Atheists intolerant?

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Intolorance is immature. On both sides. I really don't see the argument here. What would it be in the first place "I think you're going to hell, cause you don't believe/practice something." "I think think Hell is a made-up thing in the first place, as are you're beliefs/practices. "Whatever." "Whatever." That would be the mature way of settling it. But since this has been going on for so long, there have been so many "unforgivable" experiances, neither side can grow a pair and just shut up. There's been so many things going on back to when the Human mind saw violence as the path to make everything better, that not many can stop. Fights long ago by overzealous, likely drunk people, still continue. And there so many people who have the childish mindset that this is still a world issue. If you think that somebody is stupid because they are either atheist or religious, then keep it to yourself. I myself am Muslim, I have never met an atheist who I thought was stupid, at least in real life. In my view, the stupid ones are the ones who preach their "facts" saying that atheism is smart, when the majority of them don't know much about a religion they're attacking, other than the opening sentence of its article on Wikipedia (which was probably written by someone who hates that religion, anyways). Which again, is an egotistical, childish act. So it is not atheism that is intolerant. It is not Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Confucism, Sikhism, nor any other religion that is intolerant. It is childish people who make decisions to hurt other people. The only people in this debate that might be justified are those who were deeply scarred by the immature, egotistical, obnoxious, uncaring people of this world.

 

People do seem to think that of Atheists, don't they? And it's really a shame. I don't blame people for believing in a God, as long as they can keep the same mindset and not begrudge me my choice of looking at things scientifically. My mother is a Bible-thumper, and it is probably this that scared me away from religion at an early age. With any religion, or in this care, lack thereof, there will be intolerant members - rarely if at all because of the religion's teachings, because every one that I have looked into carries a strong "be accepting of others" message. There will always be narrow-minded people in every corner that you could look, and I don't think Atheists are any more or less tolerant than other groups.

The thing is, Atheists don't have churches, I've never seen a group meet to hold "non-prayer sessions" or something, so when Atheists do come into the public eye, it's probably because they're being intolerant. For instance, it was recently announced in the newspaper that the Atheists of Bloomington had won a campaign to start putting "You can be good without God" signs on all the public transit. I respect this thought, but that doesn't meet it should be put up all around the city. It's offensive to those with strong faith. It's like religion has become a form of politics, which is a total perversion of what most teachings try to get across. People should be free to believe what they want to believe, but respect the opinions of those who don't think the same way they do. The day that bias of all kinds is no longer present in human society, however, is the day Hell (if there is one) freezes over.

Woo, [/rant].

 

Christians advertise their beliefs all the time, I don’t see why Atheists can’t do the same.

I also don't see the problem with the phrase "you can be good without God", because it is true you can be good/great without God; just like Abraham Lincoln was a good great man without devoting his life to worshiping a God/Gods/Goddess/Goddesses

 

I realize that Christians advertise their beliefs all the time, nor do I agree with them doing it either. People should find their beliefs by soul-searching, not from a billboard. There are many good people in the world that don't believe in God, there are many great people who are or were Atheists. I am merely using this as an example of the only time Atheists get any kind of recognition, is when they are shouting out their beliefs.

 

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Ah, now I see what you are saying, but this type of stuff happens to many groups of people like gays(teacherxstudent), and Africans (gangsters/poor). It's a typical human thinking that people who are alike need to be grouped.By grouping people up your mind starts to assume what this person who belongs to group C is going to act like.
I personally blame the media for engraving stereo types in are head, yet I also blame people for not finding valuable resources.

 

Dalk Link, I agree with you immensly.

I have to admit that the 'You can be good, without God' sounds pretty neutral
But still what other kind of advertisement can Atheists put up that doesn't sound either intolerant or negative?

I mean just thinking of things like:
'There is no hell, we just die'
'Why believe in god, Science has the answers'
I mean it justs sounds weird for people to do things like that.

Also, Atheism isn't really a group that organises rallies or advertisement to convince people that their word is right. THe research people do is enough proof that they are commited.

 

Most people are intolerant depending on their beliefs or lack of belief. If someone disagrees completely with one's belief, one will always be a little intolerant of them. If someone isn't intolerant with that disagreement, then they don't believe in what they claim to believe in as much as they claim to believe in it.

 

one of my best friends is atheist and she is very tolerant of other religions... maybe shes an exception to the rule but thats the experience i have with how they treat other faiths :D

 

I'm not an atheist, but I would think that they would be more tolerant. Most of my friends who are atheists are GENIUSES, so we get into a lot of interesting discussions on humanity and the universe, etc. Sadly, from my point of view anyway, it seems that those with religions are more intolerant. DO NOT take that personally. I'm not generalizing whatsoever. What I mean to say is, my family is hardcore Catholic. In their eyes, if you aren't Catholic, you aren't really there. It upsets me a bit, because I think people should feel free to believe in whatever. My grandmother would have a heart attack if she knew that I had been thinking a lot about Deism.

 

Atheists should get there own tv channel like the christians do

 

I find it insulting as an Atheist that you presume that I don't have faith. I have faith in my beliefs that there is no god, and that is just as large of a commitment to my beliefs as you have.

