Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
cantthinkofabloodyname · 07/02/2018 23:37

I'm an agnostic by choice. I have a friend who shares a lot of atheist memes on social media, which I do find amusing at times but I would never share them, as I have friends who are Christians, Catholics, Muslims & other religions. I understand how their faiths are a comfort to them and I would never feel comfortable to insult them.

TabbyMack · 07/02/2018 23:51

*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
*
Atheists only really engage with people who bring their beliefs into a public sphere....who clearly are not keeping their private beliefs private.

So, your "point" is entirely irrelevant.
*
*

TabbyMack · 07/02/2018 23:54

I'm agnostic by choice

Me too. Although it's not a choice...it's merely an inescapable fact that I don't know for sure whether any deity truly exists.

But I don't believe in any god. Which god do you believe in?

namechangerbob · 08/02/2018 00:06

Atheists only really engage with people who bring their beliefs into a public sphere....who clearly are not keeping their private beliefs private.

So, your "point" is entirely irrelevant.

My other 'point' was why not judge the person inciting those views, instead of the whole religion.
But atheists do tend to go for the whole religion which does affect other people of the same religion who do chose to keep their beliefs private. Therefore I don't think my 'point' is entirely irrelevant.

ReanimatedSGB · 08/02/2018 00:12

The thing is, rational people are not actually stopping the stupid from believing in their preferred brand of bullshit, or having whatever conversations with their imaginary friend they choose. Go ahead, knock yourselves out, whether you call yours Jesus, Allah, Odin or Frogfucker. Or the Tooth Fairy, Santa or Cthulhu for that matter. Rational people only care when you start bothering others about it, infringing their rights (there is a thread currently going about medical practitioners refusing to treat people because their imaginary friend doesn't like the idea) or depriving them of resources because of your silly superstitions.

birdseye2010 · 08/02/2018 00:18

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

you have to pay for the tv licence by law. you don't have to belong to a church.

My other 'point' was why not judge the person inciting those views, instead of the whole religion.

Well, some religious people do bad things, and some atheists do bad things. that's when you go after the individual. But some religions encourage doing bad things.

TabbyMack · 08/02/2018 00:21

Er....what?

You seem to be assuming that the religious views people actively talk about are "out there" and not reflective of the entire religion.

In the case of Christianity in this country, that's rarely the case.

Even the most benign claims about it are, imo, fucking ridiculous.

"I have a personal relationship with Jesus" = I think I can telepathically communicate with a dead Palestinian who is also his own father.

"I will pray for Doris to get better" = I will have a word with our galatic overlord to see if he will help as he listens to me.

Christianity is inherently stupid and I have yet to hear any explanation in favour of it that wasn't absolute babble.

TabbyMack · 08/02/2018 00:22

Frogfucker Ha!

namechangerbob · 08/02/2018 00:23

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

you have to pay for the tv licence by law. you don't have to belong to a church.*

You don't have to pay it by law if you don't watch TV.

My other 'point' was why not judge the person inciting those views, instead of the whole religion.*

Well, some religious people do bad things, and some atheists do bad things. that's when you go after the individual. But some religions encourage doing bad things.*

Some do, not all.

JassyRadlett · 08/02/2018 00:47

My other 'point' was why not judge the person inciting those views, instead of the whole religion.
But atheists do tend to go for the whole religion which does affect other people of the same religion who do chose to keep their beliefs private. Therefore I don't think my 'point' is entirely irrelevant.

You’re still not listening. It isn’t an individual imposing their practices and beliefs on us. It is the whole religion, via its organisational structures, that demands privileged treatment in legislation and state services.

And any member of those religions who isn’t walking up to their vicar or priest and saying ‘hey, I think this is kind of wrong, can we think about changing the local system because it’s dividing people rather than bringing them together’ is tacitly endorsing inequality and the second-class status of non-Christians. You are part of the problem.

Julie8008 · 08/02/2018 00:48

My other 'point' was why not judge the person inciting those views, instead of the whole religion

People chose to identify with the label of their chosen religion. Their religion informs their views. Of course you will debate their specified religion when they bring up their views, they are intertwined.

Julie8008 · 08/02/2018 00:50

“When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called a Religion.”

squeekums · 08/02/2018 03:05

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.
And if i have no idea it means they not trying to ramble in my ear about it. I only speak out when its brought to me, like say to my door or my child public school
How many athiests door knock now?

Like lots of people still watch BBC? Still paying their TV license?
Dont watch the bbc, cant say much there interests me.
Plus tv licensing works different to religion or would that be an admission that religion is a business and should be paying tax yeah?

