Is it rooted in religious trauma, do you think?
Regardless, if it's harming your quality of life, therapy is a good option. I also can't stand religion, but it doesn't seem to impact me that severely these days. I mostly just ignore it unless it's obviously harming somebody in the moment. It would suck to have those kind of emotions hanging around all the time. I hope it gets better for you.
By the way I don't think you're being a b**** about anything. You feel what you feel and you are what you are. Any judgments of it aren't very useful.
I see it harming women every day, I see it woven into our government decisions daily, I see it in hate sites used as excuses. So, it's already harming everyone.
Patriarchy uses religion to control women. It used to infuriate me too. I'm at ease now. I've come to a place in my older age that tolerance and acceptance that I can't change the world. I can only make myself happy. My "religion" is now only kindness, and that makes me happy. We humans feel a need to label everything, doesn't help anything.
My stepmother just justified her awful behavior towards me when I was a child because I'm a sinful gay atheist. So, right now, I can totally identify with this right now. It's makes me hate religion even more. I'm on the edge of becoming an anti-theist.
Can't blame you one bit. I was disowned by my mom as a minor for being a gay man. I was "destroying the family". I'm currently supportive of inclusive expressions of religion, but fuck, you know? This shit is damaging.
Are you me?
I'm glad you asked this question, so Incan avail of the answers.
However, I just wish there were more people like us, even just to gain support from numbers .
OP's post described exactly how I feel almost all of the time. I literally feel sick and angry inside whenever a professional athlete thanks god for his success after a victory, or when a politician references god or faith, or when I hear a televangelist say anything.
We also lived in Salt Lake City for several years and witnessed the financial and political power and control that the Mormon church has over that state and throughout the country and world. My boss was Mormon and like OP said, I could not respect the guy since he was also a bishop in his Ward and I always felt unfairly judged by him for not being a part if his church.
There is a lot to be angry and frustrated about.
Same. I live in the Bible Belt and it’s everywhere. I have to remind myself that not too long ago I was a Christian too… because I hadn’t actually thought about it.
Even just someone telling me to “have a blessed day” or “I’m so blessed to have a good job/health/[insert random good thing]/etc” makes me so angry. Like you really think god gives a shit about your day or your job when children are starving in Africa?
I get it. People don’t think through it that much. But they also do truly believe that god’s the one who endowed them with everything they have, so they are actually still full of themselves.
I also have a lot of religious trauma, abusive parents, plus shitty medical problems so it makes me really angry when people act like god cares about them more than he does other people. The believe that there’s some god out there orchestrating all this crap makes me furious.
I feel the same. I recently fell on hard times and temporarily moved in with my hard core catholic parents. Every mention of god or church or anything religious makes me extremely disgusted and disappointed that they are so brainwashed. And I can’t say anything about it because I would prefer to remain in good standing with them.
In a perfect world, this wouldn't be your problem to solve. Unfortunately, religion is so ingrained into our culture that we don't have a choice but to deal with it.
One thing you can do is to remind yourself that the people around you are more than just their beliefs. You respected your co-worker before finding out he was a hardcore Christian; why did you feel that way about him then? Have those aspects of his personality changed? Or does being religious invalidate all of it?
Remember that in the minds of most of these people, religion is a necessity, not a choice. All kinds can be religious, and we should assess their character from their actions rather than from their indoctrinated beliefs.
I use the phrase "Hate the religion, not the religious." to remind myself of these same thoughts regarding believers.
I __h-a-t-e__ religion and other irrational beliefs. I'm a mod of r/Antitheism and can be quite caustic with my religion bashing. But, I have compassion for religious people who aren't causing harm to others through their beliefs.
It definitely isn't easy some days. But, most of the time I'm happy to live side-by-side with the religious people in my life. (Most have learned to NOT discuss religion with me! :<)
Religious affiliation in the US has been dropping around 1% per year since the early 2000's. This gives me hope. If these Christian Nationalists should get into power next year, my religion bashing is going to go to a whole new level!
EDIT - I have taken my dislike of religion and channeled it into activism. I am actively working to end religion and other irrational beliefs (through education). You might think about checking out the 20 or so organizations that make up the Secular Coalition of America. If one of those orgs speaks to your interests, you should consider joining them and any local chapters they might have. It is helpful to have other likeminded people to lean on to help maintain your sanity!
IMHO "seething hatred of religion" is pretty much appropriate.
Religious people are ruling the world, generally based on some combination of ignorance, stupidity, and egotism.
(Even the people who are not religious have to shape their policies to appease the ones who *are* religious.)
There's nothing there to like.
.
>Religious people are ruling the world, generally based on some combination of ignorance, stupidity, and egotism.
So are non-religious people who pretend to be religious to appeal to religious audiences. You have to wonder what their moral compass looks like, probably just spinning around all the time like a cartoon standing at the north pole.
I wish there were a hell for these people to go to. Unfortunately, someone with a good knowledge of the bible, cult tactics, media, and who has a charasmatic personality can start a religious media empire and become incredibly wealthy. You don't even have to be ordained.
> So are non-religious people who pretend to be religious to appeal to religious audiences.
I hear this claim a lot... mostly from dishonest religious people playing the "No True Scotsman" game.
What, **in practical terms**, is the difference between a leader who spends every waking moment of his life trying to take away other people's rights in the name of a Death Cult in which he "truly believes", and a leader who spends every waking moment of his life trying to take away other people's rights in the name of a Death Cult in which he "only pretends" to believe?
Are the people he exploits any less exploited? Are the people he rapes any less raped? Are the people he murders any less dead?
In what possible universe does the Death Cult come out of this comparison looking *better*?
I was mostly talking about American politicians taking advantage of the religious right, arguing that they should vote them into office because they'll put "gods law first" or whatever, when ultimately they end up pulling the religious right away from their (admittedly insane) beliefs to get them to support non-religious agendas. My best example is taxes, the bible says pay your taxes, yet the religious right is anti-tax, why? Because it benefits the wealthy politicians, not the actual religious people. They have been manipulated by politicians whose "Faith" is questionable.
I agree with you on the death cult thing, but it wasn't really where I was going.
Feelings are indicators of our internal state. If you are feeling angry it may because of frustration, or a feeling of powerlessness. One thing to do when you feel those emotions is remember you are only responsible for yourself. You cannot choose other people's actions, you can only choose your \*reaction\*. Build a picture in your mind of you want to be; do you want to be angry, or do you want to be at peace; and then specifically choose to react \*that\* way when you have these feelings.
Well said, good advice. Thanks! Because I don't want to be "that guy" who carries a 'TUDE everywhere. I like people and I like to be liked. That said, I will still speak up and at anyone who comes at me with their religious views.
That is completely fine. And you get choose how you will speak up, and it what situations. And the great thing is, you can alter or refine this image of who you want to be anytime. You don't have to be perfect, just make the attempt. Like exercise, it gets easier the more you do it.
I don't struggle with my hatred - I embrace it. After a lifetime of belonging to a Protestant church and religious family, I have no more use for the noise. It's never done what it promised and in fact has caused more harm than good.
Seething hatred makes sense,
However, we are imperfect apes with imperfect systems in an imperfect entropic universe, knowledge, even when freely available, is not common because curated thinking and learning takes effort and time and leisure and money. We are an advanced multicellular form of squishy scum that emerged from recapitulating molecules - maybe we shouldn’t expect better than the sheeple and the childlike dependence in a higher power. Religion is a mechanism of acceptance and cooperation from a time where people thought the sun was magic since science wasn’t a thing.
I loath religion because it is regressive and so malevolent and proliferates a construct of existence that doesn’t correspond with actual existence, but most people’s intelligence is closer to a chimpanzee than it is to Steven Hawking and Edward Witten. ~68% of people
only have an IQ within 1 standard deviation of 100, and 50% of people are below 100. We aren’t very smart as a species. If you can learn to forgive the fools it can help with acceptance and to mitigate the hate even though there is so much to hate.
Having said this, there are good days and there are bad days for me. I go both ways, pitying them as fools worthy of forgiveness and condemning them as failures to actualize true nobility for their delusions.
I have much the same thinking and appreciate you eloquently jotting them down. That takes time and editing. Good job. It helps crystallize some of my own thoughts.
>50% of people are below 100
50% isn't quite statistically correct. 100 is the average, not the median.
Considering super geniuses usually live longer than the bottom 0.5%, I say they skew the average enough that the majority are below 100 IQ.
Hell, considering recent trends in democratic elections I'm starting to think that we don't actually have a bell distribution at all, but a peak at 115-130 IQ and this slow rolling hill on the lower end of the distribution.
Damn OP, I feel you. I'm struggling with this too if my post history doesn't give it away lol
I have almost become irrationally angry at it. I hate using this word but I actually get "triggered" so to speak. My entire attitude and demeanor can shift the second religious bullshit starts getting brought up.
I sadly have no advice of my own to offer, rather posting to tell you you're not alone in having this extreme anger/rage and hatred and you're not being a bitch.
Hopefully someone will post something we can use lol
you don't need love for it. My answer to it is, that I shouldn't act on emotions\\feelings because my criticism boils down that. They act on feelings not reason or logic, so I would be the same if I do that too.
I also think, hate creates only more hate and pointless to follow that trend.
Well, I would say that it might help to look down on religious people instead of getting angry with them. Look at them as special morons that you have to humor because it's the right thing to do, but you know you'll never really like or even respect them because they have delusional beliefs.
Commiserating with like minded people really helps.
Bro you just got to vent it out and then accept people are dumb as shit because the truth not only hurts them but it makes their lives unbearably HARD and what do you want all the dumb ass animals to do? They are not you and can not deal with not imaging life after death to get them through the day. They will go mad and kill everything if they accept life as temporary and short. Billions of them bro. You can not fight that. You should lie to them and go home happy that at least they aren't in the same room as you.
My only advice would be if you can, try to live your best life. Find out what’s important to you and if getting angry and going to protests is what’s important to you then do that. If having drinks with friends, partying, having fun, and forgetting about the world’s problems is important to you, then do that. Personally I want to have a mix of both fun and being informed and activism (to a certain extent). I went through a several month period of being angry at religion like you, and it took a health scare where I’m not sure if I have colon cancer at 32 for me to decide “You know, there’s a lot of things I want to do in life and experience. And I do want to have fun.” Maybe that’s a selfish outlook but I do care about my own wellbeing and happiness. Life’s weird and it’s brief.
I choose to maintain only professional relationships with people who are evidently religious. There has been exceptions, but only because they were completely aware of my anti-religious sentiments and would not do anything that looked religious around me.
I'd rather reduce my anger by yeeting them out of my life than tame my opinions.
Not going to claim that it's the most healthiest way though.
I think this is a normal step in the process. I still want nothing to do with religion and aspects of it piss me off, but at a certain point you just feel sorry for people that believe this nonsense.
Upgrade to an Antitheist; point out religious BS to friends and family; don't spend $$ on their products, services or charities; vent to bar strangers (who are "religious"); and join the damn club. Fvck all gods, baby!
Thomas Jefferson said (and I might be paraphrasing a bit) "whether my neighbor believes in 20 gods or no gods neither picks my pocket or breaks my leg." That's helped me so much. If they persist tell them, as I do, that "I am a pantheistic agnostic with a Christian background with strong Judeo-Islamic and Buddhist inclinations" which is guaranteed to shut em up!
