What Really Makes Atheists Angry.

Discussion in 'Philosophy and Religion' started by Jimbee68, Dec 3, 2024.

  1. Jimbee68

    Jimbee68 Member

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    Like I tell people, I had an atheist teacher in community college once. And religious people used to really annoy him, and make him very angry even. And it was probably partly because he thought most of what religion teaches is nonsense. And he was right about that part.

    But I sometimes wondered even then if it wasn't also because he was jealous of the inner peace all Christians, and others, had. He was raised a Christian. And I wonder if he felt he forever lost that.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. Death

    Death Grim Reaper Lifetime Supporter

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    As an aggravated atheist myself, the frustrating part is watching people throw away their own potential and autonomy for some illogical shit that benefits orher assholes.
     
  3. Tishomingo

    Tishomingo Members

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    I'm not an atheist, but I'm an unorthodox Christian who hangs out with atheists. "Christianity" comes in many forms, some of which are toxic. The atheist ex-Christians I know seem to fall into four categories: those who were told from an early age they were going to hell for just about everything they did and found it hard to live a normal life that way; those who experienced tragic loss and were "comforted" by being told it was somehow God's will and for the best; those thinking, intellectual types who noticed contradictions and errors in a sacred Book they'd been told was inerrant, and think it makes no sense; and those who are alarmed and disgusted by the abuses of the religious right--as in the recent culture wars and national election. I don't know which, if any, of those categories your atheist teachers falls into, but if he was told he'd go to hell if he lost his faith, the anger might be a defense mechanism against a belief-value system he deems threatening. I do think that the teachings of Jesus can bring inner peace, if people can put aside crazy doctrines and focus on love of God and neighbor.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2024
  4. Wally Pitcher

    Wally Pitcher Members

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    The term Angry Atheist has to be defined in order to continue this topic.

    As I see it there are militant atheists, indifferent atheists and agnostics. Atheism is not applicable to former Christians exclusively. Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists recognizes "Jesus the Nazarine as a profit of "god" in a variety of referenced supreme beings. Native Americans believed in a "Great White Father" in a variety of forms and/or origins. The term militant atheist can possibly refer to Communists from China, Viet Nam, Cambodia etc. I suspect that even these people are outwardly atheist for their own security, but some may pray to a supreme being a when they are alone (recommended by Jesus the Nazarine). Vladimir Putin may have claimed to be an atheist under Communist Russia but claims to be a Orthodox Christian now.

    The entire basis for all of this is still Organized Religion and its impact on everyone..
     
  5. Tishomingo

    Tishomingo Members

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    I think "militant" might be too strong to describe the atheists I know, who are angry, as I am, at many characteristics they associate with prevailing forms of religion, especially Christianity. They don't want to proselytize or go on a crusade against religion. They just don't want religion messing up their lives. Those Commies you mention are ideologically required to profess animus toward religion, whether they feel it or not. Anger is an emotion.
     
  6. Wally Pitcher

    Wally Pitcher Members

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    My point is to try to define "Angry Atheists" in order to define the discussion. By "militant" I was not implying some psychotic person with a gun, but a person who expresses his or her views in mixed company. I as you have worked with many people of varying views who express them selves openly. I have never met anyone who is angry about advocating an Atheist viewpoint. I have met Angry Muslims who come here and express their anti Jewish views. I personally advocate deporting them to Iran where hatred is the norm. To my knowledge I have never met an atheist who openly shares his views.
     
  7. Tishomingo

    Tishomingo Members

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    That's probably prudent on their part, since religious folks are a sizeable majority and some of those are pretty militant. But in the atheist group I attend, they express their views openly. That's the point. And while some may be angry about this or that aspect of religion, they aren't anti religious and don't allow it to consume their lives. Nice folks, for the most part.
     
  8. Wally Pitcher

    Wally Pitcher Members

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    Do you mind telling me what part of the country You live in? I live in one of the most liberal counties in the country. Sonoma County is an hour north of San Francisco and the concept of atheism is private, and not discussed in public. In our case the population is 50% Hispanic, going back in history following back to immigration with the help of Juan Baptista de Anza in the early 19th century. They have been here so long, most of them do not speak Spanish and worship in a variety of denominations. The other 50% is made up of Europeans (Italy+), and Native Americans (Pomo, Yuroks, and Coastal Miwok). Asians and African Americans are not common here except at University. I associate activist atheist with Communism or Fascism. Where are your atheists dominant? I have relatives in western Idaho, where Neofascists are concentrated in the Liberty Lake area. My cousin and her children live there and are of Irish ancestry and are definitely Catholic.
     
  9. Tishomingo

    Tishomingo Members

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    I live in Oklahoma, "Buckle of the Bible Belt" and MAGA country. Atheists aren't "dominant" anywhere in this state. The atheists I'm talking about are a small and dwindling band that functions as a support group. They're mostly small farmers, ranchers, shopkeepers and clerks, who meet in a Unitarian church, as an alternative to catacombs. They aren't public about their views, but express them in private at our meetings, which I attend. None of them are very political, let alone Marxist. They're aware I'm a Christian. The Oklahoma Atheist Association is active in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and is more public and vocal, but not obnoxious about it. My impression is that they're far from Marxist. Some Objectivist Ayn Rand right wing libertarian types though.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2024
  10. Wally Pitcher

    Wally Pitcher Members

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    I have only been in Oklahoma Once. I camped out just north of Wichita Falls Texas when I was in the Air Force in 1966. We were in Medic training and practiced rescuing passengers in a mock burning plane crash. As you probably know, even though I was raised as an Anglican, My graduate school degree was in Biology, made me skeptical about some events in the King James version of the Bible. In my research of the King Arthur legends in Britain, I evolved into a Nicean Creed sceptic. Now I look at Jesus' teachings as "Yesua the Nazarine" with a Jewish perspective as a more justifiable path. I also have been working on the history of 29 Pitchers who were hanged to death in Taunton England for taking the Anglican side in Monmouth's Rebellion. I actually slept in a Hotel Room that Charles the first slept in. His ghost did not appear to try to convert me to Catholicism.
     
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  11. princess peedge

    princess peedge Members

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    We're not a collective. There isn't one atheist experience, therefore there isn't one specific trigger that can make atheists, in general, angry.

    That might be believed if atheism was a belief. It's not. At least not to me. People act like religion is one side of a coin and atheism is the other. It's not. Atheism is the absence of the coin.

    That all out of the way, I find the inner peace thing interesting. I've always seen religion as a substitute for things like that. The inner peace Christians feel comes from being told, "there there, you ARE the most important being in the world; there IS more to existence than this life." It's external. It's coming from someone else. External inner peace is a contradiction.

    I find the person who can get through life without the hopes of an incredibly unlikely fairy tale being true to have achieved true inner peace.
     
    fem_fatale and scratcho like this.

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