# Writing > General Writing >  Atheist Writings Repulse and Disgust Me

## miyako73

I foam at the mouth when I read or hear someone deny the existence of God. 

I grew up with nuns taking care of my elementary education and spiritual growth. Both of my grandmothers were conservative Catholic devotees. They would wake up at three in the morning to hear at least two masses recorded for the radio. They prayed the rosary five times a day and always in fifteen mysteries, which would take them three hours to recite in a monotonous tone. 

I become suicidal and homicidal when someone goes on and on with his predictable dissertation that plays around semantics and circular logic just to prove God does not exist.

I am a firm believer that there is God. Believing in Him is a personal journey and experience. My life and all the chances I have gotten to survive are my proofs that Someone intelligent and powerful has made sense of my existence, my chaos, my chances composing the complexity that is me. My religion and belief in God is my background too.

Since I do not want to kill myself or someone just because of what he writes or says and be labeled a religious fundamentalist, I always force myself to ignore atheist writings and speeches, and I succeed all the time. 

Atheism is not an essential knowledge to me. It is akin to deconstructionism, where nothing is really constructed but everything is denied and what make sense and seem ordered are semiotically trashed into limbo and intellectually rendered as grey, deconstructed, and, yes, confusing. 

Also, anywhere I go--in liberal universities, on atheists-dominated literature forums, or at workshops peopled by existentialist artists whose inspirations run the gamut from despair to desolation--I make sure I do not impose my rabid religiosity on anyone. That is the reason why I do not want to waste my time arguing about the existence of God on this forum, besides the fact that I am too lazy to brush out the oral foam with a mint and strawberry-flavored toothpaste. 

Do I complain because something repulses and disgusts me? That is not the kind of drama I want to play. I am a relativist. If a graffiti is art to Basquiat, anything can be literature. Some want to read Boccaccio's "Decameron" or Aretino's whore dialogues; should others, who want to read the Bible and Martha Stewart's ways to clean pots and pans, protest?

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## Mutatis-Mutandis

Then not reading them and not arguing about it would be your best option, yet you just made a post inviting just that very thing. So, my advice would be to not complain when all the atheists come in here and tell you that you're wrong.

And aren't you complaining about something that repulses and disgusts you above?

I don't believe there is a god. If there is, he's an a-hole.

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## YesNo

> I *foam at the mouth* when I read or hear someone deny the existence of God. 
> ...
> Also, anywhere I go--in liberal universities, on atheists-dominated literature forums, or at workshops peopled by existentialist artists whose inspirations run the gamut from despair to desolation--I make sure I do not impose my rabid religiosity on anyone. That is the reason why I do not want to waste my time arguing about the existence of God on this forum, besides the fact that I am too lazy to *brush out the oral foam* with a mint and strawberry-flavored toothpaste.


I don't know if this is meant as a confession or a satire. If this is satire, you might want to clarify that the "I" character is not you. Of course maybe it is you. I don't know.

Someone who foams at the mouth because of what someone says on any forum, whether atheist or theist, probably needs to relax a bit. Some ways to do that is to take a walk, recite some poetry or listen to music until the hostility goes away.

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## Jack of Hearts

> I don't know if this is meant as a confession or a satire. If this is satire, you might want to clarify that the "I" character is not you. Of course maybe it is you. I don't know.
> 
> Someone who foams at the mouth because of what someone says on any forum, whether atheist or theist, probably needs to relax a bit. Some ways to do that is to take a walk, recite some poetry or listen to music until the hostility goes away.


That, like many of your posts, is a well balanced response that suggests uncommon levelheadedness. Absolutely agreed.


Always a pleasure reading your remarks, YesNo.






J

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## The Dilettante

It is understandable why you refuse to let go of such beliefs, seeing as you were indoctrinated at such an early youth. 

I expect this thread to be closed down soon.

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## Paulclem

So where do you stand on tolerance? 

You're living in a world with a multitude of beliefs that do not square with yours.

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## miyako73

I keep my close-mindedness to myself. Yes, I leave Christopher Hitchens' books alone in the public library shelf. Nobody forces me to read them. Why should I protest?

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## MarkBastable

> I keep my close-mindedness to myself.


...mostly.

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## paradoxical

Meh, atheist writings mostly just bore me. I used to be an atheist myself, had a lot of atheist friends...it's such a boring outlook. The material world, and that's it. So unsatisfying.