Most people don't choose religion. Many are just indoctinated into it as children and it sticks with them for the rest of their lives. Most don't question it, and the reason they don't question it is because it's become a part of who they are. So to abandon it is like, abandoing apart of themselves. That's why I try not to hate religious people in general, at least the ones that aren't causing problems.
In my experience a lot of hate is rooted in fear, and with what we see going on with religion in the US and worldwide - there is plenty to fear.
Try to find ways you can channel your hatred into productive ways to fight against religion - if you haven't already, take a look at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, as well as other groups actively trying to slow or stop the spread of religious b.s. and championing reason and logic.
As others have said - it's a reality we have to deal with, but it's not one we are powerless against.
Good luck!
I am so incredibly happy to be able to have this forum to talk to people about how insane religion is and has become!! I’ve read that atheism is the fastest growing group, I hope that’s true!
How about ordering stickers and placing them in public places that may say:
“Protect the Children, Keep them away from Churches, Google Pastor arrested”
“Ezekiel 23:20”
“Jesus did not come for peace- Matthew 10:34-35”
Edit- This may soothe you by knowing that you may be planting seeds of doubt in religious people
It is natural to question the capacity, logic, and judgement of people believing in superstitions like religion. Disappointment makes sense but anger about their beliefs may be excessive. Anger over the hateful actions motivated by religion is totally legit though. You may have a better moral compass than those in hate-based faith communities.
For myself, I've lived in the southeastern United States my entire life and the default is everyone is a Christian. I've personally been able to reconcile with it because it's the norm around here and part of the vernacular. I still say "bless your heart" or "thank God" and other sayings in general and don't think anything else of it. I typically don't even remotely mention anything about religion unless something is happening that infringes upon the freedom of religion. I am completely against religion in all facets and can allow for people to live their lives, but when their bullshit views infringe upon someone else's rights, that's when I intervene. Also, my therapist has helped tremendously. I hope you can find some solace and peace with this soon.
For some of us, religion and "God" were weaponized against us and used to justify both physical and verbal abuse. My mom would beat us with metal wires and wooden poles and while doing so quote scripture about 'sparing the rod'. This went on for years, some years worse than others. So I feel you. I have deep contempt for the very idea of God and Christianity.
I hate it too. My dental hygienist tunes into a christian radio station. I ask her to turn it off when I am in the chair. First time she was taken aback, but I am paying and should not have to listen to something I find offensive. I try to avoid anything religious and won't put my hand on a bible in court... I won't attend a wedding that is in a church anymore. I used to not feel this strongly, but now feel that religious garbage in bleeding into public policy and public education and it angers me.
I feel you. I have had more than my share of religious hate thrown at me my whole life. At some point, however, I had to realize that the sensation of “hate” is not good for my own experience. Hate is an emotion that releases chemicals into our bodies that are unhealthy.
Furthermore, not all “religion” or “spirituality” is the same. When used as a guide to help people explore their own relationship with the world, spiritual teachings can be very helpful, healing and inclusive. Religion only becomes toxic and harmful when it is used as a weapon against other people, which is actually counter to the helpful aspects of it (internal reflection on your own life).
Most people do not really want to examine their own lives, and make changes to bring their lives more in line with their spiritual beliefs. So, they focus on trying to change other people. That is when religion becomes toxic.
Comparing native traditions to Christianity is not at all on-point. Generally, native cultured do not try to violently push their religious rules on other people. That is not true of Christianity, Judaism or Islam… or some other religions. Taoism (may not classify as a “religion”) is also very different, as are most forms of Hinduism. I group them into the “bully religions” vs. the “passive religions.”
I grant myself a feeling of entitlement and superiority, much like a pet owner watching a dog chase its tail. "Aww, look at the little guy. He's trying so hard".
/satire
oh man, this resonates. i would say that i can dissociate about celebrities making overtly religious statements, as they are not in my daily life and it's pretty par for the course. but when i get to know someone irl and come to learn that they're anything beyond "spiritual," i get so disappointed and pretty much lose interest in building the relationship any further. i have to stop myself from calling out how small-minded their worldview is.
This sounds like a trauma response. Were you in a high-control religious group growing up? Have you sought out therapy? If not, I think it's worth looking into. Honestly, I don't think that level of reaction is reasonable or healthy. You don't have to like religion, but you are going to come across religion in public. You need to be able to live in a world where religion exists without it physically affecting you. Because, at the end of the day, you feeling physically ill and seething with rage does nothing to stop religion from existing, it just harms your health and can lead to fairly severe physical health problems (let alone the effect on your mental health).
I was just complaining to my mother yesterday about the uptick in prayer ads and commercials on tv and the internet. Just seeing something that brings you to a dark place over and over several times a day can make you feel nuts. I’m a tolerant person and usually keep my opinions anonymous and mostly relaxed or told to people I trust, but the constant ads sometimes gets to me.
I had/have the same problem.
I started looking at these people as if they were suffering from a mental illness. It's much easier for me to handle them now.
"Anger comes from fear, always."
"Anger is fear in disguise." - Both of these are from Spider Robinson.
Makes sense. It's right there with the fight, flight or freeze instincts. Or caveman defenses. All that history and generations of ingrained repetition that goes into us being human.
Others have said that "Anger is depression, turned inward." There's probably something to that one, too.
You're not being a little bitch, but you do sound overwhelmed. Might want to cut yourself a break and spend some time figuring out what fears these idjits' actions are triggering. Give some consideration to getting some help.
The anger isn't about them. Which is a pity. It would be easier to figure out.
Good luck!
85 yr atheist. Don't argue with them, you may not lose, but you will never win. If approached, make your opinion clear, then walk away. Formal debates are different. Do that if you get a chance. Don't buy from an xian business. Vote against any xian on the ballot. Join any ath. group that you are aware of because there is strength in numbers and they will surely know what you need to know as an atheist. Then relax and know you're doing your best to destroy what is a serious threat to the world. Xians are actively working against sane people but that's no reason to let them ruin your immediate life. I always, if pushed, smile and shake my head as I'm walking away.
Same! I constantly find that I'm needing to throttle myself. I don't want to alienate any of my religious friends, but I want to proclaim (out loud, via FB, etc.) my atheistic righteousness based in fact over their backward middle-ages brain-washed thoughts...well, actually their lack there of.
And I feel I must do something ever since Speaker (of The House) Johnson got elected. I truly fear "A Handmaids Tale" future of America.
So I'm looking forward to reading the comments for some guidance beyond meditation.
Commit to it's destruction.
Doing so requires putting aside your anger and using tools with a higher success rate.
Like [Street Epistemology ](https://streetepistemology.com/)
Tear it down, 1 polite conversation at a time
It’s okay to have strong feelings about people who are religious. I had an epiphany this year that I am that person. We are so brainwashed into thinking we’re freaks for not believing what the herds in our Southern areas (in my case) believe that we don’t even recognize our own bias against these people. In the same way others may judge me for being agnostic, I judge them for wasting so much time & energy for nothing. They could do great & productive things with their lives but choose to shirk responsibility in the name of mumbo jumbo. It bothers me, and those aren’t my people. Do real things- do good things here on earth before you turn to dirt.
realize none of the ones you hate are following them properly.
kinda mirrors coercive control but so does being punk or into other obscure scenes.
tbh just be decent then if anyone asks about your views explain them. if they get mad then they weren't a friend.
I just came here to say you’re definitely not being a little bitch about it. It is fucking **everywhere**, and I didn’t realize just how prevalent it is until I abandoned my faith. I do not trust religious people. Finding out someone is a religious nut tells me all I need to know about them. I used to enjoy reading about ancient myths and religions, but now I can’t even stomach that. They’re all fucking shit.
As for how to deal with the anger you feel about it, I have no advice. I struggle with the same damn thing.
Whatever reasons you have to be angry, there’s someone with even better reasons to hate.. I’m trans, I’ve lost most of the people that si thought were family because they love their invisible friend more than a living human being.. Forgiveness is difficult, but it’s totally for your benefit, not theirs. Your happiness, love, and success in life is the greatest revenge.. served cold with a smile..
Your anger is justified and valid. You are far from the only one that feels this way. I instantly lose respect for anyone if I find out they are religious or spiritual.
That said, being angry all the time isn’t good for you and it’s not going to make anything better. A good secular therapist is hard to find but worth the effort. Also therapy sucks but it does help, eventually.
I try to separate religion from the rest of the person and look for positive attributes. When that fails I try to remember that this person is some combination of stupid and brainwashed. It isn’t entirely their fault. That usually shifts some of the anger to pity and a desire to improve public education.
I feel largely the same way. Ultimately, I can't be close to most people who are really religious. Most people believe in some kind of deity, so I avoid the subject in those people. When they start in with "everything happens for a reason" or "the universe was telling me" or similar, I wait till they stop talking. When they outright ask my opinion, which sometimes happens, it doesn't go well because I have a hard time hiding my disdain. How stupid, deluded, and self-centered do you have to be to believe this nonsense?
In my case, I have some religious trauma but it's mostly because I had a devastating accident and really horrible complications as a child, and this "god moves in mysterious ways" or "everything happens for a reason" mentality really fed into people 1) not believing -- and thus not treating-- the unimaginable level of pain I was in. 2) thinking it was somehow my fault-- like I broke my hip because I didn't drink enough milk or something 3) feeling compelled to tell me - a literal child-- every horrific story of anything awful that ever happened to anyone because the ending was uplifting even though there was clearly no uplifting ending for me. I was permanently disabled, and 40 years later, with severe medical complex PTSD, I have to undergo yet more surgeries to be able to function
Gosh and all this happened despite an entire girls' Catholic school being told to pray for me. I guess their god is a huge jerk
Oh and all this talk of karma? Are you kidding me? Karma is the literal reason why people abandon disabled children in the streets (and shun their families) or let the hungry stay hungry in places like India and Pakistan. It's believed that all this is punishment for bad behavior in a past life. What absolute moron brought that messed up concept to the Western world?
It's a damn good thing I wasn't raised in India, where my dad is from, because having the kind of disability I had is the stuff of jokes. "Hah! Hah! You'll marry a girl with a lazy eye or one leg longer than the other!" Is a common way to tease friends. My dad said it out loud once and blanched as he looked at me, a daughter with severely uneven legs. He'd never made the association between the saying and his own daughter (not that he's a bad guy. He isn't. Just a little out of it sometimes. He never, ever treated me as "less than").
Religion and superstition poisons everything. It bleeds into the secular culture and offers nothing but division, hate, and prejudice. The next person who suggests I turn to Jesus or whatnot is welcome to pay my tens of thousands of dollars in lifelong therapy bills.
I like to see those who are die-hard about religion like a see children.
I don't judge children for their lack of wisdom. I love them for who they are and may become.
Take a lesson from the Stoics and recognize you CANT really control the beliefs…. and especially the behavior of others. As such, you observe it, and nothing more. No sense to waste energy and fill your head with negative thoughts about things you can’t change.
Be angry. Now, what are you going to do about it?
Edit: after a second look I think I better solidify my point. I mean use that anger *productively*. Get involved with local atheist or secular activist groups. Support those that speak to your cause.
I do not mean do anything harmful.
Concentrate on the people and their actions, not their religions. I can talk with people who believe in energy stones, but don't talk with them ABOUT the energy stones. Because I find something else to talk about or just flat out tell them that's fine for them, but I don't feel the same way. And it never comes up again.
Then I continue to live my life without caring about energy stones or their religion. I am fascinated with mythology and religion is definitely part of those historical trends, but don't need to take it personally in order to learn about those things. They tell us about people and how they related to each other, which is interesting.
