Why Do So Many Online Atheists Care So Much About the Spiritual Beliefs of Others (Especially Christians)?

Question

I just don't understand it. Why do they even care? For people who claim to not believe in God, they sure do spend a lot of their time discussing God, and getting angry for no clear reason at those who do.

CountessSarah · Accepted Answer

Why do I care?
Because theists don't exist inside a vacuum.
Their religious ideals influence the way they interact with the world around them, the politicians they vote for, the prejudices they hold.

I would also add, that what I should I do when I encounter theists preaching falsities?
Am I to simply ignore them on the basis that I don't believe it?
No - Someone has to offer the counterarguments for the good of someone who doesn't know any better and may be susceptible to the theists rhetoric.
Atheists don't participate in these discussions because 'dey kno ders a gawd', we do it because we understands theists cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.
Sorry, theists, you don't just get a soapbox - you need to actually be able to defend your ideas.

Even outside of that... Why wouldn't atheists want to help theists shed their superstitious poison? Religion drains money from people, gives them harmful coping mechanisms for dealing with mortality, devalues the only life we get and damages the critical thinking skills of people, (Especially children. Often permanently.)
I'm sorry that I see these issues, and my empathy makes me want to help people.

Why do atheists get frustrated - Have you tried talking to theists? Their religions instil so many bad debate habits in the believer it's hard not to. Theists will play word games, play dumb, switch their position on the fly or just resort to threats constantly. Theists are not honest in discussions, despite their interest in participating. It's hard not to get frustrated when so many are simply not interested in a dialogue, they only want a soapbox.

Medicalbug · Accepted Answer

Lots of people enjoy “us against them”. I have the same experience with Christians. It’s more the type of person - not everyone into converting others using religion (or the absence of it). People do it with food too, you’ll find unsolicited comments under both meat and vegan posts by each opposing group. It’s just the human nature of some people, where feeling as though you are righteous is something they crave.

romantic6655 · Accepted Answer

I'm not from your community, I'm from another country.. but I want to talk about atheism as an idea far from people's practices..

Atheism is a very dangerous virus if it spreads.. Look what Hitler did.. the Soviet Union.. China today.. These are atheist countries.. The truth is that atheism as a contradictory thought, for example, believes in the existence of evil, but he does not have a philosophy of good and evil in his mind. .. maybe one day for his own good, he justifies killing people.. there is no law or thought.. contradictions that have no answer or solution.. I remember one time I asked an atheist who left his religion because of problems. From his life and I said: Does atheism solve your life problems? He said: No.. rather, he increased it.. I replied.. Why did you adhere to atheism then?

Likewise, ethics have no philosophy.. For example.. truthfulness and lying.. and the principle of contradiction.. Concepts that have been implanted in a person without learning since his childhood.. How can atheism explain that.. Whatever its interpretation is, it is unrealistic.

007kingifrit · Accepted Answer

1. atheism is often a cover story for communists. they believe in destroying religion to replace it with the state and thus communism as was the teaching of Hegel (karl marx's teacher) instead of the father the son and the holy ghost hegel taught there was the state, the government, and the idea... he was nuts.
2. atheists are unhappy people. and misery loves company

genericname85 · Answer

well i personally do, because we are supposed to live in a "secular society", where religion and politics are separated, cause religion should be free for everyone to choose right? but there's several problems in my opinion:

1: why is it ok that the christian church has massive tax benefits, while other religious organizations don't?

2: how do we ensure that children get to pick and choose their religion? because due to the constrictions of family boundaries and parental rights, you can never ensure that children are not indoctrinated with one religion before they grow old enough to even decide for themself.

3: the church gets away with murder. i'm exaggerating. but this is actually so bad that it's a meme people use to make fun of the church. the molestation and sexual exploitation of underage children is an ongoing problem in the church. and what happens? nothing. a priest gets caught touching a little boys private parts and litterally nothing happens. they are offset or shifted to a different area at best, where they continue what they did. this of course is not a problem of "the christian faith" but rather "the institution of christian church" but i think we should not give them a free pass, just cause they are considered holier than everyone else.

4: chrisitanity is a faith. everyone should believe what they want. BUT you do not get to teach young children your "faith" as a "fact". that's a horrible mistake that is actually still discussed in the southern states in fucking 2022... creation has NOTHING to do with science. it is a fantasy. and it should be taught as a fantasy and biology and evolution should be taught as a fact, cause that's what it is. it's dangerous to confuse fiction and fact.

OpenClose · Answer

I don't give a shit about people's religious beliefs. There are a lot of Christian elements I admire, and especially in terms of the services local churches offer to small communities.

But I give some enormous shits about hypocrisy and especially hypocritical judgement.

