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

[sharkirasharkira]

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?

YANBU.

I'm an agnostic and have little time for organised religion in general (I tend to see it as more harmful than good, overall).

BUT assuming that anyone who believes in God is child-like and only believes because he or she is afraid of death and wants to believe in an imaginary friend that will rescue them, or something, is breathtakingly arrogant. Some (possibly most) of the best minds of humankind have believed in God, and religious traditions are responsible for some of the best art and thought in history.

So, yes, when Richard Dawkins goes on and on about the idiocy of the notion of God I feel like asking him whether he really thinks that people like Thomas Aquinas, Galileo, or Einstein were idiots.

Perfectlysymettricalbuttocks

I think the point being made is that religious people only believe in their own God/God's and happily dismiss all others without a second thought. Why do you think you have been lucky enough to be born into exactly the right religion, and that everyone else in the whole world is wrong?

Everyone can see the trick being played easily in other religions, they are just blind to it in their own.

God gave man free will, so that we can know love, give love and recieve it. Not just for any love, an organic and true love.
God didn’t bring evil into this world, man has.
God is probably too busy banging his head off a wall to want to save any of us. We don’t deserve it.
The Bible is clear, our story isn’t over yet and no man knows of Jesus (Yahweh’s) return.
Christianity is being wiped from this world, soon there won’t be many of us or the repentant to save.

OK then

Great. Glad we agree.

'...that is why religion isn't taken seriously any more.'

What planet are you on? It's taken very seriously by millions of people all over the world. In case you hadn't noticed, people are being killed nearly every day in the name of religion.

Conversely there are plenty of people whose diverse religions mean they do their best to help others, whilst otherwise going quietly about their own business.

All of them; they're variations on a theme.

Is the wrong answer, each religion specifically teaches that following one of the others is not an option.

Muslims categorically believe only through Allah and following the life laid out in the Quran can you reach the afterlife.

Christians teach that unless you believe in Jesus sacrificing himself for your sins, you are going to hell. I don't know the exact wording but it is something along the lines of "Only through me can you reach the Heavenly Father".

I don't know too much about Judaism, I know that it is basically Christianity minus the Christ part (Old Testament etc) - They believe they are god's chosen people and the Messiah has yet to arrive, Christians believe he has already come etc

It goes on and on.

I agree.

I am both an atheist and a scientist, but I don't believe that I have a monopoly on being correct in my understanding of the universe

I'm a person of faith. And a scientist. And neither, do I

Christianity is being wiped from this world, soon there won’t be many of us or the repentant to save.

What are you on? Where is Christianity being "wiped"?

Oh, you mean that now that people have a choice, most people choose not to practise it?

I don't Patriarchy. I might be completely wrong. So might anybody else.

Backscratcherforever

God didn't bring evil into the world, man did.

Yet omnipotent God, who could do anything, allows evil to flourish?

And hang on, isnt God omniscient as well? So he knew all along that man would become evil?

The point you (and others) have entirely missed is that religion is dangerous and causes real problems in the world. But I did say that evil is done in the name of religion.
It's difficult to answer that without sounding like an uncaring arse but, "hard"? Really? Really? Yes it is hard. If I were to write down all that had happened to me then I'd probably feature on MNTrolls. Yet I've managed to stay in one piece through prayer. Would you condemn AA which advocates belief in a higher power?

I’m an atheist.

I find it incredible that anyone can believe in a god who has created a universe the size it is just for us to live on a small planet in a solar system on the edge of a galaxy. This god then only allows us to enter his kingdom by dying. Dying is and has been a terrifying and painful process for billions of humans. How is that the action of a loving god?

If you want to believe this, fine, but I find it horrific and ridiculous.

I only use the “sky fairy/imaginary friend” comments when people are pushing their religion on me.

I do wonder how intelligent, educated people can believe in a god though. I know the do, I know people who are both intelligent (far more so than I am) and believe in various variants of god, but I don’t know how they reconcile the two.