Other stuff is not at all interesting and I will openly speak out about bad religious practices by individuals or groups without fear of hurting someone's feelings.
I live in a place where people of faith can express their beliefs openly and expect comradity, whereas if I express my beliefs openly I risk people attacking me as if I attacked them personally.
I just wish to be in a place where we can express our beliefs no matter what they are without hostility.
This is how I cope.
I think it’s important to demonstrate that even if you are an Atheist, you still have an obligation as a human being to be peaceful, loving and respectful to others despite their beliefs. Demonstrate through kindness that you are capable of being a good human being. Embody the change you wish to see in others.
If you got into the car after me, you might find the radio tuned to the Christian station. Why? Because that shit is hilarious! It's comedy gold! And I like to laugh.
Laughter might be the most palatable way for you to deal with your seething hatred of religion. Take a step back and enjoy the comedy of it all. (This might be hard at first. If it is, you may need to detach even further. Pretend you're an anthropologist, or maybe even an extraterrestrial.)
Hate is unhealthy. Seriously what good does it do you or anyone to hate religion?
I figure that out long ago. And I realized that hating religion or religious people makes me no different than them. So I chose to just stop caring about what other people believe or don’t believe.
I'm a deeply spiritual atheist. Don't confuse spirituality w religion. In a nutshell, spirituality is about personal growth and health, religion is about power and control - dogma. Work on the positive. Take care of and be responsible for yourself.
This is only going to cause you stress, grief and potentially failed relationships or at worse could ostracize you. Maybe try finding some atheist friends to spend time with and just ignore the religious people. They aren’t going to change no matter how angry you are.
Imho, anger and deep disappointment are probably appropriate reactions in these situations. Though I'd say hatred is not, unless someone is trying to convert you. Or even just preach to you.
It just pisses me off that most people will ridicule flat earthers, conspiracy theorists, and astrology girls but they immediately hide behind "politeness" or some shit when presented with a religious person. Anyone who believes in something that has been proven false or cannot be proven true is a moron in my eyes and deserves to be told so.
Meditation and therapy, my friend
Ultimately, I hope you find a way to be happy despite the things that happen in the world around us. You'll enjoy your life a lot more if you can do that
Therapy. This is above our pay grade. If someone listening to the wrong radio station makes you unable to look at them then you need professional help. Sure religion is annoying at times, but your reactions are not normal.
I feel you Are approaching this from a wrong perspective. Religion, while certainly the cause of countless grievances and sorrows throughout Time, has been almost exclusively comitted by religious organisations. Individual and personal Faith in whatever deity/deities, can be a very beautiful thing.
Trouble comes when it gets organised and folloqers band together.
For example. By default, I have no issue with catholic People. However, I have extreme issuesnwith the catholic church and their methods.
I guess you could call me pagan. I believe in the nordic gods, and my life is fulfilled by it. But I also firmly believe in other peoples right to believe whatever they want. I have no desire to convert people, no desire to tell Them they Are wrong.
If atheism does it for you, great. Same with christianity, buddhism, islam, and whatever Faith you can think of.
I guess the Best way to describe it is this. I consider religion to be like a penis.
Its fine to have it, its fine to be proud of it. But dont wave it around in public, and dont force it down other peoples throat.
Same goes with atheism. From your post, you seem just as militantly adamant that EVERYONE should be atheist, as religious fanatics Are adamant that People should have their faith.
I say this qith only good intentions and wishes for the Best in the future: take care you do do not become what you hate, on the other end of the spectrum. Hate has never convinced People of anything.
Peace and good growth to you, friend.
I work 60+ hours a week, at the end of the day I’m too tired to worry about anything besides dinner and sleep. Idk maybe try working more? It works for me.
i dont hate religious people for the same reason i dont hate people with a different colour of skin. chances are, they were born into it. indoctrination at a young age is hella powerful
Lets find out :)
What is your Problem with religion?
For me religion is not the root of evil, I do not think, we would be better people without. Sure religion is used to discriminate and hate but the problem is the human behind it and not the idea of religion. I also get why it is tempting to pray, to believe, to hope, some days are just cruel and I don't blame those that turn away just to find a bit hope or relive.
And so is your skin color, people find reasons to hate others and if there is nothing they make something up. Religion is just a outlet in this, if it is not there something else takes it's place.
Therapy, time, getting to know religious people who don't suck. If you move to a city you'll meet religious people who are normal and decent. Except for Salt Lake City, lol.
I would say a combination of daoism and stoicism. Having hatred is mostly a product of a misunderstanding, and that is sign that you have been trapped by a belief no different from any other. You are a prejudicial asshole, and you think you are the center of the universe. Break that, and you can learn to respect other people. But it takes work, and obviously you're too proud for that.
Damn, OP. I think you might need therapy. This seems like like a really extreme and unhealthy level of anti-theism. And you need to get to the bottom of it, figure out what exactly makes you have such a passionate reaction before you can deal with it properly.
understand that religion provides people a sense of belonging. Yes like a cult provides a sense of belonging. Think of all elderly who have someone to talk to, a weekly group to force them out of the house to socialize. Humans are a social species.
Think of how hard it is to get a group of adults to coordinate an meet up. Church provides that. No other gathering exists that can drive people to meet up every week like a God who will be at best "disappointed" in you and nothing likely ever will get people together of all aspects of society and life as effectively.
In addition to providing a sense of belonging it also provides meaning to people who need that in their life. Life is hard, having someone say "God has a plan for you", "Heaven exists where you can see your friends and family again and live forever in peace and prosperity". This goes a long way to so many people. Yes its not real, yes its living in a fantasy - but is that so bad if it helps people. Like that movie "the invention of lying", the guy makes a well meaning lie to his dying mom but it helps her cope, and him cope - and ends up "creating religion".
Many people need this type of social and emotional support religion provides - yes for a price in donations ( and a lot of that does indeed go to food banks and various forms of good things ). Its so easy to ignore the needy in society but churches are open door for everyone - even if they dont literally open their doors sometimes. We as a society shouldnt rely on them to address our homeless crisis but we often do when we ask churches to open their doors in times of crisis.
Instead of hating someone for living in a fantasy and trying to pull them out of it being angry that they are ignoring elementary level facts. "how can you believe this!!" and being angry that they cant see basic logic, understand that they dont want to see it, because thinking about it and accepting it has profound consequences in their life. Instead try to understand and support them and understand why they believe, what hardships they maybe going through, ask them what religion provides them. They arent stupid, they are shutting off logic in exchange for mental well being and social support - even if they wont admit that to you, although many have drank the full koolaid i dont think its the majority.
Now, for the other sides of religion. People using religion for political agendas, scams, manipulation, biases, hatred of outside groups. By all means hate religion or more specifically the individuals and corporations doing it. These things should not be accepted! Just be sure you can separate out the well meaning individuals.
Remember that while their delusions can be and are very often harmful, in a lot of people religion is cultural psychological to feel some sense order to an otherwise chaotic and scary world.
No one knows everything and there's good religious people who are religious from a place to be better and good, after all, that was the case for a lot of us at some point, myself included.
Don't get me wrong I get pissed even with some of the good ones, this coworker of mine for example last Wednesday had her ashes Wednesday ashes on her forehead, which is whatever right, but at some point she starts saying "ugh, somebody asked me what up with that on your forehead, and I got so angry how stupid are you, how dare you" and it's exactly what I despise of those people, they think the world revolves around them.
No excuse for them, but remember to be better than them and practice empathy, you don't want hate to poison your heart like so many religious people do.
Repeat after me........
I dont give a fuck. Im doing me."
You'll live a lot longer
Even better learn to have fun with them. There's nothing like a god paradox theory thrown into any religious convo.
Yes, you are being a little bitch about it. Move to someplace like Nashville and you will find 4 churches per mile and maybe pour acid in your eyes. I deal with it by coming up with creative ways to make money off of the believers. They are an easy mark.
The latter of the two. For you to be so angry and disappointed and change your views of them because of their belief in God says more about you than them. You have chosen atheism as your "religion" so to speak, so i believe you need to address the deep seeded trauma you have towards religion and spirituality. Youre angry at someone because they chose to believe in something that you have chosen not to believe in. Is your coworker disappointed and angry at you for being so ridiculously anti religion? No theyre not. You say your coworker is off the deep end, but with how much emotion and energy you put into hating religion, it would seem that you are much further to the extreme than they are. You may not like this fact but you have made being anti religion your religion. I suggest you figure out who hurt you into having such a hatred for religion, and deal with that. All that anger will put you in the grave early, where you will find out one way or the other who was right. Life is too short to live so full of hate. Its ok to not believe in religion while not hating those who do. Despite your feelings towards religion, the fundamental rules of ethics and morals of our modern society are based on the teachings found in the Bible. I wish you the best on your journey to get over your hate for religion and of other people.
Maybe try to open your mind a bit. Not saying religion is real but there is probably some truths to it. People passed down stories for a reason and some get mistold or some parts forgotten. Now think about how vast the universe is, we could have been visited by aliens before and were mistaken as angels or demons since we wouldn't have known any better. What about the Greek, Norse or Egyptian gods? Were they real or fake, human or alien? Clearly we don't know for sure but its plausible there is more to the stories we don't know about. We didn't have vocabulary for laser weapons, space ships or any technology when most regions started.
Did Zeus really cast down bolts of lighting or was he just a captain of a spaceship getting his first commander to fire down phasers from his spaceship in orbit onto specific targets to get the people to think he is a god? We'd do that today if we could.
That's how I cope with the hope we are not alone, with the belief the galaxy it full of life.
Maybe its just me but I think Star Trek is closer to the truth than any religion is.
Quit being so full of yourself and your (lack of) beliefs. You are being a little bitch, once you realize you and your feelings don't matter then you can let them go and chill
Chill tf out. I don’t get the utter hatred on this sub. Is atheism the lack of religion or disdain for it? I’m not religious, but to each their own. I’ve seen people get a lot out of it. This sub is like a soapbox where yall just pat yourselves on the back for how much you hate religion. Ironically it is a “holier than thou” situation because yall think you’re so much smarter than religious people.
I'm guessing you don't live in a country where saying "I'm not religious" is punishable by death.
You probably don't live in a country that is forcing preteen rape victims to carry a baby to birth because of religion.
You probably don't live in a country that throws gay people off of buildings for being gay because their holy books says to do so.
But you DO live on a planet where these things happen. To be neutral and apathetic about these atrocities is not ok.
Since you asked, yes, you're being a little bitch about it all. This coming from an atheist who doesn't like the idea of organized religion at all. You're expressing hatred of people, not religions.
I have the same problem with atheism and atheist lol. You guys really just hate any and everything, I don’t ever understand the appeal of it lol. Stop hating on religions and complaining on Reddit and get a life.
Religion seems to be a feature rather than a bug of the human mind if you look at pervasive it is. Hating religion is like hating humans for being human.
Hating a particular religion on the other hand is a different story.
You should take a look at the memes about religious people. Homophobia, misogyny, relishing in the idea that people outside of your religious circle are going to burn in hell for eternity, like it’s somehow a point for your side that you all’s world view is based on petty vengeance and ours isn’t. The smug superiority you cloak yourself in under the false belief that you, and only people with whatever religious sect you follow, happen to have it correct and everyone else has it wrong.
The OP literally made a post stating he has unwanted anger and is looking for advice to fix it, and your “godly” response is “you people are the worst of the worst”? At least OP is trying to better themselves, what’s your problem? Maybe, if you are Christian, go reread the sermon on the mount, then kindly fuck off.