Hinduism and Buddhism are the only religions I know of that admit there may be no God. Perhaps there isn't, but according to my perceptions - that's all, just my beliefs - I have come to believe that it's likely that something is out there. I have no proof, of course. You could say I believe in God, or rather I believe in some kind of primordial, supernatural force that is the true essence of this illusory materialist existence. But you may just as well say that you believe in God before explaining all that.

And like Paulclem said, there is a multitude of beliefs out there. You have to be tolerant as well. What if I believe in reincarnation or what if my view of God is radically different from yours? 

I think atheist writers have a lot of interesting points and we should listen to them and consider what they have to say. I respect them more then fundamentalists. I just wish I didn't find it all so dull. And I'm no longer in rebellion against Christianity, like some atheist writers.

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## BienvenuJDC

> So where do you stand on tolerance? 
> 
> You're living in a world with a multitude of beliefs that do not square with yours.


It seems to me that atheism is quite intolerant of religion, especially being taught in school. But atheist demand that their thoughts be taught as fact.

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## miyako73

> ...mostly.


How did you know about my close-mindedness or intolerance to atheism. I just wrote it today. By the way, what I wrote was my response to Paulclem.

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## Mutatis-Mutandis

> It seems to me that atheism is quite intolerant of religion, especially being taught in school. But atheist demand that their thoughts be taught as fact.


Atheists demand, just as any level headed person does, religious or not, that facts be taught in school. If atheistic thought was taught in school, kids would be told that they shouldn't believe in God. No kids are told that, just as no kids are told that they should believe in God. It's unfortunate that some see facts as some sort of conspiracy against religion.

Plus, religion can be, and is, taught in schools. Plenty of high schools have history of religion classes, not to mention it being covered in general history classes, though those are quite different from classes that promote a certain religion, which is what most people who complain about school being "anti-religion" want. Still, I can't blame the schools who decide not to teach religion in any way, as the fear of a student, be him religious or atheist, claiming discrimination because something is taught that they disagree with, is quite legitimate.



> How did you know about my close-mindedness or intolerance to atheism. I just wrote it today. By the way, what I wrote was my response to Paulclem.


Mark said mostly because he was pointing out the irony of you stating that you "keep your close-mindedness to yourself" in a post that does the exact opposite. You mostly do it, but not completely, as this post proves.


I once again must find it amusing that atheists are constantly pointed at and accused of intolerance on these forums, yet, once again, here is another thread attacking atheism.

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## BienvenuJDC

Evolution is not and never has been fact...I'm not opening that argument up again.

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## miyako73

*Mark said mostly because he was pointing out the irony of you stating that you "keep your close-mindedness to yourself" in a post that does the exact opposite. You mostly do it, but not completely, as this post proves.*

I can't do anything with your literal mind. Is one's expression of her belief in God intolerance? I don't think so. I have no desire to burn or tear Hitchens' books in the library. I haven't gone to atheist threads to impose my belief on non-believers. I haven't defaced artworks depicting Jesus in disrespectful ways. I haven't hacked this website to delete atheist comments and posts. Nobody forces me to read, hear, and see atheism and atheists. I have a complete control over what my mind wants to know.

I hope you'll get it this time around.

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## paradoxical

> Evolution is not and never has been fact...I'm not opening that argument up again.


Well, I have to disagree with that. What do you mean evolution has never been fact? 

This is part of the problem I have with those who want to teach religion in school: all the other baggage that comes with it. The bottom line is that religion should never be taught in public schools because of the division of church & state in this country. It has no business in the classroom.

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## miyako73

> Well, I have to disagree with that. What do you mean evolution has never been fact? 
> 
> This is part of the problem I have with those who want to teach religion in school: all the other baggage that comes with it. The bottom line is that religion should never be taught in public schools because of the division of church & state in this country. It has no business in the classroom.


By profession, I'm an anthropologist. I consider evolution to be factual, and it does not contradict my belief in God. As one nun said when I was seven years old, "Even if humans came from apes, apes from fish, fish from birds, birds from dust, dust from air, air from water, water from the sun, who created or what made the sun?" Literally, her statement did not make sense, but she succeeded in making me understand the existence of an origin or an originator.

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## Mutatis-Mutandis

> Evolution is not and never has been fact...I'm not opening that argument up again.


It's taught as a theory, not as a fact. It was in my case.

I'm not arguing that it is fact. Many theories are taught in schools. Theories need a bit more weight than "God did it" to get into credible textbooks, though.