@stevie69

What the hell is a person of faith? Is it like being religious but a little piggy-backing on 'person of colour' and whatever other terms we need to use today?

How do you marry religion and science when the former goes against the entire scientific method?

This annoys me too OP , but only for a moment.
I was raised Catholic,- *(by the way , many a good atheist was raised Catholic)- and waver from day to day with my beliefs.
I think, at present, I am a believer but never discuss it at all.
I don't care what others believe and don't want to convince or convert anyone. I am too busy battling in my own head to be bothered about anyone else. Yes, it is insulting to see posts describing believers as idiots but, in my opinion, this just makes people who mock appear small. It's none of my business what they believe , or don't, and vice versa. You can do a Dawkins and say "I DONT CARE" everytime you dont want to face a statement or question you dont like ;)

I don't understand how intelligent and educated people can dismiss the possibility (not likelihood, just possibility) of the existence of a higher power out of hand.

I am an unequal citizen of my country because I am not religious. Every bloody time there is a push to give me and people like me equal rights the religious majority throws a tantrum in refusal to lose their very real privilege. My rights continue to be curbed and I'm made out to be a troublemaker for just wanting equality.

So guess what. I have come to have absolutely no respect for religious beliefs. Some people believe in some stories that are clearly fictional and as a result I face daily discrimination that affects my real life in real ways. It's either laugh or revolt. So be fucking grateful we're laughing.

But which religion believes in sky fairies?

I'd also like the religious on this thread who take issue with 'militant atheist's' to let us know if they take equal issue with religious groups who proselytise their ideas and openly try to push them on others?

Yes, I do - it's one of the reasons why, as I've said, I'm so much against religious interference in the state and the priviliges given to the CofE in particular

While personal belief can often be a force for good, too many aspects of organised religion are rotten to the core, with the basic message forgotten in silly posturing and the mindless repetition of rituals which have long since lost their meaning

I'm an atheist and I actually hate this also. Intolerance and constant looking for arguments makes us all look bad. I love a religious debate and often find I learn something which is great, but rudeness and name calling shuts down all debate and creates tension which is good for no one.

I am vocal about my dislike of religion (all religion I'm not prejudice) when 1) I'm preached too (obviously) 2) people use religion to excuse bad behaviour, e.g 'I'm protesting this abortion clinic because god says so' no they didn't, also your a twat and 3) perhaps my most hated of all when people want to bring religion to government or government polices, absolutely NOT okay.

Otherwise I have no issue with people practicing faith peacefully, it can be really good for some people so fair play I say

What the hell is a person of faith?

It's just my way of saying that I follow one of the major religions, without saying which one it is. That's all.

The thing is, when you say it's unacceptable to call other people's beliefs ridiculous, does that really, truly go for absolutely any belief?

The reason religious people are angry and offended when people compare their belief in god to a belief in sky pixies or the tooth fairy is presumably because to them, there is a big difference between those things. But to many atheists there is no difference. God is as made up as sky pixies are. So why is likening one made-up thing to another made-up thing so offensive?

If a person really genuinely believed in... fairies, for example, you might be polite enough not to laugh in their face, but you'd probably really think they were stupid or crazy. The difference is, fairies have not been used as a reason to control, subjugate and discriminate against people for thousands of years.Religion, though just as made-up (imo) has been used for those things though, and that's partly why some atheists can get a bit heated about the fact that something so nonsensical continues to cause division and hatred across the world.

I wouldn't be openly rude about someone's religion unless they were willingly engaging in a debate in that spirit or were being offensive themselves. But I don't see why my belief that religion is nonsense should be trumped by someone else's view that god exists.

I don’t believe that any god exists.

But if I am wrong, and the Christian God returns to earth, I still wouldn’t follow him, as He seems like a right arsehole.

Some of the other ones aren’t so bad, the ones who don’t claim omnipotence. But honestly, who wants to worship a being who has the power to relieve the suffering of innocent people, but not the desire to do so?

Well let's put it this way. They won't be laughing when they meet their maker,and they have to explain why they mocked your beliefs.