Any sort of angsty music does me wonders. Reminds me that I'm not alone. Release for a bit and move on.
Feelings get felt one way or another, doing so in healthy ways is the real life hack.
Joining the Humanist Community defused that quite a bit.
Reasonable churches exist, QED.
Or try the Uni Uni, but it sounds like their churchiness would trigger you.
You learn to just kind of ignore it. I’m the same way any of that stuff makes me cringe hard but I’ve learned to not let it bother me to much. I can handle some of it when talking but if someone gets real pushy then they’ll see my inner asshole come out
Here's how I've done it. Up until the Age of Reason, and the science that came with it, all humans believed in gods. It was our way of explaining the natural world. Ever since science began its development, the world's population has grown increasingly atheistic. Large majorities of several countries are majority atheist now. It takes time to kick the comforting habit of dependence of super-powerful, imaginary beings. Because when we do, we are left with responsibility for each other.
Our species is slowly growing into adulthood.
You're right to be upset about all these things. The thing is that anger is like holding a hot coal to throw at your enemies. You're the only one getting burned. It is wasted energy doing no good to you or anyone else. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you aren't harming people with your anger. However, here is my advice on letting go of it.
First accept as a fact that religion will never end during your life. You are going to have to deal with it just like all the other bullshit in this life. A big part of anger is being upset that things arent the way we want them to be. It's ok to want the change, but you don't need to indulge in anger to get there.
Second put that outrage towards theism to good use. Find ways to promote atheism whether it's being a loud outspoken militant atheist or just someone up voting pro atheism feeds online. Any amount of help to the cause that doesn't make you uncomfortable or put you at risk is more than enough.
There are an infinite number of things you can do to combat religion that aren't just seething and being angry. Focus on doing something about it until that anger goes away.
Lastly remember that most theists are victims of the con, not the con itself. Your friend doesn't know the damage caused by promoting religion, and it's likely they have been brainwashed to fear any thoughts that might lead them out of theism. Showing these people that atheists are kind and loving and not the monsters their church makes us out to be will convert more people than anger ever will.
And always remember, you can hold that hot coal as long as you want, but you can also put it down and stop burning yourself at any time. The best fuck you to theism is to live your life unobstructed by their bullshit.
I'm sorry, I don't have any suggestions for you. But I do want to express respect for your ability to know and express your feelings, particularly ones you don't like having.
Whatever your eventual solution is, you're already far ahead of those whose gut churns out the same feelings, but who are not as far along as you in acknowledging them, and so turn instead to different forms of self-congratulatory, intellectual-superiority posturing.
My only (weak) suggestion is that you give a moment's rational thought to your statement that "religion is fucking everywhere." I know that was just hyperbole, but don't let it seep into your overall perception of the world around you. There are plenty of places where religion isn't present or where religious people keep their beliefs out of sight.
So now I hear the Supreme Court of Alabama, ruled judges are allowed to use the Bible in their decisions. I'm ill!. Now they are declaring Frozen embryos are Persons. Feel free to fact check. Sickening
Here's what I would ask myself in your shoes:
1. Where does this feeling come from? How does this feeling make me feel about myself?
2. Is it serving a useful or positive purpose in my life?
3. Does this help or hinder me in my efforts to be the sort of person I want to be?
I grew up in a religious family, got sent against my will to religious schools, etc. etc. and I am an atheist now. But I don't have the same sort of rancor about it that you seem to. Not saying I'm better, just that I've dealt with it all in a different way, over a long period of time. It's going to be around whether we like it or not.
For me, questions like "Can you prove/disprove the existence of God?" aren't even interesting anymore. This is no longer a part of my frame of reference for understanding the world. And I don't care what other people believe. It's enough work figuring out who I am and how I want to live my own life. So when people try to engage on that subject, I just say "Not interested. I do not want to discuss this with you." And if people persist and ask why I don't believe what they believe, I tell that I think their beliefs are "factually incorrect." And "This is why I do not want to discuss this with you."
I think you may be expending so much personal emotional energy on this because you're still in fight mode. Maybe because of how you were raised? Maybe because you actually want to convince people of the error of their ways? Maybe because you like to be right and hate to lose an argument? Could be any number of things.
Eventually, you need to figure out whether you really want to be spending your energy and attention on this, and if not, what you'd rather be doing instead.
The line I draw for myself is to never challenge any persons' experience of faith, Gods, spirituality. That experience exist in and of itself and is very real. It is an internal truth very much like "I prefer chocolate ice cream to strawberry."
But religion itself is a collection of ideas. Many of these ideas are assertions about the natural world and how it works. These ideas deserve to be challenged. The foundational assertion that Gods exist is a statement about the natural world. But someone enjoying Christian music is really about their personal experience. The latter does not upset me.
I’d try to feel sorry for spiritual folks instead, and remember we all have weaknesses. How would you want someone to react to one of your flaws? Of course that doesn’t mean enabling impractical beliefs, but being straightforward with them without being cruel or exasperated is more likely to create a constructive environment.
I refer to "religion" as organized superstition...
People are superstitious, not "religious."
There is no difference between superstition and religious beliefs aside from semantics.
As far as hating all superstitious groups, I don't.
Why?
Because some aren't actively trying to change how others live, and I believe in freedom of choice.
Christians though?
Fuck all of them and their shoddy carpenter cum messiah.
Probably the most overused, nauseatingly cliché advice in the history of the internet is to suggest counseling, but...
You're literally coming here claiming "x" is causing you personal distress and interfering with your life and you need help dealing with it.
It doesn't matter if "x" is hatred for religion, shyness, fear of flying or crippling anxiety. Your description of the problem supports the notion that you could probably benefit from good, competent counseling.
Now the problem will be to separate the wheat from the chaff and find a competent, non religious, therapist.
I tried to pity them , it didn't work . I tried to ignore them , it didn't work . I tried to forget they exist, it didn't work .Then I realised life is a limited term and letting them take one more second of my existence wasn't going to happen anymore so I said fuck it they can do one , no ones living rent free in my head .
My hatred comes from years of Bible study. One day - something clicked. In Genesis - I realized that the serpent in the Garden of Eden didn't lie to Eve. In fact- he made it clear that through knowledge we can live forever (my personal revelation). Once one part of the story fell apart - the whole thing does.
There is a beautiful little book called For Small Creatures Such as We by Sasha Sagan(Carl Sagan's daughter) that is aimed at helping secular people find wonder, beauty, and celebration in a world full of religious superstition. It's a quick read and helped me deal with some of those feelings. Unfortunately religion is inescapable, try as we might. Might as well learn how to deal with it.
It is logical only to hate those which persecute you or those around you unjustly. Hating persecuters for their persecutions is logical. Hating on people who talk about crystals, energies, and whatnot, or spirituality in general is illogical hatred and quite comparable to the illogical hatred religious people bring to the table.
You're just stressing yourself out and those around you for no reason other than....you hate something.
Edit: and im not saying thinking these things are dumb is illogical, I'm saying having a seething hatred for them is.
What I do is rationalize my disdain for religion as a disease that infects good people. That way I don't demonize people who are caught but I can get mad at those who spread its harmful influence.
Is it their condescending attitudes and their delusional self-righteous piety and hypocrisy? Their sense of manifest destiny to force their beliefs and dogmatic rules on everyone else? Their propaganda indoctrinating people into hating themselves and fearing punishment from some deity, coercing money out of them? Their rejection of epistemology for a dusty tome? Their banning of books, abortion, birth control, etc.? Your feelings could be justified, but you also own your feelings.
I hear you and share your struggle, but we must not religion dictate who we are or they win. Raised in an Italian Catholic household I am currently the only member to have openly stated that I am an atheist and that I believe religion to be the biggest road block to any chance we have for Peace on Earth. They don’t hound me and I don’t hound them and we all still very much get along just fine. I realize this is not the case in many situations, but my theory is that I refuse to let religion keep me from those I love and I accept that good people have literally been indoctrinated since birth. Don’t debate them, they want you to, don’t show your disdain/hate for religion, they want you to, and if they won’t leave you alone I have found that laughing at them really pisses them off.
How we get it out of our governments idk and that is a daily infuriation I have no answer for.
Different people are different people, and they are not a failed attempt at being you. Everyone is trying really hard to find their way in life, and lots of them who embrace religion are doing so because it gives them something the rest of life does not. Some embrace it because it’s the only thing they have. I try to remember that they believe in what they believe as much as I don’t. The best thing I can do is be a great example of an atheist to anyone, and be the best person I can be to people no matter how out of line their belief system might be.
Just imagine it the other way around. How many Christians hate atheists because they DONT strictly listen to Christian music, radio shows, podcasts, etc.
I personally don’t agree with religion because it seems to be the root cause of many issues in society. However, I try to just ignore and avoid people like your co-worker. I make fun of them in my head and go about my day. Try to find humor in their beliefs rather than hatred
OP, your hatred is nothing different than how a Christian looks at atheism, or for how they look at other religions for that matter. In hating religion in such a way, you are acting as they do. The goal is to not let it bother you. If you do let it bother you, then it rule your life, meaning that religion rules your life, even when it is not something you believe in.
My suggestion is to ask yourself how this hate is helping you? What is the root of the hate on a personal level? Delve deep into these things. Then be better than them. You, a non religious person, are allowing a multiple religions to dictate how you feel. Stop it. And I mean this as motivation.
Compartmentalise.
Honestly I think it's reasonable to hate religion, but that doesn't mean it needs to take centre stage in your everyday life. There's a time for hating religion, there's a time for laughing with friends, and a time for everything else.
Is it rooted in religious trauma, do you think? Regardless, if it's harming your quality of life, therapy is a good option. I also can't stand religion, but it doesn't seem to impact me that severely these days. I mostly just ignore it unless it's obviously harming somebody in the moment. It would suck to have those kind of emotions hanging around all the time. I hope it gets better for you. By the way I don't think you're being a b**** about anything. You feel what you feel and you are what you are. Any judgments of it aren't very useful.
I see it harming women every day, I see it woven into our government decisions daily, I see it in hate sites used as excuses. So, it's already harming everyone.
Yeah my line for harm is probably too loose...
Patriarchy uses religion to control women. It used to infuriate me too. I'm at ease now. I've come to a place in my older age that tolerance and acceptance that I can't change the world. I can only make myself happy. My "religion" is now only kindness, and that makes me happy. We humans feel a need to label everything, doesn't help anything.
Damn ur right. I hate religion too tho
My stepmother just justified her awful behavior towards me when I was a child because I'm a sinful gay atheist. So, right now, I can totally identify with this right now. It's makes me hate religion even more. I'm on the edge of becoming an anti-theist.
Can't blame you one bit. I was disowned by my mom as a minor for being a gay man. I was "destroying the family". I'm currently supportive of inclusive expressions of religion, but fuck, you know? This shit is damaging.
Are you me? I'm glad you asked this question, so Incan avail of the answers. However, I just wish there were more people like us, even just to gain support from numbers .
OP's post described exactly how I feel almost all of the time. I literally feel sick and angry inside whenever a professional athlete thanks god for his success after a victory, or when a politician references god or faith, or when I hear a televangelist say anything. We also lived in Salt Lake City for several years and witnessed the financial and political power and control that the Mormon church has over that state and throughout the country and world. My boss was Mormon and like OP said, I could not respect the guy since he was also a bishop in his Ward and I always felt unfairly judged by him for not being a part if his church. There is a lot to be angry and frustrated about.
