The petulance of atheism

[Magilla]

I'm fed up of these atheists trying to tell people that there is no God, not even a little bit of one. What proof have they got? None?

 

The point being that they acknowledge that there is no proof either way.

 

Where do they think they came from? Where did the universe come from if God didn't make it?

 

OK, who created god?

 

Millions of people all over the world believe in lots of different gods. Are they all deluded?

 

Quite possibly.

 

There has to be a god for there to be this level of worship.

 

A circular argument, self reinforcing, nice. Makes no sense ofcourse, but if it makes you happy.

[Magilla]

Seeing as Dawkins was all over the papers not so long back boasting about how he was going to arrest the Pope, surely he's more a desperate attention-seeker rather than a serious writer?

 

Maybe, if any part of your statement were in anyway related to reality. Dawkins has never said he would arrest the pope.

 

You can't take an author seriously when all his books are basically saying is "God doesn't exist because I say he doesn't."

 

Clearly, if that is what you think he said, you have never read one or completely failed to comprehend what was said.

[evildrneil]

Even in your attempt to balance it up you cannot fail to highlight the historic baggage which the theistic position has always occupied.

 

"Evil, infidel, god on my side, scriptural authority", all carry far more dangerous rhetoric than simply "wrong" ever can, no matter how insultingly or arrogantly it is argued from whichever position.

 

But not more than deranged / insane / dangerous - which have all been used to describe theists. Either extreme can be just as unpleasent / offensive and potentially dangerous. Extremists of any flavour are potentially dangerous as they are typically incapable or registering another persons views or beliefs as valid for them...

[milquetoast1]

But not more than deranged / insane / dangerous - which have all been used to describe theists. Either extreme can be just as unpleasent / offensive and potentially dangerous. Extremists of any flavour are potentially dangerous as they are typically incapable or registering another persons views or beliefs as valid for them...

 

Yes, I agree, and vice versa also when theists call atheists "deranged / insane / dangerous".

 

There is no belief or lack of in a deity that can prevent people from being rude or nice in equal measure. In this respect theism and atheism are neutral.

 

Unfortunately rudeness exists in every section of society.

 

But there is something different about certain subsets of theism which calls itself religion. Religion can be divisive where simple theism or atheism cannot, and when people are allowed to uncritically claim they are acting with god on their side, or to claim that unbelievers are "evil" then this is infinitely more dangerous than simple disagreement no matter how rude.

 

I can handle rude, I will "turn the other cheek". What I cannot handle is my daughter being refused service in a B&B because god says so, or my son being refused entry to the same school as his friend because god says so.

[plekhanov]

But not more than deranged / insane / dangerous - which have all been used to describe theists. Either extreme can be just as unpleasent / offensive and potentially dangerous. Extremists of any flavour are potentially dangerous as they are typically incapable or registering another persons views or beliefs as valid for them...

"Extreme" atheists says things you don't like on Sheffield Forum and elsewhere, "extreme" theists fly airliners into skyscrapers, try to kill cartoonists, blow up buses, trains, marketplaces...

 

Once again you seem to be judging theists by a different and massively more lenient standard than atheists.

[Grahame]

Yes, I agree, and vice versa also when theists call atheists "deranged / insane / dangerous".

 

There is no belief or lack of in a deity that can prevent people from being rude or nice in equal measure. In this respect theism and atheism are neutral.

 

Unfortunately rudeness exists in every section of society.

 

But there is something different about certain subsets of theism which calls itself religion. Religion can be divisive where simple theism or atheism cannot, and when people are allowed to uncritically claim they are acting with god on their side, or to claim that unbelievers are "evil" then this is infinitely more dangerous than simple disagreement no matter how rude.

 

I can handle rude, I will "turn the other cheek". What I cannot handle is my daughter being refused service in a B&B because god says so, or my son being refused entry to the same school as his friend because god says so.

 

But if the manager of a restaurant refused you entry because you weren't wearing a tie, then that would be alright?

[Grahame]

"Extreme" atheists says things you don't like on Sheffield Forum and elsewhere, "extreme" theists fly airliners into skyscrapers, try to kill cartoonists, blow up buses, trains, marketplaces...

 

Once again you seem to be judging theists by a different and massively more lenient standard than atheists.

 

The newspapers are full of people who do all sorts of unpleasant things and most of them, like most of the people on here, will have rejected god and religion which by definition makes them atheists.

[Genuflect]

True atheists do not exist, they are merely closet agnostics.

[evildrneil]

"Extreme" atheists says things you don't like on Sheffield Forum and elsewhere, "extreme" theists fly airliners into skyscrapers, try to kill cartoonists, blow up buses, trains, marketplaces...

 

Once again you seem to be judging theists by a different and massively more lenient standard than atheists.

 

I've judged no-one simply pointed out that thase from the extreme ends of either theism or atheism can both be arrogant absolutist and self rightous - as you regularly demonstrate...

[Bloomdido]

An atheist asserts there is no god. A believer has to assert not only that there is a god but their god is the 'one true god'. Now that is self-righteous.