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What drives fundamentalist atheism? Maybe it's control issues.
That is a good question and a good observation. I am an Atheist and I definitely have 'control issues'. I am hyper-sensitive to people who try to control me and maybe that led me to reject any mainstream religious teachings.
On the other hand, I have no hard feelings against any organized religion, but if you ever see my posts on the Judaism and Islam forum you will see that I really criticize people who think their religion is better than others and brag about it.
It seems that many of my fellow Atheists suffered from religious indoctrination when they were young and maybe that has led them to have anger against mainstream religions, especially Christianity.
Some of their stories are in this thread I started years ago:
“The fanatical atheists are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures who—in their grudge against traditional religion as the "opium of the masses"—cannot hear the music of the spheres.”
Can you believe he said this??
Whether he said it or not, it is absolutely true. I can testify being a former fundamentalist that I was so focused on what fundamentalism lives and thrives off, I missed the essence of the message of Jesus Christ.
I can testify being a former fundamentalist that I was so focused on what fundamentalism lives and thrives off, I missed the essence of the message of Jesus Christ.
Even though I am an Atheist, I think I understand what you mean.
I frequent the Islam and Judaism forum and they seem to have fundies who just want to follow the rules of their religions. I guess some people want to be told exactly what to do in their lives.
Non-fundie Christians are different. As best I can tell, you believe this guy Jesus is a god who can come into your heart and help to guide you through life. He won't give you silly rules to follow, but he will help you make good decisions and comfort you when you face difficulties. That seems like a very good religion for people who want or need that sort of thing.
If there even is such a thing as "fundamentalist atheism," it almost certainly came about as a counterbalance to fundamentalist religion.
It should be remembered that, even today, being an atheist is akin to admitting to being a serial killer among some circles. Fundamentalist religion never becomes bored with slandering atheists and misrepresenting our worldview, how we think, and what we believe. Thus, today, atheists are the most hated and least trusted demographic group in America. That didn't happen because atheists are all a bunch of decadent, hedonistic criminals. It happened thanks to fundamental religious believers who control all of the airwaves of both television and radio.
The fact of the matter is: One cannot counter the encroachment of fundamentalism into the political arena by remaining nice, mild-mannered, well-behaved atheists. I always refer to the demise of the Islamic renaissance when talking about this subject.
Those who know their history know that the Islamic world used to be the global leader in science, discovery, and the creation of new knowledge. The Western world was still groping around in the dark by comparison. It only took a relatively small, vociferous, and well financed group of Islamic fundamentalists to destroy everything the Islamic world had created, plunging it, instead, into a world of intellectual darkness, a land in which the Qu'ran was the only book that mattered. Anything else was heresy and blasphemy. Despite this having occurred almost a thousand years ago, the remnants of this horrific time still exist in the form of ISIS, the misogynistic rules of Saudi Arabia, honor killings in Afghanistan, among other examples that we're constantly hearing about on the news.
The old Islam, despite it being scientific, was still very religious and susceptible to the rise of fundamentalism. As a result, there were no meaningful opposing voices to turning the Middle Eastern lands into one massive caliphate under a strict Islamic theocratic dictatorship. There were no "fundamentalist" atheists nor were there moderate Muslims speaking out in order to preserve their freedoms.
And I'll be damned if such a thing happens in THIS country.
He won't give you silly rules to follow, but he will help you make good decisions and comfort you when you face difficulties. That seems like a very good religion for people who want or need that sort of thing.
Yes, because even we liberal Christians can't think for themselves and need help making decisions and Jesus is right there helping us decide if we should buy whole or 2% milk. Good thing too.... because we can't tell who the atheists, such as yourself, are to ask for advice.
There are such things as rabid, fanatical, and very angry atheists. In my experience with them on forums like this they tend to come out of fundie religions and have a fanatical reaction against it once gone. On the site I mostly participated in before coming here they had a few of them. When the site notified us it was shutting down ( as of yesterday, matter of fact ) and people were asking for suggestions on other places, I studiously avoided mentioning this place because I had not noticed this fanaticism in my time here previous to the shutdown of the other site, and didn't want to let the fanatics know about it.
They are likely a small minority, but they ARE there. Thankfully, as I said, I have not noticed any here.
Fundie fanatics, on the other hand , well , I replaced my view on the most obtuse and ignorant fundie in the world from being one on the previous site to one I ran into here. And this one had to go a LONG way to unseat the previous champion , but he managed it.
As an ex Christian I am of the opinion that those who follow the path of organized religion do so for a number of reasons, my own experience as a kid indoctrinated into religion makes me exempt from this reasoned path approach. I don't have any rigid beliefs now, I also have learned to accept those who do. Einstein's statement was one of disdain for the bellicose atheist, in other writings regarding his personal life it can be shown that he had a dislike for all people who demonstrated a fair amount of aggression and hatred.
When we see a rise in the theological premise being a driver of legislation then the divide between the believers and non believers grows into a very real chasm of thought, I'm hoping that all religious people can find it in their heart to accept that we all don't subscribe to a single view, leaving government law to represent us in all things political.
There are such things as rabid, fanatical, and very angry atheists. In my experience with them on forums like this they tend to come out of fundie religions and have a fanatical reaction against it once gone. On the site I mostly participated in before coming here they had a few of them. When the site notified us it was shutting down ( as of yesterday, matter of fact ) and people were asking for suggestions on other places, I studiously avoided mentioning this place because I had not noticed this fanaticism in my time here previous to the shutdown of the other site, and didn't want to let the fanatics know about it.
They are likely a small minority, but they ARE there. Thankfully, as I said, I have not noticed any here.
Fundie fanatics, on the other hand , well , I replaced my view on the most obtuse and ignorant fundie in the world from being one on the previous site to one I ran into here. And this one had to go a LONG way to unseat the previous champion , but he managed it.
You didn't refer some Fundies to this Board?! Please reconsider...they make this forum!
Middle-of-the-road Generic/Non-religious Theists and Non-Militant Atheists are kinda boring.
You know it's the opposing Fundie dustups are the real "good stuff" around here...well, they are to me anyway.
Please refer them if you are still able.
“The fanatical atheists are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures who—in their grudge against traditional religion as the "opium of the masses"—cannot hear the music of the spheres.”
“The fanatical atheists are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures who—in their grudge against traditional religion as the "opium of the masses"—cannot hear the music of the spheres.”
Can you believe he said this??
Yes, I believe it and I agree with him.
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