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What's the most frustrating thing about being atheist?

lazygal

For me its people thinking "Ah you're just being trendy" and not understanding or being a bit baffled when you explain why you didn't marry in a church, won't baptist your child and won't be getting involved in communion/confirmation. It is like they can't understand that I've thought long and deeply about what being a Catholic involves, such as the eating of the host, the sins, the nonsense of confession, the infallibility of the pope and, oh, not really believing in a higher power, and decided this was not for me.

What's frustrating about atheism for you?

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Galvasean

Bannasidhe wrote: »

'Are you sure you're not pregnant?' 'Absolutely.' 'How can you be so sure? What contraceptive are you using?' 'Homosexuality.' ''

Haha! brilliant!

Hotblack Desiato

edellc wrote: »

its hard to find like minded people in my area who understand why I didnt baptise my child or why my partner and I are not married.

Being an atheist or agnostic is no reason not to get married if that's what you want.
The number of civil marriages is increasing rapidly.
We got a nice day out in front of family and friends and everyone accepted it (or at least had the sense to stfu :pac: )and even some quite religious ones told us how nice they thought the ceremony was

Meanwhile brother-in-law got married in church a couple of years ago and had to go through the nonsense of getting a priest to sign off that he goes to mass, etc. when he wouldn't have been inside a church for years if it wasn't for attending the odd funeral.

The thing that really annoys me is how the churches (but mostly RCC) still have a stranglehold on the education system that we all pay for. Very disappointed in Ruari Quinn's lack of action on this, it will be far too late for my two kids (1 and 4) to have the option of education without indoctrination.

sasser

The most frustrating thing about being an atheist? For me, being associated with people who use expressions like “imaginary friend” and other smug insults to belittle other's beliefs.
It’s getting to the stage that I when asked what I am (if it comes up) I say I am nothing. I have stopped calling myself an atheist recently.

mikhail

cowzerp wrote: »

Seeing loved ones believing in an imaginary friend and thinking heaven awaits, my family are not too religious but some waste their whole lives following a made up super man

Hey, if I want to waste my life obsessing about Batman, who are you to criticise?

Sarky

Yes, but Batman actually got results.

Sonics2k

When people say something like 'I follow the True Way' or such nonsense.

Which 'true way' are you referring to exactly?

Opinion =/= true

Nyan Cat

sasser wrote: »

The most frustrating thing about being an atheist? For me, being associated with people who use expressions like “imaginary friend” and other smug insults to belittle other's beliefs.
It’s getting to the stage that I when asked what I am (if it comes up) I say I am nothing. I have stopped calling myself an atheist recently.

I dont believe in religion and I don't believe in god as he is described. But I couldn't say it to someone's face 'god is your imaginary friend' it's insulting. Even if I feel their belief is not for me it's obviously for them so what right have I to take the piss out of them for it? Yes some of them go too far and are loopy but you can still disagree with someone vehemently without resorting to slagging them off - so I see where you're coming from.

There is one thing brought up recently that does grind my gears. People who say 'you don't respect my beliefs / you aren't listening to them' it's quite often the same people who wouldn't listen to mine and would ridicule me for not believing what they do

So there are people like this on both sides of the fence

Galvasean

I'm sorry but when people believe in ridiculous things I simply cannot respect such beliefs. If that makes me arrogant or smug then so be it. Why anyone would respect an idea they feel is complete nonsense is beyond me.

Nyan Cat

You don't have to respect what they believe but you can be respectful of the fact they believe. I think Scientology for example is absolute cuckoo and freaky. But there's a difference between calling a believer a stupid twit and saying 'I think Scientology is rubbish'

It's respecting the persons right to believe as they want rather than respecting the religion.

That does not extend to cults. Or cultish behaviour displayed by some religious followers. Belief and faith is one thing. Harming others or using your beliefs to impede on others lives is another thing

ShooterSF

Nyan Cat wrote: »

You don't have to respect what they believe but you can be respectful of the fact they believe. I think Scientology for example is absolute cuckoo and freaky. But there's a difference between calling a believer a stupid twit and saying 'I think Scientology is rubbish'

It's respecting the persons right to believe as they want rather than respecting the religion.

