“if you are a real honest to goodness atheist then I don’t think I want you coming here anyway Jen”
You don’t think this comment itself is “…steeped in deep insecurity and fear”?

You say that “atheists seem to feel that because they lack faith in something other than that which can be proven scientifically that this somehow makes them superior intellectually” and yet theists never fail to claim MORAL superiority, as you did when you said “I cannot prove that G*d exists except in my own heart and soul”, the implication being that you are worthy of knowing God while atheists are not. Perhaps that’s not how you intend it, but it is claiming the moral high ground nonetheless. Perhaps next time an atheist challenges your beliefs you should just cut to the chase and say “I know God exists because I am better than you.”

“. . . but I would also urge atheists to accept that just because a person can’t prove something exists, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t.” Atheists do accept that and use it, it is a classic arguement embodied by Russell’s Teapot.

Personally, I don’t care if you believe in God or not, that’s your business. It doesn’t MAKE you stupid, just as it doesn’t make you morally superior. But you certainly are bigoted against atheists, as you’ve clearly shown.

Atheists are the most hated minority in the US – hated more than gays, more than muslims. They are “immoral”, despite having lower rates of divorce than Christians. They are “violent”, despite the fact that the most atheistic country in the G7 has the lowest murder rate (Japan), while the most Christian nation has the highest (US). No matter what it is, blame the atheists, it’s all their fault, despite a lack of any evidence to prove it.

But what do you need evidence for, you have faith!

I don’t dislike atheists just for being atheists anymore than I dislike any other person based on whatever their belief is. The issue for me is, in my experience, atheists seem to feel that because they lack faith in something other than that which can be proven scientifically that this somehow makes them superior intellectually.

This however does not mean that EVERY atheist feels this way, because clearly that would be absurd. But I challenge you to take some kind of empirical study of the group as a whole and present me with your findings. I am fairly confident that atheists in general feel superior intellectually to those who aren’t atheists – whatever their belief.

Let’s face it, as humans there’s always some group out there we feel superior to. Is that fair? No, but is it reality? Yes. With exception to you Beth, every single atheist I have ever encountered in my entire existence on this planet has challenged by beliefs and asked me to prove G*d exists. Every single one. Without exception, until you.

Since in fact, I cannot prove that G*d exists except in my own heart and soul, the end result from each encounter was that my logic was faulty and theirs was correct. Which led to subsequent discussions of superiority – theirs over mine.

I shouldn’t tar any group with the same brush, you’re right — but I would also urge atheists to accept that just because a person can’t prove something exists, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t.

I do have some problems with organized religion. Injustices and reprehensible actions have been committed because of it. But I don’t blame people’s belief or faith for that, I just blame screwed-up people who would latch on to some other justification to commit their acts if religion weren’t a handy excuse.

It’s awfully unfair of you to tar all of us atheists with the same brush.

Scientology did the same thing to me, and I once was one of them, and I know the routine, and knew what they wanted…

They wanted me to lose my tempter.

Which they webbed on their many depopularization pages..

What this amounts to is the contemporary use of “TOTEMS”. Described by a 20th century Russian genius named Bechterev, in his books about crowd manipulation and contagion of ideas. The technique is ingrained in our genetic heritage, from the first time a hunter was walking through a valley and came upon a scary looking wooden pole, with imagery that caused him to run away and never return to that particular area again… unless he was prepared for a war.

Totems are just another method used to warn off inquiry.

Scientology began yelling lies at me, telling me what they were projecting that I believed. It is also a stage hypnosis technique called the “Stage Attack”.. the lies grew more and more outrageous, and kept being repeated. REPETITION will induce a hypnotic trance state as the mind surrenders to the assault of its reason.

But scientology does not want reason, it wants obediance.

In Mr Sweeny’s case and in my case, Scientology wants silence.

Mr Sweeney, at BBC, is a veteran of coverage of Chechnya Terrorists, (infamous for being at the top of the odius scale) ( they like to hold women and children hostage and then kill them anyway, sort of like Scientology, though scientology kills people slowly so they don’t notice until it is too late, but for the same end, influence, power and money) and he lost it covering Scientology?

What’s that tell you about the true nature of Scientology?

Faith and intelligence have nothing to do with one another, and as a person who believes in G*d as a central focus of their life, but who also pursues intellectual enlightenment, I am offended time and time again by atheist trying to shove their G*dlessness in my face.

Really, if you are a real honest to goodness atheist then I don’t think I want you coming here anyway Jen. The only thing worse than a faulty religion is someone who looks down on others for having any faith. It’s dispicable and disgusting and steeped in deep insecurity and fear. If that’s you, then go away and don’t come back.

Do you realize the irony in that comment? By stating that, it sounds like you think you are better than atheists. Would you say something like that about someone who had a different religion than you? If I knew you were so intolerant, I would not have been visiting your blog so much. I am never coming here again.