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Believer Bashing?

Please explain to me the apparent need to condemn people that do believe? I really just do not understand this. Why would we choose to be anything other than open to acceptance and kind to others? I will never understand it when someone wants the freedom to make their own choices while condemning someone else for theirs. I really do wish we would all learn to show respect before we demand it.

Dida 7 Feb 12
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31 comments

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0

I am with you on this completely, whatever floats your boat, you said it for me thank you!

0

I don't like anyone bashing anyone. I understand why people do it, and I know it's not my place to tell anyone what to do, so I keep my mouth shut about it, generally. But i don't get close to people who like to bad-mouth habitually. It signals a critically flawed character, I think. (Not the same as blowing off steam.)

IRL if it gets really bad I'll say I don't want to hear it, or remove myself.

0

I don't think anyone sits here and actively wants to bash anyone else. But when you get two opposing groups in a room and let them discuss and share their views. Tensions will rise, and things will be said.

I think that's what really goes on.

0

I agree whole heartedly, but don't you wish christians wouldn't go round imposing their beliefs on others -I've never had muslims or jews or any other faith system knocking on my door or stopping me in the street

2

I think it depends on who we're "talking to." When we're dealing with a demonstrated homophobe who wants to make it impossible for a gay person to make a living or who wants to enact laws that will subjugate them to second-class citizens, then we must absolutely condemn them. When they attack women and go after women's health, we must condemn them. To be open and accepting of others means that we must also deal with those who would harm others. We cannot stand on the sidelines.

Even at a personal level, if someone wants to tell me they don't "believe" in evolution, I'm not going to necessarily engage. But if they decide that they have to tell me WHY, then I'm going to engage. And I'm at the point where I no longer feel the need to be "gentle." There's no excuse for them not to know this. The evidence has been there for decades now.

If someone close to me wants to believe in God, and even wants to pray for me, but they pray for me that God will make my life 'better,' I have no problem with that. If their god is about love and compassion, then I have no problem with that. But if their god is a homophobic, child-molesting, women-abusing, warmongering genocidal asshole, then I'm not going to pretend that it's okay for them to believe that.

1

Wow, can I say can of worms? I get where dida is coming from though. I know some really smart people who believe because they consider their personal experience as evidence. It's a logic trap, but I wouldn't call them stupid just because they believe. Once upon a time I believed, and the change in perspective was a long and hard process. Lumping believers all together as stupid is no different than stereotyping any group. That being said, there is such a thing as the off color joke, but bashing and having a laugh are not the same.

0

Your question reminds me of a favorite quote from the late longshoreman Eric Hoffer’s 1951 book, The True Believer. I wouldn't dare claim to always display the nature of the "gentle skeptic" of which he speaks -- truth be known I'm more of a true believer myself doing daily battle with the worst elements of my nature -- but I do consider the continuing move away from fanaticism and toward reason a worthy one. Here’s a rather length portion from Chapter 62 of The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer (my bolding):

"Though they seem to be at opposite poles, fanatics of all kinds are actually crowded together at one end. It is the fanatic and the moderate who are poles apart and never meet. The fanatics of various hues eye each other with suspicion and are ready to fly at each other’s throat. …[I]t is easier for a fanatic Communist to be converted to fascism, chauvinism or Catholicism than to become a sober liberal. The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a God or not. The atheist is a religious person. He believes in atheism as though it were a new religion. He is an atheist with devoutness and unction. According to Renan, 'The day after that on which the world should no longer believe in God, atheists would be the wretchedest of all men.' So, too, the opposite of the chauvinist is not the traitor but the reasonable citizen who is in love with the present and has no taste for martyrdom and the heroic gesture. The traitor is usually a fanatic—radical or reactionary—who goes over to the enemy in order to hasten the downfall of a world he loathes. Most of the traitors in the Second World War came from the extreme right. 'There seems to be a thin line between violent, extreme nationalism and treason.' …All of us who lived through the Hitler decade know that the reactionary and the radical have more in common than either has with the liberal or the conservative."

0

I agree completely.

1

I don't believe in bashing the believers for believing. Don't do unto others what they do to you and they will learn that you might have a better idea. At least that's the hope.

