Distrust of Atheists
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Anonymous
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-atheists-distrusted-as-much-as-rapists/2011/12/09/gIQAfYUiiO_story.html
A study found that people seemed to distrust atheists more than rapists. I was very surprised to hear that this is how people view atheists. The atheists I know tend to be big questioners who think carefully about their actions. They aren't people who are immoral just because there is no higher power judging them. Anyways, just thought I would share. |
Anonymous
| I think some people think atheists are evil and corrupt. But I agree with PP about atheists being big thinkers. I saw a show about a group of church going folks who met with an atheist. They were really surprised she was a very moral, kind, caring and good person. I think they couldn't wrap their minds around why someone wouldn't believe. I would be more worried about believers who do horrible things and believe they can be forgiven. Maybe they go to church because they need to go to church. |
Anonymous
| I'm an American, but I grew up mostly overseas. So I'm what they call a "third-culture kid" and it gives me a degree of objectivity about this country. I find most Americans puritanical but at the same time immoral, if that makes any sense. FWIW, I'm agnostic, although I was raised a Christian. I don't know how anyone who actually THINKS cannot at least question their faith at one time or the other. You can come to your own conclusion, but at least think about it. |
Anonymous
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the headline about trusting rapists more than atheists made me cringe. I think that is why many atheists (including my parents) align themselves with the "humanist" groups. Not believing in God or being part of a church doesn't mean that you lack empathy, human emotion or the ability to care for other human beings.
I think people who don't really believe are afraid to say it and just call themselves "Christian" sometimes - I know I used to. It is just easier that way than having to explain yourself to some people. I personally consider myself agnostic right now, and I don't know that there is an organized religion I could comfortably align myself with anyway. I don't care one way or another whether or not someone believes in God - I care more about whether you treat others with respect and dignity. If that comes from your faith, more power to you. |
Anonymous
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I'm an atheist. I've had good conversations with my religious friends, which is most of my friends naturally, about morality without a deity. I've never been able to get the argument that you need a deity to have an external moral order and some of them have never been able to get how I could think otherwise. We have good conversations but we're talking past each other.
Anyway, I think a lot of people believe that if you don't believe in a god, you think there is no moral right or wrong. |
Anonymous
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There's an interesting scholarly article on the fear of God in early modern political theory.
http://www.erudit.org/revue/hp/1983/v18/n1/030899ar.html (download PDF) In this Christian evangelical climate do you find it entirely surprising? |
Anonymous
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OP your a troll and an ass.
"Anyways, just thought I would share." |
Anonymous
First of all, learn how to spell. Second, what makes OP a troll? Because she raises provocative questions that so far have garnered thoughtful responses? |
Anonymous
| Why is OP an ass? I just shared on Facebook. It should elicit some interesting responses from my atheist and evangelical friends. |
Anonymous
| I have to say that the face of atheism is often the Angry Atheist trolls on places like DCUM. Just like the face of Christianity is often the Jerry Falwells. You don't get much (a) big thinking, or (b) kindness and compassion, from either of these extremes. It's too bad, for both parties. |
Anonymous
I haven't found the atheists on DCUM to be mean, nasty, or small thinking. |
Anonymous
I'm sorry to say this, but you haven't looked very hard. There are 2 or 3 who are clearly trolls. And before you say that calling somebody a "troll" just dismisses ideas you disagree with, I'm not the PP calling troll above (because I don't think this OP is a troll), and the trolls I'm referring to use insulting words like "stupid" and "moron" and "sheeple" to refer to belief. That's when you know they don't want to think big thoughts. |
Anonymous
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OP, people have no earthly clue what an athiest is.
I'm an athiest -- an athiest teacher in fact -- and I guarantee that every single religious or non religious person in this study would assume that I was a religious Christian of some denomination within 30 minutes of getting to know me. I'm friendly, I'm kind, I'm moral, I'm upright and proper, and I'm no-nonsense. They'd assume I was Christian because of those things; they'd never assume I was one of those "weirdo-hippie-Commie-liberal-intellectual" athiests. |
Anonymous
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Have you seen the ads for atheism on the D.C. buses?
Man, wouldn't it be the height of irony for a fundie to get flattened by one of those buses? |
Anonymous
Unfortunately, many people think this is what an atheist is. For every atheist like 16:47 who claims to be friendly and upright, there's a sophomoric clown like this PP. |