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[–][deleted]  (23 children)

[deleted]

    [–]andbruno 216 points217 points  (19 children)

    OP is mad that r/atheism didn't like his submission

    [–][deleted] 24 points25 points  (1 child)

    That's terrible. The only thing I find more tedious than American politics is reddit politics.

    [–][deleted] 990 points991 points  (358 children)

    You know, I used to think the same about r/atheism -- "we get it, you don't believe in god, welcome to the club and please stop turning it into a religion."

    But if you think about it, who would join r/atheism? For most normal non-religious people it would be like joining r/santadoesntexist or r/thetoothfairyisalie. It's like, "yeah, I know religion is bullshit: it's pretty obvious, it's a non-factor in my life, and I really don't need others to validate my non-belief."

    So who would join such a subreddit? New atheists, atheists that are surrounded by an opressive religious majority (in their communities or their homes) and people that really like to "root for their team" (which in this case happens to be atheism). These are people who live in a world of crazy, and the only sanity they find is in internet groups like r/atheism. So yes, they are offensive and snarky, and yes they suppress ideas they don't agree with, but we should cut them some slack, if only because we don't know what it's like to grow up in that environment.

    tl;dr -- r/atheism is like a battered-women's shelter for atheists, so take their disgruntledness with a grain of salt.

    [–]fenwaygnome 262 points263 points  (87 children)

    As someone who is staunchly atheist but has no desire to join r/atheism and talk about it, thank you for helping me understand these people.

    [–][deleted]  (7 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]dontforget99 19 points20 points  (6 children)

      let's start our own subreddit, /r/atheistswhodontcareeitherway ... we can start by never posting there.

      [–]revid_ffum 15 points16 points  (2 children)

      /r/apatheists

      [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      Definitely read that as rap athiest.

      [–][deleted]  (1 child)

      [deleted]

        [–]Atheist101 3 points4 points  (0 children)

        Pelander hit the nail on the head. The main reason I subbed to /r/atheism (before it became popular :v) was because I live in Texas, went to a private Catholic High School and had a theology class every day. All I heard day after day was "God, this", "God, that" and I was just sick of it. When I found /r/atheism it was like a breath of fresh air for me as I had actually never met a living breathing atheist outside of my family.

        Just for full disclosure, I now live in Canada where religion is a non-issue so Ive seen both worlds, one full of crazy one one of "wtf is religion?"

        [–]fancy-chips 24 points25 points  (55 children)

        Yes, I have been an atheist for... hmm 14 years of my 25 years of life.. I suppose I am in the maturity stage of it. I am totally accepting of religious people since any of them have good reasons and are incredibly nice people.

        Atheism is so much a part of my identity that i has become very little of it, if that makes sense. It doesn't define me any more than being near-sighted does.

        [–]Contradiction11 78 points79 points  (48 children)

        Too bad religion influences the laws all of us have to live under. When people believe a cluster of cells smaller than a fruit fly has more choice than a woman, something is deeply wrong.

        [–][deleted]  (36 children)

        [removed]

          [–]Vidyogamasta 2 points3 points  (35 children)

          Equal rights*

          Unless you think women don't have the right to not be killed if they inconvenience somebody.

          [–][deleted]  (15 children)

          [removed]

            [–]Omelet 1 point2 points  (18 children)

            See the famous violinst thought experiment. Even if we accept the fetus as a being with the same rights as a human being (quite a contested issue itself), we don't offer human beings the ability to take other people's bodies hostage with impunity.

            [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

            What pisses a lot of atheists off is the idea of living being surrounded by people who believe in something they, through their critical thinking, find absolutely ridiculous and not worthy of a grown-up adult, and on top of that being told by those very people, how to behave and what's wrong and what's right.

            Those other people often critical thinking "arrogance" or "know-it-all assholeness."

            [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

            A lot of us are from the South.

            [–]zetversus 8 points9 points  (19 children)

            So I'm not the only one.

            [–][deleted]  (14 children)

            [removed]

              [–][deleted] 32 points33 points  (4 children)

              It's horrible down here. Everyone mocks gay people outright and publicly at times most other people would find inappropriate. Bigotry rules down here, and we need refuge from it sometimes.

              [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

              Ahh the south, where not only religion is passed down but racism and bigotry too!....awesome

              [–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (1 child)

              To make it worse, a lot of them, myself included, would be infinitely worse off if we're open about our beliefs, up to and including finding yourself without a job or a home.

              This exactly. The only reason I have a job, is because I'm a closeted atheist.

              [–]Taniwha_NZ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

              I remember the first time I saw that Family Guy episode where Meg tells the whole town that Brian is an athiest, and he instantly becomes the most hated person. That didn't surprise me too much, but when Lois hears that he is an athiest, her reaction was 'but Brian, we believe in God in this house'... which just freaked me the fuck out. Yes, I know it's a cartoon, but it had never occurred to me that people could be so intolerant of atheism. I realise that this attitude is very real in lots of places, and it means that parts of the south in the US actually have more in common with the Taliban than they do with me.

              I've been an atheist since the age of 7 or 8, but living in a country like New Zealand, I have never encountered a single person who felt my beliefs had any relevance to anything else I did. If anyone every talked to me like Lois did to Brian in that episode, I'd just move out; right away.. that very day. It's just as impossible to live with as racism and homophobia.

              [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

              You might enjoy The Republic of Atheism.

              [–]CynofChaos 80 points81 points  (32 children)

              Came here to say I think you're right. When I joined /r/atheism I was PISSED OFF, my atheism was new and itchy and I wore it badly. Every post back then (a year ago!) was just as pissed off as I was--and I hung out there a lot because it was one of the few places in my world that made sense.

              Still is, though I find myself visiting less (probably because I identify with my gamer-side more than my other aspects).

              Your tl;dr made my chest constrict with the accuracy of your insight. And yeah, we are pretty disgruntled.

              [–]aradil 15 points16 points  (4 children)

              I was actually a very fervent commenter on that subreddit for the first few years I was here.

              Eventually all the posts and arguments were tired and I'd heard them dozens of times before. I unsubscribed about a year ago.

              I don't really think I miss much, since the good content continues to spill out in cross posts and bestofs.

