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Why do people feel threatened by Atheists

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Metalwolf
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11 Mar 2014, 4:54 pm

Kurgan wrote:
Most people do not feel threatened by atheist. People seem to be fed up with the kind who have a superiority complex because of a 105 IQ and who flaunt their atheism in front of everyone, when you didn't ask for their opinion and do not have to justify your views to them, though. Militant atheists are like militant vegans.


Moviefan2k4 wrote:
Personally, I feel more threatened by "anti-theists" more than atheists. If you don't believe in God, fine; we can agree to disagree. But if you start insisting anything's completely right or wrong, be prepared to get an earful about your worldview having no built-in justification for that.


Agreed on both fronts. It's not that Christians are 'threatened' by regular atheists, as you guys most of the time are as threatening as a cup of milk. It's the strident, anti-theist, fundamentalist fundy atheists that worry Christians, ones that think Christians are nothing but evil and that don't respect a person's right to believe.

Plus a lot of times you guys are more worried about Christians then they are of you. I can't count how many times I see an article off of an atheist blog hand wringing about the rising number of believers. Even as it seems that those numbers stay relatively the same year after year.


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sonofghandi
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12 Mar 2014, 6:51 am

Metalwolf wrote:
Agreed on both fronts. It's not that Christians are 'threatened' by regular atheists, as you guys most of the time are as threatening as a cup of milk.


It's not that all christians are threatened by atheists; it is that some very powerful fundamental Christians are running a campaign to demonize atheists. This translates into feeding the propaganda fear machine by saying there is a war on Christianity or that atheists are immoral and untrustworthy. I don't think it is a majority by any means, just a vocal and highly visible minority (but a very well funded vocal minority).

Metalwolf wrote:
It's the strident, anti-theist, fundamentalist fundy atheists that worry Christians, ones that think Christians are nothing but evil and that don't respect a person's right to believe.


I would definitely agree that militant atheist extremists are every bit as stomach turning as fundamental christian extremists; the type of christian who thinks atheists are nothing but evil and don't respect a person's right to believe in something other than a higher power.


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sonofghandi
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12 Mar 2014, 6:56 am

Moviefan2k4 wrote:
If you don't believe in God, fine; we can agree to disagree. But if you start insisting anything's completely right or wrong, be prepared to get an earful about your worldview having no built-in justification for that.


I am in agreement with this. I will be perfectly accepting that you have the right ot your personal belief until you start trying to cram it down my throat after I have already let you know I am not interested. The same courtesy should apply to all those who do not believe in god or who believe in a different version of god than you. Both sides have their fair share of zealots who seem to just really enjoy being an *ssh*le to those who think differently, and those tend to be the ones shouting the loudest about how unfair it is.


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12 Mar 2014, 7:34 am

sonofghandi wrote:
Moviefan2k4 wrote:
If you don't believe in God, fine; we can agree to disagree. But if you start insisting anything's completely right or wrong, be prepared to get an earful about your worldview having no built-in justification for that.


I am in agreement with this. I will be perfectly accepting that you have the right ot your personal belief until you start trying to cram it down my throat after I have already let you know I am not interested. The same courtesy should apply to all those who do not believe in god or who believe in a different version of god than you. Both sides have their fair share of zealots who seem to just really enjoy being an *ssh*le to those who think differently, and those tend to be the ones shouting the loudest about how unfair it is.


I read with amusement this morning that a new series of the science documentary "Cosmos" has started being broadcast in America and YECs are up in arms about it complaining about "lies" being broadcast on prime TV that the earth is older than 6,000 years. :lol: When peoples' beliefs are so far out of touch with reality, conflict seems inevitable.


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sonofghandi
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12 Mar 2014, 8:14 am

TallyMan wrote:
I read with amusement this morning that a new series of the science documentary "Cosmos" has started being broadcast in America and YECs are up in arms about it complaining about "lies" being broadcast on prime TV that the earth is older than 6,000 years. :lol: When peoples' beliefs are so far out of touch with reality, conflict seems inevitable.


What I find the most amusing about that is the fact that this reboot came out on Fox.


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Shrapnel
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12 Mar 2014, 8:26 am

Not all religious folk are the same. I've had to work with people who were absolute zealots. Religion tinted everything they viewed and from my perspective it severely handicapped them and annoyed me to no end. We also for a time, lived next door to a Lutheran minister who enjoyed reading Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler and loved to talk about college football. He and his wife were excellent neighbors, they pushed nothing on us, subliminally or otherwise. Extremists exist in all things and seem to be used as the rule rather than the exception.



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12 Mar 2014, 1:25 pm

sonofghandi wrote:
TallyMan wrote:
I read with amusement this morning that a new series of the science documentary "Cosmos" has started being broadcast in America and YECs are up in arms about it complaining about "lies" being broadcast on prime TV that the earth is older than 6,000 years. :lol: When peoples' beliefs are so far out of touch with reality, conflict seems inevitable.


What I find the most amusing about that is the fact that this reboot came out on Fox.


And is co-produced by Seth McFarlane no less. Makes me wonder if this version will be "edited for rednecks" like the original.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI9ImScQGAo[/youtube]


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Metalwolf
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12 Mar 2014, 6:39 pm

sonofghandi wrote:
Metalwolf wrote:
Agreed on both fronts. It's not that Christians are 'threatened' by regular atheists, as you guys most of the time are as threatening as a cup of milk.


It's not that all christians are threatened by atheists; it is that some very powerful fundamental Christians are running a campaign to demonize atheists. This translates into feeding the propaganda fear machine by saying there is a war on Christianity or that atheists are immoral and untrustworthy. I don't think it is a majority by any means, just a vocal and highly visible minority (but a very well funded vocal minority).

Metalwolf wrote:
It's the strident, anti-theist, fundamentalist fundy atheists that worry Christians, ones that think Christians are nothing but evil and that don't respect a person's right to believe.


I would definitely agree that militant atheist extremists are every bit as stomach turning as fundamental christian extremists; the type of christian who thinks atheists are nothing but evil and don't respect a person's right to believe in something other than a higher power.
You are right, they are a minority. They are also highly vocal and sometimes say controversial things, which grabs the media's attention because the media loves a freak show. It's a way to rile people up and make them mad, which for them is good because people will want to tune back in, if only to see the offender burn.

And I agree with you on the pushy Christians. Being pushy can often do more harm then good, and often is the trait of 'new' Christians who think that everyone will convert if they just evangelize hard enough. Eventually most learn to reign in their enthusiasm, lest they risk driving people off.


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