This is Why Atheists Are Angry November 26, 2011

This is Why Atheists Are Angry

By Hemant Mehta
November 26, 2011

I’ve seen this talk several times, and Greta Christina gets a well-deserved standing ovation after each performance. She speaks for so many of us while answering the question, “Why Are Atheists So Angry?”

(via HamboneProductions)

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What Are Your Thoughts?leave a comment

  • Hey, FriendlyAtheist got a mention!  😀

  • Vanessa

    Greta just became my absolutely favourite person in the entire world.

  • While it was lonely being an atheist in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, and I appreciate having blogs to read, what makes me truly angry is that now I’m automatically part of an “atheist movement” just because I’m an atheist.  Keep your movement, your conventions, and your friendships to yourselves.  

  • Nesh

    I’ve been an atheist for a little over 4 years now and I have yet to have anyone automatically assume I’m part of the atheist movement.

    Perhaps if you’d laid low and stop posting whiny, attention seeking messages on atheist blogs, people will leave you alone.

  • Thank you! This is so, so important. As a friend just stated, ” It is a shame that the people who most need to hear it are the ones that are least likely to listen to it.” I couldn’t agree more. I have linked to this in all my social networking watering holes. Again, thank you. 

  • She’s amazing. Is there a transcript for this talk?

  • JimG

    You know, that attitude might go a long way toward explaining your loneliness.

  • Rod Chlebek

    Wow! She’s outstanding.

  • You came to a blog with an active community to say that you don’t want to belong to a community?

    Were you at any point shoved in a burlap sack and forcefully carried to a convention?  Was someone in your home holding a gun to your head and forcing you to visit this blog?

  • Annie

    What a thoughtful and well orchestrated talk.  Greta said what so many of us feel on a daily basis, but could only verbalize on our very best days.  Well done!

  • TheBlackCat

    Shoot, they’re on to me…

  • Thank you!

  • M G

    Just want to point out that infant genital mutilation is performed on baby boys, too.

  • Anonymous

    Is Greta ever less than amazing?  🙂

  • AlphaMan

    With a face like Greta’s, no wonder she is angry.

    I didn’t seem many Hot Atheist Chicks there, that’s for sure.

  • Justin Miyundees

    Speaking just for myself, if I may beg your permission, you needn’t worry about my friendship and may I suggest you keep your apathy and lethargy (and ridiculous comments) to yourself.  Why are you even on line?  If Martin & Malcolm had your attitude we’d be trading black folks on the NYSE. 

  • Anonymous

    thanks for posting this Mehta… wow, this is great. I love every moment of it. 

  • Greisha

    While I agree with almost all if not all reason to be angry Greta stated, and all those reasons annoy me immensely, anger as an engine of change has only limited power and most important limited duration.

  • Phil

    Apparently I’m an angry Christian as well…

  • James

    Really enjoyed this video. As a Christian I’m pissed about many, if not all of the same things that she is pissed about. I feel like maybe where she has decided to deny god I’ve just decided to deny religion. To each his own. I totally understand and respect her viewpoint and her decision to be an atheist. The thing that I found so interesting was that she pointed out the need for a legitimate reality check in religion. I’ve always felt the need for something like that but wouldn’t have said it that way till now. I didn’t have the words that fit what I was feeling. Thankfully I do now.

    James
    P.S. I enjoyed this video very much and it actually inspired a blog. Check it out at http://www.goddamblog.com

  • randall.morrison90

    Angry Atheists.  Like PZ Myers who is trashing my friend Andy for the sign at Skepticon.

    PZ says he will not forgive.  That Andy is delusional.  A Professor in Minnesota focusing on an ice cream salesman in Springfield.
     
    Andy’s apology was not good enought for PZ.  Nothing would be good enough.  Except…

    There is a lawyer in Kansas City who is going to help Andy.  Hint, his office is down the street from Raytown High School. (Raytown is a suburbe of Kansas City and surrounded by KC)  Andy’s case will not be that he is being called names, but something called “Tortious Interference With Business Relationships”.

    Thats the big atheist issue.  Thats all they got out of Skepticon.  Atheism is Bankrupt, the leaders are jerks. 

    And that speech from JT was PRICELESS. 

  • DFD

    You guy don’t get it.  Religion is a political and economic commodity.  It will not go away until it ceases to be of value to the powerful.  Religion is what drives markets, produces loyal soldiers, inflames the minds of followers, wins elections, etc, etc.  It is too valuable a resource to destroy.  If you really want people to understand atheism as the extremely sensible choice that it is, you have to provide a replacement source of (power, money, labour, soldiers) that the reduction in religious blind-faith will deprive the powers-that-be of.  Either that, or take the reins, Baby!

  • “I’m angry that I have to know more about their own damn religion than they do.”

    LOVE that line.  Bahahahahaha so true!

  • PopeMichael

    Randal.Morrison90,

    Is Andy your friend? Really? Details, details, details, please!
    Is there is a legal case the that owner of the gelato shop has? Has Andy agreed to be represented yet? Does Andy even know that he has an attorney who will represent him? Or this is all in your mind? What grade are you in, kid?  Has this attorney talked to him yet?   

    Who was hurt? The owner of the store? Who put up the sign and thus refused (albeit for a few minutes) service to atheists? Who interfered with his business? – HE HIMSELF TEMPORARILY DECIDED TO INTERFERE WITH HIS OWN BUSINESS BY TEMPORARILY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CLIENTS. The atheists did not interfere with his business, they were just BSing outside the store as I understand.
    I cannot wait to hear about this legal case! The attorney you are referring to must have the same pea sized brain as you do to even consider a case like this.  Please, don’t tell me you have some legal background throwing around terms like “Tortious Interference With Business Relationships”.

  • Bitching about PZ behind his back is pretty far off topic.

  • BrianMacker

    By your logic all of theism is proven “bankrupt” every time some asshat religious leader acts up. PZ only speaks for himself.

  • Brian Macker

    PZ is the epitome of an angry atheist. So you are incorrect. He is very much on topic.

  • Brian Macker

    Were the F did you get those ideas? WTF?

  • BrianMacker

    Gonna be hard to win a lawsuit when you have already publicly admitted guilt. Who does he plan to sue, PZ for not accepting an apology?

  • Anonymous

    You can’t sue people for free speech. What country do you think you are in?

  • Anonymous

    Circumcision isn’t good either, but it should be noted that circumcised
    men (like me) can still orgasm while that is much more difficult for women who
    had their clitorises cut off.

  • Brian Macker

    Except for her complete ignorance about economics. Hillarious that she thinks OWS (a bunch of rich kids with state subsidized educations who are pretend camping and have cell phones and laptops) is evidence that capitalism doesn’t float all boats. She’s just too indoctrinated into her own ideology to understand.

  • Atheism is a religion in its own right; it is a set of beliefs that many consider central to their lives. No doubt, the fervour and fanaticism it promotes in this day and age rival many religions, and it is hard to find any sign that they help promote the peace and understanding that we need. Do you see atheists going out in the world and trying to solve it’s biggest problems? No, but last time I checked I did see Christians and Buddhist among many others doing such things. Rational people should not feel pressured into choosing atheism just as they should not feel pressured into choosing any Abrahamic or other religion!

  • Saying atheism is a religion is purely ridiculous..  We  only band together to protect ourselves from fundys (like you apparently)..  You talk about a set of atheist beliefs, but since the very core of atheism is lack of belief, again, it doesnt add up..  I submit to you we “are” indeed trying to solve the worlds problems, by trying to inspire rational thinking, rather than magical thinking..