To think the atheists on MN are a bunch of miserable whingers

[GothAnneGeddes]

Every bloody week it's a new thread whining on about how terrible it is that there is religion in the world.

A prominent feature of such threads is the intolerance and stupidity of religious folk, yet threads by believers insulting atheists are very rare.

Besides, aren't you all meant to be so happy to be freed from the shackles of religion, that you're too busy having fun to moan?

Faith requires the suspension of cynicism and an open mind.

There is nothing more guaranteed to induce winging than cynicism.

I was going to add that, given that the human animal generally only attacks when threatened, why is it that the atheists on any of these kinds of threads seem (disclaimer - "to me")to be the ones who get most heated and usually start the verbal attacks? And seem to be most anxious to "convert" others to their way of thinking. Snobear answered that already though. I agree, it is discriminatory to have to send your child to a "faith" school or have to attend church when you don't believe. Something does need to be done about it. But I still think that there should be some state provision for people of faith because not everybody can afford to stump up the extra, as one fortunate poster said they intended to do, and that is just as discriminatory. I will say once again, faith is a way of life, it's not a hobby to be indulged in on the weekends!

But there is evidence to also support the premise.

OP. Every week? Which threads do you refer to? I lurk here a lot and can't recall a religious thread on AIBU for ages. Link, please, or else YABU.

Or a god-bothering whinging, moaning, whining troll. :o

I could get into a methodological argument that the fact that there is evidence to the contrary (which you accept by saying that you weren't talking about me) means that the premise has been disproven.

But I won't

I'm a happy atheist.

YABU.

That is all.

In just this page alone religious people have been called "unhinged" and "god-bothering"!

Yet not one insult has been handed out to an atheist.

Is "Miserable Whinger" not an insult?

I though the thread title was insulting to atheists. It wasn't a good way to start a reasoned, light hearted discussion was it?

Ok, I feel like I should post something, as I think the Church School references might have come about from a thread I started?

Anyway, couple of things I wanted to say...

Firstly, I was really angry when I posted, and I'm sorry if I offended anyone with the strong language in the title. I wouldn't normally have used such strong language, but I was absolutely fuming.

The school I referred to is NOT academically excellent. Far from it. It as just come out of special measures. Everyone thinks I'm mad for sending ds there, when there is a very good (non- C of E) primary up the road that is rated outstanding in ALL areas. Certainly in our town it is not the faith schools that are doing well.

Interesting that it has been assumed that I am a (whinging) atheist. I'm not actually. I was stating (most definitely not whiging) my displeasure at some very unsavoury parts of the bible that were being told to my son, that are completely at odds with wat schools should be teaching in there Personal, Social education curriculum.

I think TortoiseontheHalfShellputs it very well:
"I think the thing about being a member of a mainstream religion vs atheist is, if you are the former you probably don't notice how much religious rhetoric is woven into everyday life. It's a bit like people who say "I don't mind gays, I just wish they didn't flaunt it so much", and never notice how many times they themselves mention their wife, or make assumptions about relationships, or use casual slang without noticing. Because if you're straight you don't realise that you are, in fact, flaunting your heterosexual status all the time."

As the very first response pointed out, you cannot assume because some people from group X complain, then group X is a group of complainers.

It is a false premise.

If the OP had said that some atheists are miserable whingers I might have agreed with her. In the same way that some Christians/Muslims/Jews/ are miserable whingers.

Wamster seems to equate happiness with madness. Maybe atheists are wingers because they are unhappy.

Maybe it's a little like losing trust in your partner. I have to have faith in DH, not that he exists but that he will always love and protect me, put my needs first and treat me with kindness and respect.

Having faith in god or indeed anything or anyone for that matter requires you to overcome cynicism and suspend the need for certainty.

Maybe that is why people who have faith are generally happier.

Oops, meant to say I'm not atheist!

(but I still say I'm not whinging either )

"Atheists simply do not have a belief in a supernatural being to support them in life and this can actually make them unhappier."

Or, in my case, it makes me much much happier. I have been both a believer (indoctrinated as a child) and a non-believer. I'm far far happeir this way, without the restrictions of religion to bind me. Plus I get to sleep in on Sunday mornings

I think clowntrousers' point might have been that the OP was insulting, redhappy. :)

Prerrybird all of this over one light-hearted comment?

I did say not every atheist in the world is like it, but of course there is evidence all over the internet to prove the op's point about some atheists.

But you said you don't need a "belief" system that includes the non belief in God to define you, so all in all what does it really matter?

Well said, prettybird I suppose it appears that we just see more evidence of the atheist "whingers" on MN than the religious ones. Are all the "religious" here the nicer, more "normal" ones I wonder?

Well, I don't know some of the atheists on here have been eager to prove how faith schools are definitely not the best whilst others seem equally determined to put across the undoubted unfairness of having to go to church in order to get their DC into the "best" local school!

I, personally, though, don't think anyone on this particular thread, (even the ones who have thrown the... ahem..."insults", if that is not too strong a term?) could be described as a "whinger" so I think, OP, YABU!

Anyway, have got someone coming to dinner, and as a quick "shufty" in the fridge has me contemplating the irrefutable "evidence" that there is bu**er all to eat in the house atm. I'm off to the shops!

Sigh. You know nobody is ever going to agree here.
Just get on with being good people and who gives a stuff what you believe?
Except don't tell children that God is watching. And don't bugger them in the name of Christ.

Roseflower - you forgot 'death-cultists'

As for threads:

The 'RE is a waste of time' thread.

The 'There is probably no God' thread.

Just to name two recent ones.

As for all the complaining about 'indoctrination of our children', it would appear that the majority of the country are happy with the status quo, so accept your status as a minority.

As a non Christian who is very left of centre, I'd much rather my child had an assembly about Jesus then the usual flag waving and trumpeting of nationalist values that occur in secular countries.

Some atheists on mn do seem to have a bee in their bonnet that there is anyone at all in the world ever who has religious belief. Also that anyone who does is stupid. They're so obsessed with evidence and reason, but seem unable to process the evidence that there are a lot of intelligent people with faith. They are the deluded ones really, in that they think they are the only rational people on the planet. Of course, that's just some of them. The ones who pour scorn and ridicule.

Also, 'miserable whinger' is mild compared to insults and tasteless accusations of child abuse thrown at religious people in this thread.

I don't know what to say.
Perhaps there is no actual malice behind circumcision, but, honestly, do you think if circumcision of infants for reasons of belief rather than cold, hard medical reasons were introduced tomorrow it would be allowed?

Don't accuse me of being deluded!

I am not the one who believes in fairy stories.

As for the 'rational' comment. In lots of ways, I am irrational, but disbelief in any god is NOT one of those ways.

How anybody can believe in something they cannot sense with their five senses is beyond comprehension to me.

Circumcision, a reason to be cheerful and hold a party if your muslim or jewish wamster!

Lots of threads on that topic and almost unanimous disapproval of religious practices. With non believers calling the religious child abusers.

I thought the general consensus on the 'RE is a waste of time thread', from atheists and theists alike, was that a rounded discussion of different belief systems and ethical issues was valuable (although perhaps not necessary to spend 12 years on)....

...but that the 'olden days' style of RE: only Christianity covered, and presented as fact; was indeed a waste of time. There was then some disagreement as to how much this model represented modern RE teaching.

No?