Why does atheist = bad person?

Some people have decided in advance that all or most atheists are nasty, unpleasant and less moral than theists.

I steer clear of those people in real life and have started to avoid them on the internet. Life is too short and precious to waste trying to reason with someone who is determined to dislike atheists.

I get a similar response when I say I'm a practising agnostic. I seriously look at other religions but I've not found one yet that I believe God would observe and say, 'That is right. I like that.'

Most people believe that ethical absolutes come from God, ergo, one who does not believe in God must not believe in the ethical absolutes. Thats the primary reason. There are a variety of problems with this belief, but that seems to be what they believe.

Secondly, it is common for cult leaders to attempt to isolate their followers from non-members, hence their fondness for compounds in Texas. Amongst more mainstream religions, this tendancy has declined, but continues to have vestiges. Many people in mainstream religions would have no problem with their children hanging out with members of similar mainstream religions, would balk at having them hang out with an atheist or a very different religious person. Hence the perhaps subconcious discouragement given. "They just aren't our kind of people." sort of thing. Many religious groups are not open to the idea that people should be exposed to rival belief systems, hence laws for blasphemy, punishments for apostasy, Fair Gaming, and a variety of other discouragements.

I think there's a sense of fear that you might be right and there goes their whole belief system. Anyone who has grappled with their faith has to consider that there might not be a higher power - and how scary would that be to those who are absolutely convinced otherwise.

Through the ages, governments and religions have worked together to use fear as a means of keeping people in line. In the early days of European nation building, kings were appointed by popes. Every so often, governments and dominant churches would change on the heels of a religious war. But after the dust settled, the collusive link remained.

It's still there today, regardless of the platitutes we mumble about separation of church and state. If you think one's religious beliefs have little to do with the way our leaders get to be our leaders, watch the running cable news hoo-ha surrounding Obama, McCain, and their spiritual mentors-advisors-supporters. (Poor old Barack gets the double whammy: At the same time he tries to prove he's the right flavor of Christian, his detractors use his own middle name to suggest that he could actually be--gasp!--a Muslim! Can you imagine what would happen if he put the issue to rest by exercising both his freedom of speech and the ultimate freedom of religion? I renounce Reverend Jeremiah Wright. In fact, I renounce Christianity--and all other faiths to boot!)

It's too bad that freedom of religion has never quite included freedom from religion. For what it's worth, I consider myself more of an agnostic than an atheist. And I think my moral compass works pretty well. But I'll also admit to having an ace up my sleeve: As one who was christened Catholic and raised Methodist, I know that the worst I can do is purgatory.

I find this to be kind of shocking, actually. As a Christian, I can't imagine saying something like "you're an atheist so you have no morals or ethics". It's just a stupid thing to say and patently untrue. You can give 'em a dose of Romans 2:14-15 next time, Kristie. Hopefully you're not feeling that same attitude around AW. I think you're a groovy chick, fwiw.

Unfortunately, many people believe that morals/ethics come from [their] god. If god isn't there to threaten or bribe them, people won't do the right thing.

It's the basic idea that people are basically bad unless forced to be good. That's why a lot (but not all) of Christians talk a lot about being 'tempted' and how god leads them from temptation and blesses them when they avoid evil inclinations.

I think that many atheists believe that people are basically good and honest. We don't feel that we need a big eye in the sky to do good.

I've had Christians ask me that since I don't believe in God, how come I am helpful. friendly, honest, loyal (etc.) and they seem mystified when I explain that ethical actions and alturism are good for the species. Anyway, doing good is it's own reward.

Why does atheist = bad person?

Click to expand...

...coz Good People go to Heaven... and Atheists can't?

My mother had one of the best theories I've ever heard:

Who is truly the more Christian? The guy who goes to church every Sunday and every Holy Day, who spouts from the Bible whenever possible, and screws over everyone he meets, cheats on his wife, beats his kids -

or -

The hermit who lives in a cave and is at peace with nature and all that is around him, but chooses not to believe in a god?

Hmm...


(disclaimer - this isn't about Christians, per se, but that was mom's example )

I was brought up as a Christian, which, when I was little, seemed really simple. The problem with things like that is that you grow to see how the world really works, and the simple basis for Christianity crumbles.

I'm not an athiest. I believe in God and I pray, but I disagree with many of the Christian teachings upon which I was brought up. I think it's wrong to judge or imply anything about the character of someone I don't know, and I disagree with those self-righteous panphlet-wielders who will try to save your soul so they can go to bed or report back to their pastor feeling better about themselves.

Whatever you believe is your right and even if I didn't agree with what you believed in, I would support your right to believe in it.

Mumut said:

I've not found one yet that I believe God would observe and say, 'That is right. I like that.'

Click to expand...

Can't find what doesn't exist. Religion is man-made and that's the problem.