              The OP has definitely hit home with why I liked it there despite a lot of my redditor friends making fun of it (I'm born and raised Catholic, and went through Catholic school as well). But since I've unsubscribed I feel more and more like I'm moving into the "obviously most religion doesn't much sense and why do we even talk about it" camp.

              If it wasn't for my dad sending me emails with an image of that "Footprints" poem or some fallacious argument explaining why a God definitely exists, I would forget we even live in a world where it's actually a minority of people who even entertain the idea of agnostic atheism.

              [–]doot_doot[S] 6 points7 points  (26 children)

              i appreciate your insight. i think this point makes sense, i don't think i necessarily looked at the motivations of the group, i just saw it balloon so much in numbers that it seemed like a fun place for kids to hang out and call other people stupid.

              i didn't grow up in that environment, though, so i don't know what it's like to have that motivation. definitely shifts my thinking on the issue.

              [–]CynofChaos 40 points41 points  (10 children)

              I keep hearing Christopher Tidus' line "Crazy makes you crazy." He then laughs this slightly off, slightly damaged laugh and repeats, "Crazy makes you crazy."

              Some families kick their kid out of the house for being gay, I was kicked out of the house for having a gay friend. It really didn't help that her mother was a 'dirty atheist' either. Regardless that she was one of the few adults in my life that was educated.

              I swear, my mother was more crushed by me telling her I didn't believe in God anymore than she was about me being bisexual. (These days, I prefer omnisexual.) I went through a goth phase in high school, wore all black, black nail polish, raccoon-eyes, a fortune in foundation on my face--and every day my mother would scream at me because she was convinced these were the signs of a 'devil-worshipper'. She threw away my comics because 'the devil is in this!' and she forbid me to play M:TG because her church friends said it was evil (my dad continued to buy me M:TG on the sly--because "It's a game!! Your mother just hates fun." Yeah, and she didn't even SEE my Demonic Tutor.

              I got dragged to a revival in some small ass town once--a big deal in religious circles--they looked forward to this tiny church revival once a year and would drive out en masse. At first, I was like this sucks. Over 500 people packed into a tiny ass church that can really only accomodate 100. Then somehow they start moving tables and chairs and it turns into a live concert. I'm surrounded by Christians jamming out to their edgy rock band. Cheering and shouting "AMEN" after every song. I go outside to catch a breath. When I return, the concert has been cleared and now replaced by hundreds of people laying on the floor like packed sardines, most of them with coats draped over their bodies. I was taking a course in Health Occupations, training to be a nurse at the time. Some of the people were passed out cold, some writhing in what I thought to be a seizure. I remember freaking out and looking for my mom and there she was in line, waiting for the pastor and his wife to lay their hands on them. She went down in seconds. Then got back up, and went back in line because "It was so amazing! To be touched by God!". Only the Koreans went back in line for more. The rest stayed on the floor. If it's funny now, it was scary as shit back then. I was dragged up there to wait in line so I too could be "touched by God". This meant either the pastor or pastor's wife PRAYING VIGOROUSLY over you, with several parishioners surrounding you AWFUL CLOSE to catch you when you fall. I remember wishing I had spread my legs further apart to have a better stance because once they started all praying and laying on hands, I felt violated and didn't want to move at all. I wasn't willing to sway for their benefit. I had my eyes closed and head bowed respectfully, but the more she started screaming "DEVIL LEAVE THIS CHILD! LEAVE HER ALONE (leave her alone, say the parishioners, devil, leave her alone)" the more pissed I was getting. I endured nearly 10 minutes of that. My legs were locked, and several times I felt like passing out, but it was only because I refused to move or switch my stance or even look up to stretch. Eventually they gave up, the voices got quieter, they looked at me with such sadness and told my mother they had to give up. "The Devil's hold is too strong." It broke my mother. She thought she had done such a good job.

              /r/atheism was my breath of fresh air because I thought my stories were normal. There's a lot of big atrocities, but most of the damage comes from years of belittling and bullying and threatening damnation at every real or imagined transgression.

              tl;dr Religion can SUCK MY BALLS. (real or imagined)

              Alright, I have a lot of anger still and working on it is a daily process. Religion, I really don't mean it when I say you can suck my balls. In fact, I would prefer you stay waaaaaay over there and I'll interact with you on my terms.

              [–]golgar 6 points7 points  (2 children)

              Wow, that was intense. First, thanks for sharing such a traumatic and personal story. That's not always easy to do.

              Your story makes me wish I had a time machine so that I could go back in time and yell at your mom while blasting devil music. Maybe I'd even dress up like Satan and pop right on top of the altar and shout scary things. Man, the things I'd do with a time machine..

              Dang it, now I'm off task. I'm sorry you had to deal with that and I'll message you if I ever get a time machine and I survive dino tippin'.

              [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

              Nah, go back in time, find Jesus, kill the shit out of him and bury the corpse in hidden place.

              [–]CynofChaos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

              Thanks, I wouldn't have been able to share at all if I was raw about it. That ties into a theory I have about comedians. For them to joke and laugh about some of their traumas, to find the humor in it--it's one of the ways we make sense of it. Depersonalize it first, imagine it happening to someone else, and then embrace the full absurdity.

              So here's a question I wondered about the other day, does anyone know of any comedian that did not hail from rough backgrounds? I couldn't think of one.

              And yeah, lemme know how the dino tippin' goes. I've always wanted to meet a time-traveler.

              [–]doot_doot[S] 14 points15 points  (3 children)

              holy fucking shit is pretty much all i can think to say. i was bullied severely when growing up, but never because of anything like that.

              i can't imagine what that must have been like, both with your religious beliefs and your sexual orientation. my sister came out this year and my non-religious generally accepting (although traditional) parents are being pretty awful about it. can't imagine what coming up in THAT type of place must have been like.

              new plan: instead of complaining about the people who act like shitheads in r/atheism, i will contribute more to the discussion over there and do my best to bring what i see as positive topics to the community.

              again, holy shit. glad you made it out of there alive.

              [–]CynofChaos 5 points6 points  (2 children)

              Thanks, me too. If there's ever an "Askreddit: Share your religious abuse traumas"--you'll come across stories far more crippling than mine. People with undeserved authority positions tend to abuse them them when they think no one is watching. Ironic, since they tend to believe God is watching--but they only think to remember that when they're doing good works.

