+375 Christians get a bad rap as being the "Shove my religion down your throat or you'll go to hell!" people but... atheists can be pretty nasty and mean too. More than once, someone has tried to convince me that I'm really stupid for believing in a God they say can't exist, and they are only even doing this for personal satisfaction, they aren't trying to do something good for me! amirite?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't know...I think not believing in fairy tales is always good for people's well-being.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You prove her point perfectly. There's no proof that there is a god, but there's no proof that there isn't.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

(different anonymous): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russels_teapot Next argument please.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Comparing Christianity to a magical teapot. Yeah, that demonstrates the post perfectly.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Anon said there's no proof against God. There's also no proof that there isn't a Celestial teapot floating somewhere in between Mars and Jupiter, but are you going to start a teapot cult? The burden of proof lies on Christians.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

The burden of proof lies on the one making the claim, and you claim Christianity is false. I never made any claims relating to that; the burden is upon you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophic_burden_of_proof I can use Wikipedia too, you know.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

God is the assertion. I'm not the one making the unfalsifiable claim, here.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

A claim not having scientific validity doesn't make it BS. Otherwise, morals are worth jack.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I just want to point out that human morals can have a scientific basis. If you're interested at all (I know I was), you should watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj9oB4zpHww&feature=player_embedded#t=16s

by Anonymous 12 years ago

It was just an analogy...The whole idea of it is to take a different angle that wouldnt be biased. Its a logical criticism to make...Please dinstinguish between criticism and insults. Any idea is open to criticism. Freedom of speech and all that...

by Anonymous 12 years ago

It was meant as both. If it were not an insult, than an object as ridiculous as a floating teapot would not be the second object of the analogy

by Anonymous 12 years ago

See what I mean? I have my personal beliefs, and I can actually stand up for them, but I don't run around trying to shove it down people's throats. If you don't believe in God, that's great, but leave me to my beliefs, too. That's not too much to ask for. It's like freedom of speech applies to everyone but Christians.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I would probs say that you are lucky being a christian actually. Christians have a huge amount of freedom in speech, thats why the problem started in the first place! (problem being; generalization about christians shoving religion down peoples throats) I see so much christian advertising, movies, street people waving pamphlets around ect. the generilization is indeed unfair. But dont claim that you dont have freedom of speech. also Freedom of speech doesnt mean that your 'speech' isnt alowed to be critized. In fact that is what freedom of speech is all about. Also sorry for my spelling and grammer ect i know it sucks but i cant be bothered proof- reading. sorry.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Just because you see more Christian advertising or people handing out pamphlets doesn't mean that Christians have more freedom of speech, it just means in the particular area that you live or are seeing these things, the Christians are using it more.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

im sorry but are you trying to argue that christians dont have freedom of speech? i was using my area as a mere example (by the way i live in NZ which is quite a secular society so thats saying something...) I dont think christians have ever been lacking in freedom of speech in the west since...well ever really. Please give me an example where christian freedom of speech has been surpressed. Christians so obviously have freedom of speech! to say otherwise is just silly. Jeez. In Saudi Arabia maybe...Palistine? But i doubt you live there so...yea.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

NO ONE CARES

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You do, or you wouldn't have replied.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You make it sound like atheists are evil and mean people.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm pretty sure that wasn't their intention. As a matter of fact, I'm quite positive they meant SOME atheists are like that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

No, I said SOME. Just as some Christians can be downright nasty about forcing their religion on some people, SOME atheists can also be equally unpleasant.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yeah. I'm atheist and I agree, atheists can be JUST as aggressive as christians. as for the people trying to convince you out of your religion, you can't blame them. they're speaking their opinions the way you're speaking yours. if they call you stupid for your religion, you should probably put acid in their underwear, but if they question your religion, i honestly don't see much wrong with that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Personally, I'm agnostic. I hate it when people try to pursuade me either way. Thinking about religion doesn't personally help me in any way, but a lot of christains find it very helpful to pray, and beleiveing in God can prevent some people from killing themselves. One of my best friends is strongly religious, and she hasn't tried to convert me in any way. It makes me respect her more than those who DO try to change my mind.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

you are right in that atheists can be agressive also. But you have to remember there is a huge difference in purpoting to an atheist that they will spend the rest of eternity in HELL and an atheist pointing out the weaknesses in belief(albet agressively at times). They make you feel stupid sure (because faith is at times pretty unreasonable), but that doesnt really compare....

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Saying "You're an idiot who is believing in fairytales." isn't pointing out a weakness in belief. That's insulting someone and their beliefs. And that's what this post is talking about; insulting someone's beliefs and then shoving your own down their throat.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I agree with you. That is why i didnt say "You're an idoit who is believing fairytales" Critizism doesnt have to be patrionizing or insulting. BUT i do think religion should be open for debate. There is no reason that religion as an idea should be somehow immune to debate...That all criticm is somehow insulting is just not true whether the topic is religion or evolution. It is just unfair to say that some ideas are sacrosanct and should not be openly disagreed with. Personally i try never to insult a belief but christians (not all i know) for the most part take even RESPECTFUL critism as insulting. For that reason i actually hardly ever engage in a 'is there a god or isnt there' debate.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

There is a difference between criticism and insulting, yes. But this post is about specific insults. (See the 'believing in the magic man in the sky' post below.) Religion is debated often, and so therefore it isn't immune. And most Christians (Along with people belonging to any other religion for that matter) I know accept that there will be, in fact, criticism against their religion. And most try to deal with it as maturely as possible. But, once again. This post is about outright insults, not criticism.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Again you are exactly right. My point was that; that distinction is not often made. In fact the post is not very specific of insulting criticism. It only specifies how the criticism made him feel. Although the tone would suggest somthing along the nature of magic man in the sky....i guess my point was a little irrelevant but still important to the topic... i think maybe we are arguing different points? because i actually agree with you (i think you interpreted my comment as insulting hence kinda backing up my point)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

