Late (kind of) but I never got into atheism as it felt too much like an organized religion itself, with again too many rules, beliefs and conditions attached to it. As an angsty teenager I voraciously read Hitchens and Dawkins (especially being raised in a religious household) and their arguments made a lot of sense to me. Atheists themselves however simply seemed to be everything they claimed to hate. It doesn't bother me if I tell someone I'm having a hard time and they say "oh I'll keep you in my prayers/I'll pray for you" provided it isn't that snotty, dismissive, holier than thou tone. You're still trying to control someone's speech and this is how a person just expresses genuine concern and empathy for another human in distress. You are the one being a dick. It doesn't surprise me that the internet generated this idea of 'Atheism+'.
I don't like organized religion, whatever brings you peace and joy in your life but I dislike it intensely and I don't want it in the State or my lawmaking. Having that belief doesn't take away that I still think you should treat individuals with basic respect until shown otherwise. It is not for me to tell someone else to live or believe and if these beliefs give someone a sense of comfort after distress, bereavement, addiction etc then I do wish you well. This isn't an anti Christianity thing, it is all shit. I fully agree that people who will sit all day taking aim at Christians (of which might might actually be pretty receptive to them, they just want to bother God a litle bit, as a treat) are too chicken to ever go after Islam. In the UK there were
2024 recorded incidents of honor based violence ranging from
FGM to forced marriage; the UK reports an average of
12-15 killings per year. This is statistically far higher than the topic of the thread yet receives nowhere near the attention. I do maintain Christianity is a scourge when they insist on forcing their beliefs into the State but Christians are not strapping suicide vests to themselves. This was why I liked Dawkins. It is trendy to hate Christians but most "Christians" simply are not very good Christians. Many "Christians" really do just want to go have their little church meetings or whatever, sing their lil songs about Jesus and vibe in peace without bothering anyone and if you don't bother me or anyone else I don't care what you do. It is fine to say you dislike organized religion untl you mention that includes Islam and now you are a racist. Why is it racist to think I don't think it is cultural to slit your wife's throat because she thought she brought shame on the family, or mutilate your daughter to the point having children as an adult may tear her to shreds or that she will never feel any joy over her body? lol fuck you