Atheism vs. Christianity?

Hey there!

I was wondering; why do you think it is that atheism is sometimes seen as exclusively anti-christian? It seems to be a common theme among atheist sites and forums I've been to, that the biggest debate is between Christianity and Atheism, and sometimes it can look like atheists are specifically not Christian, as opposed to not believing in any religion at all.

There's even an example at the top of this forum; the tagline is "only sheep need a shepherd". That's fair enough, and a good point, but isn't the shepherd metaphor exclusively Christian? And if so, doesn't it seem unnecessarily confrontational, specifically to Christians?

I know many people of many faiths, and I've always found the groups to get on worst are atheists and Christians. Does anyone have any insights into why?

Note: I don't want to come across as crazy here; this is my first post, and I'd like a civilised discussion rather than a shouting match, so if I've given offense to anyone please just say and I'll edit.

[Professor Chaos]

FatherJackal wrote

Hey there!

I was wondering; why do you think it is that atheism is sometimes seen as exclusively anti-christian? It seems to be a common theme among atheist sites and forums I've been to, that the biggest debate is between Christianity and Atheism, and sometimes it can look like atheists are specifically not Christian, as opposed to not believing in any religion at all.

It's pretty simple, really. The internets is dominated by the western world, which is dominated by Christianity. There's no sense in railing against Zoroastrianism, is there? In America, from which the majority of the people you're encountering online hail, which god "told" our President to go into an illegal war in Iraq? Shiva?

There's even an example at the top of this forum; the tagline is "only sheep need a shepherd". That's fair enough, and a good point, but isn't the shepherd metaphor exclusively Christian? And if so, doesn't it seem unnecessarily confrontational, specifically to Christians?

See above.

I know many people of many faiths, and I've always found the groups to get on worst are atheists and Christians. Does anyone have any insights into why?

I don't follow. What do you mean by, "the groups to get on worst?" Are you talking about the relationship between the two groups?

Note: I don't want to come across as crazy here; this is my first post, and I'd like a civilised discussion rather than a shouting match, so if I've given offense to anyone please just say and I'll edit.

Actually it's your third.

Professor Chaos wrote

Actually it's your third.

Ah. Well, that makes me look pretty stupid. Blast.

I don't follow. What do you mean by, "the groups to get on worst?" Are you talking about the relationship between the two groups?

More about the relationship between individual members of the two groups. My atheist friends tend to get on far worse with my christian friends than my Islamic or Pagan friends; it's just something I've noted that confused me.

It's pretty simple, really. The internets is dominated by the western world, which is dominated by Christianity. There's no sense in railing against Zoroastrianism, is there? In America, from which the majority of the people you're encountering online hail, which god "told" our President to go into an illegal war in Iraq? Shiva?

I would LOVE to see someone railing against Zoroastrianism. Those damn Zoroastrians get such an easy ride. Also, the god telling Bush to go to war thing scared the crap out of me; I would have hoped he'd, y'know, listen to his advisors that were specifically hired to give him advice, or something.

I guess the question I really wanted to ask is this; as an atheist, do you feel like you get a harder time from Christians than any other group? Do you find people from other religious groups more tolerant of atheists in general?

Other than us wacky new age deists, I mean. We're pretty good.

[Professor Chaos]

FatherJackal wrote

More about the relationship between individual members of the two groups. My atheist friends tend to get on far worse with my christian friends than my Islamic or Pagan friends; it's just something I've noted that confused me.

You really think it's the worst? How about Muslims and Jews?

I guess the question I really wanted to ask is this; as an atheist, do you feel like you get a harder time from Christians than any other group?

Yes, but only because they're pretty much the only religious group I have to deal with. I'd rather have Jehova telling the President what to do than Allah, though.

Do you find people from other religious groups more tolerant of atheists in general?

Jews - Yes.
Deists - Yes.
Muslims - No.
Buddhists - Yes.
Hindus - Not sure. Probably.
Taoists - Not sure. Probably.

I'll stop there.

Other than us wacky new age deists, I mean. We're pretty good.

Yeah, you guys aren't too bad.

[calpurnpiso]

FatherJackal wrote

Hey there!

I was wondering; why do you think it is that atheism is sometimes seen as exclusively anti-christian? It seems to be a common theme among atheist sites and forums I've been to, that the biggest debate is between Christianity and Atheism, and sometimes it can look like atheists are specifically not Christian, as opposed to not believing in any religion at all.

There's even an example at the top of this forum; the tagline is "only sheep need a shepherd". That's fair enough, and a good point, but isn't the shepherd metaphor exclusively Christian? And if so, doesn't it seem unnecessarily confrontational, specifically to Christians?

I know many people of many faiths, and I've always found the groups to get on worst are atheists and Christians. Does anyone have any insights into why?

Note: I don't want to come across as crazy here; this is my first post, and I'd like a civilised discussion rather than a shouting match, so if I've given offense to anyone please just say and I'll edit.

First let us define the word ATHEISM ( from A=Without o lacking, & Theos=God or Belief in an intelligent creative force)

Unlike what American Christ-psychotics believe Atheism is-- which they insist is a "religion", perhaps the worship of the goddess ATHE or the Devil-- Atheism as the etymology of the word shows, is simply a word used to define people that LACK BELIEF. Humans beings are born LACKING BELIEF. Their brains is waiting like a NEW COMPUTER to be filled with INFORMATION & programmed. If one has a DEFECTIVE computer the information is corrupted giving us FALSE READINGS. The samething happens with the brain which is composed of GENES with DNA from the sperm & egg donors ( parents).

All Brains are NOT created equal.

