Quote:
Originally Posted by Zee
Atheism is not organized to do many of the things you mention yet, but it's getting there.
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You consider a sign on the side of a bus to be the same behaviour as that of a "religious zealot"? You consider it to be shoving atheism down your throat "far more" than what the religious do? You consider the small group responsible for those bus signs the equivalent of the legions of Jehova's Witnesses that go door-to-door 365 days a year, then? I don't know what to say about that other than, no, I don't agree with you at all.
I do find it all kind of humourous, though. The religious do this kind of evangelizing for over 1000 years. They travel to foreign countries, force others to convert to their religion, distribute aid in exchange for listening to lectures about God, create an entire belief system where those that don't follow their religion are looked down upon as unclean and unworthy of a decent life after death, create vast, richly-sponsored outreach programs, television shows, radio programs, a music genre, rallies and marches, yadda yadda yadda. Then, some atheists come along and put some signs on the sides of some buses and all of the sudden atheists are militant, arrogant, high-horse riding, critical individuals that are forcing their beliefs down the throats of others. Funny how that is.
Whether or not atheists are suddenly more evangelical than evangelicals (they aren't), I do believe they should begin to be, in some areas. If the religious want to claim absolute knowledge on subjects as important and wide-ranging as the meaning of life, morality, and the existence of the world as we know it, why
shouldn't people call them out on it and demand some type of explanation? If they can't provide any sort of logical, empirical evidence for their beliefs that supposedly apply to
everyone on Earth, then I don't see any reason why they shouldn't be looked upon as the willfully ignorant creatures that they are. Just like we would for anyone else. Being called "religious" doesn't entitle one to some sort of protective barrier against criticism.
And, if they then want to point fingers at atheists and complain about how they are shoving their beliefs down their throats, well, really, cry me a freakin' river.