I am not quite an atheist but...

[ambelamba]

I ended up joining a society of atheist military personnel and veterans.

I am not an atheist, but I am definitely an ex-Christian. Of course, I was a fairly obedient Christian back when I was in my BDU. I bailed out of Jesus a few years after I got out of the service.

I know that many atheists are not really angry people. They don't hate God and Jesus because they are irrelevant to atheism. But...when it comes to ex-Christians, it become a really different story.

Those atheists who have extreme hatred toward Christianity...were...without exception Christians once...

[Hideout]

I ended up joining a society of atheist military personnel and veterans.

I am not an atheist, but I am definitely an ex-Christian. Of course, I was a fairly obedient Christian back when I was in my BDU. I bailed out of Jesus a few years after I got out of the service.

I know that many atheists are not really angry people. They don't hate God and Jesus because they are irrelevant to atheism. But...when it comes to ex-Christians, it become a really different story.

Those atheists who have extreme hatred toward Christianity...were...without exception Christians once...

I don't think I quite have a hatred of Christianity, but I do disagree with it wholeheartedly, and I think we would be better off without it. I feel the exact same way about just about every religion. I don't think you need to be an ex-whatever do dislike, or even hate, a religion.

From my experience with other Atheists, most of them are not angry people. Most of them don't really care about religion because religion doesn't matter in their life. They have no hatred towards God or Jesus because they don't believe in them. That would be like having a hatred towards Bugs Bunny, it makes no sense.

[thedutchiedutch]

I ended up joining a society of atheist military personnel and veterans.

I am not an atheist, but I am definitely an ex-Christian. Of course, I was a fairly obedient Christian back when I was in my BDU. I bailed out of Jesus a few years after I got out of the service.

I know that many atheists are not really angry people. They don't hate God and Jesus because they are irrelevant to atheism. But...when it comes to ex-Christians, it become a really different story.

Those atheists who have extreme hatred toward Christianity...were...without exception Christians once...

Never knew that there are Atheists out there with extreme hatred toward Christianity.

[Inn Spectre]

Those atheists who have extreme hatred toward Christianity...were...without exception Christians once...

As others have stated already, atheists have no anger towards Christianity in itself as they consider it an unfounded nonsense. Any anger you perceive in atheists is likely to be triggered by:

• Those who try to propagate it.
  
• The fact that their contemporaries continue to believe its teachings.
  
• Having allowed themselves formerly to be brainwashed into it.
  

[ambelamba]

As others have stated already, atheists have no anger towards Christianity in itself as they consider it an unfounded nonsense. Any anger you perceive in atheists is likely to be triggered by:

• Those who try to propagate it.
  
• The fact that their contemporaries continue to believe its teachings.
  
• Having allowed themselves formerly to be brainwashed into it.
  

Atheists with no religious upbringing are not angry with anything. The problems is non-believers with very religious background...

[Marcus Aurelius]

Sadly I think that is frequently a reflection of Christian ministers and churches. We've wounded a lot of people spiritually and emotionally. So it's no wonder that they have an axe to grind against Christians.

I'm sort of the opposite of you. I was raised in a Christian home and by the time I was about 14 I rejected all of it as nonsense and became an atheist. I read a lot of the atheist philosophers and was heavily influenced by that for many, many years.

Then I became a Christian. But as a former atheist I respect the opinions of atheists, like that de-conversion thread on here. I can really relate to a lot of what people were saying.

Like you are not bothered by Christians, similarly, I'm not really bothered by atheists. I have atheist and agnostic friends. The only type of atheism that irks me is the Dawkins kind who blame all religions for all of the problems in humanity; that IMO is taking it a bit too far. At the same time, I realize Christians can be every bit as guilty with anger and hostility; trying to cram their religion down everyone's throat.

If one does not value a diversity of opinions then one does not value individuality.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Marcus Aurelius

[ambelamba]

I hope there's someone who will unite all the non-religious military personnel under one banner, and build an army.

[Hideout]

I hope there's someone who will unite all the non-religious military personnel under one banner, and build an army.

