I've noticed this about myself as well. I too am becoming an angry atheist (that's not to say I'm not happy though ). I don't want to blame it on the site, but it is a contributing factor. Being around intelligent and like-minded individuals has definitely made me less tolerant of stupidity and more apt to speak my mind. I've always been rather open about my thoughts on God, but lately I seem to take every opportunity to express why something is logically flawed.

I actually had a sort of "intervention" with a theist friend of mine who told me I had offended her and some of my other theist friends. I more or less told her that I was fine with that, and I reserve my right to offend people. I've been feeling a general detachment from that circle of friends. They just don't think the way I do and it's getting to the point where I don't care weather I stay friends with them. It's probably something everybody goes through. I guess I'm just outgrowing them mentally.

What he was discussing also has bothered me. The biggest one is how god only sacrifices himself in front of particular crowd for all eyes to see, yet doesn't leave a shred of evidence for the ensuing generations.

I liked comparing the crucifixion to "chucking the virgin into the volcano."  That is so correct.  I wish more Christians would take a step back and compare the crucifixion with what the native central Americans were doing before the Spaniards came.  The sad thing is deep down they know it is human sacrifice.  It is just a continuation of the Hebrew animal sacrifices. 

I am usually pretty tolerant except in the case of what religion does to children.  I was at a park one time and went into one of the restrooms.  There were these christian tracts aimed at children.  I skimmed through one of them and was sickend at the condemnation and all the talk of sin.   (I should have tossed them in the trash)   

Now now, just because noone has died off of earth yet doesn't mean it won't happen.

Nope. Both Challenger and Columbia were within Earth's atmosphere. Noone has yet died in space.

I think it helps me to see theists as not so much crazy as meme infected. I think I remember reading somewhere that neuroscience is finding that some brains are more susceptible to meme infection than others.

But I do still get pissed off at theists on occasion.

Rick

There is nothing wrong with anger - it's quite a healthy attribute in fact - and any social convention which implies that one should not feel anger is one intent on stifling expression, something not only unhealthy for the individual but for society as a whole in the long run. People afraid to speak out in anger tend to be afraid to speak out at all,, and such people are therefore easily channelled into general agendas decided by others for their own ends.

The question is not whether anger directed against superstitious stupidity is right or wrong. It is about whether it is justified or not. Unjustified anger abounds - that is, anger whose justification defies rational and reasonable explanation. We are all prone to such feelings from time to time, our emotive response faster to manifest itself than our reasoned response, especially those of us more immature in our faculty of reason than others.

However if and when, having taken time and trouble to reasonably assess that which makes us angry, we find that we are still angry, then we have not only the right to express such anger but in fact a duty to ourselves and to others to do just that. The anger of course should not be primarily directed against individuals (as it is so often on this site, thereby betraying the immaturity of many of its contributors). It should primarily be directed against that which those individuals purport to represent - quite a different emphasis entirely and, in my experience, much more effective in helping to change other people's minds if such is also the intention.

Having said that, you shouldn't either be afraid to engage in what is called the "ad hominem" attack in argument. When arguing the destructive effect of internalised personal delusions rampant in society it is quite legitimate to direct both one's anger and one's argument against such persons when logic dictates that you must. Not to do so merely leads to one circumventing one's own argument, especially when dealing with a person whose ability to defend their own stance rarely rises above frequent use of "ad hominem" assaults with less justification than yours.

Religion, and especially christianity, makes much of the concept of "righteous fury". Atheists have not the luxury of pretending to justify their own anger with such a cheap and false sequitur. However we have something much more powerful in our arsenal should we choose to use it. Rightful fury - something the average christian is never encouraged to develop for themselves. It would be too dangerous to have followers of a religious code applying individually adduced and aggressive logic to why they are doing it. It produces atheists, and often angry ones too. But at least they are thinking.