Don’t believe in god inspired genocide? Why does it make you so angry?

On a recent interview with Access Hollywood, Kevin Sorbo repeated what’s become a cliché against atheists. “Why are they so angry about something they don’t believe in?”

Firstly this statement implies that atheists are angry in general which is not the case. Most atheists are not outspoken just as most Christians are not outspoken. Non-believers who are vocal will get attention, and often they are passionate about the religious issues being discussed.

But to really understand the mindset of an atheist is to understand it’s not about god at all. The following is what the atheists believe, and it must be understood to understand their world view.

There has never been a word of god, only words of men claiming to speak for god. And that’s a big difference.

Atheists are not angry at god, they’re angry at men claiming to speak for god that impede scientific progress or promote bigoted and unethical behavior. Atheists are angry at the arrogance and dogmatism that god claims have caused. They find the notion that simply adding the word "god" to a claim is supposed to somehow make that assertion beyond criticism to be intellectually damaging.

Most religious vs. atheists’ arguments break down into the following categories.

Logic – Is it logical to believe in god?

Ethics – Is the Bible and/or Quran a trusted source of ethical guidance?

Science – When modern science contradicts assertions about the physical universe in ancient religious text, who wins? What do we teach in schools?

Politics – Should we have a theocracy where the hierarchy in government and the hierarchy of the church are one? Should government institutions look and act like churches?

Secularism – Should the government favor or oppress people based on their religious beliefs, or should all citizens be equal under the law without religious or non-religious privilege?

There are many facets to these categories, and on many there is common ground with most atheists and religious people. Unfortunately intelligent discussion is often stymied by the promotion of insulting, divisive and dismissive stereotypes. Many prefer scripted scenes and softball interviews to real debate. It’s a cowardly way to protect unsubstantiated beliefs from humiliation.

-James Kirk Wall

Related links:

Patheos – Hemant Mehta - Kevin Sorbo, Star of “God’s Not Dead,” Trashes Atheists on Access Hollywood

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