The stereotypical view of atheists is that they are a bunch of bitter spoilsports who since they cannot entertain comforting notions of a Daddy God, miracles of provision and protection, and hope for immortality, must ruin all the fun of the people who do entertain such notions. But I've had people, many of whom are avowed atheists themselves, object to anybody who seeks to debunk religion. In another forum years ago, for example, I started a thread at the Reasons to Believe board about the futility of seeking and hoping for life beyond the grave. I told the Christians there that if they really want to see what awaits them beyond the grave, then all they need to do is dig up any grave and take a look. All they will see, of course, are the pitiful, rotting remains of what used to be a person who now resides in a cold, dark box six feet underground. "There's your salvation! That's the heaven Jesus promised you!"
I was just plain nasty.
Another member there, an avowed atheist, jumped on me like white on rice: "Let them believe what they want to believe!" To this atheist I was going too far. The truth I posted was just too monstrously cruel to say. Like some other atheists, he feels it is wrong to disabuse the religious of their faith. They're not harming anybody, and if it feels good to them, then let them believe it.
So was I a Scrooge? Am I the Grinch who tries to steal the supposed joy of Christ?
I was just plain nasty.
Another member there, an avowed atheist, jumped on me like white on rice: "Let them believe what they want to believe!" To this atheist I was going too far. The truth I posted was just too monstrously cruel to say. Like some other atheists, he feels it is wrong to disabuse the religious of their faith. They're not harming anybody, and if it feels good to them, then let them believe it.
So was I a Scrooge? Am I the Grinch who tries to steal the supposed joy of Christ?