This is Why People Hate Atheists

[hooplala]

Which is one thing many atheists seems to have missed the memo on, persisting, infuriatingly, in conflating science and atheism as if atheism is a "scientific" viewpoint. It's not. Indifference is. "I am certain god does not exist" is not a scientifically rational statement, any more than "I am certain that god does exist" is. The reality is that in the case of an untestable question, science does not apply.

QFT

[Nephew Twiddleton]

He's both...but let's be honest, when was the last time you heard of Dawkins doing anything vaguely scientific?

He's been spending the past decade writing books about how his e-peen is both tremendous and thoughtful, while attempting to herd cats tender to the online Atheist movement.  Notably not in a lab, or engaged in research, or teaching.  Oh, he is part of that New Humanist College in London, with ridiculous fees, but he's mostly a name on their board of directors, to get public interest.

I saw a video where he and NDT had a conversation so that a biologist could ask a physicist and a physicist could ask a biologist, and I was like, oh, right, he's meant to be a biologist. Forgot about that, because of his primary interest in the non-existence of something.

I liked it, and God only came up during the questions from the audience. Presumably because, again, of his primary interest in the non-existence of something. But it was watchable. He wasn't a douche, he and Neil were just talking about the universe from their specific scientific fields and asking the other to make sense out of something for them.

You wanna know why he wasn't a douche, and didn't try to call Tyson out on his agnosticism? And I'd put cash money on this?

Because Tyson outclasses him intellectually and charismatically. Tyson is a fast thinker and an eloquent speaker with the academic background and verbal skill to make just about anyone feel like an idiot. And politically, he has nothing to gain by alienating the most popular science speaker in the world.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

[P3nT4gR4m]

The burden of proof isn't on the atheists, what makes you think it is?

The way I always saw the atheist debate was like, say there's an established law that women should get slapped around or whatever and it's a theocratic thing - "it says in the book of kenny, ch1 v2 - for he that raiseth his hand to his bitch must surely be a servant of the lord" and the atheists are all like, "That's fucking retarded. Stop believing in fairy tales you complete dicks!"

And the believers turn around and say "You can't prove it's a fairy tale. Ruling stands."

While it may be true that a load of atheists hate the fact that humans are allowed to believe retarded shit, I think a lot of it is down to the fact that much of that retarded stuff affects them, personally by way of stupid laws that govern what they can and can't do. I think this is becoming less of a problem on aggregate as rational secularism generally prevails but you don't have to look far to the fringes to see that there's still some seriously fucked up shit happening because god.

[The Johnny]

Atheists are basically boring Satanists; lacking the booze, bikes, drugs and humour.

-johnyx, going to watch movies with the TVTrope Hollywood Atheist just out of spite.

[Cain]

All true...but most Satanists are also boring Atheists, who call themselves Satanists because they are 2edgy4u and have raised patronising disdain for all other people and self-centered narcissism to an art form.  They also tend to think their sophomoric readings of Nietzsche make them the Overman.

[Faust]

Satanists are boring libertarians with candles

[hooplala]

The burden of proof isn't on the atheists, what makes you think it is?

The way I always saw the atheist debate was like, say there's an established law that women should get slapped around or whatever and it's a theocratic thing - "it says in the book of kenny, ch1 v2 - for he that raiseth his hand to his bitch must surely be a servant of the lord" and the atheists are all like, "That's fucking retarded. Stop believing in fairy tales you complete dicks!"

And the believers turn around and say "You can't prove it's a fairy tale. Ruling stands."

While it may be true that a load of atheists hate the fact that humans are allowed to believe retarded shit, I think a lot of it is down to the fact that much of that retarded stuff affects them, personally by way of stupid laws that govern what they can and can't do. I think this is becoming less of a problem on aggregate as rational secularism generally prevails but you don't have to look far to the fringes to see that there's still some seriously fucked up shit happening because god.

You could be right, but this thread isn't for arguing whether atheism has merit... we have loads of those threads already.  This is about the staggering lack of a sense of humor a lot of atheists display on the net.

[Cain]

Jesus stole their sense of humour

OR

finding out Santa is not real caused their hearts to harden

[Reginald Ret]

The burden of proof isn't on the atheists, what makes you think it is?