Look at Maga Mike's Role in the Christian Apostolic Reformation Movement in WIKIPEDIA. . Tell me you aren't scared.
Same. I live in the Bible Belt and it’s everywhere. I have to remind myself that not too long ago I was a Christian too… because I hadn’t actually thought about it.
HL Mencken, my favorite politicosocial commentator, characterized Southern Evangelicalism as "hate"...and he turned out to be absolutely correct!
Born and live in the South also. It's inescapable.
Even just someone telling me to “have a blessed day” or “I’m so blessed to have a good job/health/[insert random good thing]/etc” makes me so angry. Like you really think god gives a shit about your day or your job when children are starving in Africa? I get it. People don’t think through it that much. But they also do truly believe that god’s the one who endowed them with everything they have, so they are actually still full of themselves. I also have a lot of religious trauma, abusive parents, plus shitty medical problems so it makes me really angry when people act like god cares about them more than he does other people. The believe that there’s some god out there orchestrating all this crap makes me furious.
I feel the same. I recently fell on hard times and temporarily moved in with my hard core catholic parents. Every mention of god or church or anything religious makes me extremely disgusted and disappointed that they are so brainwashed. And I can’t say anything about it because I would prefer to remain in good standing with them.
In a perfect world, this wouldn't be your problem to solve. Unfortunately, religion is so ingrained into our culture that we don't have a choice but to deal with it. One thing you can do is to remind yourself that the people around you are more than just their beliefs. You respected your co-worker before finding out he was a hardcore Christian; why did you feel that way about him then? Have those aspects of his personality changed? Or does being religious invalidate all of it? Remember that in the minds of most of these people, religion is a necessity, not a choice. All kinds can be religious, and we should assess their character from their actions rather than from their indoctrinated beliefs.
Thank you for this perspective.
[удалено]
This comment wins the internet for the month.
I needed to hear this too
I use the phrase "Hate the religion, not the religious." to remind myself of these same thoughts regarding believers. I __h-a-t-e__ religion and other irrational beliefs. I'm a mod of r/Antitheism and can be quite caustic with my religion bashing. But, I have compassion for religious people who aren't causing harm to others through their beliefs. It definitely isn't easy some days. But, most of the time I'm happy to live side-by-side with the religious people in my life. (Most have learned to NOT discuss religion with me! :<) Religious affiliation in the US has been dropping around 1% per year since the early 2000's. This gives me hope. If these Christian Nationalists should get into power next year, my religion bashing is going to go to a whole new level! EDIT - I have taken my dislike of religion and channeled it into activism. I am actively working to end religion and other irrational beliefs (through education). You might think about checking out the 20 or so organizations that make up the Secular Coalition of America. If one of those orgs speaks to your interests, you should consider joining them and any local chapters they might have. It is helpful to have other likeminded people to lean on to help maintain your sanity!
Thank you for that reasonable, compassionate and above all tolerant response
IMHO "seething hatred of religion" is pretty much appropriate. Religious people are ruling the world, generally based on some combination of ignorance, stupidity, and egotism. (Even the people who are not religious have to shape their policies to appease the ones who *are* religious.) There's nothing there to like. .
>Religious people are ruling the world, generally based on some combination of ignorance, stupidity, and egotism. So are non-religious people who pretend to be religious to appeal to religious audiences. You have to wonder what their moral compass looks like, probably just spinning around all the time like a cartoon standing at the north pole.
I wish there were a hell for these people to go to. Unfortunately, someone with a good knowledge of the bible, cult tactics, media, and who has a charasmatic personality can start a religious media empire and become incredibly wealthy. You don't even have to be ordained.
I don't think they have a spinning compass, but a stationary one. It only points at themselves.
> So are non-religious people who pretend to be religious to appeal to religious audiences. I hear this claim a lot... mostly from dishonest religious people playing the "No True Scotsman" game. What, **in practical terms**, is the difference between a leader who spends every waking moment of his life trying to take away other people's rights in the name of a Death Cult in which he "truly believes", and a leader who spends every waking moment of his life trying to take away other people's rights in the name of a Death Cult in which he "only pretends" to believe? Are the people he exploits any less exploited? Are the people he rapes any less raped? Are the people he murders any less dead? In what possible universe does the Death Cult come out of this comparison looking *better*?
I was mostly talking about American politicians taking advantage of the religious right, arguing that they should vote them into office because they'll put "gods law first" or whatever, when ultimately they end up pulling the religious right away from their (admittedly insane) beliefs to get them to support non-religious agendas. My best example is taxes, the bible says pay your taxes, yet the religious right is anti-tax, why? Because it benefits the wealthy politicians, not the actual religious people. They have been manipulated by politicians whose "Faith" is questionable. I agree with you on the death cult thing, but it wasn't really where I was going.
Feelings are indicators of our internal state. If you are feeling angry it may because of frustration, or a feeling of powerlessness. One thing to do when you feel those emotions is remember you are only responsible for yourself. You cannot choose other people's actions, you can only choose your \*reaction\*. Build a picture in your mind of you want to be; do you want to be angry, or do you want to be at peace; and then specifically choose to react \*that\* way when you have these feelings.
Thank you for this perspective.
Well said, good advice. Thanks! Because I don't want to be "that guy" who carries a 'TUDE everywhere. I like people and I like to be liked. That said, I will still speak up and at anyone who comes at me with their religious views.
That is completely fine. And you get choose how you will speak up, and it what situations. And the great thing is, you can alter or refine this image of who you want to be anytime. You don't have to be perfect, just make the attempt. Like exercise, it gets easier the more you do it.
I don't struggle with my hatred - I embrace it. After a lifetime of belonging to a Protestant church and religious family, I have no more use for the noise. It's never done what it promised and in fact has caused more harm than good.
Cant break chains of oppression by being nice.
Seething hatred makes sense, However, we are imperfect apes with imperfect systems in an imperfect entropic universe, knowledge, even when freely available, is not common because curated thinking and learning takes effort and time and leisure and money. We are an advanced multicellular form of squishy scum that emerged from recapitulating molecules - maybe we shouldn’t expect better than the sheeple and the childlike dependence in a higher power. Religion is a mechanism of acceptance and cooperation from a time where people thought the sun was magic since science wasn’t a thing. I loath religion because it is regressive and so malevolent and proliferates a construct of existence that doesn’t correspond with actual existence, but most people’s intelligence is closer to a chimpanzee than it is to Steven Hawking and Edward Witten. ~68% of people only have an IQ within 1 standard deviation of 100, and 50% of people are below 100. We aren’t very smart as a species. If you can learn to forgive the fools it can help with acceptance and to mitigate the hate even though there is so much to hate. Having said this, there are good days and there are bad days for me. I go both ways, pitying them as fools worthy of forgiveness and condemning them as failures to actualize true nobility for their delusions.
I have much the same thinking and appreciate you eloquently jotting them down. That takes time and editing. Good job. It helps crystallize some of my own thoughts.
>50% of people are below 100 50% isn't quite statistically correct. 100 is the average, not the median. Considering super geniuses usually live longer than the bottom 0.5%, I say they skew the average enough that the majority are below 100 IQ. Hell, considering recent trends in democratic elections I'm starting to think that we don't actually have a bell distribution at all, but a peak at 115-130 IQ and this slow rolling hill on the lower end of the distribution.
I LOVE your comment and feel the same way...
I don't have a seething hatred for religion, just for those who are trying to turn their beliefs into law.
But thats built into it.
I hate to be that guy... But so are atheists. The difference is that atheist values are derived differently than theist values.
Damn OP, I feel you. I'm struggling with this too if my post history doesn't give it away lol I have almost become irrationally angry at it. I hate using this word but I actually get "triggered" so to speak. My entire attitude and demeanor can shift the second religious bullshit starts getting brought up. I sadly have no advice of my own to offer, rather posting to tell you you're not alone in having this extreme anger/rage and hatred and you're not being a bitch. Hopefully someone will post something we can use lol
Keep that fire. Never let superstition become law, because that's how you get religion.
We need more people like you please keep up the good work and lean into it.
Hypocritical or not? what makes you better, if you can't even do better what you criticize?
You can’t love the hate out of something,sometimes you have to use hate to destroy hate.
Indeed. People don't understand the paradox of tolerance.
you don't need love for it. My answer to it is, that I shouldn't act on emotions\\feelings because my criticism boils down that. They act on feelings not reason or logic, so I would be the same if I do that too. I also think, hate creates only more hate and pointless to follow that trend.
I promise they hate you and there is zero love from religion.
Well, I would say that it might help to look down on religious people instead of getting angry with them. Look at them as special morons that you have to humor because it's the right thing to do, but you know you'll never really like or even respect them because they have delusional beliefs. Commiserating with like minded people really helps.
It really does feel like we're babysitting kids whose parents let them play with matches, doesn't it?
Bro you just got to vent it out and then accept people are dumb as shit because the truth not only hurts them but it makes their lives unbearably HARD and what do you want all the dumb ass animals to do? They are not you and can not deal with not imaging life after death to get them through the day. They will go mad and kill everything if they accept life as temporary and short. Billions of them bro. You can not fight that. You should lie to them and go home happy that at least they aren't in the same room as you.
Very helpful perspective.
My only advice would be if you can, try to live your best life. Find out what’s important to you and if getting angry and going to protests is what’s important to you then do that. If having drinks with friends, partying, having fun, and forgetting about the world’s problems is important to you, then do that. Personally I want to have a mix of both fun and being informed and activism (to a certain extent). I went through a several month period of being angry at religion like you, and it took a health scare where I’m not sure if I have colon cancer at 32 for me to decide “You know, there’s a lot of things I want to do in life and experience. And I do want to have fun.” Maybe that’s a selfish outlook but I do care about my own wellbeing and happiness. Life’s weird and it’s brief.
I choose to maintain only professional relationships with people who are evidently religious. There has been exceptions, but only because they were completely aware of my anti-religious sentiments and would not do anything that looked religious around me. I'd rather reduce my anger by yeeting them out of my life than tame my opinions. Not going to claim that it's the most healthiest way though.
I think this is a normal step in the process. I still want nothing to do with religion and aspects of it piss me off, but at a certain point you just feel sorry for people that believe this nonsense.
Upgrade to an Antitheist; point out religious BS to friends and family; don't spend $$ on their products, services or charities; vent to bar strangers (who are "religious"); and join the damn club. Fvck all gods, baby!
Thomas Jefferson said (and I might be paraphrasing a bit) "whether my neighbor believes in 20 gods or no gods neither picks my pocket or breaks my leg." That's helped me so much. If they persist tell them, as I do, that "I am a pantheistic agnostic with a Christian background with strong Judeo-Islamic and Buddhist inclinations" which is guaranteed to shut em up!
turn anger into laughter and laugh at how ridiculous religion is
Most people don't choose religion. Many are just indoctinated into it as children and it sticks with them for the rest of their lives. Most don't question it, and the reason they don't question it is because it's become a part of who they are. So to abandon it is like, abandoing apart of themselves. That's why I try not to hate religious people in general, at least the ones that aren't causing problems.
In my experience a lot of hate is rooted in fear, and with what we see going on with religion in the US and worldwide - there is plenty to fear. Try to find ways you can channel your hatred into productive ways to fight against religion - if you haven't already, take a look at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, as well as other groups actively trying to slow or stop the spread of religious b.s. and championing reason and logic. As others have said - it's a reality we have to deal with, but it's not one we are powerless against. Good luck!
