Why are “some atheists” so intolerant of religious believers?

[Dan From Smithville]

Let's cook one to see.

I would serve agnostic with a polenta, spiced with a touch of cayenne and sea salt, braised asparagus and a fresh garden salad.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

That's exactly it. One is mean, the other is unjust. Injustice is worse than meanness, Imo.

I would agree, but neither is pleasant and do not make for healthy and productive debate or discussion.

 

[shmogie]

Gluton and GMO free? I have a hunch this is analogy? If so, whats the glutton and gmo stand for?

Something is missing

 

[shmogie]

I would serve agnostic with a polenta, spiced with a touch of cayenne and sea salt, braised asparagus and a fresh garden salad.

Polenta ? Ugh !

 

[Trailblazer]

neither is pleasant and do not make for healthy and productive debate or discussion.

True, there is not thing healthy or productive about their discussions about religion or God, not with me or anyone else.

 

[lukethethird]

Why are “some atheists” so intolerant of religious believers?
They probably aren't true atheists, they probably deep down believe in the Christian God.

 

[Trailblazer]

They probably aren't true atheists, they probably deep down believe in the Christian God.

From the way they are always talking about the Christian God, it sure seems like some of them are still attached to His apron strings, and maybe they don't like the different apron my God wears, I dunno.
A true atheist is not going to bothered by a believer, not anymore than a true believer is going to be bothered by an atheist.

 

[siti]

Why are “some atheists” so intolerant of religious believers?

I dunno! But perhaps here's a clue as to why they might be suspicious of people they perceive to be of the religious bent...

"Do not become unevenly yoke with unbelievers, For what sharing does light and darkness have... ?" 2Cor 6:15

And yet here you are - in a religious debate forum - with unbelievers...I'm perfectly happy that you are here BTW - but how does your profession of belief in this scriptural injunction match your propensity for cavorting (conversationally of course) with "Belial"? (2 Corinthians 6:15 - note the verse you quoted was 14).

Anyway, @Trailblazer , I reckon that kind of "inconsistency" (for fear incurring the wrath of the mods by using a more direct term for saying one thing and doing another) is one reason "some atheists" are "intolerant of religious believers". And before you become offended at the "injustice" of that observation - remember, you did ask.

 

[Trailblazer]

Anyway, @Trailblazer , I reckon that kind of "inconsistency" (for fear incurring the wrath of the mods by using a more direct term for saying one thing and doing another) is one reason "some atheists" are "intolerant of religious believers". And before you become offended at the "injustice" of that observation - remember, you did ask.

Sorry, you lost me...
Good to see you though...

 

[siti]

Sorry, you lost me...

Not to worry...I was just wondering if @Neuropteron 's sharing a scriptural injunction against 'sharing with unbelievers' in a religious debate forum known to be frequented by unbelievers might not just be a tad (dare I say it) h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-i-c-a-l? And whether that kind of thing might be behind the suspicion/intolerance some non-believers might harbor against believers? And that would be especially true of unbelievers who were brought up in religious settings in which the actions of their elders - parents, teachers, ministers, priests (etc.) - were diametrically opposed to their teaching. Or perhaps they just feel cheated when they learn that some religious truth they had been convinced of as a child turns out to be just another story like Goldilocks and the Three Bears or Brer Rabbit. And maybe they are just determined that they, as Pete Townshend (Who?) put it, "won't get fooled again" so they just poo-poo all ideas of the religious variety as a defence mechanism.

Good to see you though...

Thanks - yes I was AWOL from RF for a while - real life gets in the way of good conversation sometimes!

 

[Trailblazer]

Not to worry...I was just wondering if @Neuropteron 's sharing a scriptural injunction against 'sharing with unbelievers' in a religious debate forum known to be frequented by unbelievers might not just be a tad (dare I say it) h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-i-c-a-l? And whether that kind of thing might be behind the suspicion/intolerance some non-believers might harbor against believers? And that would be especially true of unbelievers who were brought up in religious settings in which the actions of their elders - parents, teachers, ministers, priests (etc.) - were diametrically opposed to their teaching. Or perhaps they just feel cheated when they learn that some religious truth they had been convinced of as a child turns out to be just another story. And maybe they are just determined that, as Pete Townshend (Who?) put it "won't get fooled again".

