Trying to Understand Angry Atheists Responce

In response to Rabbi Marc Gellman’s Column
“Trying to Understand Angry Atheists
Why do nonbelievers seem to be threatened by the idea of God?”

In responce to: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12498143/site/newsweek

Dear Rabbi Marc Gellman,

A little bit about me. I am 24, male and living in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, raised in North-eastern New Jersey and been living here in Fort Lauderdale since 1999. I am also homosexual and prefer to be labeled as a secular humanist over atheist. Not sure how you feel about homosexuals, I’m curious to find out. I believe you can deduce a lot from a person’s worldview by understanding how they feel, fundamentally about homosexuals.

I’m happy to hear you’d like to better understand atheists. I hope I can help you to understand this atheist. When I first started to read the article, I was surprised to see you generalize that atheists were angry.

The more I thought about it, I saw that I myself am a bit angry, but not about any one god, but about the people who stubbornly use supernatural reasons to discriminate and spread intolerance around the globe.

You write:
”So we disagree about God. I'm sometimes at odds with Yankee fans, people who like rap music and people who don't like animals, but I try to be civil.”

That is a funny comparison. A disagreement with a Yankee fan about sports hardly can quantify to disagreement on a belief system (that cannot be argued) which tries to dictate laws that effect millions of people.

Above you imply that you are civil where atheists aren’t always civil. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can generalize. I’m pretty involved in political news in the US. When I think back, I find it hard to see examples of atheists being uncivilized.

When I think about people of faith in the news, I easily remember a crowd of people standing around a public building screaming and ranting like lunatics. One of these, a man was throwing a temper tantrum over the ten commandments like a 7 year old child. When was the last time you saw an atheist act anything like that?

So, I admit I’m angry; I am upset. What is important is not that I’m upset, but why I’m upset.

Have you watched the movie named, “Not without my daughter” (1991). If not I suggest you watch it. It would help you to understand my example below.

Picture yourself living in Iran with your daughter or wife, all not of the Islamic faith. Everyday you see terrible atrocities from a deadly dose of mistreatment of women to a strict and unfair law system. The country is a theocracy and therefore few of the laws and cultural ways can be improved or changed. I believe in a situation such as that, you’d be angry or upset at the views of the people around you. You’d witness atrocities all in the name of a supernatural being.

You might find this example a bit of an exaggeration, I agree. The point is, some of the people of faith in this country have similar mentalities. They create discrimination based on views they think came from a supernatural being. My case is even stronger me being a homosexual. I cannot marry my partner. I cannot visit my partner if he was sick in the hospital. I have to go through expensive lawyers to prepare special paperwork in case I die, all so my partner can inherit my things. All rights granted to a man and a woman in marriage. You cannot tell me that is not discrimination. A god that discriminates, how quaint.

The argument used by those who are trying with all their resources to outlaw gay marriage, have one fundamental argument. “Marriage is sacred between a man and woman.” That is not an argument. It is a statement made by the faithful. They have no reason (besides the Bible) for their statement. Should that be a deciding factor in law when many American Citizens aren’t Christian?

I am angry because some of the views of the faithful go against human rights. They are brainwashed to believe they are divine. It is upsetting to say the least.

I like to look to the future to define my actions. People of faith look to the past. Even though knowledge of the past is an important step in building a good future, it should not be done without rational thought, something people of faith claim to do, but clearly don’t.

Thanks for taking the time to read my enormous rant. I hope it helps you to understand why an atheist might be angry. President Bush is a classic example of what faith can do to a society without coincidence he does this with lies, much like the deception put forth by faith.