You'll grow out of your rebellious phase
- Wanting to understand the universe through science and reason is not an act of rebellion.
You're what's wrong with society today.
- Questioning the religious status quo in society is not wrong.
- Arrogance is assuming personal knowledge of a Creator.
- I am always open to evidence that contradicts my perception of reality.
So you want to outlaw all religion?
- No, but religion has no place determining law.
Why are atheists trying to take my faith/church away?
- Atheists are the first ones to promote free thinking, and are not trying to take anything away from anyone. We simply want faith and government to be kept separate.
Stop being intolerant of my beliefs!
- Stating that your beliefs are wrong is not intolerance.
Why are atheists so angry?
- Atheists are not angry. Frustrated would be a better term. We see and have experienced the harm religion causes and feel motivated to do something about it.
Why do atheists hate god?
- It is impossible for an atheist to hate god. We hate god as much as you hate Bigfoot.
- That's a lovely thought but does nothing to actually help people.
There are not atheists in a foxhole.
- There are atheists in foxholes, inasmuch as foxholes are rarely used in modern combat.
Hitler/Stalin/Pol Pot was an atheist too, you know.
- Hitler was a Roman Catholic and Stalin was a failed seminary pupil. Pol Pot may have been atheist but none of these dictators killed in the name of atheism. Their crimes were politically motivated.
You're doing the devil's work!
- Atheists do not believe that devil(s) exist so that work does not exist.
If you read [religious text] you'd change your mind.
- Reading (religious text) is what confirmed my atheism.
Why do you think we came from "nothing".
- No atheist or scientist claims this. Ex nihilo (something from nothing) is a creationist ideology. It is OK to say "We don't know...yet". Science is working to find out, while religion claims to already have the answers.
You can't prove there's no God!
- There's no need to disprove a spurious claim. (Santa Claus, leprechaun, werewolves, etc.)
The evidence for God is all around you!
- The extant Universe does not necessitate an anthropomorphic creator.
What are you going to tell your children?
- I would tell them their own experience is all that they have and they should decide how they see the Universe on their own.
Atheism is a religion too!
- Atheism is strictly the absence of belief in deity(s).
What is an atheist's purpose in life?
- Atheists believe that any meaning we can derive from life can only be done in the here and now. Purpose can be anything from charitable service, raising children, getting an education... the possibilities are endless
If you do not believe in god, what do you believe in?
- A critical thinker believes in nothing, though as human beings, almost all of us do have beliefs of some sorts. Best not to use belief, or faith, to determine truth, but to accept the evidence given and be willing to change views when presented with new evidence.
God doesn't believe in atheists either.
- Thanks for the rhetorical nonsense.
Billions of believers, how could this many persons be wrong?
- That is an Appeal to Popularity fallacy. Billions of children believe in Santa Claus, too.
95% of the world believes in God. Doesn't that say something?
- 5% of the world has a clearer understanding of reality.
It takes just as much faith to be an atheist as it does to be a believer!
- Empirical evidence requires no faith.
But you HAVE to believe in something!
- I believe the Universe exists in all the ways humans are able to perceive it.
If you don't believe in god, why are you trying to disprove his existence?
- One does not have to disprove that which has never been proven.
Why do atheists celebrate Christmas?
- Because it is as much cultural holiday as a religious observance, one that Christians happen to have borrowed from pagan celebrations that preceded it, just as with Easter. No one culture has a monopoly on the winter solstace.
Where do you get your morals?
- Morality is a function of evolutionary biology and culturization.
- Morals predate religion. We get our morals from the same place as everyone, from empathy. Unlike theists, we do not attribute morality to the teachings of a book.
What's stopping you from going on a crime spree right now?
- My intrinsic morality and desire to exist in a peaceful society.
I feel sorry for you not having reason to live.
- We only have one opportunity for life so I choose to make the most of it.
Aren't you afraid of hell?
- I am generally not afraid of non-existent locales.
- This is a well debunked apologetic philosophy, known as Pascal's Wager. There are thousands of proposed gods. Picking the wrong god could provoke anger. Provided you picked the right god, an intelligent god would know that merely hedging your bets is not genuine faith.
What do you think happens after we die?
- No one knows, that is why we place emphasis on the here and now.
