Stigma of Atheism

[heirtothewind]

Discussion of atheism was known in classical antiquity [eg, Cicero, De Natura Deorum] and permeated philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment. Mark Twain gave a humorous but contemptuous view of Christianity in his ''Letters from the Earth,'' as did Robert Ingersoll in his various writings. The numerous arguments generally fall under three rubrics-

[1] lack of empirical evidence of a god,
[2] existence of evil, and
[3] multiple religions with conflicting dogmas.

Even today, however, the self-proclaimed atheist incurs a stigma of being evil, a heretic who deserve to be a pariah in a society that ostensibly adulates freedom of speech, thought, and religion.

I invite discussion of your opinion or experiences on this rather atavistic stigma associated with atheism.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

Take God from the equation for billions whose lives consist of toil, hunger, and drudgery, and what do they have left? Take the abstraction called faith-based "hope" from their lives, and what do they have left?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Not THIS again.

How about you go read the dozens of other threads that started with the same bull-oney?

And then say why it is that you so-called christians are always about putting people down, name calling, nastiness and lies?

As long as you're not trying to shove them down my throat, you're more than welcome to your beliefs. Why won't you extend that same courtesy to others?

MYOB.

 

[The Irish Ram]

Huh, then you mean we won't be able to drag you to this forum to bitch about and dispute our beliefs anymore?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Huh, then you mean we won't be able to drag you to this forum to bitch about and dispute our beliefs anymore?

If you're talking to me, I've never disputed anyone's beliefs. Believe whatever you want to believe. Doesn't matter to me.

Oh, and try to learn how to use the quote function.

 

[The Irish Ram]

I will when the need to quote someone comes up. I just posted right after you did, I thought you could figure it out.

 

[The Irish Ram]

^Do I need to quote you there, or do you know.........?

 

[jwoodie]

Not THIS again.

How about you go read the dozens of other threads that started with the same bull-oney?

And then say why it is that you so-called christians are always about putting people down, name calling, nastiness and lies?

As long as you're not trying to shove them down my throat, you're more than welcome to your beliefs. Why won't you extend that same courtesy to others?

MYOB.

What "so-called christians" are you referring to? Someone on this thread? Did you have the same contempt for other religions? Your response exemplifies the aggressive hostility that many atheists exhibit towards people with whom they disagree. Do you see Catholics filing lawsuits against Protestants or Jews for public expressions of their beliefs? It seems that only Islam shares this attitude.

The great irony is that atheism is born of profound ignorance. Unlike those who acknowledge that there are unknown mysteries to our existence, atheists insist that they know it all. How sad to be so unaware of one's limitations. How contemptible to attack others because of it.

 

[turzovka]

Discussion of atheism was known in classical antiquity [eg, Cicero, De Natura Deorum] and permeated philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment. Mark Twain gave a humorous but contemptuous view of Christianity in his ''Letters from the Earth,'' as did Robert Ingersoll in his various writings. The numerous arguments generally fall under three rubrics-

[1] lack of empirical evidence of a god,
[2] existence of evil, and
[3] multiple religions with conflicting dogmas.

Even today, however, the self-proclaimed atheist incurs a stigma of being evil, a heretic who deserve to be a pariah in a society that ostensibly adulates freedom of speech, thought, and religion.

I invite discussion of your opinion or experiences on this rather atavistic stigma associated with atheism.

Empirical evidence lacking? Hardly. What is most often lacking is the reasonableness of explanations by the denier of miracles. They cannot explain hundreds of bleeding statues of Jesus and Mary. They cannot dismiss Fatima by saying it was merely mass hallucination of 70,000 present witnessing the sun turning into a flaming, spinning, bouncing ball. Oddly enough they all "hallucinated" the exact same thing and on the very day three little children predicted the miracle would occur 90 days prior! They cannot account for demonic manifestations in exorcisms, and so on.

Evil exists because God said it would be part of our trials while here on earth. You need not tell God he does not know what he is doing.

Multiple religions, what of it? Atheism, agnosticism, and indifference are religions too, but they too are just false as the others. Some religions contain much truth but they do not understand the One and Only God. It is not necessarily fatal.

Mark Twain is not as one-sided as you would have it. You need to read of him further. He is quoted in his book he wrote on Joan of Arc as saying this ---- “She is easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.” The extremely in depth documented life of Joan of Arc and her prophetic words bears the mark of God upon her, without doubt.

