To wonder why some atheists are so obsessed with being atheist?

[Fanfeckintastic]

I say this as an atheist myself, so many people seem obsessed with "not believing"! I don't mean just being vocal in their disgust at the Catholic church etc (completely understandable) I mean Ricky Gervais for example, somehow I have "liked" him on Facebook and he never stops posting skeptic stuff.

Why do non believers put so much effort and thought into "not believing"

On a side note, I'm in Ireland and sometimes get very pissed off with how much control the church still has, it sickens me actually. But I'm talking about just atheists almost making a hobby of being atheists?

AIBU in my observation?

Hakluyt take the thread about Gay Vicars. The first post they don't want to get into an argument about church law, and the same poster later states that that Christians should act in a certain way, and that the church had no problem with the vicar 'living in sin'. There is a confessed ignorance of the Church's obligations here.

I did not say that everyone who comments on the religious affairs does not understand the legal or religious back issues, but there are many knee-jerk anti-religion posters who pontificate on christian attitudes without factual basis.

yabu ive only ever heard people say they are an atheist if someone is preaching on about their beliefs and they dont want to listen .

YABU - we live in a country where the state church gets an automatic number of seats in government, our head of state is also head of the church and where religion has a disproportionate say in our public life - from collective act of worship to healthcare to work to faith schools. If "atheists" (secularists) seem noisy to you it is only because we have to shout louder against ideas and practices that have been accepted for years.

YANBU to dislike Ricky Gervais, he is a sexist, disablist knob.

There is no such thing as a rationally held religious belief. For a belief to be rational, it needs to be based in fact and logic, with proof to back it up. None of these things apply to religious belief. All the moral beliefs that people attribute to religion have nothing to do with religion, in actuality, and are shared by Atheists/non-believers.

Religion has such massive privilege in our society (and worldwide), that it requires those who see it's a load of nonsense to be outspoken. There has to be balance. Also, I would argue that because of its culturally-enshrined privilege, when people do speak about their Atheism, or even just secular matters, it seems oppositional or outspoken purely by dent of not being the culturally privileged form of speech on matters spiritual.

It's also very hard as an atheist when cultural privilege, especially of speech is given to a set of beliefs that have zero proof or logic behind them, which have caused so much death and suffering in the world, which caused and have caused so much prejudice and inequality, and which are less believable than The Hobbit. I totally respect anyone's right to believe whatever they want - but I don't have to respect the content. It is an insult tonAtheists to be asked to pretend that believing an invisible giant lies in the sky has equal credence as science, for example. Secularism merely wishes for all beleif to be respected, but none to be privileged.

Believers shoot themselves in the foot when they trot out inane and redundant bollocks like 'militant secularism'. What they mean is "how dare people want more equality of belief and separation of church and state,when it suits me fine?! How dare they threaten the unfair and unwarrented privilege and benefits I get from an antiquated system that does not reflect modern society and belief?". Secularism wants a level playing field for all beliefs. If you're against that, then shame on you.

Apologies for typos, have small child grabbing at me.

I don't believe in God but wouldn't call myself an Athiest. I don't believe in fairies and I don't call myself a Fairiest, I don't see what the difference is.

Yabu. It's a legitimate topic of interest for those living on a religion saturated society. He's doing us a favor by publicising an alternative. Also, it really is common for people with particular ideas and interests to share them.

Hear, hear, oxford

OxfordBags nailed it!

Well the difference is not many people believe is fairies and don't need to made aware that there is an alternative. World wide there are billions of people who just arn't aware there is a counter view to the belief in a god

Then there's always one new person that come along to an outing and they have to get on their athiest high horse and spoil a nice night for everyone. Yawn.

Does this genuinely, really happen, every time?

I genuinely think that Christians in this country don't realise how much privilege they have. I think some of them actually feel persecuted.

Oxford- perfect.

They don't see it as privilege, hakluyt.

When my LA stopped using their budget to fund home to school transport for children travelling to faith schools, the C of E denounced it as "discriminatory".

My problem with Aggressive Atheists is that so much of our culture is tied up in religion, and to dump it all is a bit of an assault on that. For example, although I am not a believer, I love hymns, carols, churches and the language of the Bible.

I find it depressing that my dcs know no hymns, only the "hit" carols, and even then only a couple of lines.

I don't know any aggressive atheists. I'm unsure of the beliefs of a lot of my friends. I do know too many aggressive born again Christians, though.

Aggressive Atheists?

deftones (nice name by the way!) I usually just say to people that I don't want to discuss my beliefs and then they lay in to me even more! I'm not saying I'm right. I just believe what makes the most sense for me. I think that that's all anyone is doing. Well... anyone with a bit of sense.

YANBU though OP. my brother is an atheist and frequently takes the piss out of me. Some religious types are equally irritating though.