That does not extend to cults. Or cultish behaviour displayed by some religious followers. Belief and faith is one thing. Harming others or using your beliefs to impede on others lives is another thing

"I believe in God"
"I respect your right to believe in god"
"I believe in a god that hates gays/jews/blacks etc and teaches they should not be treated equally"
"Whoa you can't treat people different."
"But I believe in a god that demands it."
"And I respect your right to believe in it."

Theres the problem. Religion doesn't teach don't stick your nose in other people's affairs. So it will always impede on other's lives. Also there's the whole cult/religion/worms every where thing too.

Mark Hamill

Nyan Cat wrote: »

I dont believe in religion and I don't believe in god as he is described. But I couldn't say it to someone's face 'god is your imaginary friend' it's insulting. Even if I feel their belief is not for me it's obviously for them so what right have I to take the piss out of them for it?

These people vote based on what they think their imaginary friend wants, so I don't see the reason for holding back. You should definitely give them a chance to defend their views (don't just throw insults at someone and ignore anything they say), but you can use hard, inconvenient truths in your discussion. If it offends them because its wrong, then they should be able to explain why it's wrong as much as they can complain about it offending them. Every time I've seen someone use the "imaginary friend" bit as a point in their argument (as opposed to just an insult) the opponent invariably either immediately throws up the offense card, or just ends up with them inadvertently supporting the point anyway, so its usually an apt point to make.

Mark Hamill

Nyan Cat wrote: »

You don't have to respect what they believe but you can be respectful of the fact they believe. I think Scientology for example is absolute cuckoo and freaky. But there's a difference between calling a believer a stupid twit and saying 'I think Scientology is rubbish'

If you give the stupid twit an equal chance to defend themselves, then what is the problem?

Nyan Cat wrote: »

It's respecting the persons right to believe as they want rather than respecting the religion.

I respect peoples rights to be stupid twits.

Nyan Cat wrote: »

That does not extend to cults. Or cultish behaviour displayed by some religious followers. Belief and faith is one thing. Harming others or using your beliefs to impede on others lives is another thing

And since religions and cults are the same thing - I dont see the distinction in your argument.

Nyan Cat

But that's just my point. If you give them a chance to reply to you calling their views nuts that's fine. But shouting them down, ignoring what they try to say seems a big undemocratic.
The basis of my argument is what's the point in just slinging insults not debate or giving reasons for the insults etc?!

You can say 'your imaginary friend, you twit' but without saying why you think that's the case then what is the point in just saying it?
If you see what I mean

You make a good point. About voting based on what they imagine their god wants. That is why religion should be challanged and not blindy accepted.

I get your point about cults. Cults are not just hippies in crazy communes. But for the sake of the topic I was trying to differentiate between the extreme crazy 'cut off from families, forced into a certain life, suicide' types and the bigger religions today. I understand the parallels but that's another topic really.

Nutgrover

tfitzgerald wrote: »

When having sex the atheist have No one to shout at they cant go "oh god" maybe the say . Oh my there is no higher being !

That's where an

F word

may come in handy.

Hotblack Desiato

Mark Hamill wrote: »

And since religions and cults are the same thing - I dont see the distinction in your argument.

Reminds me of one of my favourite Fr Ted bits:

Father Dougal: God, Ted, I heard about those cults. Everyone dressing in black and saying our Lord's gonna come back and judge us all!
Father Ted: No... No, Dougal, that's us. That's Catholicism.

sasser

I wonder is it an age thing, I found I have gotten more tolerant and respectful of others as I get older. Sometimes reading posts on this forum, they read as if written by boys in their late teens/early 20's.

Genghiz Cohen

Future now, old man.

MagicMarker

sasser wrote: »

I wonder is it an age thing, I found I have gotten more tolerant and respectful of others as I get older. Sometimes reading posts on this forum, they read as if written by boys in their late teens/early 20's.

Just boys?

Duggys Housemate

MagicMarker wrote: »

Just boys?

WEll he is talking about the "sky Fairies", "imaginary friend" narratives. All very well amongst a self selecting group in IT in university, say it in an email in a corporate environment, and to the wrong people ( i.e. the mild mannered muslim in the dept.) will see you dismissed. They'll grow up. I am sure.