[Grandpa Greenman]

I ended up joining a society of atheist military personnel and veterans.

I am not an atheist, but I am definitely an ex-Christian. Of course, I was a fairly obedient Christian back when I was in my BDU. I bailed out of Jesus a few years after I got out of the service.

I know that many atheists are not really angry people. They don't hate God and Jesus because they are irrelevant to atheism. But...when it comes to ex-Christians, it become a really different story.

Those atheists who have extreme hatred toward Christianity...were...without exception Christians once...

Are you agnostic and don't know whether or not there is a god or do you believe there is a God, but not God in Abrahamic sense? I find the Abrahamic religions lacking in clarity of message. When I read an ancient text I keep in mind the ancestors lived a very different lives than we do. They didn't have instant communication or able to travel great distances. Most couldn't read. Life for the most part was very hard. IMO there are no sacred books, there are good and bad books. The bible falls some where in between. People end up reading more into it than is there. It kind of bothers me people work so hard in it to suck people into it. Each to their own path.

[ambelamba]

There's some bizarre parallel. And this worries me. There's a particular historical figure that had a bit similar path in life...and this scares me.

Except that he remained religious in a certain form...

[Sean93]

Y'see, the anti-Christian thing is a mixed bag. On one hand you've got people who just hate Christianity because they're childish idiots who've found Atheism and think it's cool to be Anti-Jesus or whatever.

And then you've got the people who, rightfully so, hate Christianity because of suffering they endured at the hands of it's representatives.

It's no secret - and lets's no lie to ourselves here - that not long ago, the Church had the world's nutsack in a vice grip and was untouchable. powerful and filled with charlatans. I think it might have been Hitchens who said that the Church now has to come to us with this smiling faced sincerity because it's had to give so much up - and he's right; the church has lost it's power. I'm not going tot get into the terrible things the church was able to do freely because the list would be ugly and long but we all know.

Please don't take this as an attack on all members of the church though - I know some priests and they're cool guys. I've my own quarrels with the Church, but only because of tradition. Growing up an Irish Catholic messed me up in the head to the point of mental illness. Indoctrination is a terrible thing and I'm only fortunate that I never endured as much horror that my relatives a generation ago had to - the things they put up with. Scarily, if you were to say anything bad abut clergy, you'd have been beaten.

Then again, I don't like any establishments or groups with power over people; I'm just lucky enough to have realized this by the time the Church fell from grace here (That would be the abuse scandals for the uniformed).

Edited February 27, 2014 by Sean93

[Space Commander Travis]

Never knew that there are Atheists out there with extreme hatred toward Christianity.

You've never read the works of Richard Dawkins? (He may claim to be impartial in his hatred of religion, but he does seem to spend more time attacking Christianity than anything else).

[Space Commander Travis]

But I can well understand anger against Christianity, and really the Church has only itself to blame for people turning against it, with its arrogance and exclusiveness, the sheer smugness of its "We're the only ones that are right, and every other religion is Wrong" attitude, and the way that they put words in the mouth of Jesus ("I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to God but through me"; if he ever did say anything like that (and it was way out of character with the way he's presented everywhere else), he surely meant something metaphorical or figurative, the way he so often spoke, not the smug exclusiveness that the Church saw it as an excuse for), and most of all the way that it took the musings of people who never actually came into contact with Jesus (e.g. Paul and Augustine) and gave what they said more importance that what Jesus was quoted as saying, and so gave the Church, once again, a licence for bigotry and misogyny that was the complete opposite of Jesus' quoted outlook on life. Really, the way that the church twisted the view of the person it claimed to follow was really one of the greatest crimes against humanity.

[Davros of Skaro]

Here...Maybe some Atheist music videos will sooth your anger?

[Merc14]

Never knew that there are Atheists out there with extreme hatred toward Christianity.

There are, I have a friend who actually attended seminary school and comes from a very religious family who is now a virulently anti-christian atheist whose hatred is sometimes quite disturbing. I am sure there is a lot going on under the old brain pan with that but he is not alone.