No, I didn't actually. I agree that there's a difference between criticism and insulting someone. But things like the 'magic man in the sky' are just insults and not real questions. Which is, like I said, the type of thing this post is more geared towards I think.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

*sigh* we are arguing for no point at all. lets leave it at: there is a distinction between crticism and insults. This distinction is important as not all christians will make it. (just as atheists sometimes do not distinguish the two either)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Agreed.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Exactly. I'm Christian, but I do my best not to shove my beliefs down someone's throat. Sadly, some atheists don't like to show me the same respect.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Every religion, be it atheism, Christianity, agnosticism, Judaism, Islam, and others have their fair share of extremists

by Anonymous 12 years ago

atheism isn't religion, its lack of religion.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

That's true, but you know what I mean.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Well facebook has it as an option under religions, so tell that to Mark Zuckerburg!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

being an atheist just means you don't believe in God. being agnostic means that you don't believe in religion. there are agnostic individuals who believe in God, but the institution of religion. big difference.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

agnostic means that you are undecided/ will not decide because their is proof on either sides or because it is not provable. Anti-clericalism one of the many versions of being against religion, or an anti-religion.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

The only athiests that piss me off are the ones that treat Christians like children for believing in god. The first comment is a perfect example. Referring to having beliefs as believing in "fairy tales". It's so irritating and disrespectful.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Exactly. Some random guy in one of my classes found out I'm Catholic and started making fun of me for "believing in a magic man in the sky." Like wtf I don't even know you

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Ugh. It's just so belittling.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I hate that! There's a guy at my school who says Christains just need to grow up and stop believing what other christians tell them. Then he started saying stupid things like, "Christians are prudes who only have fun when they're dying and think they'll go live up in the clouds."

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I dont think many Christians at all shove religion down peoples throats. But as soon as I mention Jesus or God people atomaticly assume I'll start condeming them to hell or something.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You are totally right. I know this may be unwelcome but speaking from a different perspective i may help you undertand why atheists do that: Inherent in christianity is the existence of hell. Also inherent in christianity (and all other faiths) is the notion that if lie outside that belief you are condemmed to hell. So people may get defensive even if you have nothing but good intentions...I will draw a anology (please dont think i am comparing you to this it is just an analogy taken extremly, to demonstrate my point) a black man meeting a member of the KKK will almost certainly get defensive even if the KKK man has done nothing or said anything remotely racist. Maybe the KKK man has been in fact, a nice and pleasent person, but upon knowing that he is a member of the KKK the black man will infer that he is being condemmed. He will become defensive. because Inherent in the KKK is the notion of white supremacy.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

People, People stop your arguing. Hindu is the right religion.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Technically, there's no "right religion" that everybody can agree on...

by Anonymous 12 years ago

(Btw, I made that comment under Anon, thought i was logged in, sorry.) Your right, I was just making fun that only one religion is mentioned in this argument while there are plenty more out there. The atheists just talk about how stupid Christianity is and Christians only talked about how dumb atheists are. There are other beliefs out there then those two.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Oh, okay. Yeah that's true I guess

by Anonymous 12 years ago

That was probably a bad way to introduce this though.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You can't convert to Hinduism.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

This reminds me so much of one of my friends. I'm atheist and she's agnostic, but she says so much stuff I would never dare even thinking. Like one time she said "You know, they're all so stupid for even thinking twice about the bible and shit. How could they fall for that?" And like I always have to do, I told her that we have no right to judge other's religions and that everyone's free to believe what they want. So she said "Whatever, I just know that all those stupid Christians are so annoying always trying to tell me to believe in that shit. And you just stick up for them because you have family that's Christian, which is retarded because they obviously hate you cause you're not." I gotta say, I sorta wanted to punch her.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't know you at all... BUT I LOVE YOU FOR BEING SO ACCEPTING!!!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I know I'll get downvoted for it, but it can be helpful to be atheist, despite your assertions. Doesn't hurt to broaden your horizons.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You know, you should be a Christian. It's a lot better than being atheist.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't know why you're talking about better, I'm simply saying it's good to open up to new ideas.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm doing precisely what you're doing.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You're twisting my words. I said it could be helpful, in no way did I say it was better.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

The problem is that people try so fucking hard to prove that there is a God or that there isn't. Obviously some people find it helpful to have faith, but that's just it, it's faith. No one knows for sure, and no one will ever know. Whether there is or isn't a God shouldn't change how you act.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

For once I would like to see a post on her about religion or sexuality that does not have a long ass comment list

by Anonymous 12 years ago

So close. But then that bit of speculation at the end pissed me off so I down voted.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

But can't some Christians be acting the same way that the atheists you mentioned are acting? Some Christians I've met have tried to convert me (I don't have a religion) and say that it's stupid for me for not believing in their god and that I'll probably rot in hell. In my opinion, they're also doing it for self-satisfaction. When I ask them why they think that converting me was worth it, they said that it was because their god wanted them to. It felt as if they weren't doing it to help me. They were simply trying to convert me (or show that they attempted to convert me) just to be in their god's good graces. In all honesty, I don't see anything good for me in the reoccurring phrases of "My dear, your soul is going to rot in the depths of hell because you don't believe in my god". Personally, I don't like being told where I'm going to end up from a stranger (or friend) who doesn't even know me that well. It does me no good at all.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Learn to chant. I have a buddy who does Thiberian monk chanting it frightens them away because it sounds like the devil. They are never so brave to really face evil.

by Anonymous 7 years ago