Why can atheists and pagans get along, but not atheists and christians or muslims?

Question

I've noticed this in my personal life as well. I try my best to keep my atheist friends separate from my christian, jewish and muslim friends. Verbal arguments and heated, non-healthy debate are common and are started on both sides. I've never had an atheist call me, or any pagan friend of mine, out on our religious beliefs. Why is this? Do atheists just not believe in the middle eastern gods but are agnostic when it comes to the other gods, or is it just a prevalence thing?

Answer 1

You statement/question is one of those " sad but true " things. Let's see if I can clarify...

Christian believe that their way is the way to salvation. If you don't follow their path, you're going to hell. Now, you Christian friends don't want you to go to hell. They want you to come to heaven with them. So, naturally, they do everything with in their power to see that it happens. They view your over friends and a one way trip to damnation.

You can probibly throw Muslims into a similar catagory, but with out the Jesus part.

Pagan and Atheists are free spirits. Athiest view religion much like we think of the Easter bunny. Sure, it's fun. Great for the economy, but has no basis in fact. So to an athiest, talking about heaven and hell is about the same as talking about a dream you had last night. Nice coversation, but nothing that attacks them personally.

I'm going to switch " Pagan " for " Wiccan " here, since that's the only one I know anything about. In the Wiccan teaching, there is no "Salvation", no " One true Path ". It's all about how you choose to relate to the world, nature, or what have you. So, by their very faith, they are a much more open-minded people. So to them, It's like having two rooms in the same house, arguing that they are the only ones that exist.. Rediculous.

It's possible that I could have gotten this entirely wrong, but I hope it helps.

P.S. Sorry about the mistakes. My spell-check isn't working.

Answer 2

I think it's because Pagans don't go around trying to say their belief is the only true belief. We don't try to convert and normally we don't discuss it in mixed company unless asked. I've never had an Atheist call me out on mine either. Though I know of a few that think any belief in such things is ridiculous, they don't talk down to me. I guess it's because I try to see it from their point... and I can say "I don't know" when directly asked about something I really can't answer.

Answer 3

Believe me, I can relate. While a majority of my friends are pagan and atheist, I know a few pagans who won't even talk to me because I'm Catholic. Maybe they think I"m going to go off on a bible rant, or they don't like Christianity, I don't know. I do know I had one pagan lie to me about her faith, even though she knew I had no problem with it.

I told her that I admired her strength and that she could use a more herbal remedy for her health problems (she had a lot, by the way) and that I couldn't even burn incense in my room. She immediately told me off, saying she was christian and not a pagan. However, the very next time I saw her, she was planning a pagan ritual for Ostra and couldn't meet my eyes. I knew she lied to me, but I don't know why. I didn't condemn her.

I've had more of a problem with pagans and atheists not accepting me then with me not accepting them.

Answer 4

Yep, what she said. I've never had a pagan tell me I'm going to hell for not believing in god, or for calling the bible a collection of oral myths written down and nothing more.

From my experience, both christians and muslims are only for freedom of thought (and religion) as long as it's their thought and religion that are free to be practiced -- anything else they see as a threat, and when people feel threatened they attack. I know some very wonderful christians and muslims, but unfortunately they're the exception rather than the rule.

Answer 5

Most Pagans do not condemn athiests for non-belief, Pagans tend to be more non-confrontational about religion, considering we believe that everyone has a different path to diety.

I am interested to see how Christians and Athiests view this, because I have also noticed it in my personal life.

Answer 6

1. Never discuss Politics, nor Religion, in uncertain company.

2. Best to keep topics on neutral territory.

3. People that feel they have to win your beliefs, or lord their superiority over you, are more interested in the conquest, rather than an enlightening exchange of differences.

4. I agree with you — unhealthy debates.

5. What is more amazing is the war to gain access to eachother's mental territory. Almost like land wars.

6. You are very perceptive. I, also, compartmentalize my associations, and it works out just fine. No squabbles or slights to anyone.

Good Luck and Warm Wishes!

Answer 7

the common enemy they all have is people of other religions/beliefs. It would be much easier if there was only one Religion and everyone had the same beliefs, but that's not the way it is and it'll never be that way, so it would be easier to just accept others as they are and try to coexist peacefully. Afterall, it's easier to change your view of the world than to change the views of the world. Besides, remember what happened when Hitler wanted one race.

Answer 8

Unfortunately, Christianity and Islam have one thing no other religion on the planet has -- a command to proselytize. When people of these two religions find out someone is a non-believer, the overwhelming majority in the USA will begin to bicker and argue trying to convince the atheist of his supposed error, and when the atheist points out the flaws in the argument, he is usually condemned of being of the devil and forcibly informed he's going to hell.

If Christianity and Islam were not proselytizing religions, there'd be no problem.

Answer 9

This is simple. Athiests don't care about religion. They don't believe in it, so they don't care.
Pagans, although believing in a God and Goddess, really don't care what religions everyone else follows. We just don't. If you're going to be a pagan, you will on your own,
if you're never a Pagan, it makes no difference to us.

Answer 10

Because atheists and pagans can relate to each other. Christians and Muslims are not used to others (that they respect) thinking they are wrong.