Freedom of Religion
I have a massive bugbear about this. I am an atheist - NOT AN AGNOSTIC! Rather than saying 'I don't believe in a god', I prefer to say 'I believe there is no god'. It is a belief system in its own right.

Now, I have no issue with other people believing whatever they will. I am also quite fond of a theological debate. However, I get really, REALLY pissed off when people say to me something along the lines of 'well, I think maybe you should give God another try' in the most smugly patronising voice in the world, or otherwise attempt to convert me.

I suppose I am probably over-reacting, but it comes from the realisation that I am not covered (as it were) by freedom of religion. Despite having a belief, it is not an organised religion, and therefore open to attack from all sides. If, however, I turn to a Bible-basher and say 'well, I think maybe you should give atheism another try', the screaming about freedom of religion can be heard in space...

I did once manage a great comeback though. Back when The Passion of the Christ came out, a lot of Bible-bashers came out of the woodwork trying to get everyone to go see it. A couple of them occasionally got a bit aggressive about it. I remember one who put a flier in my face, and when I politely declined and walked past, he shouted at me 'HE DIED FOR YOU, YOU KNOW!'

At which point I stopped, turned around and pointed out: 'Mel Gibson hasn't died for fucking anyone', before strolling away from his spluttering outrage.
(HarryTheMole whatever's on my finger is going in your mouth, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 14:13, 11 replies)

The Scots?
William Wallace?

Braveheart?

You sir, are a liar.

However, *click*.
(Vikingheadache, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 14:17, closed)

I am atheist
But I am not sure that it is a 'belief' as such. For me it's merely an acceptance of the current status quo. I personally don't think that you can believe in an absence of something because it is already self evidencing.

*prepares stigmata*
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 14:17, closed)

I always preferred
"Nah, I read the book. Got bored when he died, figured it'd be all mourning and "Oh, wasn't he brilliant" after that..."
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 14:20, closed)

It's not a belief
you don't believe there is not a god any more than you don't believe that there is a massive hairy purple and green monster standing on your left shoulder. It's self evident that the monster does not exist, whether you consciously think about it or not makes no difference.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 14:35, closed)

This
A belief is, by its nature, your support for something that cannot be tangibly proved one way or another. That's the point of faith. there are three options.

1)you believe in a god
2)you don't know or care
3)there isn't a god.

You can't believe in the non-existance of something that effectively requires faith in the first place.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 15:38, closed)

As a child
I'd walk past the Fire Station which on the rear overlooking a service bridge had the massive sign with slogan "CHRIST DIED FOR YOUR SINS".

I found it hard to believe as a tiny 5 year old child interested in only football and playing that some random guy 2000 years ago DIED for the time I looked up a girls skirt.

I may have been a semi-retarded bairn but that was far too far-fetched even for me...
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 14:37, closed)

Not believing in god
is a religion, in the same way as not collecting stamps is a hobby.

Apologies to whoever I nicked that off and susbsequently ruined, probably Dawkins.

I agree with most of what you said though. :)
(Rakky (forgot her password) The muffin maverick, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 15:35, closed)

Thankfully though
there are laws against discrimination or incitement to hatred based on lack of belief. So legally, you're safe.
(LickOutTheJamsMotherfuckers!, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 15:39, closed)

'I believe there is no god'
my atheism is based on a lack of need for any belief.
i am a morally centred person who is able to live within society's rules without the threat of everlasting damnation to keep me in check.
my atheism is based on a considered opinion formed by examination of a variety of the creation myths available, and my rejection of their obviously naive construction.
no 'belief' is required for me to reject them as fallacious.
( mictoboy shitting in your cunt since, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 15:41, closed)

And this annoys me
By believing there is no God, you're almost as bad as the religious types (not to mention opening a crack into which the "atheists have as much faith as the religious!" argument can be shoehorned): you're communicating something as fact which you could never possibly know. No intellectually honest atheist can state "there is no God".

On the other hand, not believing in God fulfils the definition of atheism in a logically sound and more than acceptable way.
(Merrep, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 17:12, closed)

Surely
any "intellectually honest atheist" can state, "there is no reason to have even the slightest suspicion that any sort of god exists as there is not the slightest shred of evidence for this theory".

If you were to come up with any credible evidence of a god being, then most people who are simply arguing in this fashion and are not actually just anti-organised religion, would consider it.

But there isn't any credible evidence, so there is no reason to think that any sort of god being exists.
(Bazongaloid, Sat 21 Feb 2009, 9:41, closed)