wildernesse

Blondegoddess:

I think that for the average everyday Christian, when they think of atheists, they think of the vocal, jerky ones who get air time on TV. The stereotypical atheist who is loud and rude, gets in people's faces and tells them that their values are worthless and that theists are ruining the world through their simple existence.

So before you can get in their face (so they think), they get in yours. This happens with political ideologies (conservative/liberal) as well.

Now, of course, people shouldn't base their interactions with individuals on stereotypes! And none of us ever do that, you know! But atheists do that to Christians as well--and if the Christian denies doing/believing/being whatever the atheist is blaming them for, well then the Christian isn't really a Christian. It works both ways.

--tibac

Rhea

I'm confused by this. I think it is extrememly rare for an atheist to ever say that a Christian is not a True Christian. It seems that only Christians do that to each other.

Am I wrong, do you hear this a lot from Atheists? I was under the impression that most Atheists prefer to let Christians self-identify.

Godless Dave

What TV shows are you watching? I have never seen anything like that. Is there a whole other set of atheists I'm not even aware of?

wildernesse

I have been told on this board, in fact, that I must not really be a Christian because I'm not a racist bigot. As well as all of the implications that non-fundies are not really Christians and they throw all the "real" Christian stuff out with their cafeteria brand.

--tibac

Rhea

Oh.

I will have to claim ignorance. I have not seen that, I defer to your experience of it. Perhaps I judged the people saying it to be Christians and that's why I'm unaware.

wildernesse

Haha. TBN, of course! I apologize for being so non-specific. In a manner of speaking, "strange" people are more likely to be on TV, and in my experience "strange" atheists are the jerky ones. Therefore, if an atheist were to be on FOX news they would most likely be jerky ones. So sorry about the mix-up.

Mostly I know that atheists are great people--like my husband, and the GA infidels I've met (woohoo!). BUT I have had discussions with people who think I'm holding back humanity's progress by my theistic existence because of my Creationism (?) and anti-science(?) stance. (I didn't even know I had those things--I've got to clean out that closet!) And posters here who have expressed that Christians are racist bigots. Period.

If I didn't have my wonderful husband, and other non-Christian friends, it would be very easy to allow myself to focus just on the bad experiences here. In fact, I often swear off II for a while because I'm so disgusted with the current experience I'm having.

Fundy atheists are every bit as harmful as fundy Christians. And I can probably name all of the ones I consider fundy atheists here, while not being able to count all of the people that I enjoy reading their posts and interacting with. Likewise with atheists--your "favorite" fundies probably come quickly to mind, but you'd probably leave out pleasant theists if you had to make a list of them. Such is the human experience: every bad experience makes ten times more of an impression than everyday good experiences.

So, if an average, everyday Christian meets a self-proclaimed atheist, popular perceptions being what they are, coupled with any negative atheist experiences the Christian has had and a likely non-interaction with known atheists on a day to day basis to build up good/neutral experiences as a "buffer" would lead the Christian to beat the atheist to the punch in defending their "threatened" beliefs. Not an excuse for poor behavior, but maybe a pop-culture explanation.

--tibac

Ab_Normal

That's exactly the response I got from my brother when I "came out" to him because his only exposure to atheists was one co-worker who was the stereotypical obnoxious atheist. I carefully explained to him that I wasn't out to deconvert the world, and we quickly came to a resolution of "live and let live".

wildernesse

Well, those threads probably don't interest you because they aren't straw men of your position.

But, that's what gets me, Rhea. Often the people spouting that liberal Christians aren't worthy of respect for their, ahem, watered down beliefs are atheists.

Rufus and I often talk about the fact that many atheists seem to think of their former theistic beliefs as the standard. If they were fundies, then of course liberal theology is less than worthless. I'm glad that Rufus's family are the same variety of Chrisitianity(even if simply secular Christians) as my family. I don't have to deal with being thought a bad player in a game that's stupid to begin with. (So to speak!)

--tibac

Biff the unclean

Well, we never did get an answer to the OP. But it's premise has been confirmed in spades.
I do find it interesting that there is a general consensus amongst our Christians that this Christian hostility towards Atheists is a new thing initiated either automobile bumper stickers or "pop-culture" TV shows. Any history of this attitude being summarily dismissed.

Rhea

I don't understand the straw man argument. Have I been setting some up?



I have seen the threads about which do you respect more the fundy or the liberal. I'm curious about the answers. Interesting to me. Seeing the arguments for each side.

I suppose my answer would be more respect for the liberals because they are true to (what I call) their humanity and what's right over what's printed.

But I can see why some people might feel - if you're going to be absolute, you should be consistent. And I reply, consistent to what's right is just as consistent as consistent to what's printed.


I don't know very many fundies. But the few I know shout down liberals for their watered down beliefs. ~shrug~

For the record, I think of people like you and a couple of dear friends of mine when I think of Christians. The fundies I think of as whack-jobs. Unfortunately, while I recognize them as a minority, they are quite factually a powerful minority. And the laws are passed on their command sometimes.