Why do Americans still dislike Atheists?

[z31maniac]

I disagree with a few of his premises, especially the voting thing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-do-americans-still-dislike-atheists/2011/02/18/AFqgnwGF_story.html

"On basic questions of morality and human decency — issues such as governmental use of torture, the death penalty, punitive hitting of children, racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, environmental degradation or human rights — the irreligious tend to be more ethical than their religious peers, particularly compared with those who describe themselves as very religious."

[ck_taft325is]

I disagree with a few of his premises, especially the voting thing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-do-americans-still-dislike-atheists/2011/02/18/AFqgnwGF_story.html

"On basic questions of morality and human decency — issues such as governmental use of torture, the death penalty, punitive hitting of children, racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, environmental degradation or human rights — the irreligious tend to be more ethical than their religious peers, particularly compared with those who describe themselves as very religious."

It's true to some extent.

Then again, the biggest bitching, moaning, squeeky wheel's get the grease, right? For everyone else that just doesn't have the time to make a big fucking scene it's just background noise.

There's assumptions made in the quote alone. For instance, if you feel spanking a kid is wrong then of course some of the "religious" practices such as spanking (I guess it's a religious thing now...) is just abhorrent.

[Earendil]

Why do Americans still dislike atheists?
I find that the extremeists in our society that identify themselves as being of a particular religion, have caused athiests to downright hate anyone that shows a tendency towards a particular faith.

It's sad that the extremists in any group can cause a generally good group of people to be thought of as bad/evil/terrible excuses for homo sapiens.

Edit: I had a thought there, and forgot to comment on the meat of the article :)

I think the issue is not if a person is atheist or not, but if one has a defined moral code or not. Even if a Christian/Buddhist/Hindu isn't all that great at following their moral code, they admit to adhering to one, one that others can hold them accountable to. An atheist would have to go to great lengths to give a stranger (voting public) a good description of their moral code. Even then, because it is a personal moral code, and not a "standard", there is no saying whether that moral code could change.

And yes, I know all groups that claim to have a moral code splinter on issues and application. But with some educated understanding, you have a pretty good base for building an understanding of a personals moral principles if they tell you they are Buddhist, for example.

[ck_taft325is]

Why do Americans still dislike atheists?
I find that the extremeists in our society that identify themselves as being of a particular religion, have caused athiests to downright hate anyone that shows a tendency towards a particular faith.

It's sad that the extremists in any group can cause a generally good group of people to be thought of as bad/evil/terrible excuses for homo sapiens.

Edit: I had a thought there, and forgot to comment on the meat of the article :)

I think the issue is not if a person is atheist or not, but if one has a defined moral code or not. Even if a Christian/Buddhist/Hindu isn't all that great at following their moral code, they admit to adhering to one, one that others can hold them accountable to. An atheist would have to go to great lengths to give a stranger (voting public) a good description of their moral code. Even then, because it is a personal moral code, and not a "standard", there is no saying whether that moral code could change.

And yes, I know all groups that claim to have a moral code splinter on issues and application. But with some educated understanding, you have a pretty good base for building an understanding of a personals moral principles if they tell you they are Buddhist, for example.

Wow, fairly spot on.

[Dozyproductions]

Why do Americans still dislike atheists?
I find that the extremeists in our society that identify themselves as being of a particular religion, have caused athiests to downright hate anyone that shows a tendency towards a particular faith.

It's sad that the extremists in any group can cause a generally good group of people to be thought of as bad/evil/terrible excuses for homo sapiens.

Edit: I had a thought there, and forgot to comment on the meat of the article :)

I think the issue is not if a person is atheist or not, but if one has a defined moral code or not. Even if a Christian/Buddhist/Hindu isn't all that great at following their moral code, they admit to adhering to one, one that others can hold them accountable to. An atheist would have to go to great lengths to give a stranger (voting public) a good description of their moral code. Even then, because it is a personal moral code, and not a "standard", there is no saying whether that moral code could change.

And yes, I know all groups that claim to have a moral code splinter on issues and application. But with some educated understanding, you have a pretty good base for building an understanding of a personals moral principles if they tell you they are Buddhist, for example.

Being associated to a 'moral code' through religion potentially gives you the same circumstances as having to prove your own moral code. Even people who can be upheld to a standard can still decide whether that standard will benefit them in certain situations or not. It's a very circular argument that in reality goes no where.

I do agree with your extremist comments, because the crazies will be crazies. Yet, having mostly Christian friends in a mainly Christian upbringing, majority of these people were very hypocritical of the moral standards unless it was the big stuff like pre marital sex and abortions. (you know, the stuff that might not be so easy to deny or hide).


