Getting Personally Offended

[Kilgore Trout]

I have a hard time understanding the concept of being personaly offended in general, but certainly as an atheist, I could never be personally offended by someone insulting atheism.

However, it seems, for many people, that they're often personally offended regarding their beliefs about religion or god. Probably more than anything else.

I'm wondering if other atheists ever get personally offended by someone else's opinion of your beliefs. If so, what have you been offended by, and why do you think you gave someone's opinion enough power over you to make you feel offended?

 

[jonman122]

I've never been offended by someone else bashing the belief that there is no god, because it's obvious that whatever they say has no logical merit and they are saying things that make absolutely no sense.

I am offended by people who try to make creation something in the school system though, i feel that this will in no way help better science as a whole, and has no application at all for science either (wheras evolution has much application)

ALSO, your signature is amazing. made me laugh good

 

[sandandfoam]

Is there an atheism we can talk about?
I would imagine there are just atheists

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Is there an atheism we can talk about?
I would imagine there are just atheists

Indeed, however, many people have very complex fantasies about what atheism/atheists are, unlike you.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

I've never been offended by people insulting atheists or atheism. Amused, maybe, but I've never really been offended.

However, there are many things I am offended by. For example, I'm offended by religious people using offence as a means to clamp down on the rights of others. I'm offended by religious institutions such as the Catholic church putting their own image above the welfare of their parishioners. I'm offended by people, religious or otherwise, denying others the right to criticize or critique religion in any honest way. I'm offended by the undeserved role that superstition takes in the minds of so many religious people over rationality, reason, evidence and scientific advancement.

I'm sure you've all heard this rant about a hundred times from a hundred different atheists, but it bears repeating, really.

So, in short, I'm not offended by people attacking or insulting atheism.

Is there an atheism we can talk about?
I would imagine there are just atheists

Also, this. People insulting my atheism is not much more severe to me than people insulting my preference for computer games. Okay, they're not exactly the same, but still...

 

[AnnaTheBeast]

I've never been offended by someone else bashing the belief that there is no god, because it's obvious that whatever they say has no logical merit and they are saying things that make absolutely no sense.

I am offended by people who try to make creation something in the school system though, i feel that this will in no way help better science as a whole, and has no application at all for science either (wheras evolution has much application)

That is the only thing I could ever see an athiest getting offended about, anyone else that gets offended by someone bashing atheism has an underlying cause =/

 

[Tathagata]

Nothing anyone can say could ever offend me. People get offended when something they are emotionally attached to something that is fragile or has a weak basis. So if someone is offended by someone criticizin their beliefs, you'll know why.

For those who are well grounded and confident in what they stand for, they won't be offended. Though, for me, I may not get offended, but i do get real aggravated when something that I stand for is misrepresented (a strawman attack). Because they're not attacking my beliefs, but rather attacking a position I don't support and claiming that I support said position.

 

[Erebus]

I have a hard time understanding the concept of being personaly offended in general, but certainly as an atheist, I could never be personally offended by someone insulting atheism.

However, it seems, for many people, that they're often personally offended regarding their beliefs about religion or god. Probably more than anything else.

I'm wondering if other atheists ever get personally offended by someone else's opinion of your beliefs. If so, what have you been offended by, and why do you think you gave someone's opinion enough power over you to make you feel offended?

I suppose to be offended you would have to hold your atheism as something precious to you... which seems a little odd to be honest. I'm sure some atheists do this, but I doubt many do it.

 

[ChristineES]

It has been years since I have been personally offended if someone insulted my faith. I no longer get offended since it is never personal. But I can understand how people would and could be offended. After all, if someone follows a faith, that faith/religion partially or wholly shapes who that person is. In order to truly, for example, follow Jesus' commands, you must let that be a part of your life. I think that may be the same for other faiths and/or religions as well.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

It has been years since I have been personally offended if someone insulted my faith. I no longer get offended since it is never personal. But I can understand how people would and could be offended. After all, if someone follows a faith, that faith/religion partially or wholly shapes who that person is. In order to truly, for example, follow Jesus' commands, you must let that be a part of your life. I think that may be the same for other faiths and/or religions as well.

This certainly makes sense. However, I see atheism different in this regard, that, for most atheists, there exists the underlying ideal that there are "no sacred cows." This lack of sacred attachment to ideas would seem to inhibit the potential to get offended.

Most atheists I personally know are like this, I just wanted to see whether this was the case here.

 

[Jeremiah]

Yes, I get very offend when someone speaks ill of atheism. And I am trying to convince the UN to pass blasphemy laws, protecting atheism from slander. Because my feelings are more important then freedom of speech.


I have SpongeBob in a bunny outfit as an AV, I am not too worried about what others think.

 

[McBell]

I have not been offended by people talking crap about atheism or atheists.
However, I have seen, right here on RF, some atheists get down right p***** when a theist made some comment about how atheists have no meaning and or purpose in life, etc.

 

[Skwim]

Yeah the whole "offense" thing is so bound up in psychological need that it almost begs for a few hours on the couch. If people could only stop caring what others thought of them and their choices the world would be a much calmer place in which to live. But alas, we have those who at the drop of a discouraging world are ready to take up arms. "You said WHAT about my mother???" And people claim we're above all other animals. Yeah, sure.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I have not been offended by people talking crap about atheism or atheists.
However, I have seen, right here on RF, some atheists get down right p***** when a theist made some comment about how atheists have no meaning and or purpose in life, etc.

Well, that would be kind of dumb. I mean, atheists obviously have a purpose in life - to annoy the hell out of theists.

 

[Thief]

I find the ...'God did it'...argument really does the trick.

And of course...'faith'...by definition...requires no proof.

No one fesses up to being personally offended....
but around and around we go.

 

[ChristineES]

My therapist has always said about offensive remarks: "Consider the source"

 

[Reverend Rick]

I'm not really sure why people get offended. It is an emotion which for the most part does not have to make sense. I've been offended before, I'm not sure that I believe I have a right not to be offended however.

 

[dogsgod]

I have a hard time understanding the concept of being personaly offended in general, but certainly as an atheist, I could never be personally offended by someone insulting atheism.

However, it seems, for many people, that they're often personally offended regarding their beliefs about religion or god. Probably more than anything else.

I'm wondering if other atheists ever get personally offended by someone else's opinion of your beliefs. If so, what have you been offended by, and why do you think you gave someone's opinion enough power over you to make you feel offended?

\When people use their authority to silence the opinions of others, that's offensive.

 

[Skwim]

\When people use their authority to silence the opinions of others, that's offensive.

Ah . . . that's goes far beyond critical utterances. You do understand we're talking about insulting remarks, and not those that result harmful consequences don't you?

 

[dogsgod]

Ah . . . that's goes far beyond critical utterances. You do understand we're talking about insulting remarks, and not those that result harmful consequences don't you?

A lack of belief is offensive and insulting.