Why do many atheists call Christians delusional and then have high expectations of Christians?

Question

does that seem logical or rational...you hear atheists complaining about how Christians are delusional...and then complain about how Christians should act...

Answer 1

I have the same expectations for myself as for the rest of the world. There is so much delusion and hatred on this difference of view it isn't even funny. It is hard for a religious person to know what it is like to throw the shackles of religion away. To get to a point in your life where you are almost above the religious mind. Not necessarily better, I realize the instinctual fear of the unknown. Fear of death, fear that this may all be for nothing. I live that daily. Being an atheist does not remove fear from your life, I am just as terrified of dying like the rest of the world.

Answer 2

I don't have expectations of Christians.  

Answer 3

Well try and see it from our point of view. It is a little irritating to hear Christians oppressing g**s, women, blacks, jews, muslims etc then telling us they are 'all loving'. THAT is hypocrisy.  

Answer 4

I have no problem with any Religion, its some the followers that I can't stand.

Answer 5

If you consider reasonable skepticism and being logical & rational a "high expectation" -- well, maybe you're not cut out for life as a member of the human species...

Answer 6

It seems about as logical as 'God' being nameless and yet other Christians say he has a name.

It's as logical as 'God' loving EVERYBODY *unconditionally* yet he sends everyone with different ideas into 'h**l'. Talk about tough love.

It makes me want to *not* believe in God so that I don't have to follow those choices.

Answer 7

It is very illogical to have high expectations for someone who believes in antiquated religions.  That is like having high expectations for professional wrestling fans or NASCAR fans.

Answer 8

Christians have their book of delusions that tell them how to behave - and they ignore the book entirely and behave like ordinary sinners. Nothing surprising there.. just the same ol', same ol'.

Answer 9

I don't call Christians delusional.  But it seems to me that all of us, including the Christians themselves, ought to have a higher expectation of them, given the fact that their God calls them to such a life in the book they claim as sacred.

Answer 10

As far as I'm concerned all theists are religiously delusional. My beef with many Christians is their chronic propensity to threaten me with eternal torment because I don't believe as they do. However, at most it's just annoying, since belief in h**l is also delusional. No one - no one - knows anything about the supernatural realm, and theists who say they KNOW the nature of their god(s) aren't just delusional, they're intellectually dishonest as well. My only real expectation is that they act more like humans than zombies.

Answer 11

There are two possibilities:

1.  Christians truly are delusional.

2.  If Christians aren't delusional, they should behave much better than they do.  A VERY large number of them engage in thoughts and activities that are VERY "un-Christ-like."

Your choice.

Answer 12

You should think things through a little more

1)I have high expectations for humanity as a whole

2)Christians (as well as other theists) are irrational

3)Because christians are irrational, so too are many of their actions

4)Irrational actions often have a detrimental effect on society

5)It follow that since this detrimental effect diminishes humanity's capacity to meet my expectations, I should complain about the effect and its cause.

Beyond that, Christians aren't even very good at following their own rules.  I grant that many of these rules are foolish and contradictory; the illumination of this fact is the typical aim when atheists assert that christians don't act like christians.

Answer 13

I don't have high expectations of Christians,

I just seem them as normal people.

Answer 14

These people can't wait to tell us how Christians should act, even though they state that none of it's real. It truly is the ultimate in hypocrisy, but nobody here seems to have the guts to call them on it.  

Answer 15

Atheists may just believe that, if Christians say their religion is so much better that others, they should act accordingly.

Answer 16

Most Christians are hypocrites.

I'm a Deist not an Atheist

Answer 17

Who says we have high expectations?

We can hope but the rational part of us knows that the odds are low.

Answer 18

To them we are delusional.  If they thought we possessed even a shred of logic, it would pierce through their hardened consciences.

The high expectations they have of Christians is based on their perception of our failure of our own principles.  It is their way of upholding their own beliefs that they are doing just fine.  Their accounting of the number of "Christians" in prison.  Their delight whenever a well-known "Christian" takes a fall.

When is the last time you saw an atheist post the stats on Christian world-wide charitable giving?  Or their quiet little neighbor who takes up their newspaper when they're out of town?  Or the driver who lets them into traffic?  Most Christians are just quietly going about their business, trying to treat others the way they want to be treated.

Answer 19

Where do you get this "high expectations" thing?  In all the Q&A's that mention delusional I don't recall a single one laying out high expectations.  I also rarely see atheists using the term hypocrite, that is generally used by Christians about Christians.

Now, I do expect members of society to act for the overall good of society, irregardless of their delusions.  

Answer 20

I struggle with this one, too.

As an atheist, I want to "expect" more from Christians, and it's hard not to throw it up in their faces when they exhibit less than Christian behavior, but I KNOW that's not fair, so I don't do it.  

Answer 21

Actually, my expectations of Christians are generally pretty low.

Yet, somehow, most of you manage to undercut even those low standards every day.

Answer 22

I don't think I've ever complained about how christians act. But if I were to guess, they'd never win an academy award.

Answer 23

I think the problem is that religious people seem to think their behavior is better than the behavior of those who aren't religious.

Chistians say they are moral, loving, kind, but are judgemental, critical, arrogant.  What they do talks so loud no one can hear what they are saying.  Being critical of the way they behave is only one way to try to get them to see that they are delusional...they are better than no one and to think they are is delusional.  

The rest of the world is not going to h**l and they are not going to be rewarded for their psudo good behavior.  First of all, we are not so bad and second of all, they are not so good.  I'm tired of religious arrogance and superiority when they have nothing to feel superior about.  Their ideas of reward and punishment are a fairy tale and a very bad one at that.

Answer 24

Everyone likes to point out a hypocrite.  It's not just limited to atheist.  I have a friend who is always trying to convert me and he order hookers on the internet.  I have no problem in pointing out that his is inappropriate behavior for someone who claims to be a christian.  

If you are going to preach it, then follow it yourselves.

Answer 25

i don't expect much actually.

Answer 26

Ha ha ha "high expectations". Funny.

Answer 27

Protip: Many atheists were christian. This makes those (myself included) have some, if not complete, knowledge of what the christian life should be like.