fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3415 ]

I'm not religious, but I find atheists who basically make a career out of being an atheist annoying. People like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, the fat YouTube guy.

First off, I've seen Dawkins advocate mocking religious people, which I don't see any reason to do unless they're shoving their religion down my throat or using it to oppress people or to excuse harmful behavior. If someone can respect my beliefs, and isn't using their beliefs to hurt people, I'll respect their beliefs.

Second, I think they get the idea that being an atheist automatically makes them more rational than the rest of the world. Nope, you can still do/say irrational things without believing in God. But if people see you as the epitome of rational thought, they won't notice when you say something that makes no sense.

In general, most of them come off as the kind of people who have gotten it into their head that they are smarter than everyone, do not need to listen to anyone who disagrees with them, and then goes off saying stupid shit while their fans love it.

I think they even contribute somewhat to atheists being stereotyped negatively, just like stupid extreme Christians (like the Westborough Baptists) contribute to negative stereotypes of Christians.

I agree with everything about this. I have a particular dislike for Dawkins. When I try to read his books I could feel the smugness radiating off every word.

I love how you say "fat Youtube guy" and I know right away you mean Amazing Atheist -- and yet for a time there were a lot more just like him. I used to be friends with one. Used to.

Is that guy - Amazing Atheist - ridiculously sexist and spends most of his time ranting about feminists too?

I watched like two videos of his and I almost, almost broke my policy to not write Youtube comments. but seriously, what a slimeball.

Re: Professional atheists

dethtoll - 2016-05-10 23:20 (UTC) - Expand

That douchetacular fucker keeps showing up on my "recommended" feed because I watch other feminist atheist channels. So, clearly, I must want to watch his drivel, eh. Come on YouTube. Why don't you let me remove this shit or block channels from ever appearing in my feed or something.

Also what the fuck do Anita Sarkeesian videos about video games have to do with atheism, AA?

Re: Professional atheists

(Anonymous) - 2016-05-11 23:11 (UTC) - Expand

Dawkins is an ass. His ability to make a career out of being a professional atheist frankly doesn't reflect well on many atheists, who think his militant approach is the best thing since sliced bread. And I say that as an atheist.

I don't have any issue with atheists writing books about being atheists. It's religious opinion/philosophy like anything else, and if they want to make a social issue out of it, they have as much right to do that as a religious person does.

I'm an atheist and I certainly don't feel the need to hear some guy rant about religion, but I don't see the problem with someone compiling their arguments against religion. that's what philosophy is.

I actually enjoy hearing anti-theist arguments even though I'm a Christian (honestly I find it kind of refreshing as well as interesting) but even I can't stand Dawkins.

Don't know the others, but my issue with Dawkins is that he's as fundamentalist and biased as the religious people he complains about.

I can take them in very small doses because I'm an atheist myself, but most of them act terribly superior and condescending - in other words, they act like anyone else on an ideological crusade. The really annoying thing about professional atheists is they don't view their lack of belief as an ideology itself, but it is.

First off, I've seen Dawkins advocate mocking religious people, which I don't see any reason to do unless they're shoving their religion down my throat or using it to oppress people or to excuse harmful behavior. If someone can respect my beliefs, and isn't using their beliefs to hurt people, I'll respect their beliefs.

Completely agreed on this. And even then, in the case of the people who shove their beliefs down others' throats or use them to hurt/discriminate against people, my issue is more with those specific people and the fact that they're taking a faith that has many good teachings and warping it for their own mean and cruel attitudes and actions, than it is with the faith itself.

(That's not to say any religion's teachings should ever be above criticism or debate, of course, because I do think it is good to critique and debate the teachings of various religions when possible, instead of blindly following and not questioning what they teach. But yeah, there's certainly ways to do that without being a jerk to those who do believe and who aren't bothering anyone with their religious beliefs.)

I've certainly heard of Dawkins and Hitchens, but I haven't really read their work, so I can't comment on their style of sharing their thoughts, really. But I fully agree with your sentiment about the way some atheists state their views, and think your advice can work for anyone who's trying to make their point about any issue in general-the whole "catch more flies with honey" thing, and all that.

First off, I've seen Dawkins advocate mocking religious people, which I don't see any reason to do unless they're shoving their religion down my throat or using it to oppress people or to excuse harmful behavior. If someone can respect my beliefs, and isn't using their beliefs to hurt people, I'll respect their beliefs.