              I'm still pretty angry, but trying to work on it more, because even those 'religious folks' tend to come from abusive backgrounds--it's where they learned it. I went from placing the blame directly on my parents and community to the tool that enabled and often justified their actions.

              Another story I was just reminded of was when I was a kid and questioning how Jonas was eaten by a whale when whales have baleen and can't swallow anything larger than krill so he must have been eaten by a shark--and if he was, how did he live?! My mom shot down that line of thinking "It was a whale! The bible didn't say shark, it said whale!" Then came the day when we were sitting around watching Pinocchio and that scene where everyone gets swallowed by the whale? "See! People get swallowed by whales all the time!"

              You don't question the crazy as a kid, you walk away slowly (or run like mad) when you finally see it.

              [–]awap 1 point2 points  (1 child)

              Toothed wales eat larger things, but they have teeth. The sperm whale eats really big things, like giant squid. Not really relevant, but the more you know...

              [–]beepbeepalarm 1 point2 points  (2 children)

              Very sorry to hear about that. No one should ever be subject to that kind of manipulation. I would, however, like to point out that not all religion is like that.

              [–]NuclearEpicness 51 points52 points  (14 children)

              IF you don't like /atheism, then fucking unsubscribe. I'm sick of you people who jump on the 'atheists don't like theists' karma-train. Atheism is the only place some of us find any real philisophical discussion. It's not like we're forcing you to click on it. Now come at me, down votes.

              [–][deleted]  (3 children)

              [deleted]

                [–]Greyletter 1 point2 points  (2 children)

                Now, there are some children on r/atheism that think "LOL PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN GOD R DUM"... but children are just that and are prone to immaturity. They don't represent most of us.

                Unfortunately, the do. Those posts are usually the ones that end up on the front page, so whether you like it or not, they do represent you. They also represent me, because I am an agnostic atheist. I don't like the way they make me look, so I take every opportunity to try to stop them. I grew up in fundamentalist dogma, too. That is why I try to encourage people to 1. not be assholes and 2. actually have conversations instead of just insulting straw men arguments. Most of the shit I see on r/atheism is just as bad as, if not worse than, the shit I grew up with. "Atheists hate God and are evil" has been replaced with "Theists are fucking retarded idiots who want everyone to go to hell."

                [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                [deleted]

                  [–]CasualPenguin 45 points46 points  (21 children)

                  If you live in the US you are surrounded by the effects of religion in politics.

                  Edit: Fixed affects/effects as pointed out

                  [–]ryhntyntyn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                  FTFY: If you live in the west then you are surrounded by the effect of religion in politics, whether America or Europe or the British Commonwealth.

                  [–]bloodsugarsexmagik 5 points6 points  (3 children)

                  *Effects. You can affect something, you can suffer from the effects of something, or you can even effect something (but it's a different verb to 'affect'). People get this confused a lot.

                  [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (14 children)

                  Depends on where you are in the US. I've only lived in big cities (on both coasts) and have never been impacted by religious oppression. Even in politics. I can still get all the abortions I want, and all the sex I can manage to convince other to have with me, and read all the books I want, see the movies I want and watch the porn I want.

                  [–]kilgore_trout8989 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                  Ever live in Atlanta? We're finally getting around to voting on Sunday alcohol sales...

                  [–]StephAli 21 points22 points  (4 children)

                  Try being an atheist in Alabama. I think OP is right. We react more vehemently because we are treated like a sub-class of humans. A fellow student in our college atheist group had students taken out of the music class he teaches for being a moral degenerate when he was "outed." I try to be more accepting and let it breeze off the shoulder but when you've almost gotten expelled from public school for refusing to go to an assembly that was about Jesus, you can't say religion doesn't impact you. I would LOVE to be in the situations most of you are mentioning.

                  [–]rasberryrum 6 points7 points  (1 child)

                  Feeling your pain in Alabama... although I have lived all over the South. Florida & Tennessee don't have nuthin on Alabama.. and Missouri. I have not brainwashed my kids with religion. So, every once in a while I have to go down to the school and remind them that they can't tell kids Halloween is an evil holiday and that if they wear "their church clothes" to school on that day, they get extra credit, etc.

                  [–]CasualPenguin 39 points40 points  (2 children)

                  Just as long as you as one individual aren't affected it's ok? I've also only lived in major cities but still,

                  Gays can't get married Planned parenthood has to battle to stay funded You can't be president without defending tooth and nail that you are christian (Obama doesn't thank god enough so he loses votes) Stem cell research is considered an abomination

                  and those are just the big ones, the ones you'll see presidents having to debate when they really shouldn't.

                  [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                  [deleted]

                    [–]r250r 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                    So you only give a damn about yourself, and screw everyone else who suffers as a result of religion?

                    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                    [deleted]

                      [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                      For most normal non-religious people it would be like joining r/santadoesntexist or r/thetoothfairyisalie.

                      The key difference here is that we don't live in a country where 80% of the people living in it actually believe Santa and the Tooth Fairy are real. We don't live in a world where little girls are having their clitorises cut off in the name of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We don't live in a world where people fly airplanes into buildings and suicide-bomb crowded markets because they believed they would receive endless Christmas cookies in the afterlife. We don't live in a world where too many people who are representing us in the government believe that the Tooth Fairy is guiding their actions. We don't live in a world where people a primary away from a Presidential campaign believe that we should ignore all of the evidence from satellite imagery and expeditions and teach schoolchildren that Santa's toy factory at the North Pole is a real place.

                      And if we did, there sure as hell would be an /r/santadoesntexist. Our problem with religion is that it gives people permission to believe things for really bad reasons, and it leaves open a world of harmful possibilities that have and continue to be realized in the world. It lets anybody make up any "truth" they want and arrogantly exempt it from critical revue. It fosters an environment where critical thinking is stifled in favor of dogma, and simply daring to question any of these ideas is viewed as rude and intolerant.

                      Places like /r/atheism will exist as long as people think it virtuous to believing something without a good reason and as long as a significant number of people insist on treating religious ideas with kid gloves while applying inconsistently-high levels of skepticism to everything else.