I myself left the Catholic church for good when the reality of the child abuse business that the church was running came to light. I always questioned the teachjings, however, such as anyone not baptised goes to hell. Seriously? So an innocent child dying across the world of cancer burns in hell forever because a priest didn't throw water on his head>? I realize it isn't as simple as that but those were my thoughts as a youngster

I am not an atheist, however, as I bellieve in a supreme being of some kind that is not explainable or comprehensible to a human.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Merc14

[Inn Spectre]

Atheists with no religious upbringing are not angry with anything.

Before making such a claim you would have to poll them all, and that's not the answer you'd get from this one.

[shadowhive]

Those atheists who have extreme hatred toward Christianity...were...without exception Christians once...

I'm agnostic (though air mostly of the side of atheism) and I'm finding a hatred of christian grow and grow inside. I was never a christian myself and my family wasn't religious either, but I was bullied by kids indoctrinated by christians fiercely. Over the past few years I've seen exactly what christians harm their families, I've seen christians act to harm their neighbors and people worldwide and I just... I can't see the good. Not when christians that condemn the actions of them do so in pathetic terms.

Christianity's largely morally bankrupt, but what shouldyou expect when it's head (god) treats people the way he has?

I'm so thankful my family wasn't religious.

Edited February 27, 2014 by shadowhive

[thedutchiedutch]

You've never read the works of Richard Dawkins? (He may claim to be impartial in his hatred of religion, but he does seem to spend more time attacking Christianity than anything else).

I see some quotes of him on the web every once in a while but I never really took time to read his works.

[thedutchiedutch]

There are, I have a friend who actually attended seminary school and comes from a very religious family who is now a virulently anti-christian atheist whose hatred is sometimes quite disturbing. I am sure there is a lot going on under the old brain pan with that but he is not alone.

I myself left the Catholic church for good when the reality of the child abuse business that the church was running came to light. I always questioned the teachjings, however, such as anyone not baptised goes to hell. Seriously? So an innocent child dying across the world of cancer burns in hell forever because a priest didn't throw water on his head>? I realize it isn't as simple as that but those were my thoughts as a youngster

I am not an atheist, however, as I bellieve in a supreme being of some kind that is not explainable or comprehensible to a human.

I see. I am an atheist myself but I don't hate religion. I think it's not healthy to hate in general.

[SpiritWriter]

Most people, even "christians" do not understand the calling of Christ. Those who do, should either choose to live the life wholeheartedly or at least respect it. Those who don't understand it but talk about it all day often times have terrible discussions.

Edit: thats not to say I do not understand or respect rightful adversity toward "the church"

Edited February 27, 2014 by SpiritWriter

[Michelle]

Before making such a claim you would have to poll them all, and that's not the answer you'd get from this one.

Get used to it. People, including other atheists, make sweeping statements about how we feel and think all of the time. I would really rather people didn't presume to speak for me, but it's not gonna happen.

[Merc14]

I see. I am an atheist myself but I don't hate religion. I think it's not healthy to hate in general.

Concur but it is out there.

[ambelamba]

I was thinking. I came to realize that all I can and should do is to just grin and bear it. And I should just sit back and watch.

I am usually hostile to mysticism, although I had my share of premonitions. And soon things will never be the same. I will just stay underwater and keep the low profile.

[GoldenWolf]

I was thinking. I came to realize that all I can and should do is to just grin and bear it. And I should just sit back and watch.

I am usually hostile to mysticism, although I had my share of premonitions. And soon things will never be the same. I will just stay underwater and keep the low profile.

So you would let the bad guy's win without putting up any resistance? Kinda disgraceful don't you think?

[ambelamba]

So you would let the bad guy's win without putting up any resistance? Kinda disgraceful don't you think?

No. The end result will be POLAR OPPOSITE.

See, many Christians are basically fence sitters who don't have much knowledge in theology and deep faith. I don't want them to suffer something horrific. It took me a while to realize that only smaller percentage of Christians take scriptural faith with their heart and soul.