Greta Christina - Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless

For Ingrid.

The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson: to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmitted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmitted into a power that can move the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

: Why Are You Atheists So Angry?

: Some Answers to the Questions I Know Ill Get Asked

: Why This Really Is Religions Fault

: Yes, This Means You: Moderate and Progressive Religion

: Yes, This Means You: New Age Religion

: Yes, This Means You: Spiritual but Not Religious

: Yes, This Means You: Ecumenicalism and Interfaith

: The Top Ten Reasons I Dont Believe In God

: Why Religion Is Useful Is a Terrible Argument The Santa Delusion

: What Do You Want, Anyway? One Atheists Mission Statement

: Is Atheist Activism Valid?

: Is Atheist Activism Effective?

: On Other Peoples Behalf: Anger and Compassion

: What Now?

: Resources

Why are you atheists so angry?

This is a question on a lot of peoples minds these days. In the last few years, the atheist movement has moved into overdrive. Its become more visible, more vocal, more activist, better organized, and much less apologetic. And this increased visibility is putting atheist anger into the spotlight. A lot of non-atheists are baffled and disconcerted to say the least at what they see as a sudden torrent of atheist anger from apparently out of nowhere.

But like a lot of atheists, I get tired of hearing believers ask, Why are you so angry? To me and to many atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, brights, and other godless people the answer seems obvious.

I wanted to answer this question once and for all so I wouldnt have to answer it anymore.

So I wrote this book.

I wrote it for other atheists to give a voice to thoughts and feelings they havent been able to put into words. I wrote it for religious believers to give a sincere, thoughtful answer to this question, and to explain this phenomenon of outspoken, often angry atheism thats been exploding in the last few years. And I wrote it for atheists who are constantly getting asked, Why are you so angry? by their religious family and friends. I wrote it so theyd have an easy way to answer it. You want to know why Im angry? Here read this book!

The heart of the book is what Ive been calling The Litany of Rage. Its Chapter One. In it, I spell out exactly and extensively why so many atheists are so angry. Be sure to take your blood pressure medication first. If you dont get mad when you read it, youre not paying attention.

I know from experience the kinds of reactions that the Litany of Rage is likely to provoke. Youre not being fair! Youre lumping all religions together! Youre just as intolerant as the religious extremists youre angry at! All that anger is just hurting your cause! Etc. In Chapter 2, I look at these questions, and patiently take them apart.

And a lot of people are going to say, But thats not religions fault! People do bad things to each other for all sorts of reasons! You cant blame religion for all the terrible things done in its name! In Chapter 3, I explain why I passionately disagree. Religion is unique and the things that make religion unique are what make it uniquely capable of causing terrible harm.

A lot of religious believers will read the Litany of Rage, and nod their heads in vigorous agreement. Yes, thats terrible! Its dreadful to see the horrors committed in Gods name! And then theyll turn right around and say, But surely you dont mean me! Moderate and progressive believers; New Age believers; spiritual but not religious believers; ecumenical and interfaith believers when they see atheists anger about religion, they often think their version is exempt. Or that it should be. So in Chapters 4 through 7, I break the bad news: Yes, this means you. Im not as angry about your variety of religion as I am about hateful and intolerant religious extremism but Im still mad about it. And Im going to tell you why.

But even if religion does significantly more harm than good even if the unique nature of religion means its inherently prone to doing more harm than good that doesnt mean its wrong, does it? No, it doesnt. And I care about what is and isnt true. In fact, one of the things that makes me angriest about religion is the way it makes people trivialize reality in favor of their wishful thinking. So in Chapter 8, I explain the Top Ten Reasons I Dont Believe In God. Thats not the main question this book is trying to answer but its an important question, and it deserves an answer.

And lots of people defend religion by saying that its useful: it makes people behave better, it gives people comfort, it makes people happy. You know the way believing in Santa makes little kids behave better and makes them happy. So in Chapter 9, I explain whats wrong with the argument from utility or, as I call it, the Santa delusion.

A manifesto isnt much good unless it has a goal, and an action plan. Without that, its just pointless venting. So in Chapter 10, I talk about what, exactly, I hope to accomplish with my atheist writing and activism and what I hope the atheist movement is going to accomplish. Chapter 11 defends the very idea of atheist activism more precisely, the idea of trying to persuade people out of religion. And Chapter 12 points out that resistance is not futile, and that atheist activism can be effective.

You may notice, when you read the Litany of Rage, that much of what makes atheists angry isnt the bad things religious believers do to atheists. A huge amount of our anger is about the bad things believers do to other believers. Thats the gist of Chapter 13. Atheists anger doesnt prove that were selfish, or joyless, or miserable. It shows that we have compassion, and a sense of justice. Were angry because we see terrible harm all around us, and we feel desperately motivated to stop it.

So now what? Now that youre all riled up about religion what are you going to do about it? Thats how I wind things up. Chapter 14 outlines some broad principles for atheist activism most importantly, the principle that you should do what you think is fun. And Chapter 15 concludes with an extensive resource guide of organizations, support networks, forums, and places you can go for more information and inspiration.

The book is meant to inform, of course. Its meant to let religious believers as well as my fellow godless heathens know about some of the more enraging abuses and injustices caused by religion, or committed in its name. Its meant to answer the question, Why are you atheists so angry? by showing that we have valid reasons for our anger.

But this book is also meant to inspire. I hope other godless people read it and are inspired to take action: to speak out, to join organizations, to start organizations, to take part in atheist communities, to write to their newspapers and their Congresspeople, to become a voting bloc.

And most of all, I hope atheists are inspired to come out of the closet. Thats how we combat the stupid stereotypes people have about us. Thats how we become a political force to be reckoned with. Thats the single most important and effective political action that a godless person can take. If this book inspires anything, I hope it inspires people to tell their friends, their families, their co-workers, everyone, that they are godless.