Gohan Level 7 Feb 13, 2018
1

There's a difference between bashing people and bashing their beliefs. A lot of people don't distinguish, either by insulting believers or by taking offense when religion is criticized.
You are right that some of us make derogatory comments about believers, but theists hold their beliefs as sacred and unassailable. Many, too many of them, are quick to take offense on behalf of their religion, their god, and their holy book.

JimG Level 8 Feb 13, 2018
0

I'v lived with religious women before. The only rule was don't try to convince me of your way of thinking. She could believe what ever she wants.

0

With any community, there will be a variety of people with different experiences. Some experiences more severe than other. This community allows the expression of these experiences and a form of healing that comes from the understanding of others who may have had similar experiences in a safe environment.

For others, this is a community to get away from the constant harassment from theists. This community becomes a sanctuary.

For some members, it a place to share and learn about science.

For me, this is a place to learn and share opinions and ideas. I have found that most are open-minded and very caring.

In a previous post, the blocking option was suggested as a good way to choose who you do or do not wish to communicate with. There are also groups that exist and can be created as an option.

Betty Level 8 Feb 13, 2018
1

I don't think I am a believer basher but my eyes do go up into my head when I get bashed by religious zealots, the first time it happened I was only fourteen and I had never had a religion- I understand what you are saying about the hypocrisy, and I don't expect ,respect because the people who do proseletyse without mercy are very different from those of us who keep quiet about our non beliefs and as far as I am concerned I am never the one who starts it and always the one to walk away upset.

0

They annoy me, well the ones I know annoy me, I can happily leave them in peace, spend time with them and not discuss religion. Then they make some stupid condescending comment about me not believing. They see it that they are right, end of story. And basically I feel the same, they believe without evidence, I will not believe with out evidence.

1

YES! Right on!

2

I don't know of any hearts or minds truly (de)converted by threats, bashing or insults. However, the word, "respect", is vague. It's my opinion that we should respect the right for someone to have a belief but we don't need to respect the belief itself. One of the deflection tools that many religious people use is to expect others to show their belief respect.

Has anyone heard a religious person say that atheists are just to darn nice? What if they thought so?

Admin Level 9 Feb 13, 2018
3

There are differences herein between escape stories from horrific cults bashing back at the religious perpetrators. .....our Atheist comraderie is inescapably condescending towards believers. ...my Quaker comrades my Catholic Workers for peace and justice never receive my righteous indignant ire towards belicose crusading Muslim bashing xians for their oil .....it's hard not to condemn most preachers for their hell threats nor heaven bribes. ...their bibles brand us Atheists as "fools" and "reprobates" .....left handers rightfully express pride revolting from the right hand world. ....as John Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson 1811: " this would be a perfect world if there were no religion in it "

@Dida I fully support your sentimental respect for believers. ...we all should peacefully co-exist. .....nonetheless less WE MUST SET BOUNDARIES defending facts from wrong-headed faiths. ....a woman's fundamental sovereignty of her body NOTWITHSTANDING any pregnancy. ...no person no theocracy no religionist has zero to say about sperm and zygotes in her body ....religion is 100% wrong claiming any alleged deity is involved with pregnancy. ....only my daughters decide if and when to make me into a grandpa. ...not gangster living popes not Senator Sanctomoron or his incompetent liar quack nurse wife who lied about her ectopic pregnancy. ...her hospital peer colleagues had to violate confidentiality to prove her lies cannot justify banning all abortions. ...she like the alleged female Ann Coulter earned the title C.U.N.T.

3

@Dida -- You are painting with a very, very broad brush. There are some militant atheists and some vociferous antitheists. They do not represent the whole. On the other hand, I rarely see even the aforementioned 'bashing' anything. They are voicing their opinions, which as I see it, is fair dinkum. Consider what the other side has for us and how they present it and it makes the atheist observations seem incredibly civil.

[patheos.com]

[huffingtonpost.com]

And here is an amazing, simpleminded article on how they view us.