> *Mark said mostly because he was pointing out the irony of you stating that you "keep your close-mindedness to yourself" in a post that does the exact opposite. You mostly do it, but not completely, as this post proves.*
> 
> I can't do anything with your literal mind. Is one's expression of her belief in God intolerance? I don't think so. I have no desire to burn or tear Hitchens' books in the library. I haven't gone to atheist threads to impose my belief on non-believers. I haven't defaced artworks depicting Jesus in disrespectful ways. I haven't hacked this website to delete atheist comments and posts. Nobody forces me to read, hear, and see atheism and atheists. I have a complete control over what my mind wants to know.
> 
> I hope you'll get it this time around.


Mark, nor I, accused you of being intolerant. You said you kept your close-minded views to yourself. Mark pointed out that you weren't in this thread, as the OP itself is close-minded (foaming at the mouth by the mere discussion of atheism counts as close-mindedness, I'm afraid). It was a joke, and true. Get over it.

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## miyako73

I'm having fun with your literal understanding of things. So, did you really mean that "keeping to yourself" suggests or means one has to be silent, blind, and mute?

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## Mutatis-Mutandis

You really can't admit when you've made a small mistake, can you? Oh well. I guess I can expect you to keep track of my posts, sniping me everywhere I go, like you already have in the poetry forum. But remember this, miyako: I'm disabled, so I have complete control over you because you just feel so bad for me, remember? Just admit you're wrong and move on.

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## miyako73

What mistake? Besides, this post is not really about atheism. Read and read.

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## Mutatis-Mutandis

:FRlol:  Back petal, much?

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## miyako73

It is about the imposition of one's belief or chastity or background on others to the point that the latter's thinking, if they are thinkers, and writings, if they are writers, are affected and, worse, curtailed.

Got it now? Do you want me to be banned again since I just put out my view on censorship explicitly?

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## JCamilo

> It's taught as a theory, not as a fact. It was in my case.
> 
> I'm not arguing that it isn't fact. Many theories are taught in schools. Theories need a bit more weight than "God did it" to get into credible textbooks, though.


Oh, stop it, claiming evolution is a fact makes as much sense as saying wolves and dogs share no relationship watsoever caused by human interference that domesticated the former. Humans see.

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## Mutatis-Mutandis

Actually, that was a typo. I meant to say that I'm not arguing it is fact. Though I'm not quite sure I get the dog analogy.



> Got it now? Do you want me to be banned again since I just put out my view on censorship explicitly?


No and no.

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## Little Sister

Faith has nothing to do with religion. It can be the simple inner gesture every morning of believing that there is a point to get up or that something nice will happen to me. I usualy try to avoid atheist art because it depresses me. Beleving for me is a wonderful way to get through life - not a source of hatred or conflict with others. So Im sorry about your foaming experience. Its sounds a little like being in hell.

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## Varenne Rodin

Well, I say you should go kiss your mother. If your mother is dead you should kiss someone else who needs kissing, because kissing is nice and inspires warm fuzzies. Whatever the hell you just said does nothing toward making me warm. Worthless, sorry. Contribute to a happiness. Peace.

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## Varenne Rodin

Ipso facto, I am drunk.

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## Varenne Rodin

Furthermore, I think that Christians ought to lie amongst the tulips in the bright sunshine, let those sweet rays wash over them and forget about eschewing so much that has aught to do with them. Loosen those spirits to the mysterious nothing in the wind. Feel yourself forgetting about how you hate sh*t, because seriously, you are making me tired. Xoxoxo. Love and plums and pandas. Every atheist is not boring, just as every Christian doesn't p*ss on the carpet.

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## dark desire

Atheists are often as intolerant as religious folks are. Both have very different vocabulary and language to talk. One always seems an irritant to the other. Atheists probably do not have much from religions to learn and grow but atheism and atheistic thought definitely has the potential for one's faith to grow. I believe up until you truly doubt something, whatever you believe is not really yours.

Miyako, I think when you read atheistic thought you feel threatened to lose your faith that you identify deeply with. If it is true, your faith will be able to conquer atheistic thought. And you don't even need to conquer it. Just understand it and have a broader perspective on it. I believe ultimately truth matters and truth is a very subjective thing. You said, you are relativistic. But your relativism is stuck, it is not growing. And more than atheists you are baffled by yourself. The question for you is - why is your faith feeling unstable in an atheistic world and my answer to this question is because you are letting the atheistic world do that. Allow it to affect you. Believe in your faith and move into the other territory with confidence that your faith will triumph.

