I'm naturally a gentle, kind person, but religious nutbars really piss me off.
Offline For awhile there I thought I could live and let live, but right-wing Christian radicals--including members of my family--have nearly pushed me over an emotional precipice. I've tried to deal with my feelings in a number of ways, but I think it comes down to this: These nutcases are going to get us all fucking killed!
I've never been good at dealing with my anger. I know that anger is a symptom that something is wrong, but no matter what I do, I stay angry with the religious nuts I encounter on a daily basis. This county is full of them. I waffle between speaking my mind and keeping the peace. Am I going nuts?
I'm a sensitive person who doesn't like to dish it out or take it, but sometimes I feel as if I've been slapped across the face with a Christian gauntlet and that I must fight for what I believe. This seems hypocritical in light of my hatred of proselytizing Christians.
I don't know what to do. I don't know how to feel. A lot of it is pain and anger still erupting like pus from an ancient wound inflicted on me as a child: fundy indoctrination. Like I said, I don't know how to heal the wound and I don't know how to deal with the moonbats that have taken over our country.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
If someone like me is constantly pissed, I wonder what others feel. Christian right-wingers, the backlash cometh. And I don't think I'm going to feel terribly sorry for you when you get what you deserve.
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First, do not ignore your emotions. YOU ARE INTITLED TO THEM. But you do have to keep control over them and know when and how to express them. Whatever you decide NEVER(NOT YOU PERSONALLY) but people reading this in general, NEVER physically harm someone because you dont like what they say. DO NOT distroy other's personal property or intelectuall property.
Most here can identify with you Iruka. The narrow world view that religious people have I like to call "Divine intitlement". Their deity has chosen them(incert religion here) and they will vote their diety into office or through force of war.
You are right, these nuts(incert religion here) have no clue how they harm their fellow human. The only look at the warm fuzzies but never look at the damage and division "My daddy is better than your daddy" can cause.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
There was a really good analogy drawn years ago comparing the god of the bible to an abusive husband. I think it's a good analogy to bring up here.
If a woman was in an abusive relationship where her husband ridiculed her for independent thought, punished her arbitrarily for behavior that wasn't considered wrong culturally, and refused to let her talk to other men, especially if they were smart and successful, you'd immediately encourage her to A) get out of the situation as soon as possible, and B) tell the authorities and her friends what had been going on.
Religion is doing the same thing to the world, and yet atheists sometimes feel guilty for speaking up. Why is that? I'm not going to keep drawing the analogy out because I think you can see where I'm going.
Brian's advice is good. If you go around ridiculing Christians at every turn, you're just going to be seen as a know it all prick who can't function in society. Save it for when it matters.
Just as an example, let me tell you about my life a little bit. I own a restaurant and a bar. I don't have Christmas trees, baby Jesus, or angels anywhere, and we don't play Christmas carols on the radio. If someone asks, I say, "I'm sorry, but rather than choose one holiday to promote, I don't promote any of them, so that everyone who comes in can feel comfortable." Just the facts, without attacking their beliefs, because it's work.
On the other hand, if I'm at dinner somewhere and someone asks me to say grace, I say no, and if they ask why, I say, "Because I'm not Christian." If they press, I'll say I'm an atheist. If they press more, I'll tell them why I'm an atheist. This way, I'm responding to the religious pressures, not attacking them without provocation. Also, if it comes to an argument, I can always say, "Look, you were the one who asked. I just said I didn't want to say grace. I'm sorry my beliefs offend you so much." Keep the high ground.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Right now I am feeling your pain. Im my family any belief is okay as long as you believe in some supernatural god-thingy. My family thinks god knocks on their door, sends signs with dragonflys, has ghosts communicate with them, heals their every sickness. One is a catholic that thinks Mary sends her messages. The other is a new-agie christian that thinks Christ was god's son but christian got it all wrong. Still another is a right winger, and my father has been on tv with a teleconvangalist slapping him on the head My other sister won't talk about god without crying because if she doesn't believe, she can never see her son who died.
But my atheism is downright unacceptable.
Case in point. I asked everyone not to get me a present. They tell me they did anyway. I am painted as the bad guy when I ask them not to or to take it back.
My sister is reading this book
http://www.amazon.com/Christ-Lord-Egypt-Anne-Rice/dp/0375412018
Which is about a Jesus at seven years old. This is our exchange.
me: Hey, what is that book you are reading?
her: YOU wouldn't like it.
me: What's it about?
Her: Like I said, YOU wouldn't like it
me: really? Whats the subject matter?
Her: It's about Jesus when he was 7 years old.
Me: Perhaps your right. I would be questioning where they got the information from. You are aware nothing was written about that time of his life?
