Ignorant atheists?

[Genevaman]

As many people know I am a die-hard atheist and all round cynical a*****e in terms of skepticism. I am a huge fan of both Dawkins and Hitchins and am a thorough believer in Darwinian Theory.
I also hold no grudge against the religious (bar the extremists).
But something rather frightening has emerged in the atheist community recently and I shudder with dread as the silent "I told you so"s of Youtube creationist videos come to mind.
We, as a minority, have become arrogant, conceited and, worst of all, ignorant.

I refer of course to the "fundementalist atheists" or "Neo-Atheists" as I have deigned to label them.
Atheism has become more of an anti-social trend than a point of view on life but then again that's nothing new. Such has been the way since the early 90's.
No. What I refer to specifically is the bulwark of single-mindedness that many atheists sought to prevent. A staunch "pro-Darwin, Dawkins, Hitchens" and "f**k everything else" attitude all topped with a red cherry of raw stupidity.
An anecdote of such an example is, not long before writing this, when I happened upon a Dawkins interview on Youtube and glanced at the comments below where I found the statement:

"Religion and philosophy have never contributed anything to the world. Only science has done anything for us."

Or something to that extent. Just not as grammatically correct. I didn't react in a big way to this. After all even I have been subject to hastiness in my own words before so I simply responded with:

"What about Democritus? He was a philosopher."

Of course I could also have used Plato or Marx as an example but seeing as he had referred to science I assumed Democritus would have the most relatable effect. But rather than the famous Dawkins-esque reproach I had expected I instead received:

"Democritus and all philosophers are idiots. Philosophy is just guess work. It's chemistry and physics get things done. You creationists have to get real."

Oh sweet irony! The term "guess work"? On a Dawkins interview?
Yet still I held the benefit of the doubt and explained thusly:

"I think you might have jumped the gun a bit there... Democritus was the founder of atomic theory which would later become the foundation of thousands of formulae within both chemistry AND physics. You could almost call science itself a gathering of philosophies with hard evidence to back it up. And I'm an atheist by the way. "

The response didn't show much of a change in tact:

"Stop trying to sound like some sort of genius. Everyone knows it's arrogant bulls**t. How is science like philosophy? Read a book. Or better yet read the God Delusion. That might help you."

To this I left no response as, frighteningly, his words grew bolstered with the replies of like-minded viewers and my comments became hideously thumbed down to the point of where it was a task to even read them. I had been shot down by my own "pro-open mind" kinsmen for being open minded.

This was but one of many instances and not just limited to me either.
One of my peers was called a "f**king nerd" when he asked a person who claimed to support "Darwinian Theory over ignorance" what he thought of the recent revelations on Darwin's tree of life. I don't mean to sound whiny but personally think an "I don't know" would have been better suited.

But that's exactly what the problem is. People are afraid to say they don't know. People feel the need to flaunt an aura of superiority and if you should question them on such you're either arrogant or small minded for doing so.

I fear our recent endeavers have filled our ranks with naught but an anti-religion mentality rather than a pro-knowledge attitude. Instead of enlightenment we have merely sheparded the ignorant from one side of the fence to the other. And as such we have earned our nay-said titles of arrogance and ignorance. A sad but true fact indeed.

So my suggestion is this. Forget religion. Forget creationism. Preach of the wonders of the truth rather than the failures of the false. (No offense to the religious. xp ) I don't mean to say give religion immunity to criticism but merely not to make it our focus. We are atheists. Not anti-Christs.

Learn what evolution actually is before preaching its wonders. Or at the very least don't claim to know everything about biology. (Unless you do. 3nodding )

And PLEASE! Don't dismiss philosophy as the same thing as theology.
There IS a distinct difference between the two.

Any opinions anyone?

[error-dot-tar]

Mandatory plug for atheistic religions, since so many people seem to forget about those.

[A Lost Iguana]

You were dealing with an idiot(s). Pay them no heed.

[0zelot]

Omg I thought I was the only one who noticed this.
I blame the effect that abrupt changes have on people. It´s mostly young people that just recently came in contact with this whole controversy who act like this. Ironically they act exactly the same as people who converted to another religion. They don´t quite understand what it´s really all about and so they kind of create a strawman version of their new belief and defend it like furious.
I hope all this settles down in a few years.

