Guy asks obvious question: Why ARE the new atheists so angry?

WJM, DK seems to have major difficulties with English- language comprehension. Your opening phrase in your post #1 is: 'Speaking from experience...'(!!!!) Go back to sleep, DK, there's a good chap. Your response, WJM will baffle DK and all his atheist conferes, whose first response to criticism is always reflexively defensive, i.e. absolute denial. They perceive themselves as perfect - a kind of carry-over from their self-perception as intellectually brilliant. After all, our God is all-good and the source of all goodness, as well as being omniscient, so why shouldn't their god, themselves, be so. As for omnipotence, apparently time and the legendary 'promissory note' are on their side. Axel

In Indian theological thought, the atheistic tendency of self-hatred and hatred of others has deep roots, the deepest of which is the fact that, since God lives inside their body (as an aspect called Paramatma, the Supersoul)alongside their own soul (atma), the atheist cannot ever escape Him. The comparison is given in one of the Upanishads, with the the example of the two birds standing perched on the branches of a tree. One bird eats the fruit (the soul) and the other is just watching (the Supersoul)and constantly encourages the other bird to stop eating the fruit and fly away together (liberation/enlightenment). But as the fruit-eating bird is so preoccupied, it doesn't hear the voice of the wise bird or chooses to ignore it as noise. Therefore, in the Vedic scriptures it is recommended for one to minimize desires so that they may hear the voice of God calling us back to Him. The militant atheist is not only is engaged in devising a myriad schemes to control nature and subdue it for his own benefit, he also wants to silence the voice within by shouting against it. A quote from the Bhagavad Gita perhaps would be appropriate: "Bewildered by false ego, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons become envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in their own bodies" Demon, in the Vedic parlance, is not necessarily someone with horns and a penchant for possession, but it is the mentality of a person whose sole purpose in life is to exploit God's energy in total ignorance of whom it belongs and how it should be used. tarmaras

Nothing Romans chapter 1 hasn't covered. They suppress the truth in unrighteousness. That comes out in different ways. Maybe they are the ones who do know more. So they have more to suppress. Which causes more anger and hate. geoffrobinson

WJM, I think that when one takes up the view that those who differ must be one of ignorant, stupid, insane or (unduly) wicked, there is a bit of a problem. I have no doubt that we are all finite, fallible, morally struggling and too often ill-willed. That's a lot of hard-bought history right there. But a bit of balance would start from self reflection that will see that Solzhenitsyn was right that the line between good and evil passes not between men, classes or nations but right through the individual human heart; where if one seeks a main locus of evils in society, Lord Acton's thought on how power tends to corrupt, power without accountability and limit corruopts through and through should give pause. And, there is some evidence out there that per reaction to the name God or representations or "shadows on the doorstep" that there is a deep, often suppressed fear that surfaces as anger against God and/or what reminds of God. Where, rage is notoriously a blinding and warping emotion that suppresses or distorts understanding. KF PS: Those wanting to play slavery and race cards -- notice US Pres Obama's clangingly inappropriate "high horse" response to the caging and burning alive of a Jordanian Pilot at the recent US Prayer Breakfast -- may wish to look here, similarly here and specifically here may be of balancing help to those pushing the latest media and pol/activist promoted PC agendas. kairosfocus

DK, WJM is a former atheist, though not the other WJM. KF kairosfocus

Daniel King said:

Apparently you are quite familiar with such feelings.

Unfortunately. William J Murray

Agree with mapou 100% above. The new atheist is a vile and loathsome beast. They are the most fundamentalist pseudo religious nutjobs in the world today. Their behaviour is as bad as their science. Their arguments and philosophies are anti human and allowing for enough time, they lose the plot. One only needs to see Dawkins behaviour these days to recognise the hole his philosophy has led him down. The man's become a certified lunatic. humbled

Anybody who believes that complex life can self-organize and arise out of dirt all by itself or that the universe can create itself out of nothing is as stupid and superstitious as a chicken feather voodooist. Atheists should not throw rocks while living in a glass house. Mapou

William, your last statement is something I hadn't considered. I had a recent exchange with an atheist online, and thought I was being civil. But his response now strikes me as "cruel", just as you said. Very scorched earth in his approach. russ

I think that a lot of what is perceived as anger is really an insidious form of cruelty that seduces one into ridiculing and taunting just for the sick fun of it.

Apparently you are quite familiar with such feelings. Daniel King

Seems some/plenty of the anger is directed toward Religion not just God. Beheadings, FGM, molestations, policies towards gays, animal slaughter techniques etc. There are aspects of Religion that make Theists angry too. ppolish

Speaking from experience, there may be anger due to some sense of persecution for having a minority view, enflamed by the certainty that one is intellectually superior to the masses that surround you; but I think that a lot of what is perceived as anger is really an insidious form of cruelty that seduces one into ridiculing and taunting just for the sick fun of it. William J Murray