My lovely night out

[Captain Atheism]

I'm so very tired of this... so very tired.  And I just want to bitch about it.

Last night I went out to a bar, sang karaoke for a bit, had some drinks, met some new people.  Toward the end of the night, I started talking to a couple men about my age, and we were getting along just great.  We talked for about a half hour, and everything was fine.  Then somehow the subject of religion came up.

I explained that I was an atheist, which immediately shocked and awed both of them.  Apparently, they had never imagined that a person might not believe in gods.  They questioned me for a few, and I provided them a few of the stock reasons why one should be an atheist... you know, the reasons that religious people somehow never think about...

Anyway, I went to get a drink, and when I came back, they had moved.  I walked over and one of them told me to fuck off and leave them alone.  I said "What?!"

And he explained that he didn't want to hear any more from me, and that I should be ashamed of myself.  And he explained that he had walked away because HE DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR THE THINGS I WAS SAYING.  At least he openly admitted that part.

Then they both threatened to "fuck me up" if I didn't leave them alone.

So I left.  That burgeoning friendship was obviously finished before it started.

The fact that I simply stated that I'm not a member of "the cult" instantly made me a villainous dog, worthy of hatred and disrespect.  They had no problem with me whatsoever until that point.  And suddenly, their whole opinion of me was instantly changed to less than zero.

My opinion of humanity continues to sink and sink.  If this is what I have to look forward to from my fellow man, I just think I'd like to drop out.

[LegendarySandwich]

Yet your world view spot says you're a Taoist...?

But anyways, welcome. I'm sorry you had to experience that. Religion can be a tough subject if the participators have different views, and, unfortunately, some people can't get past the fact that another person believes differently than them.

[Cecilie]

Cool story bro. No, but really, that sucks, man. It's interesting though...something like that would never happen where I live...

EDIT: Oh, and welcome to HAF.

[Captain Atheism]

Yes, most if not all Taoists are atheists...

[LegendarySandwich]

Then why wouldn't you say you're a Taoist? It seems like a better thing to describe yourself as when you're in a conversation with a bunch of religious people. Just sayin'.

[Captain Atheism]

Well, it wasn't the word "atheist" that made them flip their lid.  It was the statement that I don't believe in gods.  I doubt those two would actually know what the word atheist means in the first place, judging by their utter confusion over the concept.

[Dretlin]

Well, it wasn't the word "atheist" that made them flip their lid.  It was the statement that I don't believe in gods.  I doubt those two would actually know what the word atheist means in the first place, judging by their utter confusion over the concept.

They are not worth your time mate.

From your story, they are clearly two very unpleasant individuals (I use that in the broadest context). All you did was be friendly and accepting and they could not muster the decency to return it.

Who wants to be around people like that anyway?  

[terranus]

Religious people have a strong negative reaction to the word "atheist", especially where I live. In fact, here in the bible belt you'd probably get a better reaction telling people you're a satan-worshipper - because at least then you're not doubting the existance of god.

I was religious for a long time, and to be honest with you, I still have a natural negative reaction to the word atheist. Sort of like human have a strong negative reaction to snakes, coackroaches, and spiders. It's a reaction that's been built into a lot of ppl over time because they've always been taught to fear and/or hate atheists. I was taught the same all throughout high school and even into the first few years of college, until I finally figured out how brainwashed I was.

But yeah, even to this day I still have an instant negative reaction to the word atheist - even though I am one.

Sorry that happened to you though, that really sucks. People are stupid though. Like Albert Einstein once said - "There are only 2 things that are infinite - the universe and human stupidity - and I'm not sure about the former."

[LARA]

Very disturbing.  Threats of violence based on personal belief?  Where do you live, the Middle East?

If these two claim to be Christians, Jesus must feel so very proud.

[Captain Atheism]

Religious people have a strong negative reaction to the word "atheist", especially where I live. In fact, here in the bible belt you'd probably get a better reaction telling people you're a satan-worshipper - because at least then you're not doubting the existance of god.

I once had a conversation with a friend of mine that is not religious, but apparently was some kind of deist or something.  And I told her I was an atheist.  She got this look of sadness on her face and said "Don't call yourself that.  There's no need to use that word.  Call yourself agnostic."

I replied that "atheist" is not a derogatory term, and it's what I am.  Telling me not to call myself an atheist is the equivalent of telling a homosexual not to call himself "gay".  I suppose to most religious people, the word atheist is an insult, just as "gay" is to heterosexuals.  It's a strange time we live in.  Sometimes I really wish I could have been born a couple generations from now, after this silly business ceases to be the norm.

[LegendarySandwich]

Sometimes I really wish I could have been born a couple generations from now, after this silly business ceases to be the norm.

In a couple generations, some new "silly business" will be the norm.

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.

[Thumpalumpacus]

It's their loss, and not yours.  Chin up, and take Christ's very apt advice: "Shake the dust of that village off your feet."

[Guardian85]

I suppose it is a little strange that the stupidity of some deeply religious people still manages to surprise me, but the levels of intolerance and ignorance are such that they still pull it off.
But chin up! It's their loss.

[Asmodean]

But chin up! It's their loss.

It is. Right up until the point where it affects your quality of life, making it your loss too.

[fester30]

The reaction of these guys, and people like them, is just a way of covering insecurities.  Insecure people are on the lookout for opportunities to feel superior to someone else.  This goes for racism, homophobia (or heterophobia for the other way around ), sexism, etc.  They were able to feel superior to you for a portion of the night, because they look at someone who doesn't believe in god as inferior in some way, and of course, based upon some stereotype they picked up.  I was a Christian for 33 years, and the nicest thing I ever heard a preacher say about atheists was that they were mostly decent, misguided people.  That was one Catholic priest at the Jesuit university I attended.  Other than that, I heard from various preachers that atheists were evil, they worshipped the devil, they sacrificed animals, or at the very least, they were atheists because they wanted to be able to justify sin.  They wanted to have lots of sex and drugs and live the high easy sinful life without having to believe in hell.  I mean, I heard the whole range of things.  I thought every gathering of two or more atheists started with a prayer to Satan and was followed by a pile of drunk, drugged, and intertwined human bodies on top of a pentagram in front of an altar with an upside-down cross and blood from a live animal sacrifice in a cup to pass around and drink.

They either don't understand atheists, or more likely in many cases are just trying to scare people away from that life.  It's also how they described Wiccas, homosexuals, the pro-choice movement, and Lindsay Lohan.

In many churches, atheists are treated the same as devil-worshippers, because they both reject the judeo-christian god.  Jews were given some respect in the churches I went to because they were almost there, just needed to read one more testament to get it.  But to the mind of the churches I went to, if you do not believe in god, it means you love Satan, and you do it because you feel you can do anything you want.  They really do believe that an atheist is just rebelling, and that atheists deep down know of god's existence.  Just from my experience, I know many of the reasons why theists discriminate and often in an ugly way.  I have done it myself in the past, and of course I felt guilty about it once I realized god wasn't real.