[Lorelei Wyrd]

Although I'm not an Atheist, I'm Asatru, I do see alot of Atheists that claim they know everything and that only science is "the real way to the truth" and that everything else is dumb and false. They're even shooting down their own theories and fellow Atheists, just because they have a different opinion then the "masses". rolleyes

[sodamachine19]

Dude I should have hired you to write my paper. You make some excellent points that I agree with, though I am religious. I've actually noticed the same trend you speak of in those of the younger generation that I converse with.

[Bewbs McBewb]

Richard Dawkins has no p***s. [Citation Needed]

[Someoneiknow]

as with everything that goes through a popularity change, idiots jump on the bandwagon. Atheism has popped up to many tennie boppers as the new cool thing, as with gay marriage, and so now you have a whole boat load of ignorance floating about screaming stupidity at anybody who waves at them.

[catspook]

All movements have idiots involved, and some people are just wired to believe that they are totally right about everything - I've heard them called "militant atheists" and they piss me off too, but the fact that they exists just goes to show that Atheism really is no better or worse than any other religious belief/movement, as all such movements have people like that

[SoulSalvage]

♠Tis' a shame of life, that everything good is always shot down by imbeciles, idiots, and activists.♠

[Xiam]

So, I guess they think Sir Isaac Newton was a ********, then? He developed many laws of physics, and once stated "If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants."

He was also an alchemist. Guess what many philosophers were.

I'm sorry, but I think philosophy can be quite necessary for human self-awareness. I personally follow Socrates' example by refusing to claim absolute knowledge of anything. Unlike theists or atheists, who believe that what they believe is the absolute and final Truth.

Agnosticism FTW.

[Gracchia Saint-Justine]

catspook

All movements have idiots involved, and some people are just wired to believe that they are totally right about everything - I've heard them called "militant atheists" and they piss me off too, but the fact that they exists just goes to show that Atheism really is no better or worse than any other religious belief/movement, as all such movements have people like that

Please do not bandy about terms you have no understanding of. "Militant Atheist" has nothing to do with illiterate 14 year old Nietzsche wannabes, but rather the strength of one's convictions and the lengths one is willing to go for it. Dawkins is a militant atheist. Those kiddies are also miitant atheists, but they are also complete ********.

The '******** is their defining characteristic, however, not their atheism. Atheism is for them nothing more than a medium to express what ignorant douchebags they are, much as their frequent opponents use Christianity in the same way.

Quote:

Mandatory plug for atheistic religions, since so many people seem to forget about those.

Funnily enough, contrary to the 'anti-Christians' mentioned in the OP, I myself am more of an 'anti-Buddhist'...

[catspook]

Louis-Auguste Robespierre

catspook

All movements have idiots involved, and some people are just wired to believe that they are totally right about everything - I've heard them called "militant atheists" and they piss me off too, but the fact that they exists just goes to show that Atheism really is no better or worse than any other religious belief/movement, as all such movements have people like that

Please do not bandy about terms you have no understanding of. "Militant Atheist" has nothing to do with illiterate 14 year old Nietzsche wannabes, but rather the strength of one's convictions and the lengths one is willing to go for it. Dawkins is a militant atheist. Those kiddies are also miitant atheists, but they are also complete ********.

The '******** is their defining characteristic, however, not their atheism. Atheism is for them nothing more than a medium to express what ignorant douchebags they are, much as their frequent opponents use Christianity in the same way.

Quote:

Mandatory plug for atheistic religions, since so many people seem to forget about those.

Funnily enough, contrary to the 'anti-Christians' mentioned in the OP, I myself am more of an 'anti-Buddhist'...

You assume I like Dawkins - I don't, I think he is unnecessarily aggressive.

[Day_Night_Fire]

Youtube, first off, is a bad place to open your mind and tell someone your opinion. Even though you were showing some...(for a lack of words) enlightment to the person you were talking to. Trust me i know. I stated my Opinions and I get negative remarks on everything I say. (I never really got a thumbs down on youtube). However, I have had recent negative talks with other people on Youtube.

Even though i am a different religion than most of you or just you that is in here.
(I rather not say what my religion is at the moment) Some people are just ignorant. Let the foolish be foolish. and Let a man be Ignorant. If the person you are talking to is this, let him/her be. Say what you have to say and move on. Do not stoop down to his/her level. That is when you become ignorant yourself.

