Atheists aren't angry or bitter all the time. The reason we are seen this way is, I suspect, because usually the only time a theist finds out I'm an atheist is when they beat me over the head with their bible and piss me off.
Religion is a depressing subject to me. So when I debate it I can be bitter, or angry, or fed up because you're not the first evangelist to tell me ANYTHING you're telling me, hell you're not even the fortieth one most of the time.
If I get fed up or speak negatively when religion comes up it's because it's a depressing subject and something I view as a poison to our society. Not because I'm a negative person.
You get me talking about music or philosophy or cracking jokes or talking about eastern spirituality and I'm happy as a clam.
So to all the theists out there, try not to judge.
Comments (28)
The problem with SOME of you atheists is that you assume every Christian is a fundamentalist. That makes some of you guys dickheads.
eastern spirituality as in Buddhism?
But, honestly, some of us don't hit you over the head intentionally with our Bibles. My faith is ingrained in me. I once wrote to a friend that it's as natural to me to deal with my faith on a daily basis as it is to watch a leaf float along in a stream. It's just who I am-even when I wasn't a Christian. My wiccan faith was very much part of who I was.
I don't live my life to depres or offend, but I suppose to truly live it I have to offend, right?
@SilentSeekr - was that necessary? I'll defend agnophilo here because Christians(I'm assuming you are one) shouldn't talk that way to ANYONE.
i know what you mean.
@CrunchyMountainMomma - no, it was necessary. Besides, what I said wasn't anything near as venomous as some of his remarks in the past. He can take it.
word.
@SilentSeekr - yea ok, they make us look kinda bad and i can name a couple on xanga. out of curiosity, would you say there are more fundamentalists or more radical atheists on xanga?
i appreciate the moderates on revelife. i really do. if every revelife christian was fundamentalist, i would go nuts. you have no idea ._. (well, maybe you do)
@royal_diadem - Buddhist and hindu philosophy, as well as the tao : D
@SilentSeekr - I agree. I do not, however.
@CrunchyMountainMomma - I'm just asking not to stereotype us. You can argue all you like.
And what you're describing, "grace" sounds like nirvana, and many states of mind from many philosophies.
@SilentSeekr - No reason to be a dick yourself.
@agnophilo - "That makes some of you guys dickheads." How was that bad?
so let me get this straight, agnophilo, you get to be as rude and damning as you can be to religionists but when others do the same to you, you start complaining? That's weak.
I disagree with the concept of grace and what I understand of nirvana. Grace to me does not imply nirvana. Buddha described nirvana:
the perfect peace of the state of mind that is free from craving, anger and other afflictive states. Grace has a few different meanings. I don't equate it with perfect peace. I sure wish I COULD have perfect peace the way nirvana is described!
@SilentSeekr - I'm not a an atheist or a christian, but I am a dickhead.
agnophilo Long time no chat. How have you been?@Confessions_of_a_Liberal - to each his own
@SilentSeekr - "so let me get this straight, agnophilo, you
get to be as rude and damning as you can be to religionists but when
others do the same to you, you start complaining? That's weak." See here is the thing, you are a christian so your God commands you to be kind. Atheist don't have a God so they get to be rude, mean, and condescending.
@Confessions_of_a_Liberal - Ha, right...good one.
It is a sore spot for some...I get that
@SilentSeekr - I agree with the other comments -- that wasn't really necessary. It's not even part of the point -- people of any religion or no religion can be found judging someone of another religion to be an extremist. It's not even atheist-specific at all, whereas saying atheists are angry or bitter can be.
I find eastern spirituality fascinating. Have you seen "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring?" It's a very meditative, quiet, and slow-moving movie, (but really good all the same), about a buddhist monk and his apprentice. I agree with many buddhist philosophies, however I disagree with the belief that attachments are morally wrong, which was one of the main points of the film.
@SilentSeekr - "The problem with SOME of you atheists is that you assume every Christian is a fundamentalist. That makes some of you guys dickheads."
And some of you Christians parade with "God hate fags" signs. That makes some of you guys bigoted fucks.
See! It's insulting isn't it? Even if you keep acrid tone at arm's length with condtiional phrasing, you're still lobbing it in the general direction of all atheists. It's pretty pathetic how you're resorting to this proxy name-calling instead of seriously engaging the substance of the entry.
@CelestialTeapot - Amen.
@CelestialTeapot - Made me laugh out loud. Great response.
@SilentSeekr - Not the post I was replying to.
@Confessions_of_a_Liberal - I am asking christians not to stereotype atheists (as many very frequently do), and I pay them the same courtesy by not making generalizations about them. Your nonsense about "only people with gods have to play nice" is idiotic, since there is no sin many christians do not commit, and that many atheists do not abstain from committing.
@CommieForADay - Nope, never heard of it. I did like kung foo though, which is about a taoist monk. It's pretty slow moving too. I think that's part of the point. The journey, not the destination, is the reward.
@CelestialTeapot - Well put : D
@CrunchyMountainMomma - In buddhism nirvana is achieved through realizing that the ego is an illusion (being literally selfless), and lessening your attachments to things. I get a similar feeling from reading the tao and have been told taking LSD gives you a similar "two steps back" perspective on things, where you don't just have knee-jerk reactions, but act or not act, more wisely.
@Confessions_of_a_Liberal - Been decent. Was offline for a few weeks while moving.
Hey did you know that buses in NYC now advertise for atheism?
@FalconBridge - Nope.
I think that's kind of lame actually.
@agnophilo - I think it's good. They advertise their god why shouldn't atheists do the same and advertise?