Atheists: why the Christians?

[Evolutionary Model]

When a given religion is what you are familiar with, encounter frequently, and possibly used to believe in, it's no surprise as to why that's the religion you focus on. I am aware of former Muslims and Hindus that focus on those respective religions.

 

[madnessinmysoul]

I can understand the reasoning for not believing in any sort of deity. However, it seems to me that most of the time atheists focus only on how wrong Christianity is, forgoing other religions. It isn't often that you see atheists saying how ridiculous Buddhism or Sikhism or Hinduism or whatever is. Why is that?

As each individual has their own reasoning, I'll give my answer to the question as an atheist.

The primary reason is because I live in a Christianity dominated society and interact primarily with Christians in my life. I know few Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, etc.

A secondary reason which stems from this fact is that Christians themselves take steps to discredit and discount other religions right out of hand. As the quote goes "You're as much of an atheist as me, I just take it one step further".

Another reason which stems from the dominance of Christianity in my society is that I'm most familiar with Christianity.

And finally: The same arguments apply to pretty much all religions. Christianity is the biggest religion in the world right now, but almost all of the basic arguments against it apply to most other religions. Even the more specific ones, like those relating to the Bible and historical events, can be worked around to fit other religions quite readily.

 

[elmarna]

I was a athiest for quite some time. I would not say I was "picking" on christians. I questioned all religions it was not without noticeing 95 percent were christians that I came in contact with. And is it not everyones right to question when they are looking at the behaviors of others-even christians?

 

[haribol]

In fact there are atheists in all societies. In Hinduism there are atheists but atheism is part of Hinduism. Hinduism is a very complex religion and it has all kinds of faiths.

Buddhism is closer to atheism and that is why some atheist like Bertrand Russel also praised

 

[madnessinmysoul]

In fact, some forms of Buddhism are atheistic. They may contain supernatural elements, but they do not contain any notion of a god or gods.

 

[outhouse]

I can understand the reasoning for not believing in any sort of deity. However, it seems to me that most of the time atheists focus only on how wrong Christianity is, forgoing other religions. It isn't often that you see atheists saying how ridiculous Buddhism or Sikhism or Hinduism or whatever is. Why is that?
To clarify, this is TOTALLY not a "stop picking on the Christians" thread. D: I just noticed a pattern.

there is a pattern

its because it is the majority holder on religious belief in the world

2B followers, 1/3 of the earths population.

I dont think they focus on how wrong christianity is though, many atheist are not anti-theistic

 

[michel]

I focus on Christians because they're more of an immediate threat. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Pagans, New Agers, etc don't have strong political power in the United States (where I live), but Christians do, and are often very aggressive in trying to make America into a theocracy.

(That, and most non-Christian theists I've seen are much more intellectually stable than Christians, probably because Christians can reinforce each other's faith by sheer groupthink and other religions simply don't have the numbers to act similarly.)

I find that judgemental, and rather "snooty".

 

[Willamena]

I can understand the reasoning for not believing in any sort of deity. However, it seems to me that most of the time atheists focus only on how wrong Christianity is, forgoing other religions. It isn't often that you see atheists saying how ridiculous Buddhism or Sikhism or Hinduism or whatever is. Why is that?
To clarify, this is TOTALLY not a "stop picking on the Christians" thread. D: I just noticed a pattern.

Christianity is far more visible in the Western world, where most Internet posters are logging on from. Also, it is more misunderstood than Buddhism, Sikhism or Hinduism, which in some cases are essentially unknown.

 

[idav]

Christianity is far more visible in the Western world, where most Internet posters are logging on from. Also, it is more misunderstood than Buddhism, Sikhism or Hinduism, which in some cases are essentially unknown.

I don't think it is so much misunderstood but that there is a lot of conflict in Christianity and you can get several different versions. Islam has the same issue which gives rise to the various sects warring with each other. A lot of times when I disagree with a christian it is a certain aspect of the theology that I disagree with which may not apply to other denominations or may not even apply to the more liberal version of the denomination in question. Other than that I'm pretty certain people understand the whole savior concept but for some reason people don't like the sacrifice concepts.

 

[abutreg]

Any human being who makes the decision to becme an athiest should at least considder all aspects before making his decision just because as u said you are most familiar with christianity doesnt mean it is the only religion so just by looking into it you can decide if god exists or not before making such a life altering decision dont you think you should consider others

 

[Vansdad]

But what has the religion got to do with it at all. If a person does not believe in God why critisize the religions? Why not "non-believe" for Godly reasons.

