Why The Pretense?

[Hijiri Byakuren]

What does that have to do with the original issue?

Nothing, actually. The original issue was over and done with. You raised a new issue, and I went after that. Fairly standard practice around here.

[stromboli]

Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

The original question. The answer is that people choose to do what they do. "many" atheists? How many? What percentage?

"Maintain the pretense they actually want to deal with or have contact with the theist, yada yada yada."

 Best answer is to ask the question to the individual you are referring to. You need to understand something. Atheism isn't group think, it isn't institutionalized or organized by a set of rules and regulations. Atheism is the non belief in gods, period. So when you try to group atheists together, you've got a problem. We are not herd animals, and don't all pretend to think alike. I know the difference between theistic thinking and atheistic thinking, because I've been there. Theists are very much herd animals and can be quantified as a group. Atheists are not nearly so. Sort of like herding cats, so to speak. The question is too vague to be quantified in any way that matters, so your answers are going to amount to opinions and little else.

[Mermaid]

We (meaning everyone, atheist or not) interact with all types of people. Some by choice, some by necessity. I don't know about you, but I do not make decisions about whether I like or dislike a person based on their religious beliefs. Therefore I believe your opening statement has false assumptions in it.

That would only be true if I used the word "all".  If you're not included in the "many", then I would simply say, congratulations!

Dude. The answer is still the same: There are a lot of theists in the world and we deal with them BY NECESSITY.

It's not a "pretense", it's survival and living in today's world.

[Colanth]

You seemed to be implying that Christians were in some way separate from theists. They are not.

No I didn't.

Actually, by the way English works, "the theist or the Christian" says, not implies, exactly that.  "The theist, Christian or other", or some similar construct, wouldn't.

Atheism's affirmation of the non-existance of God

Exists solely in the mind of theists.  We don't believe in any god - not all of us believe that there's no god.  Since the ONLY thing that ALL atheists have in common is LACK OF BELIEF in any god, that's all atheism, qua atheism, is.

Sorry if you can't accept that, or if it somehow bothers something in you, but that's the reality of it, and atheism is about reality, not about someone else's fantasy, whether that fantasy be about some god or about what we atheists believe.

[Colanth]

Atheism's affirmation of the non-existance of God doesn't only refer to the Christian God

You can call it an affirmation all you like, it will be as incorrect today as it was yesterday, and it will continue to be incorrect tomorrow. Atheists lack belief in deities. That is not an assertion, it is a lack of belief. How many more times do you need to be told this before it finally penetrates that abnormally thick cranium of yours?

What does that have to do with the original issue?  Whether or not I was saying Christians were not theists or not?  If you'd rather me say atheism's lack of belief that's fine, but that still has nothing to do with what we were talking about.

It has to do with what Hijiri was talking about in that post.  Or don't you know how forums work?

[Agramon]

And some respond by making my point for me.  Thanks!

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I hate all theists and have begun a murderous spree killing them in the tens of millions. No need to pretend anymore. :)

[Jmpty]

Since I live in the U.S., most of my neighbors are theists. Most of my family are theists. Hell, my go to guy at the music store is a theist. I don't avoid them, or make any pretense, I just coexist with them. Is that so hard to understand?

[Hydra009]

I hate all theists and have begun a murderous spree killing them in the tens of millions. No need to pretend anymore. :)

In all likelihood, godspammer#134723 over here will take your sarcasm seriously.

[zarus tathra]

I don't fear Christians because the vast majority of them are quite harmless.

[Solomon Zorn]

It's not a pretense: I like a lot of Christians! Many of them, I love! It's CHRISTIANITY that I want nothing to do with (except to refute it).

[SubcontinentalKiwi]

Why do many atheists maintain the pretense that they actually want to deal with or have any contact with the theist or the Christian when its clear from their attitudes and behavior that they don't?

Firstly, Christians and theists should not be seperated because Christians are (one type of) theist.

Now, with that out of the way, what makes you think that no atheist wants contact with theists? That's a huge generalisation. Do you avoid contact with anyone of different views to your own? Didn't think so...

Personally, I don't have anything at all against theists. I just have something against people who try to preach to me and shove their values down my throat (regardless of if they're theists or atheists). Now, I'm not denying that there are some atheists who literally dislike every theist they meet, but I would bet my shirt that they're by far the exception and not the rule.