I’ve been thinking a bit lately about the difference between being just an atheist, and being anti-theist. I’ve been wondering if I would include myself as one of the later and not just the former. I haven’t given it a lot of thought until recently, when I’ve seen story after story concerning atheists being anti-Christian. To me that’s not necessarily anti-theist.
Do I believe that religion causes harm, physical or mental/emotional to those that are believers or are forced into a certain belief due to heritage? Well, yes, I do think that is true and it’s more than just Christianity. In fact, the basic tenet of being an anti-theist is that religion is harmful, not just one particular belief system.
Those to me that claim to be anti-theist and are simply anti-Christian, or just anti-Muslim (pick a religion) do not in my mind qualify as being anti-theist. They have a bias against a particular belief and thats all.
So, do I qualify as an anti-theist? Well, I also think that religion should be removed from politics and culture, which sometimes overlap. I’m not against the freedom to worship, but I am always troubled by the influence religion has in everyone’s daily lives – no matter what someone believes or doesn’t believe. So, technically, I guess that would place me in the category of anti-theist.
I know many atheists that eschew being referred to as anti-theist, mainly because it has an extremely negative connotation, more so than atheist, but those that think that religion is harmful and that we need less of it in the public arena, are in fact anti-theists.
No need to hide from it, or deny the obvious if the terminology defines ones’ thoughts and beliefs.
Conservative Skeptic 
I really cannot understand all this quibbling. Holy books, miracles, resurrection, God! Why waste time arguing over their delusion? All religions are scams, but believers are completely hooked on the fantasy of being special. This whole thing, now even the entire universe is about them. Is it possible to be more delusional than that? And the delusion continues; for salvation is at hand. For Christ’s sake, they have been waiting for and praying for Judgement Day for 2000 years. They are crazy. They need education and care, even. They must be told of their delusion and that they will be limited in their efforts to sell this scam. Another thing. Take away their love affair with the IRS.
Sorry, I went on a bit. GROG
LikeLike
So then, you’re anti-theist, I take? I agree that although government should not interfere with religious belief/worship, they should not receive any special benefit either.
LikeLike
It is a scam. They have nothing to sell, but billions of people believe there is something behind the curtain. And they only get to see after they die. In the meantime keep those $$$ rolling in. God bless.
I am opposed to all religion because they believe in an additional realm, the supernatural. I am opposed to the monotheistic faiths whose prayed for prophecy is the end of the world. For these nut cases the prayed for salvation is just around the corner. GROG
LikeLike
Humans have always believed in some form of a god or gods. If Christianity, Isalm, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, etc. disappeared tomorrow, some would find another god or gods to worship. For some reason, even though we can now explain many things the ancients, who created these religions couldn’t, people need to believe there’s something more than just this life.
I call it our ego. We don’t have the capacity, as a whole, to accept that we are not special in this universe and therefore desrve a form of immortality.
LikeLike
You say; “people need to believe there’s something more then just this life.” What makes you think that? What we need is to grow up. There is nothing there to save us from ourselves. That is not what is important. It is that the JCI are death cults and they pray and prepare for the end of humanity. There will be no peace if this delusion of sin, salvation and resurrection is allowed to continue. GROG
LikeLike
What makes me say that is show me any period in human history where there was no religious belief of any kind. Humans have always, at some level, believed that supernatural forces controlled their lives. Yes, we need to grow up. That won’t stop some, no matter what, from believing in nonsense.
LikeLike
Of course humans have always believed in spirits, ghosts, gods, so what? They were mistaken! It is not belief in Gods or even the supernatural that is problematic. It is the belief by the JCI nuts that pray for the end of the world. The mess in the Middle East is prime evidence.
LikeLike
My point is that in the past, as the present, there are those, however mistaken we may believe they are, that have and will still believe in something “greater” than themselves. The Middle East? Let’s take a look in our own backyards. The question I pose to you is what would you propose as a remedy? You can’t outlaw belief. Education? Yes. But that takes generations. And when belief in one form becomes non-existent, another will arise.
LikeLike
Proper education is the answer in the longer term. The transition is going on today as religious parents lose their children to non-belief in the supernatural. Sam Harris has a good word to say in the Epilogue of The End of Faith, p. 224. about giving honest answers to the children’s questions. The religions are fighting like hell to save their necks. How much more can the Church of Rome take? It is such a scam! I would like to see more unity in the atheist/agnostic opposition to belief in the supernatural. Stop the pedaling of resurrection. We can never know what happens after death, but we know we are going to die. The believers in resurrection and eternal ‘life’ are delusional. It really is that simple. GROG
LikeLike
I agree that education is the answer. But I still think, maybe erroneously, that someone, somewhere, will always be there to promote some new religious belief and that there will be some, that will buy into the delusion. Religion is an artifact; It’s not something required anymore for the masses for political (yes political) control. But I think there will always be those seduced by some new take, whether it’s eternal life, or power during this life.
We are all fallable. No one has all the answers. Religion claims to have all those answers and cons generations of people to accept that as a fact. Some of us, over time, discover that religion is nothing more than a con, a scam, a way to hold power over others. We decide we’re done. And now we’re the bad guys.
LikeLike
Of course, we are fallible and gullible, and there will always be shysters, dreamers and manipulators. And, like religions, all scams are not the same. But the longest running, most devastating scam is that of resurrection and eternal existence of mere mortals.
Your last post sounds quite good to me. Thanks for the conversation. GROG
LikeLike
Wait until tomorrow. It’s scheduled for 0900 MST (my time). I am expecting to see your comments there as well. BTW: I appreciate you coming here and commenting. In fact, I may use our discussion, if you don’t mind, as a basis for another post.
LikeLike
What’s tomorrow at 9:00 MST? Please, it’s okay use our discussion.
Just GROG
LikeLike
Tomorrow’s post, scheduled, is something I think you may have a comment or 2 on. I’ll leave it there as if I give it away now, you may decide it’s not worth your time. I may use our discussion on this post for Sunday.
LikeLike
“Anti-theist” seems to be far too confusing for many people to grasp, so I prefer to refer to myself as anti-religion. Or if I really want to be a pain in the ass, I might say that I am pro-theist and anti-theism.
LikeLike
I would prefer that there were no deity beliefs and the religions that support them in the world, but that is not the way it is. All religions cause some harm to the followers, but not all are totally detrimental, and the power of faith to comfort and guide believers is beneficial to civilization, if such faith encourages them to act within the law of the land, promoting harmony instead of discord.
As the mother-in-law to a recovering Jehovah’s Witness, I can find plenty to make me anti-deity belief and religious dogma, and as the mother to school aged atheists, I could find plenty to hate about deity beliefs and believers. Mellowing is not a bad thing for atheists, especially since we are not truly in a fight for our non-belief, but merely for equal consideration of it.
What it takes for some to get through life is hardly something I want to discourage, as long as it falls within some reasonable state of being and the law of the land. Most religions do that, even the ones that preach that End Times are nigh.
LikeLike