Why are some atheists so closed minded?

Frist off, I have nothing against atheists in general. It not the entire atheist population that I have the problem with, but a large portion of it are guilty of this.

I understand that you don't believe in God (etc.) and I know that many of you feel the need to bash others for retaining their religious beliefs. Why is this? Why don't you realize that when you act like this, it makes you no different than the religious folk of which you passionately demonize. You can be respectful of a belief system, without believing in it.

Why is it that when people believe in spirits, demons, magic (etc.), you feel the need to call them crazy and tell them to see a mental health practitioner? Just because you are don't believe in something, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Just because science is yet to have proven something, doesn't mean that it can't exist. Neither you nor science has managed to solve all of the mysteries of this world. Which brings me back to point one.

You don't seem to realize that when you carry on in this way, it only serves to make you and the cause look bad. You are bullies and your words aren't law.

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Based on 32 votes (20 yes)
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Comments ( 18 )
  • disthing

    Not every atheist comes to that position through careful consideration of the alternatives.

    Not everyone is kind and respectful to others.

    Not everyone can cope with seemingly irrational or contentious view-points without feeling the need to be antagonistic.

    Not everyone is tolerant of different belief systems.

    That's why.

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  • WickedLazers

    I'm agnostic, and I'll tell you that I honestly find militant atheists just as every bit annoying as religious fundamentalists.

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    • daydreamer394

      That's true equality right there.

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  • TheOneWhoComesFromEnordro

    The thing is OP, religious folk tend to bash athiests for not being religious. They call them "Evil Satanists" and "Lost Souls". So really, how can you blame athiests when they're victims of bigotry and hatred as well? It's a double-edged sword. Maybe if people learned to not judge someone based on whether or not he/she's religious (Or try forcing religion/anti-religion onto someone else), the world would be a far better place.

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    • Lynxikat

      But then atheists do the EXACT SAME THING that religious people do, by judging people based on their religion and going on long rants about why religion is evil -- atheists like that are HYPOCRITES.

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  • Crvsades

    You see, most of these new age atheists are following the bandwagon of retarded hipsters who believe in the hype, just because it's something new, opposed to tradition. This whole new, "fuck the system" mentality has been taught to teenagers since the sixties with all their flower power shit. Teenagers are very impressionable, they follow trends, they create fads that last for a short while, then when they are bored of it, they invent another bullshit fad or trend to beat their chest for, in "solidarity" to their cause.
    These are mostly immature teens who, in case religion would still be big, would obediently go to church every sunday because that is what the norm is. They're not atheists because they are enlightened or had given much thought to it. They are atheists because this is how it suits them better in order to accommodate to society's new standards. It's a lifestyle more than anything else.

    And about what you said, about them becoming exactly how the targets of their jokes are (christians), is once again, an example of their ignorance and stupidity. If you don't honestly and genuinely believe in what you preach, you risk slipping into the other extreme, and become an immaculate reflection of your "enemy".

    Cultural marxism can be partly blamed for all this stupid hypocritical, dishonest, fad building trend of embracing certain ideologies just because they oppose traditionalism.

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    • Yffe.Wahs

      Yeah I have never read so much rubbish in my life.
      Well...that's not true...I did read 50 shades...

      You can't have a 'lifestyle' based on not believing in one specific thing. I can't have a lifestyle based on not eating vanilla ice-cream. And I can't have a lifestyle for not believing in a god.

      I'm not arguing the point that there aren't asshole Atheists out there...there most DEFINITELY are a hell of a lot. But that doesn't mean they've chosen it as a lifestyle, because that doesn't make sense!

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  • JJM19

    The simple answer is because atheists are people, just like everyone else. Atheists are a minority that are harassed on a daily basis either overtly or subtly. It's understandable why some would come off antagonistic due to this. Not everyone can come with it.

    If you're implying, however, that atheists are more likely to be close minded, I think you're fooling yourself and should take a look at religious folks. I think you'll find the numbers come out even at best.

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  • howlsilver

    The conflict between theist and atheist or believers and non believers cannot be avoided. Both sides wanted to prove something. Atheist believes in the saying "to see is to believe". There are questions left unanswered. There are questions still looking for truth. We have the word "theory", it means not yet proven, just constracting ideas, a may or may not be. One thing for sure is that both sides is searching for reality and truth.

    "Religion and science are not odds, they just decided to work separately"

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    • clevelandashkenaziatheist

      Religion and science are at odds. They conflict on many issues. I am an atheist, I do not adhere to "to see is to believe". I believe what is testable and demonstrable, even if it would be impossible to observe (i.e. the big bang). Even where there are unanswered questions in science i.e. the exact abiogenesis that created life here, using God is not an answer, as it is in no way demonstrable, and goes back to there being to evidence for God. The word Theory in science does not mean what it does in everyday speech. It means something that is an absolute ironclad fact i.e. theory of gravity, theory of evolution.

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    • Yffe.Wahs

      Theory is not the same as scientific theory.
      Scientific theories are fact. Regular theories aren't.

      Apart from that, you're good.

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  • MRSWEG

    I am an atheist and i feel we are the open minded ones. The reason people mock religion is that it is so silly to believe in such things when then is so much evidence opposing it

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    • daydreamer394

      Congratulations, you have taken in a grand total of nothing from the post.

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  • clevelandashkenaziatheist

    It's the scientific method. Theists make a claim that a god exists. They have no evidence. Therefore I reject their claim. Since people's decisions are informed by religion, and religion is factually incorrect to the detriment of society (abortion, gay rights, etc.), it is important to spread the message. Of course no one should intentionally try to inflict emotional distress, but it's hard not to when trying to undo such a precious and closely held belief.

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    • Yffe.Wahs

      This^
      Exactly this.
      One thousand times this.

      It is immoral to not fight against something false and harmful...but it is a shame that some are hurt because of it.

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  • Riddler

    Since they bothered putting a name to something that didn't need its own category. I guess since we bothered naming them they developed this type of entitlement. Other then just being Non-religious. As well as that I have noticed a large majority of atheists are simply bitter and hated the practices as children of "Going to church, dressing for Sunday school, praying to god".

    So they project this image of their parents and their churches onto any Christian/religious person they see. Even though in reality none of these Christians/religious people even know them and don't deserve the hatred they have for people who simply happen to follow the same thing.

    Like saying "A black kid beat me up as a kid. It was a single black kid and I never see him anymore. For this reason I now believe all black people are evil and decided to become a KKK member". Which is sadly the logic so many of them follow.

    You can see this in the rants they give when you question it and some of them will go off how THEIR parents made them go to church, and THEY hated attending something they never believed in, or how they never fit in when they went to church. Which is their own personal issues but they insist on making that butt-hurt everyone else issue.

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  • Holzman_67

    you're probably asking for an atheist to be more agnostic by viewing them this way.

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  • Holzman_67

    I'm an atheist and I am always open minded and respectful of others and their beliefs. Be careful when throwing around generalizations.

    I think you are talking about atheists who are bitter at religion, perhaps something happened in their lives which has caused them to turn their back on religion and despise those who follow it.

    There are always going to be those people in life, don't let it bother you. Have conviction in yourself and don't buy into the shallow and crass value in others. It only leads to frustration.

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