As an atheist, what irks you most about religious zealots?

Religious Zealot
Atheists
Atheism
Religion
As an atheist, what irks you most about religious zealots?
9 Answers
Steve Brown
Steve Brown, MSc Applied Mathematics & Computer Science, California State University, Long Beach
Updated Apr 7 · Author has 1.5k answers and 450.8k answer views
As an atheist, what irks you most about religious zealots?

Besides the fact that they don't respect empirical evidence and wouldn't know circular reasoning or a logical fallacy if it bit them in the nose, I'd have to say that what irks me the most is when they say "Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree."

Really? You are making about as extraordinary of claims that one can possibly make, that a god and afterlife exist, all without a single objective shred of evidence to back it up. My only claim is that I don't believe you. And I'm supposed to agree to disagree. I don’t think so!

No, I do not agree to disagree, and nor do I respect what you believe. However, I do respect the right of anyone to believe whatever they want, no matter how insane it might be. And I’d fight tooth and nail to defend that right.

103 Views · View Upvoters


Charles J. Hunsinger
Charles J. Hunsinger, studied at University Of Detroit
Answered Feb 6 · Author has 2.2k answers and 519.9k answer views

Pretty much the same things that I find irksome with political zealots and as a matter of fact the only difference being that name which they ascribe to themselves.

For that religious zealot all is for that messianic promise of a heaven on earth if only all come to the Word. Such is the same for that political Liberal, Progressive, Fascist, Nazi or socialist zealot.

For that political zealot political correctness or the right political thought is the only path to a righteous world. The same mindset occupies the cranial cavity of that religious zealot, however they call it a religious truth as opposed to a political truth.

62 Views · View Upvoters
James Cherry
James Cherry
Answered Feb 5 · Author has 424 answers and 531.1k answer views

Their insistence that I call their beliefs rational when they give me no reason to believe their beliefs are rational. It often doesn’t seem enough to them that we can agree to disagree and that I’ve unequivocally given them my ground rules for changing my own beliefs, which they clearly cannot meet. And them designating themselves the moral grownups in the room, presuming to dictate public policy on the grounds of their allegedly superior morality - despite their often glaring immorality and manifest hypocrisy. I also cannot abide their war on reality - denying any inconvenient empirical fact that doesn’t fit neatly with their preconceived beliefs.

46 Views · View Upvoters
Liz Rutherford
Liz Rutherford
Answered Feb 5 · Author has 163 answers and 91.2k answer views

The constant barrage of stupid questions on Quora by folk who clearly have no idea what atheism actually is.

Where is it written, publicised or popularised that instead of simply being a lack of belief in deities, it is an organised institution, has governing ideals or is run by someone or something ??

It’s frustrating beyond words and spoils Quora for me.

38 Views · View Upvoters
Woon Su-Ann
Woon Su-Ann
Answered Feb 5 · Author has 61 answers and 9.5k answer views

The fact that religious people teach their children religion from an age where their kids cannot decide on whether or not the want to be religious. Kids start learning about god, how to pray, how to believe before they’re old enough to talk and aks questions. This is the biggest problem to me because what parents are essentially doing is teaching kids to hope dependently, and not to hope without god. So if they grow up and decide/realise that they no longer believe in a god(s), they’re forced to go through that period of self-doubt, self-hatred because they shouldn’t be having thoughts of leaving a their religion in he first place, because a good Hindu, Jew, Muslim, Christian should not feel that way, ever.

The fact that so many people don’t solve so many things, and continue to suffer in certain situations when they don’t have to because they think that’s God’s way of testing them is what irks me that most.

58 Views · View Upvoters
C. R. Swanson
C. R. Swanson, Atheist and amateur philosopher.
Answered Feb 5 · Author has 1.1k answers and 2.6m answer views

That they expect the rest of us to live by their rules.

You don’t wanna depict Mohammad in an artist form? Don’t. But don’t tell me that I can’t.
You don’t wanna have your business open on a Sunday? Great! I’ll be happy to have your customers.
You don’t want women to dress “immodestly”? Pay attention to your own outfits, thank you.

You can live your life how you want. You can worship the god(s) you want. But fuck you if you think the rest of us should live by your stupid-ass rules!

By the way, that sign up above? That’s in America. In New York state. I’ve never wanted to wear hot pants in my life, but I swear that one day, I shall visit these people. Oh, yes.


335 Views · View Upvoters
Tommy C. Lim Jr.
Tommy C. Lim Jr., Founder, COO, Senior Software Engineer at QBRYX Technology Solutions (2015-present)
Answered Feb 5 · Author has 736 answers and 73.5k answer views

I’m essentially apatheistic agnostic. What irks me most about religious zealots is the same thing that irks me about atheistic zealots … and Star Wars zealots, Star Trek zealots, Twilight zealots … anything zealots.

I am irked about the zealotry itself. Can’t people just be chill about things?

54 Views · View Upvoters
Paul Brocklehurst
Paul Brocklehurst, works at Self-Employment
Answered Feb 5 · Author has 6.1k answers and 466.7k answer views
As an atheist, what irks you most about religious zealots?

I guess it’s the fact that they don’t even want to care about the possibility of being wrong & all the dangers inherent with such convictions.

I have nothing to be wrong about because I’m not saying there’s no god. Perhaps there are lots of them - I just don’t believe the claims of any of them existing.

37 Views
Donald McMiken
Donald McMiken, works at Self-Employment
Answered Feb 5, 2018 · Author has 426 answers and 178.5k answer views
That they are at the very least delusional by definition. At worst they can be dangerously delusional like jihadis or alt-right evangelical Christian Nazis!