On Topic Copy -Do Atheist pick on other religions

[ImaginaryDay2]

This may help.

So Thomas of the bible was an Agnostic Theist? :;-D:
You make me laugh...

 

[MarkFL]

Now, regarding the topic of this thread...do atheists pick on others?

Yes, some atheists can certainly be combative, I have been guilty of this more than once.

On the flip side, after simply stating I am an atheist when the subject of theism comes up, I have been called an agent of Satan, a hater of God, unpatriotic, told I should leave this country, and so after hearing these things on multiple occasions for years, it is natural for an atheist to become somewhat combative and defensive. What I need to keep in mind, is that most theists are not like this, and not fall victim to the kind of selective memory we are all capable of.

I think an equally valid question is: Are atheists picked on by others? Not that two wrongs make a right mind you, just trying to shed a little light on the mindset of an atheist in a predominantly theist society.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Now, regarding the topic of this thread...do atheists pick on others?

Yes, some atheists can certainly be combative, I have been guilty of this more than once.

On the flip side, after simply stating I am an atheist when the subject of theism comes up, I have been called an agent of Satan, a hater of God, unpatriotic, told I should leave this country, and so after hearing these things on multiple occasions for years, it is natural for an atheist to become somewhat combative and defensive. What I need to keep in mind, is that most theists are not like this, and not fall victim to the kind of selective memory we are all capable of.

I think an equally valid question is: Are atheists picked on by others? Not that two wrongs make a right mind you, just trying to shed a little light on the mindset of an atheist in a predominantly theist society.

It's good to see you again Mark

 

[MarkFL]

It's good to see you again Mark

Thanks, Phil!...it's good to be back. :tea:

 

[psalms 91]

Yes, it is very good to have you back

 

[Lamb]

So in my OP I asked if Atheists picked on others besides Christians. I've received some great responses so far and from those responses I see that the influence of whether other religious groups get picked on comes from the upbringing of the atheists and the ties to other religions. I wonder if atheists from Asia pick on other groups more than Christians?

 

[MarkFL]

So in my OP I asked if Atheists picked on others besides Christians. I've received some great responses so far and from those responses I see that the influence of whether other religious groups get picked on comes from the upbringing of the atheists and the ties to other religions. I wonder if atheists from Asia pick on other groups more than Christians?

I misunderstood...I thought you were asking if atheists pick on theists in general...sorry about that.

I think the issue, at least in the U.S., of atheists singling out Christians is simply because Christianity is the majority and thus a much larger target. I know prominent atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens are/were openly critical of Islam and Hinduism as well, and in fact critical of any type of theism.

Neil deGrasse Tyson has been pretty clear that his main objection as an educator is when non-science such as creationism is put alongside evolution as a means of explaining the diversity of life, or alongside the big bang theory to explain the origins of the cosmos. Naturally, any scientist, theist or not, should strongly object to this. It's when theism is put into places where it doesn't belong that most atheists have issue.

 

[TubbyTubby]

I think I mentioned it in an earlier post but I don't discriminate between different religions in my contempt for them much like the names mentioned above put their case.

I don't go out of my way to 'pick on' any of them in particular, instead I will make my feelings known to any street corner christian evangelist or door knocking jehova who feels it necessary to impose their belief into my and my childrens world (but always with politeness I should add).

I will stand up for my position of non-belief wherever it is threatened and have done so in my childrens school on more than one occasion. In the words of the great Christopher Hitchens "Since it is obviously inconceivable that ALL religions can be right. The most reasonable conclusion is that they are all wrong." and that really sums up my feelings on the topic.

 

[Lamb]

I copied the posts over from my other thread so that this one can stay on topic.

When I initially posted my other thread it was Do Atheists pick on others but I didn't mean just Christians. We had some good replies. I think I left off wondering if the Atheists in places like Asia picked on the religions that are followed there more than Christians or are they more tolerant of those religions?

 

[MarkFL]

My fiancee is from Malaysia, of Chinese descent, and practices a theistic form of Buddhism blended with some traditional Chinese practices such as ancestor worship.

When we were first dating, I decided the moment to reveal to her that I am an atheist should be sooner than later. At that point we hadn't really discussed religion much. I approached this wish some trepidation, as if I felt I needed to tell her I was an ex-convict or something, because of negative perceptions and prejudices against atheists here which I have directly experienced. When I finally told her, she was like, And? It really didn't matter to her...it was if I had told her something like when eating chicken I prefer dark over white meat.

I have since learned from her that in her native culture, religion is a more personal thing, and people really don't care what others believe or feel the need to prosthelytize and leave it at that.

She gets embarrassed when I tell her that when her ancestors were building great cities, art, literature, mathematics etc., mine were hunter gatherers...LOL!

 

[Stravinsk]

I copied the posts over from my other thread so that this one can stay on topic.

When I initially posted my other thread it was Do Atheists pick on others but I didn't mean just Christians. We had some good replies. I think I left off wondering if the Atheists in places like Asia picked on the religions that are followed there more than Christians or are they more tolerant of those religions?

