Why the prejudism against atheists?

Question

I see it everywhere. If I even mention taht I am an atheist to peopel I come in contact with, I am immediately shunned and treated as if I have a disease. It is sad that we are being singled out and put down because we are freethinkers who dont have the same opinion on something that is UNKNOWABLE AND UNPROVABLE! When asked whether they would live next to an extremist Muslim, or an atheist, most people chose the Muslim. in fact, atheists are the least trusted minority in the United States. This study even says, and I quote, "Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians". Why?

http://www.ur.umn.edu/FMPro?-db=releases&-lay=web&-format=umnnewsreleases/releasesdetail.html&ID=2816&-Find

You know what I mean.

Steve, I have read the Bible, mroe than most Christians have. :) I have also read the Koran, and the Baghavad Gita. So far nothing is being logical, giving me any sort of evidence or showing me it is right.

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Reported for harrassment and insulting a participant. Watch your words, I dont play games.

If you are serious, I ask you to wake the hell up and open your mind. Do you even know any atheists?

fortitudinousskeptic

I have spelling mistakes because I type at about 130 words per minute. Sometimes my fingers get mixed up.

Answer 1

It's obvious that you are not freethinkers but confused nut cases especially when a study shows that you are "below Muslims,recent immigrants,gays and lesbians". You are a disease because sinful people follow ur influence which validates them to live immorally therefore shuns people away!

Answer 2

Peace be with you,

Just to clarify a thing you said, the survery didn't mention "extremist" Muslims - just Muslims. There's a little difference there!

Anyhow, to answer your question - I guess it's down to stereotypes and what impressions people have about certain groups. Atheists are viewed by many as sinners, ignorant, anti-religion and immoral - all in all, "bad people" who they'd be best off staying away from (just the way that many people view Muslims as extremists, and have a subconscious fear of them). It's a shame, because this lack of respect and understanding for the beliefs of others is a major cause behind many of the world's problems. I suppose more education and the promoting of tolerance and respect at all levels of society (schools, workplaces, churches, mosques, synagogues etc) would be the way forward.

Answer 3

I suppose it's in reaction to the prejudice against Christians. So many lies are being told about people of faith. Even Atheism is a form of faith, since it is equally impossible to prove that God doesn't exist. So to insist that there cannot be a god is to have faith in non-existence.

In the study cited, it was mentioned tangentially that much of what the researchers observed seemed to be based on people's impressions of what atheists were instead of actual experience. And since this was only one study, it should also be kept in mind that the researchers may have allowed their own beliefs to color the results inadvertently by how the questions were worded.

Personal experiences are colored by how one approaches people. If you simply choose to be an atheist, and do not attempt to proselytize others into sharing your beliefs, then very few people are likely to be offended, and think poorly of you. But if you insist on loudly expressing your belief and insisting that everyone must believe the same, then you will share the same poor impression that is garnered by those christians who insist on publicly proclaiming that everyone MUST agree with them. Anyone who decides on the nature of an entire group based on a few noisy annoying individuals is simply demonstrating their own inability to make informed, logical decisions.

Answer 4

saying that you do not lie prejudiced human beings isn't prejudice. Prejudice is once you "pre-decide" contributors of a set by using ethnic, religious, gender, sexual orientation, etc etc, causes, without regard for any actually difficulty with that man or woman. the prejudice stems from the perceptions of the guy with the prejudice. Being hostile to prejudiced human beings isn't liking those human beings by using an actually flaw of their personality. if you're saying that you don't like pedophiles or serial killers, you're literally not prejudiced, you're saying that you don't like those who've exhibited undesirable features. similar with no longer liking those who're prejudiced.

Answer 5

I'm a christian and I don't even know the answer. Humans by nature will reject what is different from the majorital norm I guess and it's really not fair. I have some friends who are atheists, wiccan, muslim...all kinds of others different from me but I don't see them as just that. They're people who deserve just as much decency as every other human being. I personally believe that one can be happier if they believe in something but rudeness or prejudice are not necessary interactions.

Answer 6

Yeah, it is kind of hard to look past your grammar and spelling.
Lookit....I think it all depends.
First off, I am really not "out of the closet" as far as being an atheist goes, so I don't speak with a lot of authority. I talk about it online but not in my everyday life. But I think it has to do with this:
I only know a couple of atheists who were kind, sociable, caring, personable, open-minded people.
I've met dozens of atheists and the vast majority are arrogant, selfish, crude, deny others their right to believe in their fictitious gods (which I think is completely wrong), are religious zealots about making sure there is no religion, rude, self-serving, and a generally unpleasant sort of a$$hole. THIS, I think, is why people hate atheists. They have given themselves a bad name. They wish to strip away from other people, as a whole, their right to worship as they please. This does make them nearly worse than muslims. Muslims will allow you to worship no other god than allah. But at least they allow you to worship.
Try serving others, bub. Try being nice. Try giving of your time and treasury. Try spending less time trying to prove everybody else wrong and trying to make them disbelieve in their little fairy tales. It's their right to do so. If you respect their rights, aand don't try forcing your zealous religion of "no religion" down their throats.....then maybe they'll respect your right to not believe in a god as well. The biggest zealots I ever met were atheists.

Answer 7

But how do they know you are athiest? It's the easiest of those things to hide. Any Arab person is assumed to be Muslim, homosexuals are suposed to dress in a unique manner. But you really don't know if a person is athiest unless you tell them. it may be because there is no athiest stereotype, or because we are being told to accept gays and muslims in the media.

Answer 8

I couldn't answer your question for you because as a Christian, I love atheists. They are people who are open to discussing the concept of God. As to living next to an "extreme Muslim" that sounds dangerous to me.

Answer 9

I don't know, it's pretty sick. Don't worry though, education is slowly eliminating god (or the idea of god rather). There are more atheists today than there have ever been before. Check back in 5000 years, the percentage of atheists will be so much higher!

Good for you for thinking for yourself, don't give up.

Answer 10

i havent noticed that..

however they might confuse the word atheist with antichrist

also, regarding your opinions... i recommend you read the bible and give your creator a chance to explane himself

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i suppose i cant to prove anything

i started reading the bible a long time ago for curiosity, and at some point i realised that i was reading the word of god, no longer just a book. it makes perfect sense to me. im sorry you missed out on that...

i dont know what else to say