(no subject)
Whenever I'm discussing religion with anyone, I notice there's a vast difference between their reaction when I say "I don't have a religion" and when I say "I'm an atheist". They mean the same thing! And then afterward it always gets construed, like someone says "even if you believe in atheism..." ugh, it's not that at all. It's a lack of belief. Sometimes I feel like people take atheism to mean anti-God, which I don't think is necessarily correct. Just because I don't believe in God doesn't mean I don't respect your right to worship whomever you please. I just wish atheism didn't have such a negative connotation, when there are so many atheists that aren't stuck up, high-and-mighty people, like everyone seems to stereotype us as. I don't stereotype Christians or Mormons as all bible-thumpers, do I? (only mentioning those two because I've only really debated with people of those two religions). It would be nice to have the same respect.
Besides, whenever I get into a debate, for the most part, it's one-sided. I don't like insulting people, and atheist ideas are way more jarring to most people I talk to than Christian ideas. So, I let them talk to me and I listen. I love hearing about religion and what people believe - it's just when they start invading my right to choose to have no religion that I get upset. It's so uncomfortable when I feel like someone is trying to convert me. Can't we just have a conversation?
I'm really hyped up about things right now, and I could go on about more things that upset me now-a-days, but I think I'll stop there, lest I hurt any of my IRL friends. I'm just venting a little, not trying to sound uppity or rude. :/
EDIT: Oh yeah, man, it was so annoying. I was arguing with Collin today about whether Judaism is a religion as well as a race - he was telling me that you have to have a country to have a race. I strongly disagreed, because Caucasian people are from many different countries, etc. but he wouldn't listen. We texted Cha Cha twice and they backed me up - that it's genetic connections that make a race. So I show him the text like "See what I mean?" and he blustered for a while then was like "WELL HITLER WASN'T JEWISH". Wat. I just started at him. That man is a debating master
Besides, whenever I get into a debate, for the most part, it's one-sided. I don't like insulting people, and atheist ideas are way more jarring to most people I talk to than Christian ideas. So, I let them talk to me and I listen. I love hearing about religion and what people believe - it's just when they start invading my right to choose to have no religion that I get upset. It's so uncomfortable when I feel like someone is trying to convert me. Can't we just have a conversation?
I'm really hyped up about things right now, and I could go on about more things that upset me now-a-days, but I think I'll stop there, lest I hurt any of my IRL friends. I'm just venting a little, not trying to sound uppity or rude. :/
EDIT: Oh yeah, man, it was so annoying. I was arguing with Collin today about whether Judaism is a religion as well as a race - he was telling me that you have to have a country to have a race. I strongly disagreed, because Caucasian people are from many different countries, etc. but he wouldn't listen. We texted Cha Cha twice and they backed me up - that it's genetic connections that make a race. So I show him the text like "See what I mean?" and he blustered for a while then was like "WELL HITLER WASN'T JEWISH". Wat. I just started at him. That man is a debating master