Oh man, let me introduce you to Christopher Hitchens. Unfortunately dead now, ha was an intellectual powerhouse who could cut down any argument for religion like a hot knife through butter. Start by searching Instagram for him. He's also funny as shit.

I don't have that issue. I don't think I talked about God or religion in years. I do go to a church for mutual aid but it's not religious

Peace be upon you. 🌹 As one of those religious people, I can simply say: "No." 😁

We deeply religious people (whether Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, or others) simply believe that everything happens through God's will. However, this does not mean that free will doesn't exist. You will be rewarded solely for your hard work, Inshallah, because that is your own merit.

You should just keep in mind that the phrase "you should thank God for giving you so much strength" is actually a compliment. It means "God loves you"

Of course, it also depends on how the person expresses this words 😅, but it is something beautiful.

Peace be upon you all🌹🌹🌹

Not to irritate you, but you sound like someone who hasn't accepted Our Lord in your heart.

I've had a life of endless suffering due to many things. When people tell me it's all part of our loving God's plan for me, I almost lose mind. If God exists, he isn't loving. Inflicting such awful things on your children isn't love. It's abuse.

I live in a conservative suburb where every other person you meet is in some megachurch, so it's inevitable. Having recently retired, I'm quickly running out of fux to give. One day I'm going to tell one of them how my Lord Cthulhu has changed my life, and see how fast they bail.

For the strength. No, not anymore. I looked into the origins of my batshit insane evangelical cult upbringing, really studied it (and still am not not gorging anymore) and got over myself. I'm at peace with my own beliefs, and when that happens, the only criticism that is genuine and valid are those who make a mockery of their deities by doing evil in the deities' names.

"Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions" -Thomas Jefferson. Don't get mad, and also don't come right at them with the ridicule as they expect that and are prepared. Simply start agreeing with them and see how far you can take it.

I've been an atheist since I was a kid and first learned the word that explained my skepticism of all the nonsense I grew up with.

I became open about it when I got to college and had that phase where I let stuff like people saying "bless you" or "god gave you strength" get under my skin and make me mad. All these years later. I've learned to pick my battles and not let peoples well meaning sayings bug me.

A little irritated that they should presume upon my religious practice, like they think they need to act as hall monitor for God. Like you can praise God as you feel compelled, but don't tell me how to; that's between us.

I was reading recently that thought as we know it, is a relatively recent development in humanity. Up until only a few hundred years ago, any ideas we came up with, were automatically attributed to the Gods. You didn't come up with any ideas on your own, you wondered what to do, and God told you, and you did it.

It was only a few hundred years ago that people began to realize that they were thinking up these ideas on their own, and God had nothing to do with it.

Some people STILL think this way.

It irritates me because the family member who attributes random occurrences to god intervening in daily life and a great evil we are fighting on earth that also intervenes is catholic; this mystic shit is heretical as hell.

I'm not a Christian anymore, but brought up as one. I was never told what Christianity actually is and meant, and only figured that out later in life. That did help me to not be too annoyed with the annoying parts of Christianity, even when people themselves don't have a clue about what they are saying.

A basic misunderstanding of what is meant by 'thanking God' in a religious context like this, for atheist (and for a lot of theists as well), is the idea that this is an outwards expression, to something out there. For the theists it is supposed to be an inward expression to a feeling/knowledge of yourself. That's the entire idea of baptism, it's the symbolic acknowledgement of having God inside you. And part of the three parts of God (in Christianity), inside, outside, and in other persons. Symbolized by the holy spirit, God as a father and Jesus.

A consequence of being a creation of the almighty God. So, that's 4 Gods to keep track of. Of which 3 of them are the representation of 1, this also hints at the polytheistic beginnings of religion.

I think for most atheists the feelings of annoyance isn't because of these beliefs, as they are in themselves quite logical (in their own right, I didn't mean 'correct' or 'factual'). The annoying part is Christians don't understand their own religion anymore and most of it is infested with fascism.

Anyway, this helps me not hate too much on harmless frases.

They're terrifying.

My entire childhood was spent in churches... Catholic, Baptist, and Assembly of God... and their schools.

They all had one thing in common, they were bat-shit crazy. I was horrified every day, adulthood and leaving them behind was a magnificent relief.

This is a huge part of why America is such a shithole, in my opinion.

... and of course they don't pay taxes in the USA, with far greater tax relief than any secular non-profits... so we all get to pay for their ridiculous drek, whether Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mormons, even Church of Scientology, the taxpayers carry them all.

