In her latest post, Rechelle welcomes her new atheist readers and mentions emails she has received from all you kind atheists:
It has been my complete and utter delight to hear from these people and discover that they are among the kindest, most supportive, most thoughtful people I have ever had the pleasure to receive emails from in my life. I mean, they had to go to some trouble to find my email address and write out a nice letter of encouragement and they don’t even have Jesus in their hearts! It truly borders on the miraculous. And I don’t even believe in miracles anymore!
She has also opened up comments (with moderation) on her blog. So go share with her the love of His Noodleness!
Humans are amazing things. I like to think a miracle is just an admission that we don’t know all there is to know.
Well said.
Its simply not possible! Atheists are (by definition) Satan worshipping, baby eating, murdering, fornicating, blaspheming monsters without a shred of dignity, compassion or humanity.
Yeah, but of the nice kind.
Exactly. I have a kind smile on my face the whole time. And it’s not even creepy when I do it (not like when a christian does or says something completely crazy or evil, but with that sanctimonious smile – you know which one I’m talking ’bout, right?)
To be fair, there are plenty of arrogant and rude individuals on both side of the belief spectrum, from fundamentalists to atheists. Let us cease to castigate the other side as villians, but strive instead to promote understanding between different groups.
Umm…the other side are villains. What then, should we do?
Yeah, that’s my dilemma too. How am i supposed to be open-minded and tolerant when I’m right :) (Please do bear with me – I’m the daughter of an evangelical pastor – apple falls not far from tree).
DDM, Janet,
If I know an obnoxious atheist who insults me and calls me names because of my belief in god, should I then brand all atheists as obnoxious?
If I see an athiest insulting you and calling you names only because of your belief in god I will have your back and support you.
Can you do the same the next time a Theist proclaims you can’t live a moral life without believing in god; being heterosexual;believe in creation?
I would stand up for atheists if they are insulted. But there’s a difference between making an argument and making an insult. The example you raised is the former and of course stands to be rebutted.
I don’t understand you. Are you claiming these words, “Can you do the same the next time a Theist proclaims you can’t live a moral life without believing in god; being heterosexual;believe in creation?” are an argument and can be rebutted?
Nevermind Terence, I figured it out. You’ve provided a perfect example of why you get insulted.
It’s not because of your belief in god. It’s because of your ignorant and fucked up ideas. You could have no belief in god whatsoever and still be worthy of ridicule and scorn.
If an atheist acts like an a&&hole, I would suspect it is an angry reaction to deconversion. The first few years after my deconversion, I wouldn’t call people names but I subtly mocked those who believed in the invisible sky-god (ok, I still mock a wee bit, but I try to be respectful!) To an atheist, it’s like arguing with someone who believes the earth is flat. You have a sense of disbelief that the person you’re talking to does not see the obvious truth. This can be frustrating. There is also anger if the atheist had a christian background. For example, I was lied to for years, and it affected my quality of life to the point where I became almost non-functioning (from depression and fear). I gradually started doubting, questioning, reading…then suddenly realized that I KNEW for a fact there was nothing to this religion stuff. It was a marvelous moment. The fear lifted, and suddenly I was free. I developed my own moral code, my conscience showed itself for the first time, and I started to appreciate this life (without constantly worrying about the next one). But…all those wasted years. I can never get them back. How could my parents have screwed me up like that? It’s well-meaning christians who do the damage. How can atheists be unemotional about this????
That is a very good point. I never deconverted, so I don’t know about that, but that might be so. If someone who was religious before, and then found their way to atheism, the amount of attention they will give will likely be as much as they were on about their god beforehand, or even moreso. It is like, when you meet someone new, all the songs on the radio turn out to be love songs, or like, when your friend has met someone new, and they won’t shut up about how awesome that person is at the beginning of the relationship. The opportunity to talk about this new wisdom suddenly presents itself everywhere, and if you aren’t outright hostile to the stupidity of religion, you are likely seeking debate and find it. It’s easy to be made to be the dick in that situation, even if you can’t see it, even if you don’t mean to be, and especially if you don’t think you’re being one, because it’s obviously the other guy. It can be both, but you know you’re right! So does he, unfortunately.
Anyway, you probably refine your arguments and your tone, you don’t need to hand every fundie their ass right there and then (maybe), after a while, you just blend in, you’re comfortable and talk about it when it comes up, in a civilized way. In a sentence beginning with “If an atheist acts like an a$$hole,” I might end it with, “I suspect that’s because some people are a$$holes.” Some people are also atheists, but some are not. Atheism is not the causation of the behavior, just that particular person’s topic of choice. Most of us probably never even bring it up in social situations that don’t warrant it, although we can be a$$holes about other things, or possibly not. Nobody’s perfect.
That is ridiculously rational and sensible. In a world full of right-wing talk radio and insanity, a comment like this kinda makes ya stop in your tracks! Great response.
belief spectrum and atheists… let’s see how that works with an analogy:
To be fair, there are plenty of arrogant and rude individuals on both side of the hair color spectrum, from blondes to balds.
No, definitely that doesn’t work well.
Personally, I think most of the arrogant and rude ones live in the DC area.
That would be all fine and dandy if religion weren’t so damned irrelevant to everything it considers important, especially morality. The first agnostic said it rather pithily:
“The foundation of morality is to have done, once and for all, with lying; to give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibilities of knowledge.”
T.H. Huxley, the coiner of the term “agnosticism”
“Science and Morals” (1886)
I originally read that as “welcomes her new atheist leaders” and had a good laugh.
I, for one, welcome our new atheist overlords.
After reading the comments on her site the fundies seem to have one of two things to say. Either “I’ll pray for you” or “I used to like you but now you’re hateful and mean.” Amazing how you become hateful and mean to xtians by just disagreeing with them.
“you don’t need to hand every fundie their ass right there and then (maybe), after a while, you just blend in, …”
I will, maybe once only to … what’s his name again?
If you put all theists in one group and all atheists in another group, which group do you think would have more of the following:
-racists
-sexists
-heterosexists
-xenophobes
-imperialistic supporters of war
???
-Country music fans?
Yes, add them to the list. Country music is like nails on a chalkboard. It’s pure evil.
Oh I dunno. I’m quite partial to Ghost Riders…