Atheism is undoubtedly spreading all around the world, much to the dismay of religious fundamentalists. And while I welcome this change, I have also noticed certain unnerving patterns.
For one thing, there are a lot of stupid atheists. These people love to proclaim the fact that they are atheists at every opportunity they get and think every person who is even remotely spiritual is intellectually inferior to them. While I get that the vast majority of believers are disillusioned, I also acknowledge the fact that there are believers who are very intelligent people.
There is almost no difference between thought patterns of these atheists and religious fundamentalists. Instead of participating in rational discussions with theists, they engage in petty squabbles where nothing but insults are tossed back and forth. Now there are some religious nutjobs that refuse to listen to anything the atheist has to say, and in such situations, my advise is to walk away in a mature manner. Undeniably, some fundies deserve a good trolling every now and then, but not all theists do.
I follow some spiritual blogs on Tumblr that are run by very loving people who genuinely understand that in a world torn apart by religion, compassion is what is needed the most. Many of them even stand up for the injustices that atheists face worldwide. Unfortunately, these blogs often get anonymous hate mail from atheists bashing their beliefs (with bad grammar a lot of the time). What's worse is when these trolls claim to speak for the entire atheist population.
I, for one, have no problem if a person believes in god(s). I just respectfully disagree, and if the person can accept that, then it's great. All I really care about is that the person's belief is not damaging to others. There is no need for either side to evangelize in such a situation.
Frankly, I am tired of all the bickering. All I want is to sit both sides down and tell them that they need to suck it up and get along. If an olive branch is not extended at this crucial point in time, then both sides will suffer in the long run.
For one thing, there are a lot of stupid atheists. These people love to proclaim the fact that they are atheists at every opportunity they get and think every person who is even remotely spiritual is intellectually inferior to them. While I get that the vast majority of believers are disillusioned, I also acknowledge the fact that there are believers who are very intelligent people.
There is almost no difference between thought patterns of these atheists and religious fundamentalists. Instead of participating in rational discussions with theists, they engage in petty squabbles where nothing but insults are tossed back and forth. Now there are some religious nutjobs that refuse to listen to anything the atheist has to say, and in such situations, my advise is to walk away in a mature manner. Undeniably, some fundies deserve a good trolling every now and then, but not all theists do.
I follow some spiritual blogs on Tumblr that are run by very loving people who genuinely understand that in a world torn apart by religion, compassion is what is needed the most. Many of them even stand up for the injustices that atheists face worldwide. Unfortunately, these blogs often get anonymous hate mail from atheists bashing their beliefs (with bad grammar a lot of the time). What's worse is when these trolls claim to speak for the entire atheist population.
I, for one, have no problem if a person believes in god(s). I just respectfully disagree, and if the person can accept that, then it's great. All I really care about is that the person's belief is not damaging to others. There is no need for either side to evangelize in such a situation.
Frankly, I am tired of all the bickering. All I want is to sit both sides down and tell them that they need to suck it up and get along. If an olive branch is not extended at this crucial point in time, then both sides will suffer in the long run.
