Unbelievable! Saying "I don't believe" is rude, abrasive and generally icky

[onager]

When a believer says "I believe" it's because they're proud to believe. Simple as that. Not gonna piss any atheists off.

When a nonbeliever says "I don't believe" it's because their proud to not believe. That's gonna piss religious people off because it'll be seen as a rebuke to their religion.

Well then, how exactly are we supposed to express our disbelief?

Oh, we're NOT supposed to.

NOT an invitation to "pile on," but this is an LBN thread about South Carolina's "I Believe" license plates. I thought it would interest this group. You'll find me repeating myself in the thread, but nothing new about that...


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3360053

[TZ]

1. If I didn't know better

I'd swear Joe Lieberman was posting in that thread...:eyes:

[charlie]

2. DeSwiss is killing me in that thread

"I Believe in Talking Snakes" :D

[JNelson6563]

3. Astounding.

I never cease to be amazed at the mental gymnastics of some of these people.

Julie

[Warpy]

4. I'm glad I missed that thread

I'd certainly have been tombstoned. "Liberal thinker," me arse.

Who are these people trying to fool? Themselves?

[moggie]

9. A two-word username

and both of the words are wrong. When I see a DUer with "liberal" or "progressive" in their name, I kind of expect them to be neither.

[rexcat]

5. You are not suppose to say anything...

religious people (as a whole and I know this comment takes a wide sweep) have thin skins and don't take criticism well, no matter how well deserved. It is perfectly alright for them to criticize anyone else's beliefs but not their beliefs because they know they are right because gawd is on their side. That would also be persecution and we can't have that.

When are you damn fundamentalist athiets (sic) going to get it. :sarcasm:

[FiveGoodMen]

6. "they know they are right because gawd is on their side"

I think one of the real reasons that xtians support the Iraq war is that any time they kill a million people and get away with it, they take it as proof that what's-his-name sided with them.

Seriously, there was a special -- I forget the details, but -- a pilot who was dropping napalm on civilians in Japan (before we nuked them) felt bad about setting people on fire (!) and talked to his priest about it. Man-of-soiled-cloth said, "Well, God didn't stop you so it must have been his will."

It's the dark side of Emo Philip's joke: "When I was young I prayed for a bicycle. Then I realized that god in his wisdom doesn't work that way... So I stole a bike and asked him to forgive me."

Same thought as "God helps those who help themselves" really.

[enki23]

7. what if your religion requires you not to "believe"?

for instance, i think you could spin at least some kinds of buddhism that way.

and why can't they just slap on a fucking jesus fish like all the other loonies? what is the point of the state-issued religious affirmation, if not to combat church-state separation?

anyway, at least the guy's being honest. to a "believer" my lack of belief is an insult. it's true that saying "i do not believe" necessarily implies that i think they believe something that is untrue, and that they should probably be able to recognize as untrue. either that, or i think they are somehow too mentally handicapped to see that it is untrue. there's no escaping it. it's an insult to them, without a doubt. strangely enough, it's also true that it doesn't completely go both ways. it's like they're all running around wearing funny hats. they aren't embarrassed so long as everyone's doing it. but, deep down, the ones who get the most insulted are the ones who are most aware just how ridiculous they look, and it really pisses them off to see someone who embarrasses them by proving it's possible not to look like a fool. they sure as *hell* aren't going to give you the satisfaction of taking it off in your presence.

the ones who really, really believe it, who really *like* their funny hat, don't get as offended. they just think you're going to get cancer from the cosmic rays.

[Rob H.]

8. "...it'll be seen as a rebuke to their religion."

There are some really thin-skinned believers on this board if they genuinely agree with that poster. "I don't believe" isn't a rebuke; "Your religious beliefs are laugh-out-loud stupid" is a rebuke.

[vixengrl]

10. Brief rant--believers have a weird advantage, because when they disagree with an atheist

it's automatically two against one--you know, them and their God, against, well, you. Since I don't believe in their tag-team partner, I think it's still pretty fair, except, um, in *their* mind, where they have God on their side.

That being said (just a random observation) "I believe" has a kind of tacit, "And if you don't you're going to hell to burn eternally because I totally believe that," flavor. Whereas "I don't believe" only has a subliminal, "And if you do you're probably wrong, but we both die and death is permanent" flavor. I call the "believer" statement just a hair more offensive--if I cared, which as a nonbeliever, I guess I've reconciled myself to...well, not doing, since I have one life and don't want to spend it pissed. But I do think it's weird that people would want to make their vehicle a missionary statement.

"Am I driving Christlike? If you want to follow Christ and drive like me, dial...."

(I have seen the odd Jesus-fish motorist drive in an ungodly way. I think an FOP sticker gets you out of more tickets, actually. )

[and-justice-for-all]

11. I not vocalize my Disbelief out of rudeness..

or to be a prick. However, when asked or handed some church invite, I will state a 'No thanks, I'm an Atheist/non-religious". If my unhesitating, unapologetic expression is offensive to people with invisible friends: TOUGH SHIT.

Religious people have to be continuously reminded to believe, they have to plaster their reminders on billboards, License Plates, around their neck and scratched into their flesh(Tattoos).