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AIBU?

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Original poster

To really hate it when atheists take the piss out of those who believe in God?

845 replies

sharkirasharkira · 05/02/2018 14:10

I have several FB friends who are obvious atheists, and often share things about science and/or about the concept of God being stupid -basically saying that anyone who believes in God is an idiot, a child (with an 'imaginary friend') or someone who has no idea about science and the universe.

I get that not everyone has faith in a higher being/religion etc but why the childish name calling and the necessity to take the piss out of those who do? It just really irritates me! Belief in God and an appriciation of science are not mutually exclusive. I find it quite offensive that people who don't know my personal beliefs are essentially saying that if I believe in God I must be an idiot or a child who believes in magical sky fairies, because theres no possible way I can believe in evolution (for example) and be an agnostic.

Aibu to think that people should just let others believe what they want to believe without mocking them for it, even if they don't agree with it?

OP posts:
PatriarchyPersonified · 07/02/2018 20:50

Namechangerbob

Yet your religion teaches you to honour a man who did exactly the opposite, and offered his son up for sacrifice to God without a second thought.

Even God offered Jesus as a bizarre human sacrifice. Apparently to atone for the original sin of man in the Garden of Eden. (Something that we can prove never happened)

"When a man is certain that he knows god's will, and is resolved to do it regardless of cost, he is the most dangerous person in the world."

Julie8008 · 07/02/2018 20:53

Every Sunday Christians stop me from shopping when I want.
Every day Christians stop me from sending my children to the local state school that I am forced to help pay for.
Every Christians make my children take part in an act of Christian worship.
Even when I bought my house I was legally obliged to agree to pay for the upkeep of something at the local Christian church (should it be needed).
Every day the laws in the UK are partly decided by un-elected Priests.
When I have been in hospital money from the NHS budget is wasted on church representatives.

I could go on but just some examples of how a minority of Christians exert their 'privaledges'. One reason why I am not to bothered about a little heckling of the bible bashers.

educatingarti · 07/02/2018 20:58

Patriarchy - I think your comment shows a misunderstanding of the nature of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. They are part of the same being, 3 in 1. God was in Christ reconciling himself to the world. God became part of his creation, and poured himself out as a sacrifice, willing to enter into humanity and suffer with it and for it.

Julie8008 · 07/02/2018 21:01

I think majority regardless of their beliefs would chose the second. Every single religious person I know would anyways

Yes I would probably agree with that, which suggests that theists have developed a knowledge of right and wrong independently from what any god might dictate. aka not really believing in or not obeying the 'word' of god.

Unfortunately we do know some parents even in modern times have killed (or let die) their children because a god told them to do so.

TabbyMack · 07/02/2018 21:03

*I have openly atheist acquaintances who openly mock my beliefs but then are disgusted with anti Islamic sentiment they see online
*
The hypocrisy of the new left. It is perfectly acceptable to take apart Christian beliefs bit by bit, but do the same with Islamic ones and suddenly, you're a racist. Even if you've expressed not a single racist sentiment, instead focusing on the scriptures and dogmas rather than people, you are still a racist because you are hurting the feelings of people with brown skin.

But this issue of "mocking your beliefs". They are not just YOUR beliefs, are they? They existed before you were born and will exist after you die. You did not invent them and they do not belong to you. Is it not the height of narcissism to decide that because you, personally, have decided you believe them, then everyone else should curtail their own thoughts on the matter when you're around? Why?

And they are not your "personal beliefs". They are claims about a reality that we all inhabit, not just you. So criticism & rejection of those beliefs is open to all of us, even if you decide to feel "hurt/offended".

Atheists and non-believers generally don't wander around "mocking" others in day to day life without good reason. If everyone, including your boss, was "mocking" yours then I strongly suspect it's because you were seeking to impose them in ways that were not welcome. I can't stand religion and I find Christianity (& Islam) infantile and stupid. But I have never felt the need to say this to someone directly unless they give me reason to. Just saying.

birdseye2010 · 07/02/2018 21:04

It is the only hate behaviour that is not just allowed by encouraged and mostly it is Christians who are the victims. I have atheist acquaintances who openly mock my beliefs but then are disgusted with anti Islamic sentiment they see online.

Well, I think perhaps you are taking it rather far there. You do live in a country that is akin to a christian theocracy. I do, however, agree that people shy away from criticizing muslims about their beliefs.

I find those of other faiths are supportive and caring and have weeded my friendship group down to a few truly tolerant atheist friends. I'm very glad I no longer go out to work as I was the butt of many jokes there and management encouraged it and participated in it.

well, that's appalling. It doesn't matter what you are, but mockery shouldn't be tolerated in the workplace.

BlackEyedKid · 07/02/2018 21:04

So god sacrificed himself to himself, died for a weekend and came back to life again?

Perfectly logical 😐

educatingarti · 07/02/2018 21:10

Not sacrificed himself to himself, but for the world.

TabbyMack · 07/02/2018 21:12

*Patriarchy - I think your comment shows a misunderstanding of the nature of the relationship between God the father and God the son. They are part of the same being. 3 in 1. God was in Christ reconciling himself to the world. God became part of his creation and poured himself out as a sacrifice to enter humanity and suffer with it and for it.
*
So, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-creating God divided himself up into three so that he could sacrifice himself to himself on our behalf to save us from the punishments he planned to inflict on us for sins he knew in advance we'd commit?

