Don’t think this is true. Suspect you are the one coming at people with religious expectations, and they reply to your trying to push your beliefs onto others. You then claim they are trying to convert you....no, they are explaining why they do not share your beliefs. I can’t think of any situations where my religious belief (or lack thereof) comes up in my conversations with others in general.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do atheists attack Christianity exclusively? Sure, there have definitely been some bad events under Christian governance. But that's not exclusive to Christianity. Palestine, anyone? ISIS, anyone?

Find me one Atheist who says their lack of belief applies only to Christianity.

I'll wait.

No, I don't need to wait because it isn't true. We don't believe in all of them, equally.

The question was, why do you atheists only *attack* Christianity. Reading is everything.

Go ahead, tell me about Palestine and ISIS.

I'll wait.

Anonymous wrote:Why do atheists attack Christianity exclusively? Sure, there have definitely been some bad events under Christian governance. But that's not exclusive to Christianity. Palestine, anyone? ISIS, anyone?

Find me one Atheist who says their lack of belief applies only to Christianity.

I'll wait.

No, I don't need to wait because it isn't true. We don't believe in all of them, equally.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"A short sneer" isn't trying to covert someone.

Not unless my Aunt's "Praise Jesus" is also an attempt to convert..

Of course it is. It's saying "I'm smart and you're dumb." What else would you call it besides conversion?

"Sharing an opinion"?

"Respecting places that don't wish to be echo chambers"?

"America"?

Sneers aren't opinions and they don't reflect the best of American democracy. Didn't your mom teach you anything? Or are you one of those MAGA idiots that thinks this type of public behavior is OK?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"A short sneer" isn't trying to covert someone.

Not unless my Aunt's "Praise Jesus" is also an attempt to convert..

Of course it is. It's saying "I'm smart and you're dumb." What else would you call it besides conversion?

"Sharing an opinion"?

"Respecting places that don't wish to be echo chambers"?

"America"?

Why do atheists attack Christianity exclusively? Sure, there have definitely been some bad events under Christian governance. But that's not exclusive to Christianity. Palestine, anyone? ISIS, anyone?

Anonymous wrote:If you get into a deep enough conversation with an atheist about religion, they're going to tell you there is no factual or scientific basis for the magical aspects of religion. Lots of what religions asks of us is a force for good and motivating and beneficial, but we can have ALL of that without the supernatural elements. Believers, who "just believe" by definition, get offended by this...and I get that...and probably feel that that's atheists trying to "convert them." I think that in this case the line between voicing a belief and shitting on a belief is blurry for the believer, because it feels really confrontational. That's just the way it is.

I think it's oversimplifying to say that people are simply "offended" because you don't agree with them, and that they "mistake" this for conversion.

OP isn't talking about the "deep conversations" that are the premise of your (otherwise thoughtful) post. She's talking about the atheists who grab you by the collar--metaphorically on this board, or in person like pp's *whole BIL--to bring up their atheism and then harass you like a dog with a bone (doing well with the mixed metaphors today!) until you walk away.

Anonymous wrote:Not every Atheist is without religion. There are several religions that do not require a God.

which ones?

Not every Atheist is without religion. There are several religions that do not require a God.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can, listen to Christopher Hitchens. He has summarized clearly how religion does thwart thinking, has been harmful, can be harmful and used to oppress
I believe religion should not be above criticism, religious private schools are dogmatic

^ I loved the guy, but I think his crusade, if you will, to publicly denounce religion and write books about it, along with Dawkins and Sam Harris (who I also love) are the type of thing OP is talking about. If you don't believe that's one thing, but why go out of your way to make a whole career of telling others how deluded they are? This is why most people don't like atheists.

I’m a believer and practitioner. I have no trouble having a calm and respectful debate about whether or not religion has done more harm or good. The problem is that atheists interested in this discussion generally only want to focus on Christianity as if there are no other religious traditions to examine and eventually devolve into calling religious beliefs stupid. It’s unnecessary. Cogent debate can be had over democracy, the nuclear family, and many other topics with an eye toward recognizing there are both pros and cons. If theists can recognize that religion has sometimes had harmful effects, why can’t atheists acknowledge that there are some benefits?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don't.

But we care about what is true. So if the subject comes up, be prepared to hear our thoughts.

But nearly every atheist is happy to let you believe what you like as long as you don't choose legislation based on it.

Tell that to most ‘new converts’ to atheism. Nothing makes a zealot like a new convert.

Sure but people are not born with religion. It's a societal construct. Whether family/location you're born to will influence your first religious exposure. And some of course are born into non religious families, those are not converts. They just are.
And no, I don't want to convert you either. But I don't want my secular government policies set based on any religious adherence.

A-fcking-men

Well it’s a little too late for that now, ain’t it?

Anonymous wrote:If you can, listen to Christopher Hitchens. He has summarized clearly how religion does thwart thinking, has been harmful, can be harmful and used to oppress
I believe religion should not be above criticism, religious private schools are dogmatic

^ I loved the guy, but I think his crusade, if you will, to publicly denounce religion and write books about it, along with Dawkins and Sam Harris (who I also love) are the type of thing OP is talking about. If you don't believe that's one thing, but why go out of your way to make a whole career of telling others how deluded they are? This is why most people don't like atheists.

If you can, listen to Christopher Hitchens. He has summarized clearly how religion does thwart thinking, has been harmful, can be harmful and used to oppress
I believe religion should not be above criticism, religious private schools are dogmatic

I think you are confusing former cult members with lifelong atheists
The former cult members, or victims of religion have a need to talk and reach out to others with similar experiences

If you get into a deep enough conversation with an atheist about religion, they're going to tell you there is no factual or scientific basis for the magical aspects of religion. Lots of what religions asks of us is a force for good and motivating and beneficial, but we can have ALL of that without the supernatural elements. Believers, who "just believe" by definition, get offended by this...and I get that...and probably feel that that's atheists trying to "convert them." I think that in this case the line between voicing a belief and shitting on a belief is blurry for the believer, because it feels really confrontational. That's just the way it is.