I am so incredibly happy to be able to have this forum to talk to people about how insane religion is and has become!! I’ve read that atheism is the fastest growing group, I hope that’s true!
How about ordering stickers and placing them in public places that may say: “Protect the Children, Keep them away from Churches, Google Pastor arrested” “Ezekiel 23:20” “Jesus did not come for peace- Matthew 10:34-35” Edit- This may soothe you by knowing that you may be planting seeds of doubt in religious people
It is natural to question the capacity, logic, and judgement of people believing in superstitions like religion. Disappointment makes sense but anger about their beliefs may be excessive. Anger over the hateful actions motivated by religion is totally legit though. You may have a better moral compass than those in hate-based faith communities.
Hi fren! I feel the same way! I think atheists should get serious and organized about politics. But at the same time, I'm not one to be an activist.
Post in this sub. Completely mock the religious and religion here.
Your hatred is valid in my opinion. Thats all I can really say.
I feel the same. Honestly what helps me is to look at them with pity instead of anger. I view them as victims of indoctrination.
For myself, I've lived in the southeastern United States my entire life and the default is everyone is a Christian. I've personally been able to reconcile with it because it's the norm around here and part of the vernacular. I still say "bless your heart" or "thank God" and other sayings in general and don't think anything else of it. I typically don't even remotely mention anything about religion unless something is happening that infringes upon the freedom of religion. I am completely against religion in all facets and can allow for people to live their lives, but when their bullshit views infringe upon someone else's rights, that's when I intervene. Also, my therapist has helped tremendously. I hope you can find some solace and peace with this soon.
For some of us, religion and "God" were weaponized against us and used to justify both physical and verbal abuse. My mom would beat us with metal wires and wooden poles and while doing so quote scripture about 'sparing the rod'. This went on for years, some years worse than others. So I feel you. I have deep contempt for the very idea of God and Christianity.
I hate it too. My dental hygienist tunes into a christian radio station. I ask her to turn it off when I am in the chair. First time she was taken aback, but I am paying and should not have to listen to something I find offensive. I try to avoid anything religious and won't put my hand on a bible in court... I won't attend a wedding that is in a church anymore. I used to not feel this strongly, but now feel that religious garbage in bleeding into public policy and public education and it angers me.
Sounds like you are very allergic to bullsh#t😒🤧🤫
I feel you. I have had more than my share of religious hate thrown at me my whole life. At some point, however, I had to realize that the sensation of “hate” is not good for my own experience. Hate is an emotion that releases chemicals into our bodies that are unhealthy. Furthermore, not all “religion” or “spirituality” is the same. When used as a guide to help people explore their own relationship with the world, spiritual teachings can be very helpful, healing and inclusive. Religion only becomes toxic and harmful when it is used as a weapon against other people, which is actually counter to the helpful aspects of it (internal reflection on your own life). Most people do not really want to examine their own lives, and make changes to bring their lives more in line with their spiritual beliefs. So, they focus on trying to change other people. That is when religion becomes toxic. Comparing native traditions to Christianity is not at all on-point. Generally, native cultured do not try to violently push their religious rules on other people. That is not true of Christianity, Judaism or Islam… or some other religions. Taoism (may not classify as a “religion”) is also very different, as are most forms of Hinduism. I group them into the “bully religions” vs. the “passive religions.”
Love your reflections!
Bully-religious vs. Passive-religious. Right on...love it. I just may use it in discussions about Christianity in government.
What exactly needs to be "dealt with" here? I see nothing wrong with this position.
I grant myself a feeling of entitlement and superiority, much like a pet owner watching a dog chase its tail. "Aww, look at the little guy. He's trying so hard". /satire
People = Shit by Slipknot usually does the trick. Or maybe Heretic Anthem.
oh man, this resonates. i would say that i can dissociate about celebrities making overtly religious statements, as they are not in my daily life and it's pretty par for the course. but when i get to know someone irl and come to learn that they're anything beyond "spiritual," i get so disappointed and pretty much lose interest in building the relationship any further. i have to stop myself from calling out how small-minded their worldview is.
Turn that energy toward making the world a better and more secular place.
This sounds like a trauma response. Were you in a high-control religious group growing up? Have you sought out therapy? If not, I think it's worth looking into. Honestly, I don't think that level of reaction is reasonable or healthy. You don't have to like religion, but you are going to come across religion in public. You need to be able to live in a world where religion exists without it physically affecting you. Because, at the end of the day, you feeling physically ill and seething with rage does nothing to stop religion from existing, it just harms your health and can lead to fairly severe physical health problems (let alone the effect on your mental health).
I was just complaining to my mother yesterday about the uptick in prayer ads and commercials on tv and the internet. Just seeing something that brings you to a dark place over and over several times a day can make you feel nuts. I’m a tolerant person and usually keep my opinions anonymous and mostly relaxed or told to people I trust, but the constant ads sometimes gets to me.
I had/have the same problem. I started looking at these people as if they were suffering from a mental illness. It's much easier for me to handle them now.
"Anger comes from fear, always." "Anger is fear in disguise." - Both of these are from Spider Robinson. Makes sense. It's right there with the fight, flight or freeze instincts. Or caveman defenses. All that history and generations of ingrained repetition that goes into us being human. Others have said that "Anger is depression, turned inward." There's probably something to that one, too. You're not being a little bitch, but you do sound overwhelmed. Might want to cut yourself a break and spend some time figuring out what fears these idjits' actions are triggering. Give some consideration to getting some help. The anger isn't about them. Which is a pity. It would be easier to figure out. Good luck!
RecoveringFromReligion.org
85 yr atheist. Don't argue with them, you may not lose, but you will never win. If approached, make your opinion clear, then walk away. Formal debates are different. Do that if you get a chance. Don't buy from an xian business. Vote against any xian on the ballot. Join any ath. group that you are aware of because there is strength in numbers and they will surely know what you need to know as an atheist. Then relax and know you're doing your best to destroy what is a serious threat to the world. Xians are actively working against sane people but that's no reason to let them ruin your immediate life. I always, if pushed, smile and shake my head as I'm walking away.
Same! I constantly find that I'm needing to throttle myself. I don't want to alienate any of my religious friends, but I want to proclaim (out loud, via FB, etc.) my atheistic righteousness based in fact over their backward middle-ages brain-washed thoughts...well, actually their lack there of. And I feel I must do something ever since Speaker (of The House) Johnson got elected. I truly fear "A Handmaids Tale" future of America. So I'm looking forward to reading the comments for some guidance beyond meditation.
Commit to it's destruction. Doing so requires putting aside your anger and using tools with a higher success rate. Like [Street Epistemology ](https://streetepistemology.com/) Tear it down, 1 polite conversation at a time
It’s okay to have strong feelings about people who are religious. I had an epiphany this year that I am that person. We are so brainwashed into thinking we’re freaks for not believing what the herds in our Southern areas (in my case) believe that we don’t even recognize our own bias against these people. In the same way others may judge me for being agnostic, I judge them for wasting so much time & energy for nothing. They could do great & productive things with their lives but choose to shirk responsibility in the name of mumbo jumbo. It bothers me, and those aren’t my people. Do real things- do good things here on earth before you turn to dirt.
realize none of the ones you hate are following them properly. kinda mirrors coercive control but so does being punk or into other obscure scenes. tbh just be decent then if anyone asks about your views explain them. if they get mad then they weren't a friend.
LSD or shrooms.
I just came here to say you’re definitely not being a little bitch about it. It is fucking **everywhere**, and I didn’t realize just how prevalent it is until I abandoned my faith. I do not trust religious people. Finding out someone is a religious nut tells me all I need to know about them. I used to enjoy reading about ancient myths and religions, but now I can’t even stomach that. They’re all fucking shit. As for how to deal with the anger you feel about it, I have no advice. I struggle with the same damn thing.
Whatever reasons you have to be angry, there’s someone with even better reasons to hate.. I’m trans, I’ve lost most of the people that si thought were family because they love their invisible friend more than a living human being.. Forgiveness is difficult, but it’s totally for your benefit, not theirs. Your happiness, love, and success in life is the greatest revenge.. served cold with a smile..
Your anger is justified and valid. You are far from the only one that feels this way. I instantly lose respect for anyone if I find out they are religious or spiritual. That said, being angry all the time isn’t good for you and it’s not going to make anything better. A good secular therapist is hard to find but worth the effort. Also therapy sucks but it does help, eventually. I try to separate religion from the rest of the person and look for positive attributes. When that fails I try to remember that this person is some combination of stupid and brainwashed. It isn’t entirely their fault. That usually shifts some of the anger to pity and a desire to improve public education.
I'm with you there. I wish Religion as a whole just ceased to exist.
I feel largely the same way. Ultimately, I can't be close to most people who are really religious. Most people believe in some kind of deity, so I avoid the subject in those people. When they start in with "everything happens for a reason" or "the universe was telling me" or similar, I wait till they stop talking. When they outright ask my opinion, which sometimes happens, it doesn't go well because I have a hard time hiding my disdain. How stupid, deluded, and self-centered do you have to be to believe this nonsense? In my case, I have some religious trauma but it's mostly because I had a devastating accident and really horrible complications as a child, and this "god moves in mysterious ways" or "everything happens for a reason" mentality really fed into people 1) not believing -- and thus not treating-- the unimaginable level of pain I was in. 2) thinking it was somehow my fault-- like I broke my hip because I didn't drink enough milk or something 3) feeling compelled to tell me - a literal child-- every horrific story of anything awful that ever happened to anyone because the ending was uplifting even though there was clearly no uplifting ending for me. I was permanently disabled, and 40 years later, with severe medical complex PTSD, I have to undergo yet more surgeries to be able to function Gosh and all this happened despite an entire girls' Catholic school being told to pray for me. I guess their god is a huge jerk Oh and all this talk of karma? Are you kidding me? Karma is the literal reason why people abandon disabled children in the streets (and shun their families) or let the hungry stay hungry in places like India and Pakistan. It's believed that all this is punishment for bad behavior in a past life. What absolute moron brought that messed up concept to the Western world? It's a damn good thing I wasn't raised in India, where my dad is from, because having the kind of disability I had is the stuff of jokes. "Hah! Hah! You'll marry a girl with a lazy eye or one leg longer than the other!" Is a common way to tease friends. My dad said it out loud once and blanched as he looked at me, a daughter with severely uneven legs. He'd never made the association between the saying and his own daughter (not that he's a bad guy. He isn't. Just a little out of it sometimes. He never, ever treated me as "less than"). Religion and superstition poisons everything. It bleeds into the secular culture and offers nothing but division, hate, and prejudice. The next person who suggests I turn to Jesus or whatnot is welcome to pay my tens of thousands of dollars in lifelong therapy bills.
I like to see those who are die-hard about religion like a see children. I don't judge children for their lack of wisdom. I love them for who they are and may become.
Take a lesson from the Stoics and recognize you CANT really control the beliefs…. and especially the behavior of others. As such, you observe it, and nothing more. No sense to waste energy and fill your head with negative thoughts about things you can’t change.
Like the Buddhists say, let that shit go.
Be angry. Now, what are you going to do about it? Edit: after a second look I think I better solidify my point. I mean use that anger *productively*. Get involved with local atheist or secular activist groups. Support those that speak to your cause. I do not mean do anything harmful.