Here in NI, it's religious folk that have a plethora of special buildings to meet their fellow worshippers in. It's religious people who stand on the sea front and the high street with megaphones and talk about hellfire. It's religious people that keep our women's reproductive rights 50 years behind the rest of the UK. it's religion that insists on segregated education, the collection of children for their group, the marching up and down in a variety of colourful outfits in defiance of other people's rights and the knocking of front doors when right-thinking people are napping.

But you're right of course. A few memes or mocking statuses on social media are an attack, and persecution of the poor, denied, powerless religious. Why, an amsing enough grumpy cat meme could bring down the Church!

It's fairly fucking irritating to hear religious types saying "But you have no idea of our TRUE BELIEFS". Yeah, some atheists do. I'm an ex-Christian and at one point possessed a KJV, NIV (still my favourite translation, it has n't lost the power but vastly increases the accessibility), the JW's New World Translation (shite) a Message Bible and various other "accessible" translations, including a partial NT in Glaswegian, all of which I had read and studied. Not everyone is completely ignorant.

Also, it's a fantastic get out clause, which is why I suspect atheists get annoyed.

Religious person A: God clearly states that abortion is wrong in the Bible.

Atheist B: That's not at all clearly stated. Exodus treats the termination of a (presumably) wanted baby as a matter for a fine paid to the woman's husband. There are clear demands in the more warlike texts for the death of babies before a certain age. Numbers has a rather intriguing discussion also of what we would class nowadays as an abortion...

Religious person A: Shut up! These are things only Christians can understand! You're going against my rights as a Christian! THE ONLY HATE CRIME NOWADAYS HAPPENS AGAINST DECENT BRITISH CHRISTIANS weeps

That would be alright as a matter of choice, just like it's fine to hold meetings about how great a man Stalin was or your strong belief in homeopathy or anything else. The problem is, religious fundamentalists of all stripes attempt on a regular basis to influence the law of the land. Regularly. This is why, amazing as it seems, people oppose them.

I do know some atheists who are aggressive, but they are basically aggressive people, who are atheists. I also know a few aggressive Christians, Muslims, Jewish people - I don't know any aggressive Buddhists though. All the Buddhists I know are lovely gentle people. Most of the aggressive people I know are well off and I suspect that is where the aggression stems from - not their beliefs or otherwise.

Of course Christians aren't persecuted. Not in any sensible meaning of the word. It is considered by some people to be acceptable to be rude to them in a way that the same people wouldn't be rude to Muslims or Sikhs though (because they'd be concerned about being labelled racist). It's not that they don't feel rude towards them - it's that they don't say rude things, whereas they feel no constraints over being rude and unkind to Christians. But those people are often rude and unkind to others with whim they disagree or for whom they have contempt - so again, I think the fact that Christians or Christianity is the target of some of their nastiness isn't necessarily indicative of anything other than them being generally not nice. And again, rudeness isn't the sole preserve of the non Christian.

OP, had you said that 30-20 years ago, I think you would have been unreasonable.
Thing is, nowadays, everybody and their dog is an atheist (me too, I am not a persecuted special snowflake anymore, booh). Which means the constant fight again "dark Ages, persecution, and every -ism in the book" is getting tired, and frankly bullying. Express yourself in the political sphere, actually understand the wonderful and rich science (and its limit) you use as a basis for you existence... But let the believers believe, if they are not ramming their Quran, Talmud or Bible down your throat. Mentioning their religion in passing is not proselytism.
Don't be a dick.

Also, banging on Atheism (I repeat, I am one) and mocking religions on MN is not brave, or fighting the good fight against Ignorance. The majority of Mumsnetters are non-believers. So you are not leading a liberation movement, you are right in the trend, and mocking mercilessly the minority in your midst.

And yes, I would love to see you all go to a devot muslim or sikh, and be an assh**e enough to tell them their beliefs are rubbish. Or would you think it is racist?

well my BIL is a very good example of an aggressive atheist - just because some religious people are also aggressive doesn't make is okay

I think it's verging on fascist to belittle and put down peoples faith - yes it's possible to oppose oppressive behaviour and bigoted views without being abusive to peoples beliefs - I have been doing it for 30+ years

it's called 'faith' by the way because it's not base of fact - it requires a leap of faith

It's possible to hate the behaviour of some religious people without hating all of them

What a great post oxfordbags - you've hit the nail on the head.

OfAFrenchMind I wouldn't go to a devout Muslim or Sikh because I do not know enough about their religions. I had daily Christian observance as a child, not daily Muslim or Sikh observance. I saw the bad effects of Christianity, not Islam or Sikhism. I have never read a Sikh's holy text and while I have read the Qur'an I understood it very imperfectly. This wasn't the same for a religion I've been steeped in since birth.

It's not being PC whatever. I know Christianity, as do a lot of atheists (at various levels) because we were brought up in it. Should we never criticise it because we look too PC when it's what we can understand and talk about?