My mom showed me her list of answered prayers to prove prayer works. I looked at the list and it turns out I did most of that. If I'm doing all the work what do I need God for?

Its a philosophical crutch, putting your reason for living or being a decent person in the hands of an other entity is easier than taking that responsibility yourself.

I guess the emotion I feel when some theist is mouthing off or drawing irrational conclusions is pitty. I do try to not be judgmental, but its hard some days.

My aunt told me a story about how her mother had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. On the way to he hospital, she died in the ambulance, the paramedics revived her, got her to he hospital and she lived another 5 years. After my aunt told me that story, she immediately thanked God instead of the paramedics and other medical professionals who saved her mother's life....

My biggest pet peeve in this realm is people thanking God when it was the medical staff that did all the work.

I know dozens of people worked together to save my life but forget all that because I am going to thank my magic sky daddy.

I'm annoyed anytime anyone religious says anything about god

Yeah it's annoying.

But fairy tale creatures aside, recognizing and being grateful for any good luck, attributes, or privilege you might have is good for you and your empathy for others.

No, I'm not.

I'm in therapy for childhood religious trauma and I have a visceral reaction to people like this. I'm fine with personal beliefs, believe whatever the fuck you want. However, my sense of self worth was systematically destroyed by evangelical Christianity and emotional abuse, so yeah, I still feel pretty triggered around vocal folks. I also live in the South. Send help.

I remember when I was a teenager I was annoyed when my mom thanked god for paying off the house instead of right fully taking the credit. I remember her and my father busting their ass every day to pay the bills but not once did I ever see god pitch in so much as a dollar. Yet she gave all the credit to "god" anyway.

I'm annoyed by anyone with a personality that consists of exactly one thing and one thing only, even more so when the one thing they picked for their personality is a tradition of extravagant bullshit that has been ruining lives for millenia

It bothers me when people aren't consistent.

Like when something good happens to them: god is rewarding me for being so good

When somehting bad happens to them: god is testing me and will reward me later for being so good

When something bad happens to someone they don't like: god is punishing them for being so bad

Or like how they pray to god for individual favors. Like "dear god even though I didnt study please let me do well on this test" as though god should care and give them special treatment for... nothing. Yet they claim to value hard work, god only gives you what you can handle, are generally fatalistic, etc.

Thank god the tornado destroyed my neighbor’s house and not mine.

Thank god those kids in poor countries are starving and not me.

Thank god for killing kids with cancer.

They never attribute to god the things that a god could prevent, or in fact deliberately willed to happen, but they’re sure happy to strip someone of their accomplishments and effort by attributing them to god’s will.

I have a friend whos deeply into god, but doesnt go to church or anything. Hes also in his mid 40s and lives at home with his 82 year old dad and smokes weed all day. He used to send me videos about how godly Trump is, etc. Big Trump guy. I dont know what happened, but he started sending me videos about Trump being evil and the antichrist. I mean, I love the change. Its definitely in the right direction. But my guy, why the fuck are you sending me 45 minute long Youtube or Facebook video essays on why Trump is the Antichrist. He sends me several of these a day. Usually 5-60 minutes long. Its literally all he has become. Religion aside, I find it terribly frightening how the internet algorithms first radicalized him for Trump, then completely changed his view to the other side. My friend isnt very bright. I'd say hes about the average American. Millions are just like him.

Ok, this really went off the rails here. I dont know why I went from the religious stuff to the internet algorithms manipulating people. Maybe its because they go so well together. Different tools to accomplish the same goal of mass manipulation.

Personally, I aged out of the whole edgelord 'Religion bad!' in my early 20s. I just ignore it. People believe what they want. If it doesnt harm anyone, who cares?

The overall purpose of religion is to propagate itself like a mind virus. Institutional velocity.

I wouldn't care at all if these people were able to keep their delusions to themselves. As a whole, past and present, these people have proven themselves incapable of doing so.

Paradox of tolerance.

I was extremely irritated this week when the office catholic, who is quite happy to lie, cheat and steal, told me I'm going to hell unless I accept his god.

I grew up culturally Christian and surrounded by soft-references to Christian stuff all the time. I try to see past whatever the literal thing they are saying and see the metaphor they are trying to express. People can have limited vocabulary and grow up in bubbles of their family, church, whatever. I try to give them Grace and just move on. Ultimately, they are trying to communicate a good thing with you. As long as they don’t start evangelizing or guilting, that’s different.

Omg! God told me I would see this post! Praise him!