Okay, I catch your drift.

Thanks - yes I was AWOL from RF for a while - real life gets in the way of good conversation sometimes!

I have also be AWOL since mid-December, since I jumped ship to go back to that forum I was referring to in the OP. But now I am back.... The atheists will just have to continue talking about God without me, the Christian God instead of the Baha'i God.
My real life also gets in the way of what I consider real life. What a royal pain it is to own three houses.

 

[blü 2]

I wonder why people think and do what they think and do. It seems rather obvious to me that if the atheists on that forum are hostile towards me it is because they are threatened in some way.

Yo, Trailblazer! Trust you're well.

Back when the Four Horsemen were riding high, I saw a video of Stephen Fry, as one of the speakers at a forum, saying why he was an atheist. Fry is no dummy, so I was surprised that his address made no attempt to outline an intellectual position: instead it was a vehement and heartfelt rage at the way his church had treated him when he was growing up. (Fry is of course gay.)

So perhaps there are as many paths to nonbelief as there are nonbelievers, and some of them involve aggression.

 

[Trailblazer]

Yo, Trailblazer! Trust you're well.

Thanks... Relative to a couple of weeks ago, a bit weller.

Back when the Four Horsemen were riding high, I saw a video of Stephen Fry, as one of the speakers at a forum, saying why he was an atheist. Fry is no dummy, so I was surprised that his address made no attempt to outline an intellectual position: instead it was a vehement and heartfelt rage at the way his church had treated him when he was growing up. (Fry is of course gay.)

So perhaps there are as many paths to nonbelief as there are nonbelievers,

That is true and it makes sense since all atheists come from different backgrounds ....
There are also as many paths to belief as there are believers, although some paths are similar.

and some of them involve aggression.

And passive-aggressive behavior, as I think was what I was met with on that forum.

 

[SomeRandom]

Some Atheists are ********. Some theists are ********. Some people are just ********.

 

[blü 2]

Thanks... Relative to a couple of weeks ago, a bit weller.

That sure beats the alternative. Be well, y'hear?

 

[Jumi]

Why are “some atheists” so intolerant of religious believers?
They probably aren't true atheists, they probably deep down believe in the Christian God.

Almost spilled my beverage reading this.

 

[MJFlores]

In December 2017, I left a forum I had been posting on for about four years to come here because of a falling out with the atheist forum owner. I was here for about a year and then that atheist forum owner saw me posting on another forum in that forum group and invited me back to his forum. I went back in December 2018, reticently, and since then I have only been posting here on RF on a limited basis, because I do not have time for both forums. I am now very sorry I ever went back there and I hope I never make the same mistake again.

That forum pretends to be a forum for believers, ex-believers and nonbelievers but it is inhospitable for believers of any kind, particularly for believers of the Baha’i Faith. That is putting it mildly. We are discriminated against because the forum owner has a vendetta against my religion. Christians and Jews are tolerated as long as they do not talk too much about God or their religious beliefs. Mostly what they talk about on that forum are politics and social issues. So they really should not call themselves a “religious forum.”

My most recent academic background is in psychology, so I wonder why people think and do what they think and do. It seems rather obvious to me that if the atheists on that forum are hostile towards me it is because they are Replythreatened in some way. Of course, they would never admit that. It is not as if I am a bit pushy about what I believe, and in fact I only discussed my beliefs if someone else posted to me about my beliefs. Then I responded and I got blamed for proselytizing. This is wholly unjust.