Like voting for Trump because "he's a good Christian" is laughable. He is quite possibly the most anti-Christian man in terms of morality. No, you did it because he reminds you of your guy friends in the 60s, and you conflate your childhood culture with Christianity. Hence why American Christians are usually the ones attacking brown Christians with turbans.

Or not signing off on a gay marriage application because "it's what Jesus would want" when Jesus said nothing of the sort, except not to judge others. The bible does say a lot about your half-dozen prior marriages so you might not want to use the Bible that way.

Or saying the whole abortion debate is religious because "the Bible says not to kill", when you know full well that nobody is saying killing is good, and that the debate is whether a fetus is a human, which the Bible says nothing about. It only states life at first breath.

I don't give a damn what you believe. I give a damn when you use it for any ill will against others.

BeMuse · Answer

It's right their in your picture... You have the hammer and sickle representing oppressive tyrannical dictatorship. The sickle is a symbol of Saturn, the baby eating sister banging god of the underworld and death. Why would a Satanist, want to destroy Christ? It seems pretty self explanatory... The crescent moon and the sickle are linked. It's right in front of you. Notice how Baphomet is a tranny as well. This is why the commies push LGBTQ, pedophile, cannibalistic, mass murderer shit. They worship tyranny.

SomeoneLost222 · Answer

Don’t necessarily consider myself an Atheist but I think I still fit into the category. I’m purely spiritual — not religious — and grew up in a Christian household. My parents, my grandparents, my uncles and aunts, some of my childhood friends, they’re all Christian, and they’ve all tried to force their religion on me. I have bad experience with Christians so it’s hard not to get irritated when they are always talking about God with me. Sometimes I’d like to have a normal mature conversation without them saying God this God that and getting upset when I disagree with them about something.

desidoll · Answer

Yeah, but they say it is the other way around. Play the victim much. In real life, I don’t see many Christians shove their faith to the non-believers but they claim it happens a lot just to pick fight.

VikingWarLord · Answer

I'm an Atheist myself, but the problem with most idiot Atheists is, they have traded the SKY-DADDY God religion for the BIG DADDY Government Religion. They traded the Big G (God) for the Small g (government). They're a bunch of idiots on both sides, the Atheists and Religious Zealots. If we could figure out how to get the Atheists to stop trusting Big Daddy Government and get the Religious Zealots to stop trusting in Fairytale Sky-Wizards, this world would be a whole hell of a lot better.

crmoore · Answer

As someone who is practically atheist, I honestly don't know. Sometimes I wonder if they have a superiority complex or something.

That's not to say those who adamantly oppose religion from being incorporated into law or other policies, but when people go out of there way to argue with religious people, I do wonder if it's just a superiority completely.

ACR130 · Answer

Religion is simply holding back the country and dividing us and adding hate towards others for not believing in the crap they do. That's why I'm atheist, you don't need to have a religion to know right from wrong. If you you need a book to tell you what's right and wrong or lack the common sense to know then you're just an idiot and have an issue. People need to stop assuming others are bad people for believing in other things just because it goes against what they think. If an atheist does something nice it's because he felt like doing it and it came from the heart when a religious person does it it's because they think it'll take them to heaven or earn them "good points". This doesn't go with the post but this is how I see religion.

NathanDavis · Answer

I've seen a few battles in this site... and it is Christians vs Christians... and they just go on and one about who is the real Christian and who is not... which one is right and the other wrong... what it means to be Christian and what is not

if Christians themselves can't get it "right and straight" about who they are... then what do you expect from people on the "outside" they're more like to bring more of the same... lol

Aerissa_Jade · Answer

No idea why, same reason that people that leave various religions don't seem to actually leave them. They are obsessed with them after they leave. They cannot just let it go and move past, they themselves are stuck.

jahaims · Answer

Depends on context. Imagine living in a world were you believe that most adults around you believe in an imaginary being and let it influence them. Religion influences a lot of things including government. If you had rules forced on you due to people believing in an imaginary being you probably wouldn't be too happy either.

slatyb · Answer

Hmm... I've never heard off atheists going for to door telling people they should but go to church. What in see is that many religious people think their ideas should be immune from criticism, even when they make claims that are demonstrably false. I've never known atheists to take violent exception to religious statements, but it's common for the religious to become violent when challenged.

Djaay · Answer

Atheist know the truth and lie about it and deny it with deciet to incript you to fall before GOD. The whole purpose of an atheist is that GOD is showing others about "COMPASSION" . Behold , those athiest know the truth abd lie about it to derail your destiney.

SnakeBoop · Answer

To be fair, in my experience, its christians jumping down the throats of atheists more. bit like vegans have to point out their vegan or that meat eaters are awful people blah blah blah

Agape93 · Answer

The religious are often the majority and most if not the entirety of the governing body, who makes the rules and tend to use their religious beliefs in doing so.