The way I always saw the atheist debate was like, say there's an established law that women should get slapped around or whatever and it's a theocratic thing - "it says in the book of kenny, ch1 v2 - for he that raiseth his hand to his bitch must surely be a servant of the lord" and the atheists are all like, "That's fucking retarded. Stop believing in fairy tales you complete dicks!"

And the believers turn around and say "You can't prove it's a fairy tale. Ruling stands."

While it may be true that a load of atheists hate the fact that humans are allowed to believe retarded shit, I think a lot of it is down to the fact that much of that retarded stuff affects them, personally by way of stupid laws that govern what they can and can't do. I think this is becoming less of a problem on aggregate as rational secularism generally prevails but you don't have to look far to the fringes to see that there's still some seriously fucked up shit happening because god.

In that context god is just an excuse, people are horrible regardless.
Also, your distinction between believer and atheist can only exist with definitions of those terms that are different from the way the have been used so far in this thread.

[Roly Poly Oly-Garch]

The burden of proof isn't on the atheists, what makes you think it is?

The way I always saw the atheist debate was like, say there's an established law that women should get slapped around or whatever and it's a theocratic thing - "it says in the book of kenny, ch1 v2 - for he that raiseth his hand to his bitch must surely be a servant of the lord" and the atheists are all like, "That's fucking retarded. Stop believing in fairy tales you complete dicks!"

And the believers turn around and say "You can't prove it's a fairy tale. Ruling stands."

While it may be true that a load of atheists hate the fact that humans are allowed to believe retarded shit, I think a lot of it is down to the fact that much of that retarded stuff affects them, personally by way of stupid laws that govern what they can and can't do. I think this is becoming less of a problem on aggregate as rational secularism generally prevails but you don't have to look far to the fringes to see that there's still some seriously fucked up shit happening because god.

You could be right, but this thread isn't for arguing whether atheism has merit... we have loads of those threads already.  This is about the staggering lack of a sense of humor a lot of atheists display on the net.

The 411-ers seem to be on a par with the TDS FB group, as far as their sense of humor. Only instead of saying nigger or faggot and then having a circle jerk around how they're the only ones in the know, the say "Fucking God's not a thing, duuuude," and commence the whacking.

[minuspace]

...
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While it may be true that a load of atheists hate the fact that humans are allowed to believe retarded shit, I think a lot of it is down to the fact that much of that retarded stuff affects them, personally by way of stupid laws that govern what they can and can't do. I think this is becoming less of a problem on aggregate as rational secularism generally prevails but you don't have to look far to the fringes to see that there's still some seriously fucked up shit happening because god.

I think the above is true.  Many atheists are just trying to save others from the percieved consequences of their beliefs.  We behave stupidly either way, and then develop our reasons to taste with the cause that is convenient.

[hooplala]

...
.

While it may be true that a load of atheists hate the fact that humans are allowed to believe retarded shit, I think a lot of it is down to the fact that much of that retarded stuff affects them, personally by way of stupid laws that govern what they can and can't do. I think this is becoming less of a problem on aggregate as rational secularism generally prevails but you don't have to look far to the fringes to see that there's still some seriously fucked up shit happening because god.

I think the above is true.  Many atheists are just trying to save others from the percieved consequences of their beliefs.  We behave stupidly either way, and then develop our reasons to taste with the cause that is convenient.

The same could be said for a good portion of christianity, and possibly other religions, I'm not sure.  But I do know that a fair percentage of christians genuinely want to see you go to heaven.

[Cain]

And a fair number of atheists who do nothing but publically masturbate on social networking sites.  Or, as they call it, "engage in outreach".

As you can see, by acting like smug, arrogant pricks, they are doing an excellent job of selling atheism to the masses.  Especially when they mix it in with politics (whether of the progressive liberal, flaming neocon or smug libertarian kind).

[hooplala]

The smug arrogance seems, to me, to be a by-product of having come to the decision that one has "figured it all out".

[Nephew Twiddleton]

The smug arrogance seems, to me, to be a by-product of having come to the decision that one has "figured it all out".

Either way, it's a poor sales pitch. Really it just makes religious folk more religious. The devil's unwitting agents they are, trying to lead souls astray. Or, at the very least, "those guys are assholes. I don't want any part in that." If someone calls you an idiot, you're immediately going to shut off anything they're going to say from that point on.