You can even come up with reasons why Derrida came up with deconstruction. Those who use deconstruction to deny God ultimately defeat the purpose of deconstruction itself. Paraphrasing Derrida - People will soon distort the word 'deconstruction' but it will take some time for deconstruction itself to get lost.

Whatever your religious beliefs are, I see a potential for growth of your faith and you personally here. Something is really bothering you here. Instead of expecting people to go deeper into this, I think you need to do this yourself. One last thing, there are various schools of theology that have developed in the postmodern era. Few of these are - Postliberal theology, Postmetaphysical theology, deconstructive theology, reconstructive theology, feminist theology and radical theology. I haven't gone into these things because I am not that interested in religion. These new approaches can be of great help. I have a feeling that in postmodern era, people are trying to see faith beyond language. That can be revolutionary for your own understanding.

I hope I helped.

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## PoeticPassions

What a ridiculous thread, but surely it made me laugh (so not completely useless). Maybe some users on this forum need to get laid more often... I see a lot of unnecessary frustration. I'm with Varenne on this one, and I'm completely sober  :Smile: 

And will also add that YesNo's early on post was balanced and so well put.

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## MorpheusSandman

I don't have much to say regarding miyako's OP beyond what others have already said. But this: 




> Meh, atheist writings mostly just bore me. I used to be an atheist myself, had a lot of atheist friends...it's such a boring outlook. The material world, and that's it. So unsatisfying.


I've heard this before and it always confuses me... so you select what wordlviews to believe in based on how exciting and satisfying they are to you personally, rather than which are most likely to be correct given the facts? I'd readily admit that religion (or all mythology, really) is a more exciting and satisfying worldview than atheism, because they're based on stories that resonate with us as human beings. Blake realized this himself, but at least he had the sense to realize that they (like all art) expressed truths about the human psyche, rather than external reality. 

FWIW, atheism doesn't entail materialism (though materialism does entail atheism). I do know atheists that believe in souls/spirits, ghosts, the afterlife, etc. without believing in any gods.

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## Jack of Hearts

> What a ridiculous thread, but surely it made me laugh (so not completely useless). Maybe some users on this forum need to get laid more often... I see a lot of unnecessary frustration. I'm with Varenne on this one, and I'm completely sober 
> 
> And will also add that YesNo's early on post was balanced and so well put.



lol





J

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## PrinceMyshkin

> I foam at the mouth when I read or hear someone deny the existence of God. 
> 
> I grew up with nuns taking care of my elementary education and spiritual growth. Both of my grandmothers were conservative Catholic devotees. They would wake up at three in the morning to hear at least two masses recorded for the radio. They prayed the rosary five times a day and always in fifteen mysteries, which would take them three hours to recite in a monotonous tone. 
> 
> I become suicidal and homicidal when someone goes on and on with his predictable dissertation that plays around semantics and circular logic just to prove God does not exist.
> 
> I am a firm believer that there is God. Believing in Him is a personal journey and experience. My life and all the chances I have gotten to survive are my proofs that Someone intelligent and powerful has made sense of my existence, my chaos, my chances composing the complexity that is me. My religion and belief in God is my background too.
> 
> Since I do not want to kill myself or someone just because of what he writes or says and be labeled a religious fundamentalist, I always force myself to ignore atheist writings and speeches, and I succeed all the time. 
> ...


When you "_complain because something repulses and disgusts_ you, you are paying (involuntary?) service to your God, but since He or She created all Catholics, Presbyterians, 7th Day Adventists, Jainists, Jews, Shias, Sunnis and Atheists and Agnostics, why not leave it to Him or Her to judge them?

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## AuntShecky

Sometimes it's better to keep the mind open and the mouth shut, but I say keep the windows opened and the lights shining. Civil dialogue never hurts and occasionally helps us reach common ground. No matter what side one is on, it's probably a good idea not to pretend one has all the answers. (You can thank the former NBA star and U.S. Senator Bill Bradley for that last statement.)

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## cafolini

If you are looking for physical presence and claim God exists, you are probably insane. But if you look for spiritual reality (whatever that might be) and claim God does not exist, you are probably just or likely as insane.

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## miyako73

Again, this is not about atheism. This is about censorship. That was my intent when I started this thread.

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## Scheherazade

*~

I find intolerance most offensive.

This thread will now be closed due to rather obvious reasons.

~*

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