Alpha et Omega Posted:

Christians tend to single them [atheists] out, but why? Why not polytheists, deists, pantheists, etc.?

Or are these brilliant Christians clueless on religious philosophy and all they know is that there is a God and that's that? Most couldn't tell me why the Bible is any more right than the Quran, or why Christianity is more right than Hinduism or Buddhism. But when it comes to atheism? Get out of here, that's just stupid!

Seriously. Most of the arguments I see from Christians are redundant and idiotic. Even Protestant Vs. Catholic arguments are idiotic.

"Saints can't hear you!!!" like sound waves apply to Heaven. Or "the Pope isn't infallible!" yet they use a book deemed infallible by a past Pope and admit he was suddenly infallible ex cathedra at that time. But even though he can compile a whole infallible book, he doesn't know anything else ex cathedra.

This isn't on the topic of atheism per se, but it is showing the level of hypocrisy and ignorance here of a lot of Christians. It's sickening. How many here have actually studied philosophy, atheism, theology, and/or religious history? It's like all you guys do in arguments is use things you've heard in a church. Or in other words, just advocating someone's interpretation of one book and are clueless about everything else.

Now back to the question, why do they single out atheism over any other religious philosophy or belief? And why are they more right than anyone else? I really don't get it. They make atheism sound stupid when it's really not that stupid.

Louis Repucci Responded:

As a damned atheist myself -- I truly appreciate the sentiment of the OP.

Thanks and kudos.

Yes, atheists are the most hated and persecuted religious community (and we are a community) in this country. Atheists rate below Muslims in this nation's opinion.

Why are we so despised? Is it *really* because we "aren't searching for god" or that we "mock the faithful"?

Not really.

In fact, if you look at it, atheists ARE searching for god -- and we have not found it. Most of the atheists that I know have a rich and studied background in the beliefs and practices of many religions, and have read the bible cover to cover (I have a few times myself).

Could it be that we piss off Christians because we didn't find their holy book all that convincing?

I tend to think that the real reason Christians persecute (and that is the correct term) the decidedly irreligious is the simple fact that we make them examine their own presuppositions.

Atheists are the only people in the room shouting that the emperor has no clothes.

All of the other theists are playing the same big game of pretend as the Christians -- they merely put their own spin on the image and idea being agreed upon. Us atheists are ruining the illusion of the perception of god by admitting that while everyone else believes that god is real, we don't.

Think of it this way: 4 little kids open their presents on Christmas. 2 of the kids believe that the Santa Claus that they saw in the mall delivered the gifts. 1 of the kids knows that the mall Santa is a regular guy, and that the *real* Santa is the one that magically climbed down the chimney and put the presents under the tree.

...The last kid tells the other 3 that Santa is a ridiculous concept, and that unless they have some VERY substantial evidence to support their claim (i.e. a video of Santa doing his thing), then it is likely total b.s.

The part that makes it so unbearable for the other little kids is the fact that there is a part of their minds that is telling them that the doubter has a very real point, and that they are lying to themselves. This makes them HATE the skeptic rather than re-examine their own views and change their paradigms about how the world works.

Think about this: The lies we believe the longest as children are the ones that are most dear to us. No 12-year-olds actually believe in the Easter bunny, not because they don't benefit from that belief, but because there simply isn't as much at stake.
Really, if there were a magical being that had NO effect on our reality, would anyone bother believing in it? Think about it: a book JUST like the bible, except it only effects beings in the Andromeda Galaxy, some 1, 600 light-years away...do you really think that there would be wars over that belief? Not likely.

Nobody likes the guy who ruins the party.

Nobody likes the jerk that ruins a book by telling you the end.

Logos Invictus,
--Louis Repucci, the amicable atheist.