Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Atheists & Agnostics
Related: About this forumGreta Christina: Why Are You Atheists So Angry?
http://www.amazon.com/Atheists-Angry-Things-Godless-ebook/dp/B007MCMKV6I downloaded this book the other day on my Kindle, and let me just say, IT ROCKS. If I could force everyone in the Religion group to read just one thing, it would be Greta's list of 99 items. (Based off this blog post, also a great read.) It would have been worth the purchase price just for that - but I have the whole rest of the book yet to read. Looking forward to it.
But perhaps most of all, I get angry -- sputteringly, inarticulately, pulse-racingly angry -- when believers chide atheists for being so angry. "Why do you have to be so angry all the time?" "All that anger is so off-putting." "If atheism is so great, then why are so many of you so angry?"
Which brings me to the other part of this little rant: Why atheist anger is not only valid, but valuable and necessary.
*****
There's actually a simple, straightforward answer to this question: Because anger is always necessary.
Because anger has driven every major movement for social change in this country, and probably in the world. The labor movement, the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, the modern feminist movement, the gay rights movement, the anti-war movement in the Sixties, the anti-war movement today, you name it... all of them have had, as a major driving force, a tremendous amount of anger. Anger over injustice, anger over mistreatment and brutality, anger over helplessness.
Which brings me to the other part of this little rant: Why atheist anger is not only valid, but valuable and necessary.
*****
There's actually a simple, straightforward answer to this question: Because anger is always necessary.
Because anger has driven every major movement for social change in this country, and probably in the world. The labor movement, the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, the modern feminist movement, the gay rights movement, the anti-war movement in the Sixties, the anti-war movement today, you name it... all of them have had, as a major driving force, a tremendous amount of anger. Anger over injustice, anger over mistreatment and brutality, anger over helplessness.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
4 replies, 1728 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (5)
ReplyReply to this post
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Greta Christina: Why Are You Atheists So Angry? (Original Post)
trotsky
Feb 2013
OP
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)1. All things in moderation.
For those of us who went from being believers to not believing anymore, the initial anger that comes from feeling that everyone had lied to you for your whole life can match the fury of 100 white hot burning suns. Obviously that level of anger is counter-productive for all involved and very harmful if maintained longer than the natural burn rate.
Just my .0125. Good article.
Julie
trotsky
(49,533 posts)2. Christina does a great job of addressing that, too.
Making sure anger is channeled productively. Her list really puts things into focus.
dorkulon
(5,116 posts)3. Interesting perspective.
I never did believe, nor did my parents. Maybe that's why "angry" is not the word I would use to describe my feelings about religion. "Baffled" is more like it.
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)4. Yes, the different feelings make sense.