I Lack in the subject of Philosphy (i felt like i spelled it wrong. Thats how much i do not know about it). So i'm just going to stick with science. Anyway, I thought the guy you was speaking with was just being a...Dumb butt...Yes a Dumb Butt...He could have just postively answer and you two would have a Intelligent talk about Philosphy. He was even Ignorant to respond that way.
I guess thats all i can say.

[Acanthus Dio]

Genevaman

As many people know I am a die-hard atheist and all round cynical a*****e in terms of skepticism. I am a huge fan of both Dawkins and Hitchins and am a thorough believer in Darwinian Theory.
I also hold no grudge against the religious (bar the extremists).
But something rather frightening has emerged in the atheist community recently and I shudder with dread as the silent "I told you so"s of Youtube creationist videos come to mind.
We, as a minority, have become arrogant, conceited and, worst of all, ignorant.

I refer of course to the "fundementalist atheists" or "Neo-Atheists" as I have deigned to label them.
Atheism has become more of an anti-social trend than a point of view on life but then again that's nothing new. Such has been the way since the early 90's.
No. What I refer to specifically is the bulwark of single-mindedness that many atheists sought to prevent. A staunch "pro-Darwin, Dawkins, Hitchens" and "f**k everything else" attitude all topped with a red cherry of raw stupidity.
An anecdote of such an example is, not long before writing this, when I happened upon a Dawkins interview on Youtube and glanced at the comments below where I found the statement:

"Religion and philosophy have never contributed anything to the world. Only science has done anything for us."

Or something to that extent. Just not as grammatically correct. I didn't react in a big way to this. After all even I have been subject to hastiness in my own words before so I simply responded with:

"What about Democritus? He was a philosopher."

Of course I could also have used Plato or Marx as an example but seeing as he had referred to science I assumed Democritus would have the most relatable effect. But rather than the famous Dawkins-esque reproach I had expected I instead received:

"Democritus and all philosophers are idiots. Philosophy is just guess work. It's chemistry and physics get things done. You creationists have to get real."

Oh sweet irony! The term "guess work"? On a Dawkins interview?
Yet still I held the benefit of the doubt and explained thusly:

"I think you might have jumped the gun a bit there... Democritus was the founder of atomic theory which would later become the foundation of thousands of formulae within both chemistry AND physics. You could almost call science itself a gathering of philosophies with hard evidence to back it up. And I'm an atheist by the way. "

The response didn't show much of a change in tact:

"Stop trying to sound like some sort of genius. Everyone knows it's arrogant bulls**t. How is science like philosophy? Read a book. Or better yet read the God Delusion. That might help you."

To this I left no response as, frighteningly, his words grew bolstered with the replies of like-minded viewers and my comments became hideously thumbed down to the point of where it was a task to even read them. I had been shot down by my own "pro-open mind" kinsmen for being open minded.

This was but one of many instances and not just limited to me either.
One of my peers was called a "f**king nerd" when he asked a person who claimed to support "Darwinian Theory over ignorance" what he thought of the recent revelations on Darwin's tree of life. I don't mean to sound whiny but personally think an "I don't know" would have been better suited.

But that's exactly what the problem is. People are afraid to say they don't know. People feel the need to flaunt an aura of superiority and if you should question them on such you're either arrogant or small minded for doing so.

I fear our recent endeavers have filled our ranks with naught but an anti-religion mentality rather than a pro-knowledge attitude. Instead of enlightenment we have merely sheparded the ignorant from one side of the fence to the other. And as such we have earned our nay-said titles of arrogance and ignorance. A sad but true fact indeed.

So my suggestion is this. Forget religion. Forget creationism. Preach of the wonders of the truth rather than the failures of the false. (No offense to the religious. xp ) I don't mean to say give religion immunity to criticism but merely not to make it our focus. We are atheists. Not anti-Christs.

Learn what evolution actually is before preaching its wonders. Or at the very least don't claim to know everything about biology. (Unless you do. 3nodding )

And PLEASE! Don't dismiss philosophy as the same thing as theology.
There IS a distinct difference between the two.

Any opinions anyone?

This is what happens when a movement goes Hollywood...and this is what always happens when it's main spokesman has a British accent and, while being a genius in his particular field (Dawkins), is as much of an idiot as anyone else when playing to the masses.

But yes I agree, most self described atheists are ignorant in regards to the main points within the scientific theories they say to support.