Delirium

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

WEll he is talking about the "sky Fairies", "imaginary friend" narratives. All very well amongst a self selecting group in IT in university, say it in an email in a corporate environment, and to the wrong people ( i.e. the mild mannered muslim in the dept.) will see you dismissed. They'll grow up. I am sure.

You mean the people with the imaginary friends?

Duggys Housemate

koth wrote: »

You mean the people with the imaginary friends?

The unemployed New Atheist.

Delirium

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

The unemployed New Atheist.

who?

EDIT: so the person who states that a person has an imaginary friend (which I could see as being rude depending on the situation) is the childish one?

Mark Hamill

Nyan Cat wrote: »

But that's just my point. If you give them a chance to reply to you calling their views nuts that's fine. But shouting them down, ignoring what they try to say seems a big undemocratic.

Then don't do that

. When I discuss something I don't look for needless offense, but I don't shy away from saying something I think is true (and that I think I can support) for fear of offending people, because there are plenty of people out there who will be offended at my mere existence so it will never end.

Nyan Cat wrote: »

The basis of my argument is what's the point in just slinging insults not debate or giving reasons for the insults etc?!

You can say 'your imaginary friend, you twit' but without saying why you think that's the case then what is the point in just saying it?
If you see what I mean

I already covered this issue in the first post: "You should definitely give them a chance to defend their views (don't just throw insults at someone and ignore anything they say), but you can use hard, inconvenient truths in your discussion ".

Dades

sasser wrote: »

Sometimes reading posts on this forum, they read as if written by boys in their late teens/early 20's.

No doubt some of the posts here are written by teenage boys.

The key is (and I'm not suggesting you are) not to judge the whole forum base on its most angsty posters.

Gbear

I have say I agree with the use of "sky fairy" or "imaginary friend" being stupid, antagonistic and counter productive.

For starters, it sounds unoriginal, so it sounds like you're regurgitating from the God Delusion or something (like a christian with a bible - hey! there's a thing that annoys me - when religious people can clearly see how flawed arguments are, for example, if they are based solely on faith, but then go right ahead and use those arguments when debating with you). I digress.
It also puts them on their guard. I don't know about you but an argument for me isn't about proving that I'm smarter than you (I know that already :cool:); it's about trying to convince someone. They don't have to disconvert straight away. If you even make a slight chink in their armour then you've succeeded in part.
By insulting them off the bat they're probably going to just ignore your arguments because they think you're a dick.

Finally, it's just childish. It's a bit silly getting annoyed when they say things like "i'll pray for you" and then you go and stoop to their level by calling them stupid.

****ing atheists! :mad:

:pac:

[Deleted User]

sasser wrote: »

I wonder is it an age thing, I found I have gotten more tolerant and respectful of others as I get older. Sometimes reading posts on this forum, they read as if written by boys in their late teens/early 20's.

It is an age thing, possibly a gender thing to some extent, and with a bit of the "Online Disinhibition Effect" thrown in for good measure. The younger you are, the less likely you are to have the self-awareness to realise that being rude doesn't make you grown up. It does often appear that men (or boys) take longer than women to cop on to that fact - though I'm sure this is not a universal principle. And as we all know, the distance and anonymity provided by the internet allows people to say things from behind a keyboard and screen that only complete social misfits would say to someone in person.

But if I were you I wouldn't use that as a reason not to refer to yourself as an atheist. The same characteristics are exhibited by all sorts of people in all sorts of places in cyberspace - and that includes trolling believers.

The reality is that the web just gives some people an opportunity to act the eejit without being accountable for it. That's nothing to do with their being atheists or theists (or anything else for that matter). I can't recall meeting too many atheist trolls in real life, but then I can't recall meeting too many Christian trolls either.

Galvasean

Quite the leap certain posters made in this thread when it was stated how there is no need to be respectful of beliefs that appear stupid... It's like not respecting a silly idea automatically means directly insulting people with talk of imaginary friends and sky fairies.

General Relativity

Having little to no protection under the constitution of my own counrty.

[Deleted User]

I don't find anything frustrating about being atheist.

It rarely happens, but once in a while I encounter something spiritual or religious that appeals to me. Here's a prayer I saw many years ago that I rather like:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Even in myths there's occasionally a nugget of truth to be found.

MagicMarker

I respect people's right to their belief, they should respect my right to tell them their beliefs are retarded.