Why I’m Angry: An Anti-Theist’s 78 Reasons

62. I am angry that the United States has the HIGHEST incarceration rate IN THE WORLD (not just among developed countries, but among ALL countries), and one of its HIGHEST recidivism rates in the world, as well, partly because of the false mentality that “sinners” deserve to be punished, which is a clear implication of the concept of hell. I am further angry when I see other atheistic countries in northern Europe in which the goal is not punishment, but rehabilitation, and look at their admirably low incarceration rates and recidivism rates, and think about how much better off we would be if we got rid of this destructive concept of hell.

63. I am angry that I Corinthians chapter 1 out and out states that the philosopher and scholar cannot understand Christianity, effectively making it immune in many people’s minds from the critique it needs — if you speak about it you’re often automatically wrong because, “You’re a scholar,” and you get trapped in that box when you really have important things to say.

64. I am angry at the fact that a major reason so many people are Christian today is because there were several inquisitions, forceful conversions on entire tribes, and aggressive punishment and laws against speaking against religion that were enforced by government because of no separation between church and state.

65. I am angry that atheists are not allowed allowed the same privileges as religious individuals, who are allowed to go into the prisons as chaplains and convert the inmates – and that prisons in the United States often become a Christian conversion mill for individuals due to the conditions there, the powerlessness of the inmates, and the exaltation of Christian principles.

66. I am angry that the Christian answer to doubt is that it is Satan testing you, but that God wants to use it to strengthen your belief. If doubt, then, brings you back to God, it’s fine, but if it doesn’t it is hard proof that Satan is winning. This ingenious device has trapped people in Christianity for years, because I know from experience that (almost?) nothing is scarier than thinking you are being decieved by Satan and that Satan is winning. I am further angry that people who doubt and are manipulated into coming back to God from that doubt often see people who have this fear of being decieved by Satan like individuals who have a mental illness, and as somewhat inferior religious people who they need to pray for and pity.

67. I am angry at the social alienation many in the Bible belt physically experience when they say they are no longer able to believe the Bible’s incredible story — often losing friends and family in truly disturbing ways.

68. I am angry that Christianity states people should follow a certain behavioral code that NOBODY follows — but Christians are seen as still squeaky clean in significant segments of Christianity when not following them, because grace. Atheists, on the other hand, are often denigrated wherever they break the code, and it is used as proof that they are “still in their sins.” I am further angry that the socially constructed guilt that comes from this denigration is used to say that atheists who were formerly Christian left Christianity solely because they wanted to sin and not for any justifiable reason — which immediately causes them to stop being heard by those in church (while those in church who sin regularly but are forgiven by “grace” still keep their credibility). I am further angry when the concept of “sin” is used by evangelists using the Bible (like Ray Comfort) to shame people into thinking they are fundamentally terrible, evil people, a shaming that is used to manipulate them into Christianity.

69. I am angry that many Christians, including the parents of atheist children, blame the child’s atheism on the deeply religious parents’ bad parenting. Christians regularly use this to shame the parents of atheist children, as I have seen in my own experience. I have awesome parents, and my atheism is a result of what they did right, so that makes me furious — and I am not alone there.

70. I am angry that many atheists and Christian doubters are told that their problem is that they are putting their ways above God’s ways — when human beings have crafted every “way” they follow in the first place. In other words, the false humility of, “Unlike you, I’m humble…it’s just that this all-powerful deity who both you and I should accept without question happens to agree with everything I say, and you should submit to Him and, if you don’t, justice demands that you are tortured for eternity because that’s what you deserve” is absolutely infuriating, especially when I see it used as a manipulation tactic. That is, in my mind, one of the proudest positions you can have, especially if you believe that with no evidence and take pride in your “faith.”