I don't consider myself a "militant atheist" a la Dawkins, but I disagree with this. I do NOT owe any religious beliefs respect, and I feel religion can and should be criticized. Obviously that doesn't mean randomly going up to someone and freaking out on them, but I have zero reason to humor or respect Bronze Age mythology that has systematically been used to cause oppression, fear, and the denial of science. I don't owe beliefs respect. I can respect people, not I will not "respect" religion.

I almost said something about that. I don't need people to respect my beliefs. They're allowed to find my beliefs silly and nonsensical and say so. But maybe I have a different idea of what respect means here than other people.

You sound like a militant atheist to me, tbh.

What do you mean when you say "respect" in this context?

Re: Professional atheists

(Anonymous) - 2016-05-11 00:12 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Professional atheists

diet_poison - 2016-05-11 00:26 (UTC) - Expand

Dawkins is much more annoying than Hitchens ever was.

My least favorite is that guy who wrote God Hates You, Hate Him Back: Making Sense of the Bible. That was so full of illogical reasons to be an atheist, and pop-science worship, that I couldn't even finish it.

I'm an atheist, but in an "to each their own" kind of way. If your faith gives you comfort, that's wonderful and I am genuinely happy for you. It annoys me that people who would in no way want to interfere with people's other liberties think it's any of their damn business what beliefs they hold. It particularly pissed me off when I saw all the hoopla of atheists speaking out against the National Day of Prayer. Shit, people. Yes, let's stop the one day where people are trying to be mindful and pray for the good of our people, our country, the poor, whatever.

Yes, let's. A day where people actually go out and do something to help the poor and the disadvantaged, or work for the betterment of the community would be infinitely more useful. Praying for something doesn't do any good, it just lets people pat themselves on the back for thinking about it for thirty seconds.

Dawkins isn't the only atheist engaged in full-time writing, research, and ministry (yes that exists). He's the only one who gets a headline every time he farts in the bathtub.

I was raised atheist so I sort of find the idea of preaching (regardless of faith/non-faith) instinctively repugnant.

I am told that there are good points to trying to counteract the influence of various Christian sects and organizations on governmental policies, and I suppose I believe that, but... well... how to put it? Despite actually being an atheist from birth I have never personally felt the need to tell someone their belief in a higher power is wrong. I don't really know that it is wrong any more than I know if my own lack of belief is correct.

So I guess while I don't have the stomach for it and don't care to hear that type of content, someone else might? I just tend to stay out of the discussion entirely since I feel like my own experience doesn't really equip me to argue.

I'm an apathetic agnostic atheist; I suspect there are no such things as gods, but I can't be certain, and beyond that I don't much care unless someone uses their religion or lack thereof to hurt others or be an asshole. So professional atheists get on my nerves for the same reasons televangelists and hellfire and brimstone Christians do. For fuck's sake, shut up. Get a hobby that doesn't involve raising the blood pressure and intolerance level of anyone in your vicinity.

Re: Professional atheists

(Anonymous) - 2016-05-11 01:10 (UTC) - Expand

Most of my problem is with self-described rationalists rather than atheists per se, since they assume everyone who disagrees with them must be irrational. Rationalist Christians can actually be worse than rationalist atheists, if you can believe that.

I'm an atheist, and I can't stand Dawkins.

But there are a lot of other atheists whose work I enjoy.

Personally, I think it's important to judge people by their actions, not their beliefs (though there is definitely a lot of overlap there), and that people who define "good" and "bad" as states of being instead of actions that we accomplish are extremely dangerous whether they're atheists or theists, so I tend to pay more attention to articles written by atheists who do the same.

I've heard some of them say that it's important to challenge even the harmless beliefs because it helps to create a culture that can challenge the harmful ones. I think the flip side of that is that the atheist community's skepticism can lead to people dismissing someone else's experience completely out of hand, which is why misogyny is such a problem in the atheist community, because the experience of women is challenged, mocked, and disregarded because it conflicts with their experience. (Just to reiterate, this doesn't mean every atheist)

That all being said, I love the Bible Reloaded's movie reviews

Here's my favorite: https://youtu.be/C7yxa0mpj2k

Edited 2016-05-11 05:49 (UTC)

Dawkins isn't just an atheist for a living, he has written many books about evolution and related sciences. Even though he's a brash a-hole, it's pretty unfair to write his work off as just being a "professional atheist."