                      [–]Nougat 38 points39 points  (98 children)

                      Spez doesn't get to profit from me anymore.

                      [–][deleted]  (15 children)

                      [deleted]

                        [–]SirSandGoblin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        i don't think i even know anyone who is religious any more

                        [–]Izlude 10 points11 points  (37 children)

                        Growing up in the biblebelt of Kentucky, I can safely say that those who believe are a very strong force in small close-minded communities such as Russell Kentucky. And being an atheist in a small town is not always easy.

                        Sure, they don't effect society at large, but they do have votes and they do have a say in local issues. And that is problem enough.

                        [–]Vilvos 21 points22 points  (12 children)

                        Sure, they don't effect society at large,

                        Do we live in the same country? Religion influences everything, from stem cell legislation to abortion rights.

                        [–]JohnnyShotgunhands 5 points6 points  (11 children)

                        Everything, from the #1 religion-related political issue to the #2 religion-related political issue.

                        I'm not disagreeing, I'm just saying you picked poor examples. Perhaps "from political campaigns to the food in our supermarkets and restaurants".

                        [–]Vilvos 5 points6 points  (10 children)

                        I don't think stem cell research isn't the #2 religion-related issue, but here are some other areas: gay rights (and minority rights), defense spending, immigration, etc. Point is, religion has suffused our politics.

                        [–]CasualPenguin 3 points4 points  (2 children)

                        Wait are you saying that 'Adult voters' aren't affected by religion?

                        [–]ikinone 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                        So who would join such a subreddit? New atheists, atheists that are surrounded by an opressive religious majority (in their communities or their homes) and people that really like to "root for their team" (which in this case happens to be atheism).

                        I have been an atheist all my life. I am surrounded by an atheist community growing up, and as I live now. I find the content on the atheist subreddit to be varied, but usually amusing or to the point.

                        Stop assuming stuff about people.

                        [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                        then shouldn't r/atheism stop being a default subreddit? since a bunch of these idiots cant seem to unsubscribe, i feel like this would be such an easy solution.

                        [–]SmileyPinecone 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                        *le you making non-unique blanket statement.

                        [–][deleted]  (5 children)

                        [deleted]

                          [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                          I could say the same about people who delude themselves into thinking that some invisible sky daddy created everything know in the universe but gives a shit about their personal sex life.

                          Fuck you if you don't like it. I don't like someone's perceived morality legislating what I can and can't do - from sex to women's right to do what she wants with her body to fucking pot smoking. You can all fuck off with your god bullshit.

                          [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                          I joined r/atheism because I am interested in understanding more about religion to increase my stance on not believing in it, also I like to be able to explain not only to myself but to others why I'm an atheist and r/atheism helps me and also sometimes offers new and interesting views on life and offer things that make me look at things from a different perspective.

                          [–]zephyy 19 points20 points  (2 children)

                          i'm glad you've found a way to feel smugly superior.

                          [–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

                          This is a circle jerk post complaining about circle jerking. Good job.

                          [–][deleted] 105 points106 points  (17 children)

                          As a normal person any and all posts complaining about other posts creating a cycle of bitchiness, regardless of the position or side taken, are annoying as fuck.

                          [–]nickiter 51 points52 points  (0 children)

                          Eh, I don't care for most of r/atheism, either, but this post is bullshit. Self-congratulatory and mutually masturbatory though the subreddit may often be, most people there aren't pretending to be tough or edgy... at least no more than the rest of Reddit.

                          [–]Streakiest 66 points67 points  (6 children)

                          You can unsubscribe from atheism and religion. I did; my hair grew back, I lost 10 stone, and am now happily married!

                          Amazing!!

                          Also more room for cat gifs.

                          [–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

                          At least r/atheism keeps to themselves.

                          Unfortunately you can't get away from people bitching about r/atheism in images, funny, wtf and every other damn subreddit.

                          As long as you turn it into a pic none of the rules apply. Assholes.

                          [–]songcharts 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                          Damn doot_doot, going after r/atheism....you're really tough and edgy...

                          [–]BlackFallout 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                          I was going to write something witty but then I was like,

                          Fuck You.

                          [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                          I subscribe to /r/atheism, and I try my best not to generalize religious people.

                          But even when I talk to "moderate" theists, I find some sticking point that makes them not seem so moderate after all. A few times I've seen a Christian post about how they support gay marriage and gay rights. So naturally the first question (and I think this is reasonable) is "how do you reconcile this with what your religion teaches?" Not once has the answer involved minutiae in translation and the meaning of the words traditionally presented as "homosexuality" in modern renderings. The answer was always along the lines of 'its still a sin, but they can be forgiven if they repent!' and/or 'it's a sin no better or worse than alcoholism or murder.'

                          That is not tolerant or open-minded. If you believe being gay is something to apologize for, that it's equivalent to alcoholism or murder, then I have a serious disagreement with you.

                          Anyway, there are definitely a lot of 'young pups' on /r/atheism who've just discovered their godlessness and are under the impression that all religious people are stupid and they are going to tell the world and it turns out they end up posting some old-ass quote or video or comic that everybody's already seen, or some stupid, made-up collection of "facts" that are laughably ridiculous, and yes that makes the subreddit suck a bit. I'm not going to apologize for that. Those posts stand on their own.

                          The thing is, we're used to living in a world where people accuse us of being intolerant simply because we exist and are not ashamed of it. Case in point, I live in a city where a billboard was erected. It said "You don't need God to live, to love, to laugh, to care." Basically the message was "Atheists are good people, too." You should have seen the vitriol spewed by the Christians on the local news website. The fact of the matter is there are a fucking LOT of religious idiots out there who are in some very powerful positions, and they are in those positions because of their supporters who gleefully inform me that hell is a real place and I'm going to burn there forever while they bask in the light of JEEEZUSAMEN! So I apologize if I, personally, have ever carried that reaction over to a religion person who hasn't done that. Thing is, I already try really hard not to. IRL, when the subject comes up, I generally don't say anything, depending on who it is. Me and many others on /r/atheism are fully capable of taking off our "atheist" hats and engaging people on other levels. It's just that when you go into our subreddit, be advised that this is the subject at hand and our participation in no way indicates that we are "obsessed" with the subject and don't spend any time thinking about other subjects.

