que: I ask as a reflection on the general condescending tone characteristic of non-theists on the internet. No tu quo que's please.|||I was an atheist for the first 30-something years of my life and I can only speak for myself and the atheists in my campus organization. [You need to keep in mind that there are MILLIONS of people in non-theistic religions, such as some Buddhists, who are nothing like the people you describe.] But as for my college atheist group, I can now admit that we were basically arrogant non-conformists. We were all child prodigies and stand-out students and weren't afraid to use our confidence and superiority to tell others not to be "sheep". Of course, we were sheep as well but we would never have admitted. (We just followed other kinds of shepherds.) Sadly, a couple of years ago I tried to track down and contact all six of our atheist group and the results were very sobering. (Yes, we never were able to recruit any more than six undergrads to our little atheists club.) Two had committed suicide before finishing grad school. Only two of the remaining four had ever married (myself included). One had "married" his same-sex lover but they were estranged, and his former partner told me that Kenny was living in a remote cabin on the Michigan peninsula. The other unmarried guy was doing 7 to 10 for meth lab work in West Texas. Killian had become a scientologist and refused contact with everyone else. And then there is me, a born-again, Bible-believing evangelical. Again, I can't generalize. And that is why I can only speak about our particular group for whatever it is worth. We really only shared a few things in common: We thought ourselves superior. We had no social life. Most of us were social misfits to one degree or another. And ALL of us were frustrated with life and the rest of the world and we wondered why we were in the minority and why others didn't agree with us. If the Internet had been around back then, we would have had all the more opportunity to be rude because that is the advantage of anonymity. So draw from all of that whatever you want. That's my story. (As for me, I became a professor in two fields, first in computer science and then the humanities as a religion professor among other things. I've been married for longer than I can remember and have two kids and three grandkids. I'm retired from my university life as a religious studies professor.)|||From my point of view, discussions on the internet cannot compare to some of our Christian brothers and sisters who vote to take away the civil rights from law-abiding, taxpaying, gay Americans. Using our government to impose "religious beliefs" on everyone else is far, far more rude than differences in opinion on the internet.|||perhaps your only seeing one side of it because that's all your looking for. perhaps you think they are being condescending when they have an alternative to what you have. perhaps some of them are condescending because they feel you were being condescending perhaps some people are just aholes. perhaps it a little of all this|||i understand what you mean. but please don't generalize. it's true some atheists are rude, most likely because they were former theists (this includes me). most of us have had extreme, traumatizing and delibitating experiences that scared us for life growing up in religious families. for instance: homosexuals, psychotic fear of hell, knee problems due to extensive kneeling etc.. so forgive us for being a little hostile.|||I'm sorry, I'd need to see a source. Non-theists include agnostics, and I've never met an agnostic who was condescending...it sort of is hard to be condescending when you don't know.... Non-theists also include the "apatheists" the people who just don't care....same problem...|||I have to admit coming across as brash and rude when faced with barefaced illogical, brainwased , delusional nonsense.|||There are rude people all over, theists and non-theists alike. Some people are just naturally rude and/or confrontational.|||Judging by the hate mail I (always gratefully) receive I find your conclusion somewhat spurious.|||You are implying that only non theists are rude and condescending. Your implication is incorrect.|||For the same reason you would sound condescending to someone who believed in leprechauns or little green men.|||The way non-theists talk to you is the way you would talk to someone who thinks they can talk to unicorns. That is how we view you. Sorry.|||it is all because you look for it but ignore the fact that theists do it too... congratulations you failed|||Way to generalize.|||Probably the same thing that makes theists rude. btw - what's a tu quo que?? ************************ oh - an ad hominem argument - well, why didn't you just say so?|||i could ask the same of the theist... i will tu quo que if i want to, thank you. :)|||?|||When was the last time a non theist sent somebody to eternal hell? Grow up!