Interesting poll about atheism

[Blondin]

From here:

From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.

Even though atheists are few in number, not formally organized and relatively hard to publicly identify, they are seen as a threat to the American way of life by a large portion of the American public. “Atheists, who account for about 3 percent of the U.S. population, offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the last 30 years,” says Penny Edgell, associate sociology professor and the study’s lead researcher.

My feeling is that, although this sounds like bad news, it's really not because more discussion about atheism is a good thing. I suspect a lot of the people polled probably have an incorrect view of what atheism really is. If fact a lot of people who call themselves atheists should probably be calling themselves something else (like secular humanist).

Edgell believes a fear of moral decline and resulting social disorder is behind the findings. “Americans believe they share more than rules and procedures with their fellow citizens—they share an understanding of right and wrong,” she said. “Our findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good.”

I'm hoping that more exposure and discussion in the media will reveal that the opposite is true. Non-religious people have a perfectly good understanding of right and wrong and are more likely to do what is right simply because it is right rather than out of fear of upsetting the invisible boss. Everybody would be better off if we all worried more about the here & now instead of the hereafter.

 

[stamenflicker]

My feeling is that, although this sounds like bad news, it's really not because more discussion about atheism is a good thing. I suspect a lot of the people polled probably have an incorrect view of what atheism really is. If fact a lot of people who call themselves atheists should probably be calling themselves something else (like secular humanist).

Well, if you think about the kind of press atheists get, it usually is cast in a negative light-- from lawsuits over "God" in the pledge or on money, to lawsuits regarding the 10 Commandments at courthouses, the media tends to portray atheists as "whiner-babies," if you'll allow me to borrow from Bruce Campbell. Anytime the majority feels intruded on, they're going to paint the minority in a negative light, right or wrong.

Flick

 

[pgwenthold]

I think most people view atheists as drunken fornicators who lie, cheat, and steal all the time.

IOW, kind of like the catholic girls at my high school.

"Come out, Virginia, don't make me wait
You catholic girls start much too late..." Billy Joel

"You know how us catholic girls can be
We make up for so much time eventually" Alanis Morrisette

 

[jimmygun]

Talking to a young Catholic girl at work the other day, I mentioned that I was an atheist. She asked me if I believed in god, I said no, that's what an atheist is, someone who doesn't believe in god. She asked me if I believed in Jesus, I said no, Jesus is supposed to be god and I don't believe in god.

She asked me if I went to church, I said no, there is no reason for me to go to church. She asked me if I believed in Easter. I had to get her to explain that one. She asked if I believed that Easter was the most holy of days, that Christ died for our sins. Very patiently I said no, I don't believe in Jesus so he didn't die for our sins.

It started to sink in that I didn't believe in god and didn't go to church. After a few minutes she asked if I went to an atheist church. I explained that we don't have an atheist church to go to. She asked me how I could be a moral person who knew right from wrong without believing in god. I explained that right and wrong were not the domain of an invisible sky daddy and that I was perfectly qualified to judge right from wrong without the threat of everlasting hell fire for tripping up.

I spent some time explaining to her the facts of atheism as I see them. I think I finally opened her mind up to the fact that there were different people in the world who could believe in something different than her.

Then I told her that I eat babies.

 

[benji]

I read a newspaper article here in switzerland about a study that concluded that atheists are more tolerant than religious people (as if we didn't know that before). The full study will be made public sometimes in the next few weeks.

 

[Jorghnassen]

Then I told her that I eat babies.

Well of course, nothing can be delicious if it doesn't contain baby fat.

 

[MWare]

Well of course, nothing can be delicious if it doesn't contain baby fat.

Indeed, I'm surprised I haven't seen any recipes posted here by my fellow atheists.

 

[Mercutio]

Indeed, I'm surprised I haven't seen any recipes posted here by my fellow atheists.

Nah, ya gotta go to the church for that.

 

[KelvinG]

Talking to a young Catholic girl at work the other day, I mentioned that I was an atheist. She asked me if I believed in god, I said no, that's what an atheist is, someone who doesn't believe in god. She asked me if I believed in Jesus, I said no, Jesus is supposed to be god and I don't believe in god.

She asked me if I went to church, I said no, there is no reason for me to go to church. She asked me if I believed in Easter. I had to get her to explain that one. She asked if I believed that Easter was the most holy of days, that Christ died for our sins. Very patiently I said no, I don't believe in Jesus so he didn't die for our sins.

It started to sink in that I didn't believe in god and didn't go to church. After a few minutes she asked if I went to an atheist church. I explained that we don't have an atheist church to go to. She asked me how I could be a moral person who knew right from wrong without believing in god. I explained that right and wrong were not the domain of an invisible sky daddy and that I was perfectly qualified to judge right from wrong without the threat of everlasting hell fire for tripping up.

I spent some time explaining to her the facts of atheism as I see them. I think I finally opened her mind up to the fact that there were different people in the world who could believe in something different than her.

Then I told her that I eat babies.

Your co-workers aren't special needs persons, are they?

 

[KelvinG]

Well, if you think about the kind of press atheists get, it usually is cast in a negative light-- from lawsuits over "God" in the pledge or on money, to lawsuits regarding the 10 Commandments at courthouses, the media tends to portray atheists as "whiner-babies," if you'll allow me to borrow from Bruce Campbell. Anytime the majority feels intruded on, they're going to paint the minority in a negative light, right or wrong.

Flick

And of course, the eating babies thing doesn't help either.

 

[Cthulhu]

Well of course, nothing can be delicious if it doesn't contain baby fat.

hmmm...bacon fried in baby fat....yummy!

 

[Zbu]

Reminds me of that episode of Sealab 2021: "I got a book." "What's the book?" "A Modest Proposal..."

 

[jimmygun]

"Your co-workers aren't special needs persons, are they?"

Actually all the special needs they need is the ocasional upside the head with a reality cuff.

This girl is twenty-six, married and probably never met an atheist before in her life.