Assertions, Much? And a Quote.

I was on Facebook, and randomly clicked on my friend's profile, went to her About section, and under her religious views, she had Atheist. I clicked the link that led me to an Atheist fan page. I went to the tab labeled "Related Posts" and started reading down, and found a guy who must've had a bad experience or is just mad at the world except for the ones who believe like he does. Here's what he posted:


I want to pose a challenge to all you religious fanatics out there. All of you, no matter which religious belief you belong to, you all happen to have this indistinct hatred towards Atheists. I can understand if you had this same hatred towards every other religion equally, but all the true Atheists see that you religious ignorant fanatics seem to hate Atheists more than any other religion. You feel as if because the other religions have a higher power, its ok. Well no, it is not ok.

You are friends with someone for 25 years. Best friends with them and no issues pop up religiously. Your friend grows up and sees a different religious viewpoint than you. He/She tells you they are an Atheist and how do you react? Instead of being understanding and saying you are with your friend no matter what their belief, you question it and eventually exile all thoughts or past experiences with your friend from your mind. I find it quite ironic because I am better friends with people who were not of my original birth religion, than anyone I met prior to them knowing I was an Atheist that I told I was an Atheist. Or rather, they have less issues with it than someone whom I told I was an Atheist.

Now answer this. If you are truly for peace around the world, I wonder what % of the [butt]holes on this planet are true to that statement. If you are true to being after peace among everyone on this planet, then you had better be true about it to religion as well. I am willing to put my future career that when it comes to Atheism, greater than 90% of the people on this planet who "claim" they are after peace, they will go back on their word if the word Atheism comes up.

My challenge is this, if you are truly after peace.

PROVE IT!

I really hope he doesn't represent the majority of atheists...

Here's my thoughts on it though-

His term "religious fanatics." I'm going to assume he means every single person with a religion, since he makes no distinction between a person with beliefs in a deity and a person who would do go as far as doing what Hitler did to force his beliefs onto people.

"All of you, no matter which religious belief you belong to, you all happen to have this indistinct hatred towards Atheists."

What? No. I don't hate atheists. Even if I hated someone who was an atheist, the fact that that person is an atheist would probably have little to do with it. Wherever he's getting that info from, it's not the most reliable source. I can promise you right now, I know many Christians who have atheist friends who they could never hate.

And in the rest of that paragraph, he goes on just insulting people with religious beliefs. He's made no real case. Calling them all "religious fanatics," I don't think was meant as a compliment, or even neutral. Then he implies they're also haters. Then he goes to say ignorant. Then goes on to imply we are stuck up, cocky snobs, basically. Then acts like he knows exactly what's right and wrong (by saying it's not okay to be stuck up, cocky, ignorant religious fanatics), even though by not believing in a deity, he takes away any moral standard there can be, other than his own opinion. And we all know how much that's worth. Zip. So he can't even make a case here.

"You are friends with someone for 25 years. Best friends with them and no issues pop up religiously. Your friend grows up and sees a different religious viewpoint than you. He/She tells you they are an Atheist and how do you react? Instead of being understanding and saying you are with your friend no matter what their belief, you question it and eventually exile all thoughts or past experiences with your friend from your mind. I find it quite ironic because I am better friends with people who were not of my original birth religion, than anyone I met prior to them knowing I was an Atheist that I told I was an Atheist. Or rather, they have less issues with it than someone whom I told I was an Atheist."

Ah, now we're at the heart of the issue, I think. I may very well be wrong, but from using specifically 25 years and being pretty descriptive with his story, it really sounds like this is a personal story of his own that actually happened. He was friends with someone for 25 years, he tells him/her that he's an atheist, and suddenly the friend drops him out of contact. And he seems to be so scarred by it (I can understand too, I mean 25 years? That's gonna be a terrible break of bond between lifelong friends.) that he got the impression that perhaps all people with religious beliefs are like that. Then he goes on to say he's better friends with people who aren't of his original birth religion. Now it almost sounds like he's trying to make that certain person feel a little guilty, if somehow he/she happens to come across that. It really sounds more like a personal problem with one person rather than a case he's got against people with religion.

"Now answer this. If you are truly for peace around the world, I wonder what % of the [butt]holes on this planet are true to that statement. If you are true to being after peace among everyone on this planet, then you had better be true about it to religion as well. I am willing to put my future career that when it comes to Atheism, greater than 90% of the people on this planet who "claim" they are after peace, they will go back on their word if the word Atheism comes up."

Obviously, I had to censor it a bit...
Apparently he's not even for world peace if he's gonna call people buttholes (except with different wording). If you want world peace, why not try making peace with people instead of calling them names and trying to stamp on them? Again with the ad hominems, or name calling. They don't make peace. That and, his idea of world peace seems to be atheists getting respect. As if atheists don't have enough supporters already?
And his command, "Now answer this." As if he's got authority over all people with religions because he's supposedly right?

"My challenge is this, if you are truly after peace.

PROVE IT!"

Prove that we're actually after peace, you mean? I know this is a tu quoque, but this person isn't doing a very good job himself promoting world peace, so I don't see why he's wanting everyone else to.

I'm fairly sure not all atheists are like this guy though. I've even got friends on here who are atheists and I'm growing to like them a bit. To you people, I promise not to break our friendship just because you don't see eye to eye with me. But please don't take on this guy's views




As for the quote mentioned in the title, I found an interesting one I agree with.

"Religion poisons everything. As well as a menace to civilization, it has become a threat to human survival." -Christopher Hitchens

I agree completely. Look at the Crusades.
If everyone had an actual relationship with God and actually knew Him and His feelings and thoughts and acted like Him, humanity's survival would be guaranteed. (I do not equate relationship with God to religion. I don't imagine you'd think of your relationship to your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife as a religion, do you?)
Here's how a friend put it: "Religion is 'I do these things, therefore I am saved.' Relationship is 'I am saved, therefore I do these things.'" In fact, since God is love, Imma put in love. And one might be able to put this into proper perspective if applied to a significant other/spouse.
Religion is "I do these things, therefore I am loved." (Trying to gain someone's love by doing things for them?)
Relationship is "I am loved, therefore I do these things." (Doing what you know pleases them because you know they love you and you love them.)