Dear me.

speakout · 07/02/2018 21:14

*So, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-creating God divided himself up into three so that he could sacrifice himself to himself on our behalf to save us from the punishments he planned to inflict on us for sins he knew in advance we'd commit?
*

Makes perfect sense when you explain it.
What's not to understand?

ShutYoFace · 07/02/2018 21:20

It is the only hate behaviour that is not just allowed by encouraged and mostly it is Christians who are the victims

poor christians, such a persecuted group in the west. It's not as if you have the entirety of society based on your religion. Wait, no, it is.

If your faith is so weak that it is shaken by the disdain of others, it shouldn't get any respect at all.

PatriarchyPersonified · 07/02/2018 21:44

Educatingarti

I'm sorry but seriously, read what you have just written and then ask yourself again, why do atheists make fun of my beliefs?

They are ludicrously convoluted theological drivel that have very obviously been constructed over time to explain the nonsense stories in the Bible.

I'm not saying this to be hurtful. None of us are. We are trying to help you get your mind out of its theological prison.

educatingarti · 07/02/2018 21:54

But you see, to me ( and millions of others) it is not drivel of any kind but deeply and awe- inspiringly profound and beautiful. I don't understand why some atheists cannot accept and respect that, even if they disagree.

educatingarti · 07/02/2018 21:55

Oh, and I don't think it is a prison, but rather joyously liberating.

DropItLikeASquat · 07/02/2018 21:56

YANBU, how is mocking another faith (say muslim, baddest, atheist) not be tolerated by our society but to do it to christians is acceptable. Bigoted behaviour is what it is, no matter what you do or don't believe.

Hippee · 07/02/2018 22:00

DropItLikeA Squat - did you realise that you were comment number 666 on the list Wink

PatriarchyPersonified · 07/02/2018 22:05

Educatingarti

I find the poetry in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion beautiful. I can read them over and over again. But I also know they aren't true.

The teachings of Socrates have always had a profound impact on my life. It doesn't matter to me one bit that he may not have actually existed.

You can agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment in something, without having to believe it is literal truth.

DropItLikeASquat · 07/02/2018 22:15

shitballs Hippee! I promise I am not the antichrist. I believe in God, and Jesus. Im rubbish at being a christian but I try.

Julie8008 · 07/02/2018 22:24

I don't understand why some atheists cannot accept and respect that, even if they disagree
Because we dont live in an equal society and Christianity holds power over our lives that needs to be accounted for.

squeekums · 07/02/2018 22:38

Suck it up.
Religious people have been belittling athiests since religion was invented
We told we immoral, will go to hell, dont deserve kids. Religion has destroyed many lives, how many gay teens have been booted from families cos their religion says they wrong or evil? In times past people wre killed for non belief
Religion has aided the cover up in pedofile rings, yet millions still support them, why? thats enabling pedofelia
Who goes door knocking then get offended when told to leave, not athiests.....
Plus i see it like this, if you need some book and fear of eternal punishment to be a good person, your not a good person, your simply paying lip service to live in hope you wont be just mere worm food when you die. A good person does good without fear of some myth

Religion isnt free from criticism, neither are its followers. Dont like it, keep your religious beliefs private.
Religious people can sure dish out crap but cry foul when its given back to them or they asked to explain anything religion claims using facts, not the bible

birdseye2010 · 07/02/2018 22:57

I don't understand why some atheists cannot accept and respect that, even if they disagree.

I accept it and would defend your right to it.

I don't, however, respect it. I also don't think it's necessary to be rude. The imaginary friend analogy, however, is not just rude, but has a point.

Begrateful · 07/02/2018 23:07

OP, we live in a world that encourages freedom of speech. I don't agree with atheists bashing Christians or vice versa.

If you're finding that your friends FB page upsets you then don't view it in the first place. Don't let other people's opinions become your reality.Hmm

squeekums · 07/02/2018 23:08

Because we dont live in an equal society and Christianity holds power over our lives that needs to be accounted for.

So damn true
Like for instance, why should my kid miss out on class time in a public school cos they wanna chuck a religious activity in and kids who dont attend that arent allowed to do their normal work as it then disadvantages the religious kids. Putting religious bs in class time disadvantages the kids
I pay for an education, not a fairytale teaching

Or like how dd school is public yet figures its ok to invite the local church in to hand out little packs to the kids, they had balloons, lollies, little colour in pic of god and a cross, god is great, join us.
Soooo your trying to lure my kid with lollies and balloons to your church. They cant even get members on merit, they have to bribe kids to hound the parents to take them

TabbyMack · 07/02/2018 23:15

*Educatingarti
*
Sorry, but you cannot play that card.

You voluntarily opted to bring your belief into a public sphere, presumably to "educate" the rest of us... no one forced you. If you didn't get the response you wanted, or felt you had the right to, you cannot then try a bit of emotional manipulation to shut us up.

OK...so you find it all awe-inspiring and beautiful. And? To me it's illogical gibberish that makes no earthly sense. You cannot control the other half of the conversation, so you just have to deal with it.

namechangerbob · 07/02/2018 23:28

Religion isnt free from criticism, neither are its followers. Dont like it, keep your religious beliefs private.

Most people do, you have no idea if the person who served you at the supermarket, the old lady who said good morning to you, or the doctor who you made an appointment with, etc are religious or not.

People seem to judge the whole religion and all of its followers, instead of the individual person who is inciting those views.

Religion has aided the cover up in pedofile rings, yet millions still support them, why? thats enabling pedofelia

Like lots of people still watch BBC? Still paying their TV license?