This last falling out was precipitated by the forum owner having a hissy fit for what he considered me mentioning my religion too much and then he put me on moderation. I sent him a private message that I will not post on his forum while on moderation because that is unjust, since I broke no forum rules, and I told him I was leaving his forum. Of course most of the atheists are glad I am gone. I am also glad I am gone because now I am back here and the atheists on this forum have been so different. They are mature adults, not little children acting out.

There is no reason why those atheists would act out that way unless they were afraid of what I have to say. They do not react to the other believers on that forum that way because they do not dare talk much about God or their religion, because they are too afraid of being insulted. But I never cared about being insulted; I stood right up to them, but I was always polite. And I never told them that they should believe in God, as I am very well aware of the reasons atheists do not believe in God and I respect those reasons. Why can’t we all just get along? Is that too much to ask?

Imagine that! I dare to talk about God and my religion on a “religious forum.”

The forum owner just wants to control everything I post, it is so obvious. Why can’t other people see this? It is psych 101 stuff. I know atheists are intelligent, but the atheists on that forum seem to wear blinders regarding the reasons for their fearless leader’s behaviors.

Finally, they call that forum a “free thinkers” forum and I find the very ironic, because nobody has changed the way they think since I went there five years ago. They are not free to think anything that contradicts their atheism and they don’t want to hear about it. Then they rank on believers and say we are not free to think because we have a religion. They say we are just “brainwashed believers.” It is comical that they cannot understand their own behavior, but it is also rather sad.

I understand that a lot of atheists are ex-believers who were hurt by Christianity but it is not fair to take that out on me. I did not do anything to them except try to be their friend. But they cannot be friends with a believer, all they can do is tell me I am wrong about what I believe. They say there is no God, no soul and no afterlife but they have no proof of that. I readily admit believers have no proof either, but there is evidence. By contrast, atheists have no evidence that there is no God, no soul and no afterlife, so they should just admit that, instead of insisting they know. I guess it makes them uncomfortable to have to think about these things, but if they are so sure they do not exist they would be able to just blow me off instead of getting antagonistic. This is psych 101 stuff.

I am interested in what the atheists on this forum have to say about this, but I am also open to hearing the opinions of believers.

I believe...
That is just a natural observation.
If these were in a period different from our time, it would be lethal for you, me and everybody.

The time I am referring to was the time when a religion is intolerant of other faiths.
They have the authority and the sadism to brand you a heretic.

Historians say Inquisition wasn't that bad

Thank God, those days are over.

Anyways, the people here are nice [overall] and sometimes some would really irk you.
But at the end of the day, it's all but natural.

 

[ChristineM]

In December 2017, I left a forum I had been posting on for about four years to come here because of a falling out with the atheist forum owner. I was here for about a year and then that atheist forum owner saw me posting on another forum in that forum group and invited me back to his forum. I went back in December 2018, reticently, and since then I have only been posting here on RF on a limited basis, because I do not have time for both forums. I am now very sorry I ever went back there and I hope I never make the same mistake again.

That forum pretends to be a forum for believers, ex-believers and nonbelievers but it is inhospitable for believers of any kind, particularly for believers of the Baha’i Faith. That is putting it mildly. We are discriminated against because the forum owner has a vendetta against my religion. Christians and Jews are tolerated as long as they do not talk too much about God or their religious beliefs. Mostly what they talk about on that forum are politics and social issues. So they really should not call themselves a “religious forum.”

My most recent academic background is in psychology, so I wonder why people think and do what they think and do. It seems rather obvious to me that if the atheists on that forum are hostile towards me it is because they are threatened in some way. Of course, they would never admit that. It is not as if I am a bit pushy about what I believe, and in fact I only discussed my beliefs if someone else posted to me about my beliefs. Then I responded and I got blamed for proselytizing. This is wholly unjust.

This last falling out was precipitated by the forum owner having a hissy fit for what he considered me mentioning my religion too much and then he put me on moderation. I sent him a private message that I will not post on his forum while on moderation because that is unjust, since I broke no forum rules, and I told him I was leaving his forum. Of course most of the atheists are glad I am gone. I am also glad I am gone because now I am back here and the atheists on this forum have been so different. They are mature adults, not little children acting out.