 

[jarofthoughts]

Any human being who makes the decision to becme an athiest should at least considder all aspects before making his decision just because as u said you are most familiar with christianity doesnt mean it is the only religion so just by looking into it you can decide if god exists or not before making such a life altering decision dont you think you should consider others

Any human being who makes the decision to become a theist should at least consider all aspects, including the complete lack of evidence for any god or gods, the internal inconsistencies of most, if not all religions, the fact that one does not in any way need to be religious to live a good and moral life, and how much religion has cost humanity.

Hint: Being a theist is NOT the default position. It has to be learned, because we are all born atheist.

 

[jarofthoughts]

If a person does not believe in God why critisize the religions?

Because religious people attempt, and in way too many cases succeed in influencing, or even dictate, how people should live their lives, how laws should be made, what kind of education people should have access to, what kind of research science can do, and so on and so forth.

If religion was this private thing that people did in their own living room and never took with them outside, I wouldn't care. But that's not how it works because what propagates and keeps religion alive is not whether it is true or not, but rather the fact that this is a play for money and/or power while exploiting peoples' fear of death.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Any human being who makes the decision to become a theist should at least consider all aspects, including the complete lack of evidence for any god or gods, the internal inconsistencies of most, if not all religions, the fact that one does not in any way need to be religious to live a good and moral life, and how much religion has cost humanity.



Hint: Being a theist is NOT the default position. It has to be learned, because we are all born atheist.

Agreed..

 

[waitasec]

Because religious people attempt, and in way too many cases succeed in influencing, or even dictate, how people should live their lives, how laws should be made, what kind of education people should have access to, what kind of research science can do, and so on and so forth.

If religion was this private thing that people did in their own living room and never took with them outside, I wouldn't care. But that's not how it works because what propagates and keeps religion alive is not whether it is true or not, but rather the fact that this is a play for money and/or power while exploiting peoples' fear of death.

:clap

 

[Looncall]

I find that judgemental, and rather "snooty".

Judgements can be accurate and one can feel superior with good reason.

 

[Lahunken]

In America, it has been Christianity that has been the criterion for blocking natural ways. The iron in the cytochromes of all males cells is magnetically polarized counterclockwise; and, in all female cells, is magnetically polarized clockwise, so that when presented face to face are confluent, providing peace, and temporary relief from existence.
Everything in the universe is striving to undifferentiate to become nonexistent. This is normally not consciously realized. Existence is like the bubbles in a shaken bottle of water, all striving to undifferentiate to become nonexistent. In the case of an isolated proton, without it's "antiparticle", soulmate, it would take one with thirty-three zero's after it yeras to undifferentiate back into timespace.
Christian state has been getting in the way; but, Islam would too, but with barbaric savage punishments.
It is actually this undifferentiation, called Nirvana, that Hinduism and Buddhism seek. It is a "place" called Dharmaloka, where this undifferentiation with the opposite polarities most easily takes place, indistinguishable from Christianity's "Lake of Fire", for, a fast polarity cancellation rate is fire. Yes, real Hinus and Buddhists are trying to perish (become nonexistent, check Roget's Thesaurus) in Hell. It doesn't say in the Bible that we have immortal souls. Rather it says, "The soul that sinneth shall die", and, "Only He (God) is immortal. It is the Christian Satan who lied and said, "You shall live forever".
But, Christ, the Son of God, can, and will provide immortality for anyone who obeys Him. But, perhaps the "profanation (exposure) of the Holy Spirit is knowing that nonexistence is the satisfaction of all desires that what we really seek.

 

[Apathy]

Christians are the predominate religion in my society, I because of this spend most of my time learning and refuting Christians claims as they tend to show up more frequently. Just a numbers thing mostly, if I started to come in contact with more Muslims, Hindus, etc... I suppose I would be learning more of their apologetics.

 

[Meow Mix]

When I argue against theism, I typically argue against theism in general rather than a specific religion's version of it. If I happen to be familiar with aspects of my opponent's religion I might mention them if they contain contradictions; but I prefer to stick to the basic principles of theistic belief and the epistemology behind it.

Since I've never really experienced theists capably securing an epistemic foundation for theism in the first place, the debate rarely evolves into the specifics of particular religions.

 

[PolyHedral]

Hi Meow!

Everything in the universe is striving to undifferentiate to become nonexistent. This is normally not consciously realized. Existence is like the bubbles in a shaken bottle of water, all striving to undifferentiate to become nonexistent. In the case of an isolated proton, without it's "antiparticle", soulmate, it would take one with thirty-three zero's after it yeras to undifferentiate back into timespace.

The proton won't vanish; it'll decay into something (because energy, charge and color are conserved) if it decays at all. It could be (and probably is) infinitely stable.