Why are atheists so intolerant?

[MolRihan]

Pardon?

You're saying that you can't be a "real" atheist if you do X, Y, or Zed. When, in fact, you can.

The very definition of "Atheist" is "without God", so to be an atheist you can't believe in a God. I would have thought that was self-explanatory. So, yes, to be a "real" atheist, you can't believe in a god. Or have I missed your point?

[Duvniask]

Actually he responded to someone, that was doing that, and just stated that atheism, simply means you don't believe in god.

There are FUCKING Scotsman here. They are here, and they are Scottish.

They're watching us, from the darkness.

[Xathranaar]

The underlined contradicts the italic. Actually the italic contradicts itself.

How so?

Really?

... leaving that aside. I don't have a problem with responsible generalization. I mean, if confronted with some bigoted homophobic nonsense, I'll often react with a statement that gays are good people. I don't feel the need to caveat or moderate my statement by pointing out that, "actually some homosexuals are total douchebags," because what I'm really trying to say is, "you're wrong."

And it can work the other way to: I don't have anything against Sub-Saharan Africans, but I would advise anyone I cared about to be cautious and make very sure to use protection before having sex with someone from that region. Because it is factually true that HIV/AIDS infection is more prevalent there.

[The Emerald Dawn]

There are FUCKING Scotsman here. They are here, and they are Scottish.

They're watching us, from the darkness.

They know. They know.

[The Emerald Dawn]

You're saying that you can't be a "real" atheist if you do X, Y, or Zed. When, in fact, you can.

The very definition of "Atheist" is "without God", so to be an atheist you can't believe in a God. I would have thought that was self-explanatory. So, yes, to be a "real" atheist, you can't believe in God. Or have I missed your point?

There are degrees of atheism. You can believe that a god likely exists, but with the current evidence it is not proven to be validly so.

[Typhlochactas]

Actually he responded to someone, that was doing that, and just stated that atheism, simply means you don't believe in god.

There are FUCKING Scotsman here. They are here, and they are Scottish.

Connect the cuts. Connect the cuts. Connect the cuts.

[Ordya]

Actually he responded to someone, that was doing that, and just stated that atheism, simply means you don't believe in god.

There are FUCKING Scotsman here. They are here, and they are Scottish.

I'm Scottish! (literally)

[United Socialist Council State]

Because religion is a counter-revolutionary facade.

[MolRihan]

The very definition of "Atheist" is "without God", so to be an atheist you can't believe in a God. I would have thought that was self-explanatory. So, yes, to be a "real" atheist, you can't believe in God. Or have I missed your point?

There are degrees of atheism. You can believe that a god likely exists, but with the current evidence it is not proven to be validly so.

But at the most basic level it is a belief that there is no God.

[Duvniask]

The very definition of "Atheist" is "without God", so to be an atheist you can't believe in a God. I would have thought that was self-explanatory. So, yes, to be a "real" atheist, you can't believe in God. Or have I missed your point?

There are degrees of atheism. You can believe that a god likely exists, but with the current evidence it is not proven to be validly so.

Doesn't that make you an agnostic theist? Not atheistic.

[Ordya]

How so?

Really?

... leaving that aside. I don't have a problem with responsible generalization. I mean, if confronted with some bigoted homophobic nonsense, I'll often react with a statement that gays are good people. I don't feel the need to caveat or moderate my statement by pointing out that, "actually some homosexuals are total douchebags," because what I'm really trying to say is, "you're wrong."

And it can work the other way to: I don't have anything against Sub-Saharan Africans, but I would advise anyone I cared about to be cautious and make very sure to use protection before having sex with someone from that region. Because it is factually true that HIV/AIDS infection is more prevalent there.

That has nothing to do with anything.

[Ordya]

Because religion is a counter-revolutionary facade.

You Leninists make us Marxists look like dicks.

[Xathranaar]

There are FUCKING Scotsman here. They are here, and they are Scottish.

I'm Scottish! (literally)

No you're not. Not a real one anyway.

[Duvniask]

There are degrees of atheism. You can believe that a god likely exists, but with the current evidence it is not proven to be validly so.

But at the most basic level it is a belief that there is no God.