I think my only problem with religion is when law makers are influenced by it to make this country less sinful. I hope that people in the future can realize that countries can evolve into entities that can function with sin and morality co-existing harmoniously. In the end, we're a combination of conflicting perspectives and that can either drive us further apart or bring us closer, it just takes a common human understanding.

[joshh]

That article is very hard to read because it's full of generalities and bias.

Cliff notes: "Atheists are smarter and generally are more bad ass than religious people."

[Kershaw]

Why do Americans still dislike atheists?
I find that the extremeists in our society that identify themselves as being of a particular religion, have caused athiests to downright hate anyone that shows a tendency towards a particular faith.

took the words out of my mouth.

That article is very hard to read because it questions my world view.

lol.

[joshh]

took the words out of my mouth.



lol.

LOL....I'm an Atheist....oops....

[CorvallisBMW]

That article is very hard to read because it's full of generalities and bias.

Cliff notes: "Atheists are smarter and generally are more bad ass than religious people."

Not smarter or more bad-ass, just more independent and (perhaps) enlightened. You know how you think those that love Obama and believe he can do no wrong are just sheep? It's no different than those who love god/jesus/pope/yahweh/allah and then praise said respective god when he/she obliterates their entire town in a natural disaster (one of my biggest irritants)

Here's an article by the BBC on how, in 9 nations around the world, religion may become 'extinct' in the not-too-distant future.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12811197

[joshh]

Not smarter or more bad-ass, just more independent and (perhaps) enlightened. You know how you think those that love Obama and believe he can do no wrong are just sheep? It's no different than those who love god/jesus/pope/yahweh/allah and then praise said respective god when he/she obliterates their entire town in a natural disaster (one of my biggest irritants)

Here's an article by the BBC on how, in 9 nations around the world, religion may become 'extinct' in the not-too-distant future.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12811197

I would agree with independent and open minded. The article is trying to go way beyond that. There are many very smart people in Scientology (for example) but they still either fell for the bullshit or they were born into it (the former being more understandable as to why they believe).
I agree with you on that irritant...among many others.
People falling away from religion isn't because they are becoming "smarter". I'm not claiming you're saying that. They are slowly figuring out that the church can't give them what they want because the church is fallible.
I believe religion is a personal thing. Even in those nations it wont ever be extinct...just back where religion belongs. In the home.
It's very easy to beat up on those you feel are "ignorant" because they believe something that you or I are so strongly and emotionally opposed to. I admit that. This article doesn't give a more realistic idea of that credit.
I know Rachel Maddow is very smart, that doesn't mean she's correct all the time because she is or isn't religious. The same could be said for Einstein.

[Dozyproductions]

People would become smarter abandoning religion. If people also abandoned our devouring of resources lifestyle then we could actually have world peace. :stoned: :sarcasm:

[Earendil]

Not smarter or more bad-ass, just more independent and (perhaps) enlightened.

Are you using independence here to be a positive or negative? Because it can really go either way. I don't think believing there is or is not a God makes or shows a tendency towards being more or less an independent thinker.

And I certainly don't know about enlightened. There are plenty of Enlightened thinkers on both the believing and disbelieving side of the fence, just as there are a bunch of retarded halfwits on both sides.

You know how you think those that love Obama and believe he can do no wrong are just sheep?

Yeah, I'm following you...

It's no different than those who love god/jesus/pope/yahweh/allah and then praise said respective god when he/she obliterates their entire town in a natural disaster (one of my biggest irritants)

Wait what? How did we get from A to B there?

We just compared loving a fallible man and thinking he can't do wrong, to loving an infallible God for not preventing natural disasters?

The first is a contradiction, a fallible person (to which Obama is) can not do no wrong. That is an impossibility that can not be reconciled without conceding one of the two points (fallibility or doing wrong).

However it's entirely within logic to have an infallible God and have one that doesn't stop natural disasters. Both those can be true without contradicting each other. So while I'm open to hearing more about what you have to say on the matter, or draw a more clear connection, I'm not so sure that the two scenarios are "no different" :)

[Dozyproductions]

What if god is fallible? What tangible proof have you otherwise?

[Farbin Kaiber]

^ Then He wouldn't be God.

[Earendil]

What if god is fallible? What tangible proof have you otherwise?

Then it becomes even more plausible that he wouldn't prevent a natural disaster...

But usually "God" is by definition infallible, if only because God is usually the moral standard.