There is no reason why those atheists would act out that way unless they were afraid of what I have to say. They do not react to the other believers on that forum that way because they do not dare talk much about God or their religion, because they are too afraid of being insulted. But I never cared about being insulted; I stood right up to them, but I was always polite. And I never told them that they should believe in God, as I am very well aware of the reasons atheists do not believe in God and I respect those reasons. Why can’t we all just get along? Is that too much to ask?

Imagine that! I dare to talk about God and my religion on a “religious forum.”

The forum owner just wants to control everything I post, it is so obvious. Why can’t other people see this? It is psych 101 stuff. I know atheists are intelligent, but the atheists on that forum seem to wear blinders regarding the reasons for their fearless leader’s behaviors.

Finally, they call that forum a “free thinkers” forum and I find the very ironic, because nobody has changed the way they think since I went there five years ago. They are not free to think anything that contradicts their atheism and they don’t want to hear about it. Then they rank on believers and say we are not free to think because we have a religion. They say we are just “brainwashed believers.” It is comical that they cannot understand their own behavior, but it is also rather sad.

I understand that a lot of atheists are ex-believers who were hurt by Christianity but it is not fair to take that out on me. I did not do anything to them except try to be their friend. But they cannot be friends with a believer, all they can do is tell me I am wrong about what I believe. They say there is no God, no soul and no afterlife but they have no proof of that. I readily admit believers have no proof either, but there is evidence. By contrast, atheists have no evidence that there is no God, no soul and no afterlife, so they should just admit that, instead of insisting they know. I guess it makes them uncomfortable to have to think about these things, but if they are so sure they do not exist they would be able to just blow me off instead of getting antagonistic. This is psych 101 stuff.

I am interested in what the atheists on this forum have to say about this, but I am also open to hearing the opinions of believers.

I feel for your plight, but consider the abuse atheists receive from believers, yesterday alone i was the target of verbal abuse/insult twice on this forum, once resulted in me putting the culprit on ignore, the other resulted in words in kind.

There are far more believers than atheists and i would say the exchange of abuse is roughly equivalent to the number of members in each grouping

Say there are 10 atheists and 1 or 2 are effected by the abuse they receive and fight back whether it be to the religious abuser or to religious people in general

For the same number of atheists there will be 30 or 40 religious people with around 3 to 8 who are abusive of to atheists.

This constant barrage of abuse will temper a persons attitude no matter how laid back they believe themselves to be.

Would you consider this a fair comparison?

Also consider many of the holy books teach intolerance to those not of their own faith, holy book literalists seem to be the culprits here. So you can add to that 3 to 8 an extra couple

As for you, we have had our disagreements in the past but despite being somewhat close minded and intransigent to different views you have always been polite in explaining your view as i would hope i have.

Remember, atheist are also human beings, with human emotions. If one gets up your nose the chances are they are simply reacting to how they have been treated

Here on RF there is always the option to ignore them.

 

[HonestJoe]

I understand that intolerance is to be found within all different groups of people, but I was just wondering why you think those atheists would act out that way unless they were afraid of what I have to say. Do you think there is NO reason, that they are just intolerant for no reason? That seems rather odd to me because there has to be a reason people think as they do and a motivation for their actions.

Exactly the same range of reasons some theists do. Exactly the same reason some people do the same kind of thing in politics, science, art, education and religion. Some will be afraid of hearing something they don’t want to, some will just be being difficult for their own entertainment, some will be just idiots, some may truly believe your opinions are dangerous.

The fact remains that this is a human trait so there is no valid reason to single out any specific subgroup in the way you did. Maybe your just afraid of hearing what they want to say and you’re rationalising that by perceiving all their responses as hostile. Psychologist, psycho-analyse yourself?

 

[Jollybear]

Something is missing

Whats missing?