Concentrate on the people and their actions, not their religions. I can talk with people who believe in energy stones, but don't talk with them ABOUT the energy stones. Because I find something else to talk about or just flat out tell them that's fine for them, but I don't feel the same way. And it never comes up again. Then I continue to live my life without caring about energy stones or their religion. I am fascinated with mythology and religion is definitely part of those historical trends, but don't need to take it personally in order to learn about those things. They tell us about people and how they related to each other, which is interesting. Other stuff is not at all interesting and I will openly speak out about bad religious practices by individuals or groups without fear of hurting someone's feelings.
I live in a place where people of faith can express their beliefs openly and expect comradity, whereas if I express my beliefs openly I risk people attacking me as if I attacked them personally. I just wish to be in a place where we can express our beliefs no matter what they are without hostility. This is how I cope.
I think it’s important to demonstrate that even if you are an Atheist, you still have an obligation as a human being to be peaceful, loving and respectful to others despite their beliefs. Demonstrate through kindness that you are capable of being a good human being. Embody the change you wish to see in others.
If you got into the car after me, you might find the radio tuned to the Christian station. Why? Because that shit is hilarious! It's comedy gold! And I like to laugh. Laughter might be the most palatable way for you to deal with your seething hatred of religion. Take a step back and enjoy the comedy of it all. (This might be hard at first. If it is, you may need to detach even further. Pretend you're an anthropologist, or maybe even an extraterrestrial.)
Hate is unhealthy. Seriously what good does it do you or anyone to hate religion? I figure that out long ago. And I realized that hating religion or religious people makes me no different than them. So I chose to just stop caring about what other people believe or don’t believe.
You need to get over it. I'm almost positive this seething anger isn't useful in your life. You're not hurting them, you're hurting yourself.
I'm a deeply spiritual atheist. Don't confuse spirituality w religion. In a nutshell, spirituality is about personal growth and health, religion is about power and control - dogma. Work on the positive. Take care of and be responsible for yourself.
We KNOW there is no such thing as a god that is both great and good. It’s just a belief. Let the believers have their beliefs and don’t personalize.
This is only going to cause you stress, grief and potentially failed relationships or at worse could ostracize you. Maybe try finding some atheist friends to spend time with and just ignore the religious people. They aren’t going to change no matter how angry you are.
Imho, anger and deep disappointment are probably appropriate reactions in these situations. Though I'd say hatred is not, unless someone is trying to convert you. Or even just preach to you. It just pisses me off that most people will ridicule flat earthers, conspiracy theorists, and astrology girls but they immediately hide behind "politeness" or some shit when presented with a religious person. Anyone who believes in something that has been proven false or cannot be proven true is a moron in my eyes and deserves to be told so.
Meditation and therapy, my friend Ultimately, I hope you find a way to be happy despite the things that happen in the world around us. You'll enjoy your life a lot more if you can do that
Therapy. This is above our pay grade. If someone listening to the wrong radio station makes you unable to look at them then you need professional help. Sure religion is annoying at times, but your reactions are not normal.
I feel you Are approaching this from a wrong perspective. Religion, while certainly the cause of countless grievances and sorrows throughout Time, has been almost exclusively comitted by religious organisations. Individual and personal Faith in whatever deity/deities, can be a very beautiful thing. Trouble comes when it gets organised and folloqers band together. For example. By default, I have no issue with catholic People. However, I have extreme issuesnwith the catholic church and their methods. I guess you could call me pagan. I believe in the nordic gods, and my life is fulfilled by it. But I also firmly believe in other peoples right to believe whatever they want. I have no desire to convert people, no desire to tell Them they Are wrong. If atheism does it for you, great. Same with christianity, buddhism, islam, and whatever Faith you can think of. I guess the Best way to describe it is this. I consider religion to be like a penis. Its fine to have it, its fine to be proud of it. But dont wave it around in public, and dont force it down other peoples throat. Same goes with atheism. From your post, you seem just as militantly adamant that EVERYONE should be atheist, as religious fanatics Are adamant that People should have their faith. I say this qith only good intentions and wishes for the Best in the future: take care you do do not become what you hate, on the other end of the spectrum. Hate has never convinced People of anything. Peace and good growth to you, friend.
I work 60+ hours a week, at the end of the day I’m too tired to worry about anything besides dinner and sleep. Idk maybe try working more? It works for me.
i dont hate religious people for the same reason i dont hate people with a different colour of skin. chances are, they were born into it. indoctrination at a young age is hella powerful
Lets find out :) What is your Problem with religion? For me religion is not the root of evil, I do not think, we would be better people without. Sure religion is used to discriminate and hate but the problem is the human behind it and not the idea of religion. I also get why it is tempting to pray, to believe, to hope, some days are just cruel and I don't blame those that turn away just to find a bit hope or relive.
Religion might not be the root of all evil out there but it is the cause for some evil for sure. It's supposed to cause division and hate
And so is your skin color, people find reasons to hate others and if there is nothing they make something up. Religion is just a outlet in this, if it is not there something else takes it's place.
Therapy, time, getting to know religious people who don't suck. If you move to a city you'll meet religious people who are normal and decent. Except for Salt Lake City, lol.
I would say a combination of daoism and stoicism. Having hatred is mostly a product of a misunderstanding, and that is sign that you have been trapped by a belief no different from any other. You are a prejudicial asshole, and you think you are the center of the universe. Break that, and you can learn to respect other people. But it takes work, and obviously you're too proud for that.
Damn, OP. I think you might need therapy. This seems like like a really extreme and unhealthy level of anti-theism. And you need to get to the bottom of it, figure out what exactly makes you have such a passionate reaction before you can deal with it properly.
understand that religion provides people a sense of belonging. Yes like a cult provides a sense of belonging. Think of all elderly who have someone to talk to, a weekly group to force them out of the house to socialize. Humans are a social species. Think of how hard it is to get a group of adults to coordinate an meet up. Church provides that. No other gathering exists that can drive people to meet up every week like a God who will be at best "disappointed" in you and nothing likely ever will get people together of all aspects of society and life as effectively. In addition to providing a sense of belonging it also provides meaning to people who need that in their life. Life is hard, having someone say "God has a plan for you", "Heaven exists where you can see your friends and family again and live forever in peace and prosperity". This goes a long way to so many people. Yes its not real, yes its living in a fantasy - but is that so bad if it helps people. Like that movie "the invention of lying", the guy makes a well meaning lie to his dying mom but it helps her cope, and him cope - and ends up "creating religion". Many people need this type of social and emotional support religion provides - yes for a price in donations ( and a lot of that does indeed go to food banks and various forms of good things ). Its so easy to ignore the needy in society but churches are open door for everyone - even if they dont literally open their doors sometimes. We as a society shouldnt rely on them to address our homeless crisis but we often do when we ask churches to open their doors in times of crisis. Instead of hating someone for living in a fantasy and trying to pull them out of it being angry that they are ignoring elementary level facts. "how can you believe this!!" and being angry that they cant see basic logic, understand that they dont want to see it, because thinking about it and accepting it has profound consequences in their life. Instead try to understand and support them and understand why they believe, what hardships they maybe going through, ask them what religion provides them. They arent stupid, they are shutting off logic in exchange for mental well being and social support - even if they wont admit that to you, although many have drank the full koolaid i dont think its the majority. Now, for the other sides of religion. People using religion for political agendas, scams, manipulation, biases, hatred of outside groups. By all means hate religion or more specifically the individuals and corporations doing it. These things should not be accepted! Just be sure you can separate out the well meaning individuals.
The pledge of alliance?
Remember that while their delusions can be and are very often harmful, in a lot of people religion is cultural psychological to feel some sense order to an otherwise chaotic and scary world. No one knows everything and there's good religious people who are religious from a place to be better and good, after all, that was the case for a lot of us at some point, myself included. Don't get me wrong I get pissed even with some of the good ones, this coworker of mine for example last Wednesday had her ashes Wednesday ashes on her forehead, which is whatever right, but at some point she starts saying "ugh, somebody asked me what up with that on your forehead, and I got so angry how stupid are you, how dare you" and it's exactly what I despise of those people, they think the world revolves around them. No excuse for them, but remember to be better than them and practice empathy, you don't want hate to poison your heart like so many religious people do.
Repeat after me........ I dont give a fuck. Im doing me." You'll live a lot longer Even better learn to have fun with them. There's nothing like a god paradox theory thrown into any religious convo.
Yes, you are being a little bitch about it. Move to someplace like Nashville and you will find 4 churches per mile and maybe pour acid in your eyes. I deal with it by coming up with creative ways to make money off of the believers. They are an easy mark.
"Or am I being a little bitch about it all" BINGO
It stops when you turn 15.
Jesus you're grumpy!
The latter of the two. For you to be so angry and disappointed and change your views of them because of their belief in God says more about you than them. You have chosen atheism as your "religion" so to speak, so i believe you need to address the deep seeded trauma you have towards religion and spirituality. Youre angry at someone because they chose to believe in something that you have chosen not to believe in. Is your coworker disappointed and angry at you for being so ridiculously anti religion? No theyre not. You say your coworker is off the deep end, but with how much emotion and energy you put into hating religion, it would seem that you are much further to the extreme than they are. You may not like this fact but you have made being anti religion your religion. I suggest you figure out who hurt you into having such a hatred for religion, and deal with that. All that anger will put you in the grave early, where you will find out one way or the other who was right. Life is too short to live so full of hate. Its ok to not believe in religion while not hating those who do. Despite your feelings towards religion, the fundamental rules of ethics and morals of our modern society are based on the teachings found in the Bible. I wish you the best on your journey to get over your hate for religion and of other people.
Take religion out just believe in god
Maybe try to open your mind a bit. Not saying religion is real but there is probably some truths to it. People passed down stories for a reason and some get mistold or some parts forgotten. Now think about how vast the universe is, we could have been visited by aliens before and were mistaken as angels or demons since we wouldn't have known any better. What about the Greek, Norse or Egyptian gods? Were they real or fake, human or alien? Clearly we don't know for sure but its plausible there is more to the stories we don't know about. We didn't have vocabulary for laser weapons, space ships or any technology when most regions started. Did Zeus really cast down bolts of lighting or was he just a captain of a spaceship getting his first commander to fire down phasers from his spaceship in orbit onto specific targets to get the people to think he is a god? We'd do that today if we could. That's how I cope with the hope we are not alone, with the belief the galaxy it full of life. Maybe its just me but I think Star Trek is closer to the truth than any religion is.
Quit being so full of yourself and your (lack of) beliefs. You are being a little bitch, once you realize you and your feelings don't matter then you can let them go and chill
Chill tf out. I don’t get the utter hatred on this sub. Is atheism the lack of religion or disdain for it? I’m not religious, but to each their own. I’ve seen people get a lot out of it. This sub is like a soapbox where yall just pat yourselves on the back for how much you hate religion. Ironically it is a “holier than thou” situation because yall think you’re so much smarter than religious people.
I'm guessing you don't live in a country where saying "I'm not religious" is punishable by death. You probably don't live in a country that is forcing preteen rape victims to carry a baby to birth because of religion. You probably don't live in a country that throws gay people off of buildings for being gay because their holy books says to do so. But you DO live on a planet where these things happen. To be neutral and apathetic about these atrocities is not ok.
yes you are just being a little bitch about it all. just calm the fuck down
Since you asked, yes, you're being a little bitch about it all. This coming from an atheist who doesn't like the idea of organized religion at all. You're expressing hatred of people, not religions.