 

[jwoodie]

Discussion of atheism was known in classical antiquity [eg, Cicero, De Natura Deorum] and permeated philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment. Mark Twain gave a humorous but contemptuous view of Christianity in his ''Letters from the Earth,'' as did Robert Ingersoll in his various writings. The numerous arguments generally fall under three rubrics-

[1] lack of empirical evidence of a god,
[2] existence of evil, and
[3] multiple religions with conflicting dogmas.

Even today, however, the self-proclaimed atheist incurs a stigma of being evil, a heretic who deserve to be a pariah in a society that ostensibly adulates freedom of speech, thought, and religion.

I invite discussion of your opinion or experiences on this rather atavistic stigma associated with atheism.

Empirical evidence lacking? Hardly. What is most often lacking is the reasonableness of explanations by the denier of miracles. They cannot explain hundreds of bleeding statues of Jesus and Mary. They cannot dismiss Fatima by saying they mass hallucination of 70,000 present witnessing the sun turning into a flaming, spinning, bouncing ball. Oddly enough they all "hallucinated" the exact same thing and on the very day three little children predicted the miracle would occur 90 days prior! They cannot account for demonic manifestations in exorcisms, and so on.

Evil exists because God said it would be part of our trials while here on earth. You need not tell God he does not know what he is doing.

Multiple religions, what of it? Atheism, agnosticism, and indifference are religions too, but they too are just false as the others. Some religions contain much truth but they do not understand the One and Only God. It is not necessarily fatal.

Mark Twain is not as one-sided as you would have it. You need to read of him further. He is quoted in his book he wrote on Joan of Arc as saying this ---- “She is easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.” The extremely in depth documented life of Joan of Arc and her prophetic words bears the mark of God upon her, without doubt.

You are entitled to express your belief, even if others do not share that belief.

 

[westwall]

Discussion of atheism was known in classical antiquity [eg, Cicero, De Natura Deorum] and permeated philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment. Mark Twain gave a humorous but contemptuous view of Christianity in his ''Letters from the Earth,'' as did Robert Ingersoll in his various writings. The numerous arguments generally fall under three rubrics-

[1] lack of empirical evidence of a god,
[2] existence of evil, and
[3] multiple religions with conflicting dogmas.

Even today, however, the self-proclaimed atheist incurs a stigma of being evil, a heretic who deserve to be a pariah in a society that ostensibly adulates freedom of speech, thought, and religion.

I invite discussion of your opinion or experiences on this rather atavistic stigma associated with atheism.

Most atheists I have had discussions with are self absorbed assholes who wish to impose their religion (atheism) on everyone else. I'm an agnostic so I really don't care who you believe or don't believe in. What I despise however are the idealogues (on both sides) who wish to pound into me the fact that I should believe as they do.

My response is invariably "piss off". Most of the old religious types will do so and leave me alone. But the atheists, my gosh they just home in and try and debate that which is not debatable.

These are the facts. There is no proof that a God exists. There is no proof that a God does not exist.

Understand? There is no proof either way so arguing about it is simply stupid.

 

[jwoodie]

Civil argument is fine, but suppression of others' beliefs is not.

 

[PratchettFan]

Discussion of atheism was known in classical antiquity [eg, Cicero, De Natura Deorum] and permeated philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment. Mark Twain gave a humorous but contemptuous view of Christianity in his ''Letters from the Earth,'' as did Robert Ingersoll in his various writings. The numerous arguments generally fall under three rubrics-

[1] lack of empirical evidence of a god,
[2] existence of evil, and
[3] multiple religions with conflicting dogmas.

Even today, however, the self-proclaimed atheist incurs a stigma of being evil, a heretic who deserve to be a pariah in a society that ostensibly adulates freedom of speech, thought, and religion.

I invite discussion of your opinion or experiences on this rather atavistic stigma associated with atheism.

Human beings are tribal. They will always view anyone seen as an "outsider" with suspicion or open hostility. This has nothing at all to do with beliefs or they type of society.

 

[The Irish Ram]

Just wanted to read this again.