Nakedavenger74 · 08/02/2018 04:53

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.

I am so utterly taken aback that sentient adults can read this and not immediately think 'what absolute and utter nonsense'.

Apparently this is 'mocking' or 'taking the piss' when frankly it's what anyone with any critical thinking capability would do. Unless of course the institution of the church has brainwashed you throughout your life to accept it unfailingly.

People die and women and children are subjugated over this hokum.

educatingarti · 08/02/2018 07:58

I have plenty of critical thinking capacity. I have a physics degree. I was taught quantum mechanics by a committed Christian as part of that degree. There are plenty of other scientists who are also Christians.
I have not been brainwashed by the Church. I was not brought up within the church but became a Christian in my teens.

I am sorry that you are so shocked by this.
I have no problems with someone disagreeing with what I have said. Mocking is when someone starts to jeer about sky fairies and imaginary friends. Polite disagreement and argument is not a problem to me.

CardinalSin · 08/02/2018 08:03

Can we mock these ones? Pretty please?

PatriarchyPersonified · 08/02/2018 08:41

Educatingarti

It's called Compartmentalisation.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compartmentalization_%28psychology%29?wprov=sfla1

namechangerbob · 08/02/2018 08:49

^Dont watch the bbc, cant say much there interests me.
Plus tv licensing works different to religion or would that be an admission that religion is a business and should be paying tax yeah?^

No.
I'm saying you can't criticise or accuse a religious person of 'enabling pedophilia' for choosing to continue to follow their religion, unless you yourself don't 'enable' it also through the BBC.

And if i have no idea it means they not trying to ramble in my ear about it. I only speak out when its brought to me, like say to my door or my child public school
How many athiests door knock now?

Which you are perfectly entitled too, and quite rightly too. Lots of charities knock too, and are just as annoying in town centre, yet I'm not moaning about the whole or every charity because of it.
What I don't agree with is the assumption that all religious people must be stupid or irrational - the same as I don't agree with comments about atheists being empty.

JassyRadlett · 08/02/2018 09:12

There’s a difference between the charities and the proselytisers, isn’t there?

Charity doorknockers are about them and their organisation. They are looking for support for a cause they care about. They are, essentially, asking you to be kind.

Proselytisers are about the other person. They want to know what you think, and hen they want to convince you to think the way they do. Their goal is to make you more like them.

Both are annoying, but there’s a distinction, and one with quite a lot of arrogance to it.

HandbagKrabby · 08/02/2018 09:23

It’s interesting seeing people use whataboutery and x is also just as bad as y about a topic other than women Smile

I do think belief gets entrenched and people don’t want to examine it. I think over time people in general move away from believing in ancient stories.

I wonder if there’s a correlation between women being educated and participating fully in public life and less people practising religion, as from what I see, the main faiths seem to have many views about what women can and can’t do which impacts on their ability to participate. When you’re on your 9th c-section because your religion requires you to have lots of babies you’re not working on your PhD or next promotion are you.

birdseye2010 · 08/02/2018 09:52

You don't have to pay it by law if you don't watch TV.

Your analogy would be more apt if you said people still watch the BBC, because that is voluntary. it's only in this country where owning a tv has any connection to the bbc.

What I don't agree with is the assumption that all religious people must be stupid or irrational

I am not sure who said that, but clearly you can be brilliant and religious at the same time. But, that doesn't mean such people are rational about their religious belief. In fact, most honest people will label it as such - they'll call it faith, which is irrational.

Julie8008 · 08/02/2018 10:02

It is interesting that it often seems to be women who drag their children along to the church while the men just stay at home. I wonder why that is?

CardinalSin · 08/02/2018 10:14

Stockholm Syndrome...

speakout · 08/02/2018 10:19

It's not so surprising.

Women who suffer FGM do so mainly at the hands of women.

QuiQuaiQuod · 08/02/2018 10:47

*But the religious people I know largely go about their business quietly. Wish I could say the same for the performance atheists of social media. 🙄

Add message | Report | Message poster Twofishfingers Mon 05-Feb-18 14:32:40
I think many people forget that there are a vast number of atheists who are racist, sexist and bigots. You don't need a religion to be a twat

I've also noticed that all the sarcastic comments about 'sky fairies' seem to be aimed at Christians on here. Suspect these posters wouldn't dare to make the same comment to a Silk or Muslim's face as they know exactly how bad they'd sound.*

This ^^

Swipe left for the next trending thread