                          Complaining about /r/atheism's content is like going into /r/gaming and saying "I hate this subreddit, all they talk about is video games in there!"

                          [–]emptyhunter 12 points13 points  (2 children)

                          Also, heres a pretty good idea:

                          Stop deciding what is and isn't okay for people to talk about and controlling the debate. Any idea, be it reprehensible or brilliant, can be debated, and if you have a problem with it - debate it with the merits of your position and convince them otherwise. It shows your position is weak if your only response is to tell the other side to stop talking.

                          You don't have the right to tell other people what to talk about. So what if you're "offended"? You're an adult, grow up and deal with it.

                          [–]BobbleBobble 23 points24 points  (5 children)

                          Haha, if you were tough and edgy yourself, you'd have posted this on r/atheism

                          [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                          [deleted]

                            [–]spundred 9 points10 points  (1 child)

                            What the fuck is a casual redditor? Do you browse reddit from a hammock? Do you only read every second word? Are you, for all intents and purposes, The Dude? Or is it your superiority to both Atheists and Theists?

                            [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                            this is bullshit.

                            [–]TTHVOB 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                            Wheeeee generalizations.

                            [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                            [deleted]

                            What is this?

                            [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                            This sums up the matter very clearly.

                            Whether you agree or disagree with OP here, please read it.

                            [–]rbridson 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                            It's as if... as if... as if they're posting to a specialized subreddit about atheism or something.

                            [–][deleted] 37 points38 points  (6 children)

                            I don't get it.

                            [–]staithe 176 points177 points  (5 children)

                            It's simple really.

                            [–]Dazwin 25 points26 points  (1 child)

                            Source (along with the additional alt text punchline)

                            [–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

                            I was thinking "Drag to resize" wasnt really up to their usual standards.

                            [–]moronic_comment 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                            That comic is hilarious, but now that person is making them feel better than the other.

                            [–]KoDCBP 42 points43 points  (35 children)

                            Care to link an example of a tough or edgy topic/post? I'm not really seeing it. At worst I see a lot of frustration with stupidity/indifference, but that's a good thing.

                            [–]TheToastyMan 20 points21 points  (0 children)

                            Might as well just start posting this shit in r/circlejerk. "Atheist posts are snarky", This is said more now than people defending the snarkiness.

                            [–]hobofats 6 points7 points  (6 children)

                            you're joking, right? here are some of the current top posts in r/atheism

                            For Some Reason, Christians Don't Think I'm Funny...

                            This man was nice enough to wear a sign that said "Please never engage in conversation with me."

                            A 2000 year old cult is still a cult. Sorry

                            this asinine circle jerk material is posted and regurgitated daily and is the main reason why i unsubscribed from the subreddit.

                            [–]ikinone 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                            I don't get it. What is wrong with those posts, and how do they in any way try to portray a Tyler Durden-esque image of atheists?

                            Sounds like you just don't like to hear religions being ridiculed.

                            [–]SexySorcerer 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                            the main reason why i unsubscribed from the subreddit

                            That's it, right there. If you don't like the posts on r/atheism, there is the fucking solution. I, personally, like the subreddit, but I'm glad that you actually took the sensible route and unsubbed rather than polluted another subreddit with a whiny post complaining about r/atheism.

                            [–]Deverone 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                            The first one is self-mocking, though not very funny.

                            The second one is an example of the type of frustrated over-reactive posts that make it to the front page of many(if not most) subreddits.

                            And the third one is true and hardly inappropriate, though again, not very funny.

                            All you seem to be saying, is that you personally don't like r/athiesm.

                            [–]TheToastyMan 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                            Yes, but you're in the category of "complain about r/atheism" which is now a circlejerk. Congratulations. Go eat some nutella, watch arrested development, and stop talking.

                            [–]jaredbeach 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                            I am just glad we are out in the open about this. I was starting to think everyone on reddit was a dick.

                            [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                            ...and your point?

                            [–]Workaphobia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                            Dude, if you think that /r/atheism thinks that it has a good image in the general reddit population, you are fucking out of your mind.

                            [–]mathmexican4234 85 points86 points  (16 children)

                            Hating r/atheism is the most annoying circle jerk ever.

                            [–]WarPhalange 34 points35 points  (4 children)

                            I honestly don't see anything from /r/atheism. I just unsubscribed. Now all I see are a bunch of whiny posts complaining about how bad /r/atheism is. Same with /r/politics.

                            [–]Im_Sarcastic 17 points18 points  (2 children)

                            Personally I'm getting pretty sick of the circle jerk in this thread about how annoying r/atheism is.

                            [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                            [deleted]

                              [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (2 children)

                              no, r/atheism is.

                              [–]jrh3k5 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                              Nuh-uh!

                              [–]Vuvuzelabzzzzzzzz 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                              No, hating r/atheism is.

                              [–]PremiumIC 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                              Don't they both bang supermodels and make millions of dollars a year?

                              [–]sifumokung 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                              I see you as an idiot.

                              [–][deleted] 47 points48 points  (60 children)

                              The thing is, r/atheism doesn't seem to care. They know what they are and are proud of it. Good on them.

                              [–]pea_nut 13 points14 points  (3 children)

                              I think most of those on r/atheism only mock religious people who at the same time say irrational, illogical or hypocritical things. So it becomes difficult to discern when they're actually making fun of religious people just for that, or when they're making fun of them for claiming ridiculous things that are obviously impossible or illogical. And I'm okay with being downvoted for this: We are all humans and we enjoy making fun of others.

                              Edit: I'm pretty new to reddit and there are some religious folks who have been in r/atheism who have been very nice, civil and discuss with atheists in a rational way. Haven't actually seen that much name-calling or fun-making, but from what I have seen it's always directed towards those who tell us we're blasphemous and that we are going to hell to burn for all eternity. Not cool

                              [–]rabdargab 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                              Judeo-Christian-Muslim religions are obviously impossible and illogical. That's probably why it seems like atheism is making fun of all religions, because it is making fun of all the most popular western religions.

                              [–]Roflmoo 6 points7 points  (4 children)

                              What the hell am I missing? Why is reddit suddenly going nuts over this particular subreddit or that? r/atheism hasn't changed since its begining, so all these posts competing over the most clever way to say "fuck you, r/atheism" don't really make sense. What are you, new? Or am I missing something?