The human brain is the CREATOR of thought & control tower of ALL organisms on the planet. ALL organisms have a brain ( some very PRIMITIVE others very advanced) whose prime directive is to REPRODUCE passing its genetic material. All of this was unknown few hundred years ago. Today neurologist PROVE this is true via experimentation resulting in predictable conclusions, like 2+2=4 IOW they prove the human brain is a product of billions of years of evolution due to random mutations, adaptations & accidents. We humans are simply crazy evolved mutated primates that created god with our brains to made us special & different from apes. Well, it took 7 million years from us to realize what we truly are. Stinking Apes with cognition that invented perfume & toilet paper to hide their condition.

With this magnificent organ that makes us what we are, we have created BELIEF in GOD, a simple Dopamine inducing DELUSION to cope with the Awareness of Death. The fact is that ALL cultures on this planet since they CREATED civilization have also CREATED Religious Faith. They are numerous limited only by our imagination. This FACT clearly PROVES there is NO god or Intelligent Designer, since even INTELLIGENCE is a concept created by our brain.

So, all humans are born LACKING BELIEF iow, ATHEIST. A normal brain begins gathering knowledge through experiences computing the difference between fantasy & reality. Fantasy inducing PLEASURE, reality inducing PAIN. Reality must be coated with Fairy Tales ( fantasies) to make it more palatable. Just like vermifuge & other medicines given to children, they must be sweetened.

In a normal educated adult brain the difference between fantasy and reality is carefully balanced with cognition & deductive thinking. Imagination is used as entertainment to realities of Life ( attending movies, plays, games & participating in them, etc). Unfortunatelly the fact that the mind is created by the brain is usually ignored. People simply do not feel they are their BRAINS, which are simply the "universes within" that make us think created the SELF.

It has been accurately said that Atheism is to religion as a hair colors is to baldness.

If there ever was a GOD or Intelligence Designer that had created everything, our DNA would have been programmed with the DSM ( Divine Sequence Mutation) that would made the new born BELIEF in the GOD. Every baby born after reaching the age of reasoning would AUTOMATICALLY have the BELIEF of the particular Intelligent Designer aka GOD. We know this doesn't happen & when an educated brain has a belief in an imaginary friend aka god it simply exhibits symptoms not unlike those of the schizotypal.

God is simply a delusion.

FatherJackal wrote

Hey there!

I was wondering; why do you think it is that atheism is sometimes seen as exclusively anti-christian? It seems to be a common theme among atheist sites and forums I've been to, that the biggest debate is between Christianity and Atheism, and sometimes it can look like atheists are specifically not Christian, as opposed to not believing in any religion at all.

There's even an example at the top of this forum; the tagline is "only sheep need a shepherd". That's fair enough, and a good point, but isn't the shepherd metaphor exclusively Christian? And if so, doesn't it seem unnecessarily confrontational, specifically to Christians?

I know many people of many faiths, and I've always found the groups to get on worst are atheists and Christians. Does anyone have any insights into why?

Note: I don't want to come across as crazy here; this is my first post, and I'd like a civilised discussion rather than a shouting match, so if I've given offense to anyone please just say and I'll edit.

In an English-speaking forum, it is likely the posters are from English-speaking countries, true? Christianity is the primary religion of English-speaking countries, so it is the religion that most affects the lives of the atheists. Is it really surprising that is the religion they would discuss the most?

[Irreligious]

Pardon me for asking, Alex (a.k.a FatherJackal), but I recall someone who posted here on another thread who had the screen name Alex and had a link to a Website for Christian-based drug counseling.

You're not him, are you? I think Chaos (the corrupt bastard) banned him.

I'm only asking because I'm a highly skeptical son of bitch. I can't help it. So put my weary mind at ease, if you please.

In as few words as possible, the appearance of the atheist/christian thing is because christianity is the commonest, loudest and most obnoxious of religions (on the internet at least - in the real world it's obviously beaten by Islam) and the sort of people who would go out of their way to argue about it are the most visible, loudest and most obnoxious of christians.

It also helps that in a good number of cases, christianity really does rot your brain - which makes for easy, hilarious and plentiful targets of ridicule. Taking the piss out of someone who genuinely believes that Jesus holds atoms together (protons are positively charged so would fly apart without him, don't you know) is almost irresistible.

[calpurnpiso]

"Atheism vs. Christianity?" That's like saying Sanity vs psychosis

Unfortunately I don't know anyone who is is anything other than Christian. I don't have a lot of insight into this topic. But it seems like the Christians are the only ones who feel like they need to "save" our immortal souls because we atheists are going to hell. I think they're the group of theists who are most interested in us. That and they're also the craziest.

We were talking about Christopher Columbus today in one of my classes and we talked about how he saw these native peoples who "appeared" to have no religion so Columbus said he could easily convert them to Christianity. Christians have been trying to force their bullshit down other people's throats for hundreds, even thousands of years. We're just the new "savages" that can be tamed to them.

Irreligious wrote

Pardon me for asking, Alex (a.k.a FatherJackal), but I recall someone who posted here on another thread who had the screen name Alex and had a link to a Website for Christian-based drug counseling.

You're not him, are you? I think Chaos (the corrupt bastard) banned him.

I'm only asking because I'm a highly skeptical son of bitch. I can't help it. So put my weary mind at ease, if you please.

Ugh. No, that's not me. The very term "Christian-based drug counseling" is disturbing to say the least! I don't take part in any organized religious activities other than meeting up with other wacky new age deists and having a chat and a pint on an irregular basis. Fear ye not.

I'll reply to these points soon- no time at the mo!

Isilmë wrote

In an English-speaking forum, it is likely the posters are from English-speaking countries, true? Christianity is the primary religion of English-speaking countries, so it is the religion that most affects the lives of the atheists. Is it really surprising that is the religion they would discuss the most?

Indeed , an Arabic atheist forum is bound to contain more anti-muslim content, for example.