to like Tack a lot, and fr0d0's something of a peach himself, and Ryft (who you've probably yet to meet) is a very good man.

But that's not the extent of it. I live in the Bible belt too and deal with my fair share of belligerence...I don't just get it for being a heathen atheist, but also for being a Christ-killing Jew. It's awful.

But one of my dearest friends happens to be a deacon at his church. And I have others from all across the country.

I don't agree with their religion, and they know it - whether they still think I'm a Jew or whether I've come out as an atheist to them, they know how I feel about Christianity. But not all Christians are like that, and the vast majority of people who label themselves as such are just trying to get on in life.

Have a care love. You know that saying "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"?

[Cinjin]

Hold the fuck on there, Cinjin.

Yes, on this forum there are a few good Christians. I happen to like Tack a lot, and fr0d0's something of a peach himself, and Ryft (who you've probably yet to meet) is a very good man.

But that's not the extent of it. I live in the Bible belt too and deal with my fair share of belligerence...I don't just get it for being a heathen atheist, but also for being a Christ-killing Jew. It's awful.

But one of my dearest friends happens to be a deacon at his church. And I have others from all across the country.

I don't agree with their religion, and they know it - whether they still think I'm a Jew or whether I've come out as an atheist to them, they know how I feel about Christianity. But not all Christians are like that, and the vast majority of people who label themselves as such are just trying to get on in life.

Have a care love. You know that saying "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"?

perhaps you have a point, but my experience with christians has apparently been far darker than yours. And as I stated tack and frodo may very well be decent people - but that's two people, and if you want to add the four or five decent people you know - that makes 7. Thus I stand by what I said. In my 36 years of life - I've come to find that the douchbags FAR outweigh the seven.