The Rude Atheists

Some atheists are fair-minded. Atheist S.E. Cupp wrote about her father’s conversion to Christianity:

• “As a longtime atheist, I was a little surprised. But eventually I came to be relieved by this development. While my friends’ fathers were buying flashy sports cars and exchanging their wives for models, my own father was turning inward and asking: Is there more to life than this? I was also proud of him for becoming a student again. As I watched him pore over C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel and even neoatheist thinkers such as Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, I thought it amazing that he still wanted to learn something new. It was a revelation I’d experience over and over again – meeting faithful believers and discovering that, no matter how long they had been in the fold, many were still on a dogged quest for spiritual knowledge.” (“The Arrogance of the Atheists: They batter Believers in Religion with Smug Certainty”)

Cupp also has some things to say about the current crop of outspoken atheists:

• “The truth is, folks like [Bill] Maher and Silverman don’t want to know about actual belief – in fact, they are much more certain about the nature of the world than most actual believers, who understand that a measure of doubt is necessary for faith. They want to focus on the downfall of a gay pastor or the Nativity scene at the mall. I wonder what they’d say to someone like Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide who says that her faith in Jesus Christ got her through 91 days of hiding in a 3x4-foot bathroom while her family was murdered outside. Would they tell her she was crazy? Delusional? To just deal with it? I would hope not – but I’m not sure.”

Interestingly, this was quoted in an atheist newsletter (Pique, Feb. 2011)! Why? To bash her, of course! The editor responded:

• “What bothers Ms. Cupp and so many other critics of the ‘new atheists’ is that we have stopped apologizing for our ‘belief’ in reason and science, and that we are no longer willing to give idiotic faith a pass. No, we won’t respect your belief…No more.”

Since when has an atheist ever apologized for their belief in reason and science? Everyone wants to play the victim card, even if they are the oppressors. Obviously, there is little for the atheist to affirm. Although they affirm “reason and science,” this in itself isn’t enough. Christians also affirm them! The renaissance of science was largely envisioned through the telescope of Christians!

It’s not enough to promote a negative – atheism. They have to denigrate the opposite – people of faith. I’ve gone to many atheist or secular humanist meetings. Since they have little to celebrate, they spend large bulks of their time pouring contempt on Christians as they promote respect for human rights.

No one is asking them to respect our beliefs. However, we do believe in civility and fair-play and recognize that for us to survive under the same roof, we have to exercise some degree of mutual courtesy:

• Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:16-18)