I recently encountered a bigot who referred to atheism as my "particular religious belief".

[beam me up scottie]

Is it worthwhile to engage someone like this or it ultimately futile? On one hand if others are paying attention it might be beneficial to try to discuss this subject but on the other I'm so damned tired of trying to reason with bigots.

How do you handle it when someone deliberately misrepresents atheism just to piss you off?








*Standard disclaimer: This is posted in the Atheists and Agnostics group, a safe haven where we can discuss religion and its effects on society and criticize fundamentalists who are not part of our coalition. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

9 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Ignore them
	0 (0%)
	Explain why it's intolerant to lie about people who don't share their beliefs
	1 (11%)
	Ask them to explain how a lack of religious belief is a belief
	7 (78%)
	Laugh at their pathetic attempt to get under your skin
	0 (0%)
	Tell them to go (use your imagination)
	0 (0%)
	I like pie
	0 (0%)
	Other (explain)
	1 (11%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[trotsky]

1. Some combination thereof.

Sometimes it's satisfying to expose their ignorance and hypocrisy.

[beam me up scottie]

5. I call that the carrot and stick approach.

Offer them knowledge and if they refuse it hit them with a truth stick. And if I'm in a bad mood I'm not above resorting to mockery.

[dchill]

2. I'd say, "I'm so atheistic that I don't even believe in THAT."

[beam me up scottie]

6. It's so immature. Basically they're trying to insult us by saying we're just like them.

My little brother often used the Pee Wee Herman defense when he was little but he grew out of it.

[dchill]

7. I don't know what to believe. But that doesn't mean...

that I don't know what NOT to believe.

[beam me up scottie]

9. Yep. I think that's the part that bothers them the most.

They see atheism as a rejection of what they believe and they take it personally. They don't seem to understand that it has NOTHING to do with them.

[Warpy]

3. Yeah, like "bald" is a hair color

then walk away, usually twiddling an index finger next to a temple.

It's the only way to deal with bigots. They're only parroting what they've heard. You can't really make them think with reasoned arguments and logic.

A one liner is about all any of them will ever absorb.

[beam me up scottie]

8. Or like health is a disease.

The Friendly Atheist Hemant Mehta made a video of some of these analogies:

If this happens in a setting where I have a chance to expose their ignorance as well as educate people about atheism I might be inclined to go with that option first. I just don't have as much patience these days - too many hours wasted dealing with bigots has taken its toll.

[LakeArenal]

4. I tell them to report me to god, "he" will take care of it.

[beam me up scottie]

10. If their god doesn't approve of atheists why do we exist?

I thought he didn't make mistakes?

[LakeArenal]

11. Satan

has hacked god's system...

[beam me up scottie]

12. That's another thing I like to ask about.

How can a fallen angel be more cunning and powerful than the allegedly omnipotent being that created it? No part of that makes sense.

[LakeArenal]

13. I also want to know...

If god is all forgiving... Then why is he still holding that grudge against Eve.. Supposedly she was very sorry for eating fruit.

I have posted this debate before but I just love it...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/video/ricky-gervais-and-stephen-go-head-to-head-on-religion/vi-AAmwO7V

[beam me up scottie]

15. Not just Eve - this all forgiving deity punished her descendents by making childbirth painful.

And let's not forget how in a fit of rage he murdered every man, woman, child and every other living creature on the face of the earth. What kind of loving father does something like that?

They like to claim that was the old testament guy and he's changed but isn't that admitting God is fallible?

Gene Roddenberry summed it up perfectly:

[LakeArenal]

14. And... what part of any of it does make sense?

[mountain grammy]

16. I usually just chuckle and walk away..

but think I like this. I once told someone who said, "I'll pray for you," that they were actually "reporting me" if they believe their own nonsense. Once we become adults, life's too short to sit and listen to fairy tales.