Her: (looks at other sister)Time to go! (looks at her luggage and exasperates) Well, It was written by Ann Rice who had something special happen in her life. It isn't supposed to be history.
Me: Oh, so its fiction. I didn't get that.
Other sister: Well, SO is her OTHER books.
her: Jeeus, I don't need you to tell me its fiction! I like to read about other cultures. (whispers to other sister something derogatory).
Me: Me too. Walking away from the uncomfortable bullshit. (whispering behind me)
Her: Jeeus, you are a BORN AGAIN ATHEIST. I am going.
Me: NO, you are just on pins and needles about the subject and condemn everything I say.
(both sisters leave without saying a word)
This was last friday. I haven't spoke to either sister,and franky am sick and tired of this type of bullshit. I am forced to walk on eggs around all their irrational bullshit, but one word out of me and I am insulted and belittled.
I can only imagine the crying and wailing if I said "Jeeus, you are a BORN AGAIN Christian" in the tone she said that to me.
Bullshit.
You guys seem to take a lot of crap. I'm guessing most of you live in the U.S. I'm a Canadian, and though I haven't really travelled around the country a lot, I don't feel Atheists are treated nearly as bad as they are in the U.S. Especially in my hometown. The students here are far more non-religious, then religious.
Some good suggestions have been made in this thread on what to do when you just can't handle the crap anymore. I suggest you turn that anger into motivation. Continue to learn, and go out and educate others. Spread the word of reason and critical thinking.
Yeah. The U.S.A. has a lot of good things going for it, but sanity with regard to religion is not one of them. Unfortunately, the insanity spills over into so many other areas that it is becoming a less desirable place to live. I have a dream of shaking the (forgive me) god forsaken soil of this place off of my feet and living someplace where most people would respect me as a human instead of hating me as just slightly higher than Hitler on the list of evil people.
Even though I live in the only blue county in Georgia, Christianity is so ubiquitous that you have to dodge street evangelists just to go get a drink on friday night, and you can fucking forget running for any office unless you go to church at one of the "acceptable" churches in town.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
"I suggest you turn that anger into motivation"
We have. Hence this site and our activism.
I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
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yeah good work guys!
Has Ann Rice gone fundie?
I don't know if she's gone fundy, but she has gone Christian, as well as batshit crazy. I knew she was in trouble when I saw her on "Crossing Over with John Edwards" a few years ago. Of course I have to wonder if she's always believed in the unverifiable, considering the content of her books.
For some reason people WANT to believe in the supernatural. I sometimes wonder if it isn't hard-wired into us. In Dawkins' The God Delusion, he explores the idea that religion may have evolved as a by-product. At this point, it seems possible that the religions themselves are evolving, taking on a life of their own. The Abrahamic religions seem to provide both the biggest carrot (heaven) and the biggest stick (hell), so it's no wonder they've caught on like wildfire.
Dawkins is surprisingly optimistic when he considers our chances of eradicating this virus of the mind. It's led me to rethink my assumption that we'll never get rid of religion. I'm still not sure it's possible, but if we don't try, we're screwed.
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I'm not that worried about eradicating religion. After all, theists rarely actually act in accordance with any of their professed beliefs and most of the time are busy trying to get fed, warm and laid just like the rest of us. The thing that really needs to be eradicated, IMO, is this recent delusion that religion has some role in politics. It's a short term danger in terms of the human race, but if you love the good ole US of A you'll not want to see it go the route of Iran, or worse.
Lazy is a word we use when someone isn't doing what we want them to do.
- Dr. Joy Brown
Ann Rice used to throw these big ass halloween parties in New Orleans. She apparently lived there, or at least had a house there, or something. A friend of mine went to one of those parties because he had originally been cast as a character in Interview With The Vampire. Unfortunately, the part got cut before filming began, but he got to keep the custom fit vampire teeth. They were very creepy.
So, my second hand report is that my friend said that she was bat shit crazy back then, and that was quite a few years ago. Wouldn't surprise me if she has gone fundy.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Damn. Was I EVER right.
This forum has turned into a place for me to intellectually beat the crap out of theists. There are a few who have been reasonably nice like StMichael and doc101 (did I get the name right?), but I still feel like eviscerating their arguments and shoving the bloody results in their faces.
When an obnoxious theist or troll appears, I go into rage mode.
It's so easy, but what good can it do? It just makes me feel guilty for being angry. Yeah, maybe I have (had?) a good reason to be angry, but like I said, I don't know what to do with it. If I bottle it up, it's still there. If I release it, it's still there.
Why is it so difficult to get my emotions to respond to reason?
Anyway, I was just thinking...
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