No, not "there is no god". It's more like "there's no evidence so i don't believe until the case for it is proven".

Well it actually depends on whether you're agnostic or gnostic.

[Ovisterra]

This thread upsets me.

Not because I'm an atheist and my precious feelings are hurt by someone calling me intolerant, but because of the blatant hypocrisy and lack of logic on display.

[YellowApple]

The OP highlights exactly what is wrong with people in these situations. Not Religion. Not Athiesm. People. An intolerant Theist can be just as obstinate as an an intolerant Athiest. I don't purport to agree with a lot of religious views, but I do respect that people have them, and I won't go out of my way to attack someone's belief system unless, ironically, they're being obstinate and intolerant of other people's views or way of life.

Whether you believe in a higher power or not, I think you can be just as pretentious and ignorant to the other person's point of view. People who are at least open and sympathetic to differing views tend to be more tolerant in general, regardless of their stance on religion.

If you put two people in a room; one who hates cats, and one who loves them, and ask them to discuss their opinion on cats, you can't be surprised at the result. You're always going to get friction between opposing viewpoints. The difference is some people can be intelligent and accepting of differing views. Others cannot. That's generally what a forum is; a place of differing views and opinions.

Claiming your opponent is intolerant sidesteps any sort of intellectual debate, because you're essentially completely bypassing any sort of meaningful debate and actually being intolerant yourself by dismissing the other side entirely.

Well said, sadly it'll fall deaf on many ears. After all many's idea of "debate" is "proving own correctness" and not just "sharing opinions".
Maybe because some people are unable to share opinions, or are ashamed of their opinions, or have no opinions, the question about why people are intollerant to start with is very lecit, if someone really took the time to try to answer it.

This post.

It's beautiful.

[Xathranaar]

Really?

... leaving that aside. I don't have a problem with responsible generalization. I mean, if confronted with some bigoted homophobic nonsense, I'll often react with a statement that gays are good people. I don't feel the need to caveat or moderate my statement by pointing out that, "actually some homosexuals are total douchebags," because what I'm really trying to say is, "you're wrong."

And it can work the other way to: I don't have anything against Sub-Saharan Africans, but I would advise anyone I cared about to be cautious and make very sure to use protection before having sex with someone from that region. Because it is factually true that HIV/AIDS infection is more prevalent there.

That has nothing to do with anything.

... except for you said that one should never generalize.

[Ordya]

I'm Scottish! (literally)

No you're not. Not a real one anyway.

No, I'm actually Scottish. Just ask my great-great-grandfather.

[Typhlochactas]

This thread upsets me.

Not because I'm an atheist and my precious feelings are hurt by someone calling me intolerant, but because of the blatant hypocrisy and lack of logic on display.

We don't put our logic on display.

Have you ever seen Borat in front of a Victoria's Secret?

That's why.

[Ordya]

That has nothing to do with anything.

... except for you said that one should never generalize.

You shouldn't.

[Xathranaar]

No you're not. Not a real one anyway.

No, I'm actually Scottish. Just ask my great-great-grandfather.

You see. A true Scotsman would have mumbled something incoherently and pelted my home with golf-balls.

[Ovisterra]

This thread upsets me.

Not because I'm an atheist and my precious feelings are hurt by someone calling me intolerant, but because of the blatant hypocrisy and lack of logic on display.

We don't put our logic on display.

Have you ever seen Borat in front of a Victoria's Secret?

That's why.

I...uhh....

I got nothing.

[Xathranaar]

... except for you said that one should never generalize.

You shouldn't.

You're deliberately being obtuse now.

[Hebalobia]

Defending our right not to have religion forced upon us isn't intolerance.

We think religions are silly. We think belief in a magic man in the sky is silly. We're going to keep you from forcing your silly ideas upon society especially when those ideas are harmful. If you don't like it, that's too damn bad. If you think that's intolerance, that's too damn bad as well.

[The Huskar Social Union]

No you're not. Not a real one anyway.

No, I'm actually Scottish. Just ask my great-great-grandfather.

Stop lying, the Scottish people are the stuff of myths and scary tales, set down to scare children so they would behave, because if they did not, the Scots would come for them in the night.

joke