Empirical evidence lacking? Hardly. What is most often lacking is the reasonableness of explanations by the denier of miracles. They cannot explain hundreds of bleeding statues of Jesus and Mary. They cannot dismiss Fatima by saying it was merely mass hallucination of 70,000 present witnessing the sun turning into a flaming, spinning, bouncing ball. Oddly enough they all "hallucinated" the exact same thing and on the very day three little children predicted the miracle would occur 90 days prior! They cannot account for demonic manifestations in exorcisms, and so on.

Evil exists because God said it would be part of our trials while here on earth. You need not tell God he does not know what he is doing.

Multiple religions, what of it? Atheism, agnosticism, and indifference are religions too, but they too are just false as the others. Some religions contain much truth but they do not understand the One and Only God. It is not necessarily fatal.

Mark Twain is not as one-sided as you would have it. You need to read of him further. He is quoted in his book he wrote on Joan of Arc as saying this ---- “She is easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.” The extremely in depth documented life of Joan of Arc and her prophetic words bears the mark of God upon her, without doubt.

Thanks Turzovka, That is a very good post.

 

[Blackrook]

There's two kinds of atheists, the atheist who doesn't believe in God, but thinks everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and the atheist who doesn't believe in God, and claims that those who teach Catholicism to their children are worse than child abusers. I only object to atheist number 2.

 

[heirtothewind]

This thread seems to have evoked hostile comments on the merits of atheism rather than on the intended topic ----- why does a stigma associated with atheism exist in a society that prides itself on first amendment freedoms.

 

[PostmodernProph]

Even today, however, the self-proclaimed atheist incurs a stigma of being evil, a heretic who deserve to be a pariah in a society that ostensibly adulates freedom of speech, thought, and religion.

you forgot "irrational"......that's the primary characteristic of atheists......

 

[PratchettFan]

Even today, however, the self-proclaimed atheist incurs a stigma of being evil, a heretic who deserve to be a pariah in a society that ostensibly adulates freedom of speech, thought, and religion.

you forgot "irrational"......that's the primary characteristic of atheists......

Atheism is irrational only to the extent it is based upon belief. It is no more irrational than Theism.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Discussion of atheism was known in classical antiquity [eg, Cicero, De Natura Deorum] and permeated philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment. Mark Twain gave a humorous but contemptuous view of Christianity in his ''Letters from the Earth,'' as did Robert Ingersoll in his various writings. The numerous arguments generally fall under three rubrics-

[1] lack of empirical evidence of a god,
[2] existence of evil, and
[3] multiple religions with conflicting dogmas.

Even today, however, the self-proclaimed atheist incurs a stigma of being evil, a heretic who deserve to be a pariah in a society that ostensibly adulates freedom of speech, thought, and religion.

I invite discussion of your opinion or experiences on this rather atavistic stigma associated with atheism.

I think the biggest problem atheism has today is it's atheism relative to Christianity. "I don't belive in God because nothing in the Bible is proveable." Shouldn't limit our perception of God to what's in a Bible. Could be God exists but Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are simply wrong about God. But by limiting the frame of reference for God to those faiths in asserting our disbelief we could be missing the point.

God didn't make religion, we did. And to assume something Man came up with no more than 4000 years ago is the end-all-be-all to God is just stupid. The universe is really big. And our location within it is so irrelevant that to believe we're the apple in the eye to a being that created it is arrogance on a scale that's unimaginable. If God exists it no more cares about us than we care about an individual dust mite. Maybe it created everything but everything's too big even for God to micromanage. He gave us life and hoped for the best. But to believe on the scale of the universe that anyone or anything has time to devote to our worthless asses is why atheists think there's no God. Atheism then isn't a rejection of Christianity or any particular religion so much as an acceptance of our insignificance. Theism then is a rejection of being insignificant, and letting our fragile ego convince us we matter. And the big rocks that hit our planet from time to time are just God punishing us. Not testament that we don't in fact matter and can disappear fromc reation any moment.

 

[jillian]

Not THIS again.

How about you go read the dozens of other threads that started with the same bull-oney?

And then say why it is that you so-called christians are always about putting people down, name calling, nastiness and lies?

As long as you're not trying to shove them down my throat, you're more than welcome to your beliefs. Why won't you extend that same courtesy to others?

MYOB.

because hyper religious zealots hate people who don't agree with their narrow world view and pretend what they think is legitimate.

to the o/p.... no... no one thinks atheists are evil except for the rabid religious right. most people judge the person.

personally, I see a lot more immoral so-called religious types than I do immoral atheists.