Here we go again.

[progressoid]

How atheists became the most colossally smug and annoying people on the planet

When did atheists become so teeth-gratingly annoying? Surely non-believers in God weren't always the colossal pains in the collective backside that they are today? Surely there was a time when you could say to someone "I am an atheist" without them instantly assuming you were a smug, self-righteous loather of dumb hicks given to making pseudo-clever statements like, "Well, Leviticus also frowns upon having unkempt hair, did you know that?" Things are now so bad that I tend to keep my atheism to myself, and instead mumble something about being a very lapsed Catholic if I'm put on the spot, for fear that uttering the A-word will make people think I'm a Dawkins drone with a mammoth superiority complex and a hives-like allergy to nurses wearing crucifixes.

These days, barely a week passes without the emergence of yet more evidence that atheists are the most irritating people on Earth. Last week we had the spectacle of Dawkins and his slavish Twitter followers (whose adherence to Dawkins' diktats makes those Kool-Aid-drinking Jonestown folk seem level-headed in comparison) boring on about how stupid Muslims are. This week we've been treated to new scientific research claiming to show that atheists are cleverer than religious people. I say scientific. I say research. It is of course neither; it's just a pre-existing belief dolled up in rags snatched from various reports and stories. Not unlike the Bible. But that hasn't stopped the atheistic blogosphere and Twitterati from effectively saying, "See? Told you we were brainier than you Bible-reading numbskulls."

etc...

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100230985/how-atheists-became-the-most-colossally-smug-and-annoying-people-on-the-planet/?fb

Over 1500 comments so far.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. The people who claim that no finite amount of torture is adequate

to suit an evil, worthless shit like me -- or for that matter, their own kids! -- have a problem with MY attitude!

[progressoid]

2. On the plus side, the article gave a link to a cool site.

http://www.atheistmemebase.com

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Hardly worth the effort

to read it and some of the comments. Same old shit. I see that the author also wrote a satire about environmentalism.....so I am wondering if this is satire that is being taken seriously. If so, it isn't a very good one.

Speaking out about being an atheist should not be something that a person should be ashamed of....just like ramming religion down someone's throat isn't something to be ashamed of. And I am sorry for the people who think that I am obsessed with being an atheist above everything else in life. No, that sounds more like the religious right, who are definitely obsessed.

[LostOne4Ever]

4. Right wing hack

Makes crappy hasty generalizations about atheists as a whole while at the same time re-enforcing every stereotype against us known to man in order to make quick cheap points with the insecure.

Nothing that we haven't seen before.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Right, the wonderful old days when we knew to keep good and silent.

[awoke_in_2003]

8. along with the women, blacks, and gays. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

9. indeeeeeed.

[awoke_in_2003]

10. I work with a puke with an anger problem...

I have never heard him talk about a woman without the c or b word popping out. The racial stuff is usually code words so as to not be so blatant. The white Christian male, by his accounts, are the most persecuted group in this country. Hmmm, I am an atheist, my sister is gay, and my best friend is black- I beg to differ.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. Indeed.

[awoke_in_2003]

12. Spot on...

especially the second one.

[Warren DeMontague]

13. In my experience problems often arise when people take other people's personal choices as a

personal attack on them.

I fully remember the days when saying "I don't believe in God" was considered to be a direct challenge, an insult. Hell, there are still people around here who will act like it is somehow a "bigoted" statement, although fortunately things have gotten better.

I caught a lot of shit as a kid for not believing, and just as importantly, not shutting up about it. Answering "Atheist" on the school bus when asked your religion? It simply wasn't done. It wasn't an "allowable" answer.

Again, it's good that society has changed significantly in a positive direction IMHO.

[awoke_in_2003]

14. What is funny...

is the same coworker who almost got belligerent telling me he was a Christian. Down here in the bible belt I find it very hard to tell someone I am an atheist- no telling what trouble that would make.

[DetlefK]

6. "atheists are the most irritating people on Earth" - Thanks!

Being irritating and questioning common beliefs is actually a good thing.

"Hey, have you heard about that crazy new jewish sect down in Judea? I tell you, those Christians are the most irritating people I've ever met."

[Stuckinthebush]

7. What a wonderful thing!

To be called irritating means that we are making people think.

I actually know of no non theists who go around expressing their non belief. None. But, I do know many religionists who do. So, what is more irritating? Why does the author feel a need to single out atheists? I won't apologize for telling people who proselytize that I'm an atheist so bug off.

My wife is a C and E Episcopalian (Christmas and Easter). She is a very intelligent scientist. She gets irritated with me because I think I make her uncomfortable by simply causing cognitive dissonance. It is so easy to go along with society and just believe in a sky god. But when intelligent people are confronted with the absurdity of their beliefs they tend to get irritated.

[skepticscott]

15. I would modify this to say

That the "I'm an atheist, but.." gaggle of blogging hacks take smugness and superiority to a level far beyond what they attribute to "those" atheists. His "argument" has more straw men than all the corn fields of the Bible Belt ever did.

[JNelson6563]

16. In all seriousness

I just left a place of employment where my open atheism was a real problem. My immediate manager was a bit of a fundy simpleton that I have good reason to believe the very notion of atheism scared the crap out of, much less working within close proximity of one every day.

I have learned from this. I never say where I'm at on religion at my current workplace but do get a kick out of throwing around a bible quote or two when it's needed to counter some ridiculous statement or other by a believer. I'm sure they have inferred I am a believer too.

Julie