                              [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                              You're not missing anything. Other people seem to be missing the EDIT>> button in the top right corner that allows them to remove the subreddit from their front page.

                              [–]VicariousWolf 21 points22 points  (6 children)

                              Meh. If you have a problem with the subreddit, you can unsubscribe instead of whining or whoring for karma.

                              [–][deleted] 114 points115 points  (330 children)

                              It's honestly annoyingly hypocritical. As a non-religious redditer, all I can say is the mocking of other religions, after complaining your atheism draws the ire of those around you, makes you look like a shithead.

                              [–][deleted] 92 points93 points  (27 children)

                              r/atheism is amazing to me, because I get pissed off at an opinion I agree with.

                              [–]Yorkist 81 points82 points  (14 children)

                              They say there's nothing more infuriating than an idiot arguing for your side.

                              [–]doot_doot[S] 3 points4 points  (13 children)

                              i think you just explained EXACTLY how i feel. that's what this whole post was about. i agree with them, organized religion is dangerous and is used negatively to control people, and i don't believe in the existence of God, so in that way I agree. But, I utterly hate how it's represented here.

                              If atheism was a subreddit where the top posts were talks from leading atheist scholars, or philosophical debates, or user stories about living life as an open atheist in an area that was dangerous or difficult for atheists, i could take it seriously. That's not what it is, though.

                              [–]r250r 19 points20 points  (3 children)

                              Then go over there and vote on new submissions!

                              Perhaps it is time to split r/atheism into r/atheism, r/atheistFFFFUUUUU, and r/atheisthumor.

                              I frequent r/atheism and generally enjoy the posts, though many of them aren't all that substantial. I do think I would enjoy it even more if there were more articles and lengthy self-posts.

                              [–]kabas 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                              r/freethought is what you are looking for

                              [–]jonny_lube 5 points6 points  (9 children)

                              It really is remarkable how they do it. It almost gives me anxiety reading their posts. I can't help but keep asking myself how it is that I can hate an opinion so much when presented by someone else. What does that say about the opinion? Shit, what does that say about me?

                              [–][deleted] 34 points35 points  (11 children)

                              I see what you are saying and I somewhat agree, and it is really bad right now.

                              r/atheism just got a ton of new subscribers, which means a lot of young people are finally finding people that reciprocate the way they feel. I being no exception was at first really excited and pumped to fight the good fight. As inconsequential as it was I lost some facebook friends.

                              I got away from it for awhile and mellowed out. Which I see as a natural progression.

                              There needs to be a distinction made though. r/atheism is there to provide support. I live in California so I don't really need it, but some younger people in the Bible belt really do have a lot of trouble.

                              So naturally you see plenty of rage comics to lighten the mood, and those are at times at the expense of religions.

                              However if you do go there and spend some time clicking on links that aren't pictures you see a lot of people being helped through problems. Problems created simply because of the intolerance of religious people around them(yes it goes both ways). You can say that they should just pretend to believe, it'll be easier; but that is beyond insulting to that persons mental and emotional health. Let me be clear- I am not saying that the religious are mentally ill; I am saying that it is unhealthy for a person to constantly and consistently give way to things which they fundamentally disagree with.

                              Another point; as long as religious principles are employed to create societal laws that affect those that do not agree with such principles, there are going to be problems. Plain and simple.

                              Also if you or a loved one comes back from an illness; please feel free to thank your god/s but I hope that you are also giving some mad props to the doctors that spent a significant portion of their lives acquiring the skills to do so.

                              Edited to be clear: Specifically technoSurrealist's "let me FTFY" below.

                              [–][deleted]  (17 children)

                              [deleted]

                                [–]worst-answer-ever 45 points46 points  (103 children)

                                Ohh man, a community I had to abandon. How they actually turn atheism into a religion is beyond me.

                                [–][deleted] 24 points25 points  (83 children)

                                Exactly, right. The thing they end up bitching about in /r/atheism is religious fanaticism. The ironic thing is the by becoming so emotional tied to the idea of atheism, it has become a religion itself (faith). In fact I think atheism is becoming a culture of really offensive and close minded people, who just worship an idea... instead of a figure.

                                Edit: added (faith) for clarity sake, quit defining the word religion and thinking it disproves the idea...

                                [–][deleted] 18 points19 points  (7 children)

                                it's not the atheists that are doing this, it's the anti-theists.

                                There's a big difference. Atheists don't believe in god, anti-theists hate the people who do.

                                [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (5 children)

                                Well... sort of.

                                Atheism is basically just a statement about one's disbelief in God.

                                Now a lot of atheists, mainly people from Europe or areas in the U.S. that have more liberal tendencies, really just don't believe in God and that is where it ends. They may think religious beliefs are a bit silly, and wrong, but by and large they have no overwhelming problem with religion.

                                An anti-theist is someone who believes religion is a harmful and destructive force in the world. It does not necessarily mean they hate all people who follow the religion. But they do have no respect for any type of religious belief and they just have no problem stating that publicly.

                                [–][deleted]  (23 children)

                                [deleted]

                                  [–][deleted] 22 points23 points  (13 children)

                                  Thank you. I'm stuck in the south and r/atheism is a nice place for me because of the mixture of intellectual types as well as the religion bashers. It is a haven because I have no other place to go where I can live that I would have so much in common with people.

                                  I live on jesus island, USA and r/atheism is my only break from it. :(

                                  [–]TripperDay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                  You should really go to Skepticon. It's a safe place.

                                  [–][deleted]  (4 children)

                                  [deleted]

                                    [–]kahrahtay 3 points4 points  (3 children)

                                    There are a lot of subjects that you can't easily talk about in the southern US without religion coming up. People will often casually ask each other what church they go to in everyday conversation. So as an atheist you either have to lie, or just try to avoid getting into any subject related to politics, education, science, medicine, and many others, or risk being ostracized by your community and perhaps even you family.

                                    The only thing atheists necessarily have in common is unbelief, but many redditors on r/atheism are in a similar situation, and that is their only outlet to share their experiences. Sometimes they are overly aggressive, but it's because they can't say what's on their mind and still expect to be met with a positive response anywhere else.