I live in the "Bible Belt." Generally, people who I have told about my reluctance to believe a collection of 4 thousand year old stories, act as though some terrible crisis led me to not believing, and if they were nice enough, I would believe again. That I never believed in the first place is never entertained by them. They think I must have believed at some time because it is in the fiber of the soul to believe. They simply believe this because it is what they were told to believe early on. I tell them that was probably their mother talking to them when they were infants. They don't believe that. I tell them that the stone tablets Moses brought down from Mount Horeb contained the "Code of Hamaraubi," plagiarized nearly to the letter. They don't believe it. I tell them that Noah was originally a chapter in the Babylonian Epic Gilgamesh... they don't believe me. Earlier civilizations informed the creation of their religions as their religions inform both present law and philosophy. I think that ethics can be done without an omnipotent, jealous, and not-to-ethical lightening bolt throwing character. Ethics are about behavior, not punishment. People who believe in deities seem to believe in doing things that they only have to pay for after death. Take Heaven out of the equation, and there is no final reward. I think that people need heaven. They need to think their loved one is at peace and in a better place after they die. This is psychological only, and for the benefit of the living, however it does sooth the pain. I think a lot of people would simply fold if they did not have that hope for the (after death) future. This simply says what an awful world we live in.
Doing things out of fear of retaliation or punishment rather than a belief that good things are good, and heaven or hell is what you make of the world yourself. I stop at stop lights because I know that traffic must be regulated, not because I think the cops will catch me. I mow the grass because it is neighborly and makes for a clean looking environment not because I can be fined 100 dollars to have the city come out and do it. I do not hit the neighbors loud children not because I can be put in jail, but because hitting kids makes them violent and it hurts them. I don't rape, murder, rob, burn down buildings because I would not like that stuff to happen to me. To me, this stuff comes naturally. I do not feel I need to believe that God made these rules. They are simply natural rules that anyone in his right mind would adhere to for the sake of harmony and community.

Jersey Chick said:

My mother had one of the best theories I've ever heard:

Click to expand...

My family's answer to that would be that the guy who goes to church every Sunday and reads the bible every day is the more Christian. Even if he cheats on his wife and beats his kids, at least he's accepted that Jesus died for his sins, so that puts him ahead of the hermit. He's already saved - he just needs a little extra niceness, that's all.

This is one reason I'm no longer in touch with the family.

kristie911 said:

Hmmmm...good thing I don't believe in Heaven or Hell. I'm not being flip, I like your answer because I can see how someone who does believe in those things would see it.

Click to expand...

...Er, you were being serious! Sorry, I was being flip. Dry joke, see? Atheists can't go to Heaven... coz how can you go to a place you don't believe exists... something like that

Angelinity said:

...coz Good People go to Heaven... and Atheists can't?

Click to expand...

I've heard this as a serious response when I've been told that I have to be a horrible person because I'm not a Christian. I've had one relative tell me that I shouldn't be allowed to work around children because I'm not a Christian because I'm such a horrible, evil person. *sigh*

I just hope that she's happy in her little world, just as I'm happy in mine.

Use Her Name said:

an omnipotent, jealous, and not-to-ethical lightening bolt throwing character.

Click to expand...

Zeus--right?

Sorry all... no sarcasm intended there... my odd sense on humor seems to be getting in the way.

I've heard this as a serious response when I've been told that I have to be a horrible person because I'm not a Christian. I've had one relative tell me that I shouldn't be allowed to work around children because I'm not a Christian because I'm such a horrible, evil person. *sigh*

Click to expand...

Don't sweat it, people tend to judge other people based on their own convictions, and the stronger they believe, the swifter and harder they judge. Let it slide and move on.

My in-laws are very religious people. And that's cool for them. I'm agnostic, which drives them nuts. They continue to call me an athiest - which I can't even spell tonight - and I have to explain the difference, yadda yadda yadda.

Anyhoo - long story short - I respect their beliefs, even if I don't entirely share them, but they have a tendancy to bug me about church, etc. I married in a church, had my kids baptized, and all, but I did it for my husband (who is not quite so religious since hooking up with the heathen here ). What I want to know is why is it that I can respect their beliefs, but they can't respect mine?

That's how I am about any religion, or lack of one - I don't care if you worship rocks and trees, or nothing at all. It's cool. I respect you. You respect me. It's all good. Too bad more people don't follow that.

And yes, my mom is pretty smart - she does have me for a daughter, after all

I hate self righteous zealots that use church as a measuring stick where you store up credits for God. My only problem with atheism is that i'm not sure it exsists, and I quote the famous line, "no such thing as an atheist in a fox hole" which as a lot of validity. It may not be God, it may be a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of booze, the love of a family member, but I do think that in times of great emotional crisis, all humans tend to put faith in something.. Having said that I don't hate goddless commies at all, ( you know I'm teasing Kristie....lol

I have the same problem...

I gave this same issue a lot of thought, and I think that people are simply scared of the un-known.

When I tell people that I am an atheist, they are normally shocked, like I am evil incarnate.

But when your raised as a religious person, and brought up that god makes and accounts for everything, you have an expectation that people around you will adhere to the same set of beliefs you do, or at least similar. (I could be wrong, and I know this theory doeson't account for everyone)

So when someone is different form the herd, they are rejected.
They ole' black sheep treatment.

I get it from family alot, they always say stuff like, "Ill pray extra hard for you on Sunday..."

geez

I am glad I don't have that problem. Or people thinking crap like that know better than to tell me about it

I don't think faith is a virtue; I think it's a gift. In the end, how we treat eachother is what matters most, no matter what we believe.