Annoying Atheist Clichés

[IhartU]

 

Annoying Atheist Clichés

November 25, 2012 By Hemant Mehta 16 Comments

After reading Christian Piatt‘s two lists of annoying Christian clichés, Vic Wang decided to write up his own list of annoying atheist clichés - things we should stop saying:

"(So and so) lost their faith". Think about this for a second; what else is there that we refer to as a "loss" that isn't something we'd like to have back? If you ask someone you how they've been lately, would they ever say "I had a really bad cold but I lost it a few days ago"? Would someone ever say they once had a smoking habit, but "lost it"? Simply saying "became an atheist" avoids that connotation.

...

"When it comes to the Bible, you can't just pick and choose what you want to believe..." Not only can Christians do this, they absolutely have to. And as I point out here, every time someone repeats this cliche they are actually giving the Bible far more credit than it deserves. Also, do we really want to imply that absolute fundamentalism is the more admirable position, simply because it happens to be more logically consistent?

What would you add to Vic's list?

[LindaClement]

I think the second one isn't so much a cliche as an observation of what many of the faithful actually do, most of the time.

Absolute fundamentalism isn't the net effect of giving credence to the idea that any text as ancient as the Christian bible isn't subject to routine cherry picking --in fact, what it points out is that 'absolute fundamentalism' simply isn't possible. It's a document made up of thousands of documents that were never edited: they're internally-inconsistent and self-contradictory. Which one are the fundies going to follow: you can't marry your brother's widow or you must? They're both in there...

I don't really run into enough atheists in the course of a year to have noticed anything they 'all' (or most) say as cliches...

[kameka]

I completely agree. I don't think we say that to mean you must do this, simply that it is not right to quote the bible as your source for believing homosexuality (for instance) is wrong while you're eating your lobster dinner in you cotton/poly blend shirt. Why is one rule supposed to be followed and not the one next to it?

Quoting LindaClement:

I think the second one isn't so much a cliche as an observation of what many of the faithful actually do, most of the time.

Absolute fundamentalism isn't the net effect of giving credence to the idea that any text as ancient as the Christian bible isn't subject to routine cherry picking --in fact, what it points out is that 'absolute fundamentalism' simply isn't possible. It's a document made up of thousands of documents that were never edited: they're internally-inconsistent and self-contradictory. Which one are the fundies going to follow: you can't marry your brother's widow or you must? They're both in there...

I don't really run into enough atheists in the course of a year to have noticed anything they 'all' (or most) say as cliches...

[mommamaggi]

I know Vic, and am a member of Houston Atheists so I had the pleasure of reading his blog before it was posted and I couldn't agree with him more! 

I think he has pretty much gotten it right, and in the group we all have this discussion often, and he plans on continuing to add to the list :)

[mommamaggi]

Here is Vic's full series if you want to check it out.
Atheist Clichés to Avoid – Part 1 | Deus X'ed

[LindaClement]

Because it's not about logic, is why :D

Quoting kameka:

I completely agree. I don't think we say that to mean you must do this, simply that it is not right to quote the bible as your source for believing homosexuality (for instance) is wrong while you're eating your lobster dinner in you cotton/poly blend shirt. Why is one rule supposed to be followed and not the one next to it?

Quoting LindaClement:

I think the second one isn't so much a cliche as an observation of what many of the faithful actually do, most of the time.

Absolute fundamentalism isn't the net effect of giving credence to the idea that any text as ancient as the Christian bible isn't subject to routine cherry picking --in fact, what it points out is that 'absolute fundamentalism' simply isn't possible. It's a document made up of thousands of documents that were never edited: they're internally-inconsistent and self-contradictory. Which one are the fundies going to follow: you can't marry your brother's widow or you must? They're both in there...

I don't really run into enough atheists in the course of a year to have noticed anything they 'all' (or most) say as cliches...

[Clairwil]

Quoting mommamaggi:

Here is Vic's full series if you want to check it out.
Atheist Clichés to Avoid – Part 1 | Deus X'ed

all good ones

[amiecanflie]

That we're all satan worshipping, baby Jesus killers. How can we worship/kill something that doesn't exist? 

[sahmamax2]

We are angry with god:/ ummmm how can I be angry with something that does not even exist!!