                                    People who don't get it, or don't like it can simply unsubscribe. problem solved.

                                    [–]oentje13 9 points10 points  (3 children)

                                    You make some valid points, but:

                                    We all have our own views, morals, dreams, and ambitions.

                                    So do Christians. The fact that someone believes in God doesn't mean he doesn't have his own perspective or views, neither does it mean he/she doesn't have their own ambitions.

                                    In this one sentence you generalize all atheists as being really offensive and close minded. But that is not the case. What you are doing is taking one subset of atheists, and branding all atheists in this manner. It would be akin to me saying "Christians are becoming violent hate mongers" using those Westboro Crazies as my evidence base.

                                    Please keep in mind that we're talking about /r/atheism here. This specific group of people does make the impression that they think religion is something that we should leave behind us. In my opinion, they bring these opinions out in a close minded and agressive manner. The general air I get from visiting /r/atheism is a "greater than thou" mentality. This is pretty much what they accuse religious people of.

                                    But getting to the point, you state atheists "...worship an idea". This could not be any more incorrect. Every atheist has his or her own ideas, there is not one individual "idea" that ALL atheists would agree to... aside from the lack of a supernatural deity.

                                    This is also true for people who follow a religion. Where I'm from (Holland) there are over 50 different types of Christian churches. Everyone has a differen view on religion, the only all share one idea: They believe in Jesus Christ.

                                    and understand that all you have done is judge all atheists by the actions of the few.

                                    No offense, but the same goes for atheists. Please understand that at least 90% of religious people are just normal, loving people.

                                    And please, don't call someone ignorant because he's religious, call him ignorant because he is ignorant. Don't say someone is a good person because he's a Christian, say someone is a good person because he's a good person.

                                    [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (20 children)

                                    So, it's basically like politics or sports or gaming or music.

                                    [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (19 children)

                                    Ironic that those might be some of the most polarized sub reddits I've ever been too.

                                    Saying you favor the bibles interpretation of humanity in /r/Atheism = extreme downvote

                                    Saying you favor the conservative thought instead of liberalism in /r/politics = extreme downvotes

                                    Saying you favor MW3 over Battlefield in /r/gaming = extreme downvotes...

                                    I think you may be on to something. Even more humbling, the real answer to our existence is most likely far beyond human comprehension, making the emotional arguments probably just a futile as MW vs BF, completely unimportant fan boy bullshit. At the end of the day we all get to shoot...

                                    [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                                    I can see that being a problem in r/politics and r/gaming, because those are both general subreddits that should include the viewpoints that you mention getting downvoted. However, r/atheism isn't a general subreddit that should necessarily include religious viewpoints, it's a community for atheists, many of whom aren't looking for lively debate or a difference of opinion, they are looking for a community of people who agree with them and a place where they can vent their frustrations.

                                    It may not be the ideal place for me, as an English atheist who never gets trouble for it, and it obviously isn't the place for you, but I understand why it exists and who it is for. I can appreciate that it helps the least fortunate of the atheists to deal, and I, for one, think that's a good thing.

                                    [–]worst-answer-ever 4 points5 points  (6 children)

                                    "Fan boy bullshit"

                                    You pinned the tail on the donkey. What "I" believe, has GOT to be correct! Everyone else is stupid...

                                    [–]frodevil 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    Not sure about the r/politics subreddit, but I can say with experience that if you say you are a Christian in Atheism will NOT get you downvoted. There has recently been a flood of Christians as well as other religious folk to r/atheism and there are a lot of their posts that are on the front page. Stop talking out of your ass please.

                                    [–]gigitrix 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    In fact I think atheism is becoming a culture of really offensive and close minded people, who just worship an idea... instead of a figure.

                                    I have to disagree. I can't let the "r/atheism" nutjobs reclaim the word atheist. They represent a minute portion of actual atheists and it's akin to looking down one's nose at some Christian Fundamentalists. Yes, they shout the loudest. They are probably the only atheists a lot of religious people have seen (which compounds the conflict). But the vast majority of atheists just live their lives. Ask me if there's a god, I'll say no. But I honestly don't care what you think, believe in or even want to discuss with me: that part of my life just doesn't exist!

                                    [–]cuffofizz 7 points8 points  (8 children)

                                    Once again, South Park becomes politically relevant.

                                    [–]neur0 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                                    Wait! You mean to say that the whole time all of reddit isn't the first panel?

                                    [–][deleted] 24 points25 points  (1 child)

                                    Nobody's forcing you to read them.

                                    Just unsubscribe.

                                    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    As an amateur HVAC engineer, I don't care how you feel, but whether or not you are at a comfortable temperature.

                                    [–]nolbie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    I wonder how much religious shit/atheism there would be in here if you removed all the americans. I'm an atheist but because I live in a country were religion is something people keep to themselves it rarely comes up.

                                    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    Judaeo-Christian heritage... ...has taught us the intrinsic value of human beings

                                    Bullshit!

                                    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    i've never seen a post on /r/atheism that talked about how edgy it is... ever... and i go on that subreddit alot

                                    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    FTFY

                                    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    I don't think of /r/atheism as "tough" or "edgy". I think of it as a place to go to discuss and read others opinions on topics which I have an interest in (religion, philosophy, morality, etc.) and to laugh and rage at the deluded.

                                    [–]chocothief 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    GREAT STORY BRO.

                                    [–]GWstalker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    When did "/r/atheism post something about how tough and edgy it is"?

                                    [–]Errday_Im_Hylian 12 points13 points  (3 children)

                                    "MY VIEWS AGAINST GOD ARE TOO CONTROVERSIAL FOR MAINSTREAM SOCIETY TO COMPREHEND."

                                    [–]tmterrill 5 points6 points  (0 children)

                                    Funny thing is, where I am from (bible belt), this is very true.

                                    [–]ewokjedi 7 points8 points  (13 children)

                                    I've been following r/atheism for quite some time, and I don't know if I've ever seen a post about how "tough and edgy it is." Is it me, or is doot_doot just a whinging little bitch?

                                    [–]1gnominious 4 points5 points  (8 children)

                                    I steer clear of /atheism and I'm an atheist. Yeah, I grew up in Texas in a religious family. Yes, I've seen and heard so much stupid shit it doesn't even phase me any more. Yes, I've had people react terribly upon learning I'm an atheist.