Can you explain what you mean by "bashed" or "picked on"? Do you mean

A) Civil debate, question and answer, point and counterpoint on the topics raised

or do you mean

B) Personal attacks on the people because of how they identify?

The topic is limited to answer either or both of these questions within the scope of identifying as either Atheist or identifying as Christian.

I would suggest that healthy skepticism or unhealthy personal attacks do not stem from merely a specific religious or non religious standpoint, but negative experiences related to belief in general, and how it impacts people's lives in some way.

To give an example - I have a friend who identifies as Hindu. I don't want to comment on his faith or lack of it (as if I could be a good judge or measure of that even if I was Hindu, which I'm not) - but he has a great deal of contempt towards Hindus of a certain class or quality within his culture/religion. Without going into specifics - they fall into the the "priest" class of that religion, and make their livings giving out "spiritual advice" and so forth. Like in Christianity, many are charlatans who put on a great "spiritual show" and fool many with their claims and advice, and fleece people out of great wealth.

As I have never lived in India and am generally unfamiliar with the major religion or culture there, I have little to say except that I understand his contempt for the practice of religious charlatanism that impacts people negatively but nevertheless seems to be believed by a great mass of people in that region and of that faith.

 

[psalms 91]

Can you explain what you mean by "bashed" or "picked on"? Do you mean

A) Civil debate, question and answer, point and counterpoint on the topics raised

or do you mean

B) Personal attacks on the people because of how they identify?

The topic is limited to answer either or both of these questions within the scope of identifying as either Atheist or identifying as Christian.

I would suggest that healthy skepticism or unhealthy personal attacks do not stem from merely a specific religious or non religious standpoint, but negative experiences related to belief in general, and how it impacts people's lives in some way.

To give an example - I have a friend who identifies as Hindu. I don't want to comment on his faith or lack of it (as if I could be a good judge or measure of that even if I was Hindu, which I'm not) - but he has a great deal of contempt towards Hindus of a certain class or quality within his culture/religion. Without going into specifics - they fall into the the "priest" class of that religion, and make their livings giving out "spiritual advice" and so forth. Like in Christianity, many are charlatans who put on a great "spiritual show" and fool many with their claims and advice, and fleece people out of great wealth.

As I have never lived in India and am generally unfamiliar with the major religion or culture there, I have little to say except that I understand his contempt for the practice of religious charlatanism that impacts people negatively but nevertheless seems to be believed by a great mass of people in that region and of that faith.

As for Christians muslims in some countries persecute christians, communists are defined as athiests and while some have the freedom to worship they have been persecuted as well.

 

[Lamb]

Can you explain what you mean by "bashed" or "picked on"? Do you mean

A) Civil debate, question and answer, point and counterpoint on the topics raised

or do you mean

B) Personal attacks on the people because of how they identify?

The topic is limited to answer either or both of these questions within the scope of identifying as either Atheist or identifying as Christian.

I would suggest that healthy skepticism or unhealthy personal attacks do not stem from merely a specific religious or non religious standpoint, but negative experiences related to belief in general, and how it impacts people's lives in some way.

To give an example - I have a friend who identifies as Hindu. I don't want to comment on his faith or lack of it (as if I could be a good judge or measure of that even if I was Hindu, which I'm not) - but he has a great deal of contempt towards Hindus of a certain class or quality within his culture/religion. Without going into specifics - they fall into the the "priest" class of that religion, and make their livings giving out "spiritual advice" and so forth. Like in Christianity, many are charlatans who put on a great "spiritual show" and fool many with their claims and advice, and fleece people out of great wealth.

As I have never lived in India and am generally unfamiliar with the major religion or culture there, I have little to say except that I understand his contempt for the practice of religious charlatanism that impacts people negatively but nevertheless seems to be believed by a great mass of people in that region and of that faith.

Actually there is also option C) which doesn't just mean belittling the person but also the religion itself. Mocking the doctrine isn't civil.

So B and C apply to this thread.

 

[Stravinsk]

Actually there is also option C) which doesn't just mean belittling the person but also the religion itself. Mocking the doctrine isn't civil.

So B and C apply to this thread.

I know the scope of the thread is limited to Christian/Atheist. However, I included an example (that I feel speaks to the heart or point of what is being asked) from another faith.

As for derision of doctrine (or a specific one within a given religion), I don't see that as civil or uncivil without another qualifier. If someone of some religion tried to tell me that I was actually born on the planet Zen and transmuted here through the careful alchemical experiments of a race of super giant rodents who had transcended space and time -

I would mock that belief. It is mockable. It is not worthy of my consideration or time and deserves to be laughed at.

I feel the same way for any doctrine of any religion (ANY) that teaches assumed authority delegated to men, over men, without a reasonable qualifier and scope. That includes those specific Pauline doctrines of Christianity that say to "obey your earthly MASTERS", "honor the KING", "submit to religious/ secular authorities".

These verses are always used and abused by Tyrants. Fascist Germany is but one great example of many many others of why the doctrine of submission without qualifier and scope is super destructive.

And deserves derision WHEREVER it is found - and it is found in more than one religion.