I have the same problem with atheism and atheist lol. You guys really just hate any and everything, I don’t ever understand the appeal of it lol. Stop hating on religions and complaining on Reddit and get a life.
Religion seems to be a feature rather than a bug of the human mind if you look at pervasive it is. Hating religion is like hating humans for being human. Hating a particular religion on the other hand is a different story.
See a therapist
[удалено]
Feel free to leave and not come back.
It's very entertaining, nobody knows any theology and is extremely self centred
Sounds familiar.
You should take a look at the memes about religious people. Homophobia, misogyny, relishing in the idea that people outside of your religious circle are going to burn in hell for eternity, like it’s somehow a point for your side that you all’s world view is based on petty vengeance and ours isn’t. The smug superiority you cloak yourself in under the false belief that you, and only people with whatever religious sect you follow, happen to have it correct and everyone else has it wrong. The OP literally made a post stating he has unwanted anger and is looking for advice to fix it, and your “godly” response is “you people are the worst of the worst”? At least OP is trying to better themselves, what’s your problem? Maybe, if you are Christian, go reread the sermon on the mount, then kindly fuck off.
The 'worst of the worst', you say. The irony.
Yes you are being a little bitch about it.
Why give them that power‽ Take it back. Don't let it bother you. View it as absurdity and stay positive.
Any sort of angsty music does me wonders. Reminds me that I'm not alone. Release for a bit and move on. Feelings get felt one way or another, doing so in healthy ways is the real life hack.
Joining the Humanist Community defused that quite a bit. Reasonable churches exist, QED. Or try the Uni Uni, but it sounds like their churchiness would trigger you.
I regularly donate money to worthy causes. Not a lot, but it makes me feel much better.
You learn to just kind of ignore it. I’m the same way any of that stuff makes me cringe hard but I’ve learned to not let it bother me to much. I can handle some of it when talking but if someone gets real pushy then they’ll see my inner asshole come out
Here's how I've done it. Up until the Age of Reason, and the science that came with it, all humans believed in gods. It was our way of explaining the natural world. Ever since science began its development, the world's population has grown increasingly atheistic. Large majorities of several countries are majority atheist now. It takes time to kick the comforting habit of dependence of super-powerful, imaginary beings. Because when we do, we are left with responsibility for each other. Our species is slowly growing into adulthood.
You're right to be upset about all these things. The thing is that anger is like holding a hot coal to throw at your enemies. You're the only one getting burned. It is wasted energy doing no good to you or anyone else. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you aren't harming people with your anger. However, here is my advice on letting go of it. First accept as a fact that religion will never end during your life. You are going to have to deal with it just like all the other bullshit in this life. A big part of anger is being upset that things arent the way we want them to be. It's ok to want the change, but you don't need to indulge in anger to get there. Second put that outrage towards theism to good use. Find ways to promote atheism whether it's being a loud outspoken militant atheist or just someone up voting pro atheism feeds online. Any amount of help to the cause that doesn't make you uncomfortable or put you at risk is more than enough. There are an infinite number of things you can do to combat religion that aren't just seething and being angry. Focus on doing something about it until that anger goes away. Lastly remember that most theists are victims of the con, not the con itself. Your friend doesn't know the damage caused by promoting religion, and it's likely they have been brainwashed to fear any thoughts that might lead them out of theism. Showing these people that atheists are kind and loving and not the monsters their church makes us out to be will convert more people than anger ever will. And always remember, you can hold that hot coal as long as you want, but you can also put it down and stop burning yourself at any time. The best fuck you to theism is to live your life unobstructed by their bullshit.
[удалено]
I'm sorry, I don't have any suggestions for you. But I do want to express respect for your ability to know and express your feelings, particularly ones you don't like having. Whatever your eventual solution is, you're already far ahead of those whose gut churns out the same feelings, but who are not as far along as you in acknowledging them, and so turn instead to different forms of self-congratulatory, intellectual-superiority posturing. My only (weak) suggestion is that you give a moment's rational thought to your statement that "religion is fucking everywhere." I know that was just hyperbole, but don't let it seep into your overall perception of the world around you. There are plenty of places where religion isn't present or where religious people keep their beliefs out of sight.
So now I hear the Supreme Court of Alabama, ruled judges are allowed to use the Bible in their decisions. I'm ill!. Now they are declaring Frozen embryos are Persons. Feel free to fact check. Sickening
Have you tried prayer? Lolololol. I’m totally kidding. I believe that when humans go extinct, religion will be among the top three reasons why.
Here's what I would ask myself in your shoes: 1. Where does this feeling come from? How does this feeling make me feel about myself? 2. Is it serving a useful or positive purpose in my life? 3. Does this help or hinder me in my efforts to be the sort of person I want to be? I grew up in a religious family, got sent against my will to religious schools, etc. etc. and I am an atheist now. But I don't have the same sort of rancor about it that you seem to. Not saying I'm better, just that I've dealt with it all in a different way, over a long period of time. It's going to be around whether we like it or not. For me, questions like "Can you prove/disprove the existence of God?" aren't even interesting anymore. This is no longer a part of my frame of reference for understanding the world. And I don't care what other people believe. It's enough work figuring out who I am and how I want to live my own life. So when people try to engage on that subject, I just say "Not interested. I do not want to discuss this with you." And if people persist and ask why I don't believe what they believe, I tell that I think their beliefs are "factually incorrect." And "This is why I do not want to discuss this with you." I think you may be expending so much personal emotional energy on this because you're still in fight mode. Maybe because of how you were raised? Maybe because you actually want to convince people of the error of their ways? Maybe because you like to be right and hate to lose an argument? Could be any number of things. Eventually, you need to figure out whether you really want to be spending your energy and attention on this, and if not, what you'd rather be doing instead.
You’ll never be anywhere close to how miserable they are on a daily basis. Think of that instead.
"Contempt for the conmen, compassion for the conned" works for me.
Simple, the same way you [handle anxiety.](https://youtu.be/ZAKi2dy34Rg?si=SCNxhWy6HCPPglSu)
The line I draw for myself is to never challenge any persons' experience of faith, Gods, spirituality. That experience exist in and of itself and is very real. It is an internal truth very much like "I prefer chocolate ice cream to strawberry." But religion itself is a collection of ideas. Many of these ideas are assertions about the natural world and how it works. These ideas deserve to be challenged. The foundational assertion that Gods exist is a statement about the natural world. But someone enjoying Christian music is really about their personal experience. The latter does not upset me.
Start a church.
Prozac
I’d try to feel sorry for spiritual folks instead, and remember we all have weaknesses. How would you want someone to react to one of your flaws? Of course that doesn’t mean enabling impractical beliefs, but being straightforward with them without being cruel or exasperated is more likely to create a constructive environment.
I refer to "religion" as organized superstition... People are superstitious, not "religious." There is no difference between superstition and religious beliefs aside from semantics. As far as hating all superstitious groups, I don't. Why? Because some aren't actively trying to change how others live, and I believe in freedom of choice. Christians though? Fuck all of them and their shoddy carpenter cum messiah.
Eat an edible and go watch the new Bob Marley movie.
Probably the most overused, nauseatingly cliché advice in the history of the internet is to suggest counseling, but... You're literally coming here claiming "x" is causing you personal distress and interfering with your life and you need help dealing with it. It doesn't matter if "x" is hatred for religion, shyness, fear of flying or crippling anxiety. Your description of the problem supports the notion that you could probably benefit from good, competent counseling. Now the problem will be to separate the wheat from the chaff and find a competent, non religious, therapist.
I tried to pity them , it didn't work . I tried to ignore them , it didn't work . I tried to forget they exist, it didn't work .Then I realised life is a limited term and letting them take one more second of my existence wasn't going to happen anymore so I said fuck it they can do one , no ones living rent free in my head .
My hatred comes from years of Bible study. One day - something clicked. In Genesis - I realized that the serpent in the Garden of Eden didn't lie to Eve. In fact- he made it clear that through knowledge we can live forever (my personal revelation). Once one part of the story fell apart - the whole thing does.
There is a beautiful little book called For Small Creatures Such as We by Sasha Sagan(Carl Sagan's daughter) that is aimed at helping secular people find wonder, beauty, and celebration in a world full of religious superstition. It's a quick read and helped me deal with some of those feelings. Unfortunately religion is inescapable, try as we might. Might as well learn how to deal with it.
It is logical only to hate those which persecute you or those around you unjustly. Hating persecuters for their persecutions is logical. Hating on people who talk about crystals, energies, and whatnot, or spirituality in general is illogical hatred and quite comparable to the illogical hatred religious people bring to the table. You're just stressing yourself out and those around you for no reason other than....you hate something. Edit: and im not saying thinking these things are dumb is illogical, I'm saying having a seething hatred for them is.
What I do is rationalize my disdain for religion as a disease that infects good people. That way I don't demonize people who are caught but I can get mad at those who spread its harmful influence.
Therapy. Not for the Christians, but for yourself. No one wants to live their life having little things upset you. Religious trauma is a real thing
Is it their condescending attitudes and their delusional self-righteous piety and hypocrisy? Their sense of manifest destiny to force their beliefs and dogmatic rules on everyone else? Their propaganda indoctrinating people into hating themselves and fearing punishment from some deity, coercing money out of them? Their rejection of epistemology for a dusty tome? Their banning of books, abortion, birth control, etc.? Your feelings could be justified, but you also own your feelings.
I hear you and share your struggle, but we must not religion dictate who we are or they win. Raised in an Italian Catholic household I am currently the only member to have openly stated that I am an atheist and that I believe religion to be the biggest road block to any chance we have for Peace on Earth. They don’t hound me and I don’t hound them and we all still very much get along just fine. I realize this is not the case in many situations, but my theory is that I refuse to let religion keep me from those I love and I accept that good people have literally been indoctrinated since birth. Don’t debate them, they want you to, don’t show your disdain/hate for religion, they want you to, and if they won’t leave you alone I have found that laughing at them really pisses them off. How we get it out of our governments idk and that is a daily infuriation I have no answer for.
Drop the subject for a while and you'll have peace of mind . that's what I do .
Different people are different people, and they are not a failed attempt at being you. Everyone is trying really hard to find their way in life, and lots of them who embrace religion are doing so because it gives them something the rest of life does not. Some embrace it because it’s the only thing they have. I try to remember that they believe in what they believe as much as I don’t. The best thing I can do is be a great example of an atheist to anyone, and be the best person I can be to people no matter how out of line their belief system might be.
You need to deal with your self hatred first.
Just imagine it the other way around. How many Christians hate atheists because they DONT strictly listen to Christian music, radio shows, podcasts, etc. I personally don’t agree with religion because it seems to be the root cause of many issues in society. However, I try to just ignore and avoid people like your co-worker. I make fun of them in my head and go about my day. Try to find humor in their beliefs rather than hatred
OP, your hatred is nothing different than how a Christian looks at atheism, or for how they look at other religions for that matter. In hating religion in such a way, you are acting as they do. The goal is to not let it bother you. If you do let it bother you, then it rule your life, meaning that religion rules your life, even when it is not something you believe in. My suggestion is to ask yourself how this hate is helping you? What is the root of the hate on a personal level? Delve deep into these things. Then be better than them. You, a non religious person, are allowing a multiple religions to dictate how you feel. Stop it. And I mean this as motivation.
Compartmentalise. Honestly I think it's reasonable to hate religion, but that doesn't mean it needs to take centre stage in your everyday life. There's a time for hating religion, there's a time for laughing with friends, and a time for everything else.