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"You're just a God hater!"

Truth: I do sort of hate the God presented by the Abrahamic religions. How could you not? I think the key for those of us who realize he just doesn't exist is to take that realization to heart and stop blaming things on this nonexistent being, and it's not that easy.

I think theists hurl this accusation because deep down they realize that hate is the natural emotion to feel toward their imaginary God, if he is assumed to be real. Deep down they hate him too, but they are afraid to admit it, so they attribute the emotion to others. Atheists are naturally somewhat ashamed to admit to this thoroughly healthy revulsion toward Old Nobodaddy, because they feel that by doing so they are admitting that their atheism is emotionally driven. Perhaps so, but these are honest, healthy emotions. Let's own them.

Thoughts?

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Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on January 22, 2012 at 9:08pm

In a word ... NO. Maybe this sounds parochial (Hmph ... parochial atheism???), but I'm not down with hating something that doesn't exist.

Now the people who promulgate this BS, who stuff it down kids' throats, who make the hard sell on the snake oil, who attempt to superimpose their non-existent god on the whole of civilization ... if they're not worthy of hate, then serious derision at the least!

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Permalink Reply by Pat on January 22, 2012 at 9:54pm

I think the reason theists hurl the accusation is that they cannot accept that a rational, normal person, doesn't believe in the existence of their god. He/she/it/whatever MUST exist, HAS TO exist, and therefore DOES EXIST. Ergo, anyone who rejects the idea must hate it, because a normal person certainly cannot NOT believe in god.

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Blizzard on January 22, 2012 at 10:14pm

I don't know if it is necessarily true that atheists hate god. I do believe that atheists hate the mere idea of god. That there has been numerous atrocities acted out in the name of god, that people use god to put fear into people, especially their own children. Mostly, I think that atheists hate what "god" has done to people and what he has turned people into. So, for me, the answer is no. I agree with what Loren said, I can't hate a god that doesn't exist.

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Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on January 23, 2012 at 5:18am

When I know that god and religion have been ancient man's creation, I do not find reasons to hate them. The ancient man, who developed these ideas for others to believe and follow,had limited knowledge and couldn't have done better. What can be disliked is that we continue to believe those outdated ideas, assume them to be true and insist that everybody should accept them.

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Permalink Reply by booklover on January 23, 2012 at 8:58am

Yes, that statement infers there is a 'god' to hate, and since there is no such thing, it is the 'god' in their book that is hateful. I hate when peoples religion turns to violence because what hypocrites they are. I hate having their pretend friend shoved down my throat. But there is no 'god' to hate.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy on January 23, 2012 at 9:01am

I always preferred the coined reply that "I hate god for the same reason I hate Darth Vader."

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Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on January 23, 2012 at 9:18am

rather be a god hater
than a people/person hater. nah mean!?
besides:
we have youtube to settle our differences now LOL

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Permalink Reply by Richard Calderazzo on January 23, 2012 at 11:15am

Firstly, I can't hate something that doesn't exist. But a belief is a belief. It is private and should stay that way. Although, I will never understand how a free thinking intelligent person can believe in a god, I will defend their right to do so.

What I can't stand is organized religion. With all the hatred, bigotry, and wars that come with it.

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Permalink Reply by Rob van Senten on January 23, 2012 at 12:00pm

Aye, I have no quarrel with the individual believers and I most definitely do not hate them or their deity, but organized religion is so adept at building walls between people that I actively dislike it.

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Permalink Reply by Dogly on January 23, 2012 at 12:30pm

From age 10 to 12, I hated god. I was reading the bible on my own. I was shocked and appalled by the violence, cruelty, and gross injustice he performed, ordered, and approved. I went from a passionately, lovingly, devoted little Roman Catholic, to hating god. Then, I thought to myself, "Why waste so much passion and energy hating someone who I have absolutely no reason to believe exists?" I realized that I really didn't believe any of it. I was an atheist!

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Permalink Reply by Minda Slade on January 25, 2012 at 10:37am

i am an atheist but not a god hater

i respect all religions

but i don't believe in supernatural stuff

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Permalink Reply by booklover on January 25, 2012 at 2:47pm

You are nicer than I am Minda. I do not respect all religions. At all. I don't go around purposefully disrespecting the people that believe in those religions though, although I suspect most would disrespect my lack of religion/belief. I will stick up for myself and point out the silliness in their religions though if they try to bash me for being an Atheist.