Oigit · Answer

It's the internet and that's the thing to do. Though in general if you say you are religious or not, you end up being pounced on. Probably because you don't need to worry about things breaking down and turning into a brawl like you have to in person.

MartianBuddy · Answer

Because in English speaking countries Christianity is the hegemonic religion. Why would I rail against sun worshipers if there is like 12 of them in the country.

As for why care at all, I don't. It's the religious politicians ( evangelical Christian conservatives broadly speaking) that care about what others are doing. Trying to restrict reproductive rights, fighting against gay marriage and shit like that. If they mind their own business, I'll mind mine.

Stoner710 · Answer

They want to prove us wrong even though they don’t have any valid reason for anything they believe is bad. For example if god doesn’t exist why is murder wrong?

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Why do religious people have to go and force THEIR religious beliefs onto people that have never heard of them, before? Why can't you just leave them be to live their lives their way?

cookiecrusher · Answer

Because christians and other religious groups like to indoctrinate little children and keep messing with local politics.

Also they do outreaches and such, where they go try to recruit random people who didn't ask for it either. So don't play them to be so innocent.

Blonde401 · Answer

Because religion has caused so much misery. So many terrible deeds have been done and are continuing to be done in the name of God or religion.

AndrésC64 · Answer

I can only speak for myself, but the reason I care is because people use their religion to try to control the lives of others. If religious people would mind their own business, so would the vast majority of atheists. But you get religious people pushing their views on everyone on matters such as abortion, funding for religious schools, discriminating against people who don't share their same views, trying to get religion and religious ideas into the classroom, etc.

sensible27 · Answer

I doubt it's the religion they have a problem with, could be but it's more that if someone feels irrational they try to correct or find out?

JustinTheGreat · Answer

I’m not religious, I don’t care and try to respect others religions. I only have a problem when someone tries to use their religion as a way to shame others life decisions. That’s when I’ll remind them that not everyone has to base their life off of what YOUR beliefs are

jshm2 · Answer

They covet what they can't have. Just like thieves will not think of the errors of their ways, but of others.

Julie4 · Answer

I am an atheist and I don't care about religion. As long as the religious don't try to convert me

Deserter · Answer

Narcissism runs high in atheists, there are studies

Waldoe · Answer

they are strong believers in "Anti-religeon" it's a whole diferent kind if "faith"

SecretGardenBlood65 · Answer

The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will descend to the earth and will kill the antichrist along with the Mahdi. But there are those who are truly Christians will be with Jesus Christ. Jesus is not God, he is just a prophet sent by God.

SlothySlob · Answer

Because it became a religion.

Subarugirl · Answer

I’m not an atheist but I personally don’t like having religion pushed down my throat, used to encroach human rights and all of the hypocrisy

MrJMM · Answer

I only say an atheist I am because I was asked or people online keep saying that I will go to hell, I should die, or he’s real, or want to convert me, etc.

Dargil · Answer

They care because that have fears that someone else is right and they will be "left out.

Anonymous · Answer

Religions tend to be intrusive. They share their beliefs. Atheists tend to push back against intrusiveness and are arguably sharing their beliefs in kind. The thing that’s different is the message.

ragooo8 · Answer

For many atheism is a religion and they are just as extrem about it as any religious nut

Derekk · Answer

I can't speak to your interactions elsewhere, but beginning a discussion by arguing that atheists are closet Stalinists is usually not going to elicit very positive responses right?

Juliette1994 · Answer

Cause people force religion down our throats. Like Westboro Baptist church.

Mustardy_awake · Answer

Belief is part of human survival strategy. It' part of us whether we like it or not

UdontNeedtoknow · Answer

Because those folks are probably narcissistic control freaks as well.

Anonymous · Answer

They wonder how the believers can be so stupid as to believe in something they were told about in a book which no one has ever seen or heard from. Some invisible man-made creature!

Anonymous · Answer

Because you're not happy to just have your faith, you guys keep trying to put your religious beliefs into law and that affects everyone. Stop pretending you don't know this.

Alexandrubaschet08 · Answer

Betther death then communist!!!

Anonymous · Answer

cause atheist wanna prove their false religion  GOOD LUCK WITH THAT

bamesjond0069 · Answer

Because they do believe in God and hate God.

Anonymous · Answer

Because deep down they know they must be wrong

OddBeMe · Answer

Because were assaulted everyday about being atheist.

fireforeffect · Answer

Because they are driven by Satan.

Gwenhwyfar · Answer

Very good question

Twalli · Answer

Mainly because others bring it up.

Why Do So Many Online Atheists Care So Much About the Spiritual Beliefs of Others (Especially Christians)?

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