Atheists may get angry at the idea of a god.
We might get angry at the way people follow their gods.
We might get angry that so many people believe in a god.
But we don’t get angry at god.
We can’t get angry at god because we don’t believe one exists.
So you can understand why this new “research” about atheists and our anger toward god makes very little sense:
… And yet people get angry at God all the time, especially about everyday disappointments, finds a new set of studies in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
It’s not just religious folks, either. People unaffiliated with organized religion, atheists and agnostics also report anger toward God either in the past, or anger focused on a hypothetical image — that is, what they imagined God might be like — said lead study author Julie Exline, Case Western Reserve University psychologist.
In studies on college students, atheists and agnostics reported more anger at God during their lifetimes than believers…
Most popular atheist blogs spend a lot of time debunking Christian claims or responding to things Christians in the news have said or done. No doubt that comes off as angry. If you ask me how for my thoughts about god, I won’t have nice things to say. You probably don’t, either.
Christians blogs — at least the ones I read — never seem that way. It’s hard to be upset when you have so many advantages and privileges.
I don’t know what questions Exline asked, but if the conclusion people are reporting is that “atheists are angry at god,” there’s either a problem with the questions, the interpretation of the results, or communication of what was actually found.
ERV also says how crazy the reporting around this study is, but says she would be opposed to the Christian god if he existed:
… If we grant the premise that the Christian deity exists, then yes. I would have to say that I would be ‘mad’ or ‘angry’ with that entity. I find it to be a repulsive creature unworthy of worship. If the Christian god were real, I would be against it. Likewise, if Darth Vader were real, I would ‘hate’ him. He is clearly a villain to non-dipshits, and I would happily join the Rebel Alliance. If that didnt exist, I would start it.
(via The Jewmanist)
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