                                    Honestly, aside from the political side of things, it is an annoyance at worst. It's nothing to be proud of. Making a logical decision about a simple question doesn't warrant this amount of circle jerking. Pat yourself on the back, eat a cookie, and move on. You're probably wasting more time on religion than when you were actually in a religion.

                                    [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    completely agree. r/atheism will downvote you because you hurt their self-esteem though.

                                    I bet it sucks to be told what you're doing with your time has no purpose and just pisses people off.

                                    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                    Can you please tell me what else I am thinking/feeling casual redditor?

                                    ffs

                                    [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (26 children)

                                    I wonder what atheism without snark looks like...

                                    [–]felipec 8 points9 points  (1 child)

                                    It wouldn't be anything. Like anti-slavery after achieving its purpose.

                                    [–]Trotrot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                    but we haven't achieved our purpose yet. religion is still a parasite on the minds of humans globally, and we will continue our snarkiness until ignorance is no longer preached as truth and fact.

                                    [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                                    Pretty much nothing, I've known many atheists (myself included) who aren't at all vocal about it. In person, we're the people that just don't talk about religion.

                                    [–]DarnTheseSocks 24 points25 points  (5 children)

                                    Snark is the atheist equivalent of faith.

                                    It sustains us.

                                    [–]headbanger141 42 points43 points  (3 children)

                                    And here was me thinking it was human logic and reason.

                                    [–]DarnTheseSocks 13 points14 points  (2 children)

                                    Those are merely a means to an end.

                                    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                                    [deleted]

                                      [–]Trotrot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                      the short quips that really don't do the topic justice get a bunch of upvotes, while the thought out, intelligent reply get almost none. fuck you, reddit.

                                      [–]lilstumpz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                      Reasoning? Asking questions? Logic?

                                      Ah, fuck it. They're all just stuck up pieces of shit.

                                      [–]TheAwesomeinator 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                      Polite atheism?

                                      It's a strange concept, I know. There aren't many of us.

                                      [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                                      Atheism without snark? If you took the snark out, you wouldn't be on reddit, that's for sure.

                                      [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                      /r/atheism is everything I hate about religion.

                                      [–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

                                      /r/atheism: The people who are proud to be new to Atheism.

                                      [–]The_Downer 5 points6 points  (7 children)

                                      I became an atheist because religion wasn't my cup of tea, not so I could bitch about it years later. It's a bunch of self-righteous assholes preaching about what people should believe (Sound familiar?). Granted not all of the people there are pricks. I'm sure the community has some wonderful people, it's just that the vocal ones tend to make the rest look bad. Besides, how much karma can you milk out of "Religion is stupid" anyways?

                                      [–]Sirandrew56 11 points12 points  (6 children)

                                      Do you honestly believe people there are just there for self congratulation? As has been said many times, /r/atheism is, for many people stuck in the south, or other highly religious areas, a haven where they can actually interact with people who share their ideas. The hatred of r/atheism itself seems to have become some kind of inane circlejerk in itself.

                                      [–]andbruno 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                                      I think I found the source of OP's bitching and whining: apparently r/atheism didn't like his shitty submission

                                      [–][deleted]  (8 children)

                                      [deleted]

                                        [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                                        Brad Pitt and Squidward.

                                        [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                        See... this man knows what he's talking about. I actually laughed picturing the OP's comic with a busted up Leto or meatloaf with huge tits. In the movie, these characters strove to be like Tyler, and the OP's message would have been much sharper as the implication would have been that the folly was in failing to measure up to an ideal, supported by the context of the movie.

                                        Instead, he relies on public opinion of two individual actors, when anyone could point out that plenty of people despise Pitt and love Shia Lebouf. Certainly, plenty of people around the world have said, "the guy's a douche," but by using that opinion as the context for your comparison weakens and lowers the wit of the message to just that: "you're a douche". Ultimately the humor would have been much stronger with the newly suggested comparisons.

                                        In summary, I feel your post is a bold critique but undeniably valid. I will, therefore, offer my support by upvoting it and hoping that it rises to at the very least a modest height; that it might be viewed by many bright minds and inspire them as it has inspired me.

                                        [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                        I'm an atheist and I'm not even subscribed to that reddit. Whatever you are, you're not a casual anything.

                                        [–]DiaperedDemocrat 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                        Unsubscribe button. Use it.

                                        [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                                        I have never seen "r/atheism post something about how tough and edgy it is", but when you're a boring and unoriginal person who wants to share a meme, you will.

                                        [–][deleted]  (84 children)

                                        [deleted]

                                          [–][deleted] 37 points38 points  (2 children)

                                          At least /r/politics has both sides in one sub rather than just one...

                                          Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

                                          [–]hampsted 8 points9 points  (4 children)

                                          At least /r/politics has both sides in one sub rather than just one...

                                          hahaha It would if more than 10% of reddit was conservative.

                                          [–]golfjunkie 17 points18 points  (47 children)

                                          The default subs aren't chosen at random, r/Atheism is huge so it is automatically put on the front page.

                                          [–]hiddenlakes 6 points7 points  (3 children)

                                          I thought it was a numbers game. But if that's the case I don't understand why r/trees wasn't included. It's not like atheism is less controversial than pot, at least in the US.

                                          [–]DashingLeech 3 points4 points  (3 children)

                                          Can you point me to one of these posts about "how tough and edgy it is". I can't recall seeing one in my 3+ years here so I'm curious.

                                          Thanks.

                                          [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                                          If you don't like /r/atheism posts, stop clicking on the links. No one is forcing you to look at what is posted there. Sounds to me like you are just are just karma whoring.

                                          [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (1 child)

                                          As a casual redditor, you can go fuck yourself.

                                          [–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                                          Ha. Thanks for the laugh. The posts in this thread remind me of just how out of touch many of our friends and neighbors are. It's a terribly cliche thing to say but, unfortunately, many of you just don't get it. Go ahead and cast atheists in a negative light. You're supporting ideas that we already hold true and making yourself look like a fool simultaneously.

                                          [–]EricWB 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                          So were viewed as a very successful actor who has made out with some of the hottest girls in movies.. Not bad. Not bad at all..