[crossexamined.org]

Now, please explain in specific terms why you hold this notion that there is a general atmosphere of believer bashing going on from the atheist side of the aisle. I have made the assumption that you are referring to the majority religion in the US. I will conclude with the simple statement of fact that any belief in any supernatural force without evidence is idiotic and actually deserves to be mocked at every opportunity, but not at the personal level. In other words, attack the belief but not the believer.

If you haven't seen the names frequently used to refer to people of faith, you aren't paying attention. From insulting their intelligence to insisting they aren't worthy of respect and everything in between, and more.
Apparently, the people who resort to such name calling don't realize it says more about them than it does the people they're attacking.

@Dida -- I maintain that there is a subtle, but major difference. First, we're talking about a few atheists as opposed to most if not all fundamentalist evangelicals, all of Islam, and Jews who are not Reform and even some in the Reform group. I'm not trying to excuse their actions, but I am seeking to establish some perspective here.

Consider that the majority of the members of the Abrahamic faith would prefer to see atheists and LGBTQ folks dead or completely ostracized. That being the case, the push back from our little corner of the world takes on the air of being a brave and noble stand in the face of overwhelming numbers, even it it is poorly executed. In other words, your moral outrage at a few of us who are willing to stand up and do something is misplaced. I don't agree with how they do it, but I'm glad some of us are that brave. I've been doing it for a few more years than you've been alive, though with a different approach.

3

People who are seeking comfort and to be kind are ok with me no matter what they believe. We can agree to disagree. People that spew hate and try to force others to follow their way, THAT I have a problem with.

1

AMEN to that!

I did try to fight back when furious alt-right wing nuts piled on me after mentioning the LGBTQ community on a forum.
When even mentioning science articles got angry reactions and lists of condemning Bible verses, I ditched the page and began hanging out online elsewhere.

3

Personally, I have no tolerance for deliberate ignorance. I refuse to pretend that I do.
I don't want to be "nice" to those who feel free to condemn me, and others they don't agree with,
to eternal damnation, even though I don't believe in it.
They don't respect me. I don't feel any need to respect them.
If that bothers some people, I really don't give a flying rat's ass.
I'm not here for anyone's approval.

3

I'm with you. I get the sense that some people think the more harsh they can be towards people who have religious beliefs somehow makes them a better agnostic/atheist. It's almost like they're trying to prove something. Frankly some of these people are exactly the same as the people they're so critical of. Opposite sides of the same coin.

3

I don't bash All believers..but rightwing Evangelicals are open targets..I cringe whenever they open their foul mouths..and their Hypocrisy and vitrol towards Anyone that disagree with their Morality is enough to make me see red..

3

I do not see anybody here bashing anybody else -- at all. I see a lot of us, myself included, bashing, discussing, venting, raging, and mocking religion and its believers, generally.

For me, this is the very first time and the very first place that I am free and among my tribe where I do not have to censor my thoughts and feelings about the world I live in -- a world where many people want us all to follow their religion.

I am grateful for Agnostic.com. I am grateful to be among so many other people with a similar fundamental mindset.

My being my authentic self with regard to religions, believers, gods, etc. is not tantamount to "bashing believers." Every person in my life in the real world (except my daughter) is a believer in something supernatural -- most are Christians. I love them and mostly bite my tongue because I love them. This is my "safe space" and I like it just the way it is.

@Dida Maybe I am not seeing the same posts you are seeing -- but then I have quite a few members blocked.

Not one of us will ever be able to police the words of thousands upon thousands of individuals in an online community. Maybe consider using the best tool we have. Block. I'm not being flippant - I promise.

There was somebody else I agreed with a while back who said their experience here improved when they started blocking the people they found offensive. I completely concur.

It's like those people left the party and I am still among all the people whose opinions, humor, supportiveness, compassion, sarcasm, advice, etc. I DO like.

2

It's like a lot of , what other people have said here . The bible thumpers have basically picked a fight for centuries , & the effect will not go away over night . If they want to talk about something other than their faith , that's fine . It's like listening to rappers that only rap about their money , fame & career , only worse , they only talk about one subject . This place is like a refuge from that topic , & it's par for the course from time to time . . .

Dougy Level 7 Feb 12, 2018
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