I\u2019m guilty of this too, but atheists show too much restraint and respect for other people\u2019s beliefs even the ridiculous literal beliefs of fundamentalist believers.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, I was at a party that a fellow atheist was hosting. Knowing that my friend has some very religious family members, I pulled him over and asked him about the religiosity of the other guests. I didn\u2019t want to say anything that might offend someone who was overly religious. I shouldn\u2019t have had to do that.<\/p>\n
On many other occasions in our society, atheists show remarkable restraint. The crossing guard down the street offers her blessings to God for me when I see her. She doesn\u2019t know I\u2019m an atheist and I don\u2019t tell her because it would no doubt offend her. Instead, I show restraint and thank her for your blessings to God on my behalf. She shows no restraint in pushing her beliefs with her blessings, but this isn\u2019t out of malice; it is because the Christian belief system has so twisted her sensibilities that she doesn\u2019t realize she is being rude.<\/p>\n
Time and time again, atheists are compelled to show restraint out of fear of offending the religious. We shouldn\u2019t have to. We have actual evidence on our side. We don\u2019t just make up a bunch of stories and demand people believe them on insufficient evidence.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not saying we shouldn\u2019t show that restraint, but I am calling attention to the fact that we do show that restraint. We live in a society dominated by people who believe in ridiculous crap and we rarely even point it out. People who value evidence, logic, and reason are made to feel like we are the most disrespectful people on the planet by people who push their ridiculous beliefs on all of society without even the courtesy of even presenting valid reasons for their beliefs.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m a pretty vocal atheist, but I don\u2019t shout people down on the street. I don\u2019t knock on anyone\u2019s door on Saturday mornings, I don\u2019t tell everyone I meet on the street that they are delusional. Unless someone else brings up religion, I generally won\u2019t. I bet most of my readers show the same restraint I do but we shouldn\u2019t have to. We do it because we are the respectful ones. We are the people who try not to be rude unless we have to.<\/p>\n
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