With that being said - I find the idea of organized religion largely corrupt, but respect the opinions and beliefs that are fundamental to those groups. I feel that any religeous gathering that wants money from the worshipers, or guilt people into doing things they don't want to because the origination thinks its right are corrupt.

As far as illogicality goes, I think that there isn't anything particularly illogical about the idea of believing in a god. I think morals are good, and a nice guideline for people. I just think that the things depicted in religious texts are those of fairy tales. Burning bushes, water into wine, etc - it just smells like fiction to me, I don't buy it. Simple as that. I'm not ruling out the possibility of there being a higher power, but I'm not about to blindly worship something I know nothing about either.

 

Hmmm. I do agree partially that the majority of Atheists are probably fairly militant. Militant Atheism, however, is just as if not worse than hardcore fundamentalist Christian. Just two extreme's that in the end, promote the same kind of ignorance: "I'm right, you're drunk."

Personally, I'm agnostic but I sway towards Atheism more. However, I do have faith in my belief that God probably doesn't exist. Not because I dislike the Church or because I dislike Atheism, I just simply don't know. It would be a waste of time picking sides and fighting over the truth. Because in order to know the truth, you'd have to know everything anyway (since religion is all-encompassing). Don't get me wrong, the idea of religion is appealing, and if it was absolutely true, I'd be a part of it like I was when I was little. But too many people are in disagreement for me to believe the whole story on either side. Atheists tend to be overly dogmatic, just as religious individuals are at times. The established religions are just as bad as anything and I'm in full disagreement with their ideology on a fundamental level that any group of people taught universal truth like that in order to keep them in the same pot of beliefs is just robbery of the mind.

Plus, most if not all of the stories in the Bible or other religious texts seem to be more like allegories or fictionalized stories that might've or might not have happened. I just like being individual and living for experience.

 

As Richard Dawkins once put it, he may be extremely passionate about atheism (as passionate as any fundamentalist theist) but that's where the similarity to extremism ends. If proof of god's existence surfaced then he would change his mind in an instant. You can be passionate about something and not be close minded.

I would consider myself a very passionate atheist, but if undeniable proof of god's existence came about I would admit that god exists. I wouldn't worship now, being the complete jerk that that god would have to be, but I would acknowledge the existence of the deity.

On the other hand, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary of there being a god and yet it is ignored by theists simply because they are told that god exists.

I hope I made my point clearly enough.

 

Militant atheism is sort of how you described it. It's the push for people to see things more scientifically and objectively, which is not to say they have no faith, just that they are questioning things enough to see that religion is wrong. And also to disprove God at the same time.

At a sociological level, religion as a social institution, which is given to you as a young child most of the time, will be in your life forever once its been implemented. And of course, you're a child and you have no way of questioning. It might not come across as strange at a young age, or you might find it too grandios to possibly be false (like I did when I was very young). I'm not saying this in response to your question, but just as a note I hear a lot by most Atheists.

Fighting isn't so much human nature as it is jealousy or envy or insecurity. And yes, that is true, you are happy when you can sympathize and etc. But most of the time you have an individualistic point of view or a somewhat narrow understanding of what you need. You're never taught to be resourcefully intelligent but you are taught to fire weapons in war. I'll leave it at that. lol

But yes, I do agree for the most part.

That's how it was for me. Now I know better. And thanks. lol

 

Well, I'm atheist and think that people can believe in whatever they want. It doesn't bother me at all (:

 

:3 i second that all the way

 

I didn't read the posts, but from the topic, well I read many times this type and I can guess.

atheists intolerant? depends on the temper or how cocky is(in provoking terms).
if has a passive, patient personality is usually tolerant.
even people who believes in God or religious people can be intolerant to other religions as to atheists and same to other religions.
religious people usually are the ones who is intolerant, even if there religious that are tolerant.
but nowadays haven't been those serious battles because of it, is being more tolerant to this stuff nowadays.

I just say this, I'm not religious or atheist or agnostic, I'm christian but on my own way and interpretation, I have even my own view point on faith. D:

 

I'm an free thinker and i've been called an atheist many times. I don't think that many atheists have frowned upon religion.

 

If you're talking about the creation story, just to let you know that it is indeed a "made-up" story by Christians of the time period as when the Torah was written. HOWEVER, it was only made up because back then most people did not know about God or at least as much as we know now, and therefore the creation story was written to explain to them a little of Christianity and at least give the people an idea that they could imagine.

First of all, it is no use arguing over the Big Bang Theory as an "atheist theory" and the "Creation Story" as a "Christian theory" as the Creation story is basically rubbish in terms of fact (see above) and as the Big Bang Theory was in fact PROPOSED BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, and the Church supports it, and many religions somehow have an intrepretation of the Big Bang in their beliefs.

Back to the topic, I do believe that there are atheists amongst us who are intolerant of people with "faith", but not all atheists are like that. As for those 'militant atheists', while I dislike the way they can be too agressive against us Christians, I do admit that the hardcore Christian fundamentalists are just as bad as them, for being too inacceptant of other religions. I think that, in a world with any one of those, having the other is inevitable anyway.