Why don't we see any news headlines about them bombing clinics, drowning their 5 children (Andrea Yates), cutting off their baby's arms (Dena Schlosser), shooting nuns in the back or flying planes into buildings?
Is there anything in the news about these athiests that I've somehow missed?
2006-09-19 13:45:14 · 28 answers · asked by Kathryn™ 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
To DJS820: It seems you've missed the point entirely. I am an atheist.
2006-09-19 14:09:19 · update #1
Whatever happened to READING COMPREHENSION in this world????!!! Some responses clearly show that people didn't read your whole question and/or went through it so fast that they didn't understand it. Sheesh. And forget about trying to use sarcasm -- I've tried to use VERY over-the-top sarcasm and people responded to me LITERALLY!! People, before responding, take it slowly and READ THE WHOLE question and then look to see if you see any obvious clues for sarcasm.
2006-09-19 14:01:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
I don't know about the news, but I do know a few Atheists. A dear friend of mine is an Atheist, and she is the most honest person I know. She is also generous, caring about others, and dedicated to many social causes like Amnesty International. She won't even ride her bike on the sidewalk. She's always doing the right thing!
I have had a few deaths in my family, went through a divorce, and some other stuff, and she was ALWAYS one of the first to come over and help in any way.
The author and lecturer, Sam Harris, is a really good read on how there is no evidence to support religious persons having higher morals than non-religious persons. Check him out. He's great!! Especially his stint on Steven Colbert.
2006-09-19 20:51:51 · answer #2 · answered by tarro 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I find this interesting. One of the most frequent arguments I hear from Christians speaking against Atheists always goes something along the lines of ‘without God they have no reason behave well…there is nothing to stop them from rape-torture-murder-bestiality… etc.”
However, jails and prisons do not have many (at least I never hear about ‘atheist gangs’ killing other inmates). In fact, I almost never hear anything about atheists – at all. The do not misbehave and the do not try to convert everyone (certainly not at knife or gunpoint).
But wait, Christians (who as the majority in America are most represented in jails and prisons) are telling us that the ONLY reason THEY behave is their fear of eternal damnation.
Therefore, Atheists, apparently, are by their nature born with what a person might call a ‘divine’, ‘holy’, or ‘godly’ soul. They are moral and ethical by their very nature.
Christians, on the other hand, themselves admit that they are born with a ‘sinful’, ‘un-godly’, or ‘evil’ soul, and God is necessary to keep them from rape-torture-kill (although I have to say that he is not doing a very good job)
Yet, wars are started; murders and other violent horrible crimes are committed – by people who believe in god, and often in the very name of god.
Now, I wish there was a heaven because I know I already have a godly soul and if there happens to be a god and a heaven – someday I will be partying at the Pearly Gates Strip Club and Casino with America’s Founding Fathers – Hot Damn!
JT -
I stand corrected, but I'm still going to the strip club, dammit! See ya there JT.
billthedude -
Good point, occassional political and religious philosophies do directly oppose each other. However that is really an issue of puuting down relgion in a state because you fear its political power. In neither example you cite (or others) was an 'atheistic philosophy' the basis of the government or exposed as a belief system. It was just used as 'not-religion'.
Even forgetting all that, it would take a 1000 years of global rule for atheists to catch up with christianity, and, as we know - Atheists don't treat people that way and don't want to.
2006-09-19 21:08:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I do not believe that there are many christians who believe that atheists are sinners. I have many times heard the question about a persons neighbor who is the nicest, doing good stuff etc. If you think your neighbors are not seeing your good works that is in error I am just sure. The news on the otherhand will publish a story about someone who has committed a sin especially one case over another if the perp is a sunday school teacher, cuz they think that makes it newsworthy. Fact christians do bad stuff, but if they are actually believers then in the end not here where we all pay, but at the judgement if they were not (murders, gossips, drunkards, and a few more not on a specific incident but as a life style) they will be given a pardon
2006-09-19 20:55:11 · answer #4 · answered by icheeknows 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Who says atheists have no morals. Just because someone is not a member of a certain religion does not mean they do not have morals. Atheists can do nice things for people just as easily as a religious person, and they also know right from wrong, just like a religious person. Pretty presumptuous of you. It's nice to see you've tried to find out some information on atheists, but in the whole, I think you've been misinformed and have missed the point entirely.
2006-09-19 20:49:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 3⤋
society thinks that christians are supposed to be good people with good morals. they also think that atheists are supposed to be not as good people with not as good morals.
when a christian commits a crime, the media show it because its about some christian who went against the grain (so to speak). if an atheist commits a crime, well, people already "knew" that that guy (or gal) was a bad apple to start with.
its not that big a deal as with christian criminals.
is this wrong? yes. should everyone get the same amount of attention? yes. will that ever happen? not without some kind of change in society.
2006-09-19 20:55:53 · answer #6 · answered by lostcause8436 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Let's not get too carried away here. I'm an atheist myself, but we all need to admit Stalin and Mao considered themselves so too, and they were hardly saints to say the least. It's skepticism toward all assertions of absolute truth--religious or ideological--that leads to peace.
2006-09-19 20:52:21 · answer #7 · answered by someone 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Ya, last time I checked, I had no history of drowning babies or shooting nuns. I will fess up to poisoning a cockroach last week though. I feel terrible, if it makes a difference.
2006-09-19 21:07:30 · answer #8 · answered by emmadropit 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Isn't this a bit silly? People of all beliefs commit crimes. People with no beliefs commit crime.
I personally do not think atheists are amoral because they're atheists.
2006-09-19 21:04:32 · answer #9 · answered by Esther 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
We don't have to see it on the news nor should people look or search for such negativity of individuals but I see it every day in this section.
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2006-09-19 20:51:20 · answer #10 · answered by Pashur 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