Why do many people assume that atheists must be bad people ?

Question

I asked a question about whether it was time for the non religious to get more organised to have stronger voice. One answer I got was :

"LOL. how much more of a voice to do want? America is currently plagued with homosexuality, abortion, promiscuity, provocative dress styles.... shall I go on? Seems to me that Satan's voice is being heard loud and clear in America and really across the world."

gueroes

Why the need for this nastiness. i am non religious and would never be as nasty as this to somebody.

BTW I personally have nothing against homosexuals but the person quoted obviously has.

Personally i try to be good not out fear of punishment nor hope of reward but out of common sense, decency, empathy and education.

Does this really make me a bad person ?

Or how about this answer from Raylene D :

What's funny is that the majority of the nonreligious are in China. There are very, very fractional few atheist in the developed world.

Their only teaching was Mao. They wanted their people to follow a government instead of a religion.

So the vast majority of atheists are based on ignorance and not their own study.

Your best bet is to organize China and be sure to keep following a government for your inspiration. Keep studying your Little Red Book that has only been around for 40 years with all the answers to life. :)

Why the need for this nasty hateful attitude. I don't see why people have to be so nasty to each other. This is what turned me off religion.

Answer 1

The very thought of the word "atheist" means opposite of morality. Atheists that come to a religious site are incapable of being moral and decent.

Answer 2

Well not to knock your concept of reality, but a lot of atheist tend to be a bit on the morally loose side of things.

I also like how you drew attention to the homosexual part. Kind of weird.

I don't know, I mean I don't think atheist are evil. Infact I am sure some atheist feel the same way about me as I feel about most atheist. And that is that you are mislead and headstrong. Otherwise some are good people and others aren't so good people, but you find that in every walk of life;it's just when you look to make an idea out for evil you point out only the really bad people and stuff it makes your case look more relavant.

Oh well try not to take offense to what other people say.

Oh and out of curiosity if you formed a group of non relgious people together with similar view and goals isn't that like a religion?

Answer 3

Dear Carpe Diem,

i guess it depends on what is meant by "bad". People range all over the place and regardless of religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, you'll always get people who are kinder, considerate, sincere, etc, and those who fall on the other end of the spectrum.

i guess some considered "religious fanatics" don't necessarily hate the people- but it's just that their beliefs are different. It is a terrible thing to "mis-represent" a religion by a lack of love in communicating your personal beliefs. i will tell you first that there aare many people on yahoo answers who claim a religion and are obviously not very mature in their religion from their lack of kindness.

The truth be told- if we follow God's standards- everybody falls short of God's standard. And so while someone may point out that an atheist falls short of God's standard- the Christian or anyone else does. For the Christian it's because He believes in Jesus that God considers that person righteous- not because of anything that person has done but based on Jesus' work on the cross. And so that person is not in a position to be snooty because they've been saved by God's work not their own. That's why the Bible says that we're saved by grace, so that no one can boast, it is a gift of God.

Sorry this is getting long... but i hope that helps. i think of Atheists as people, just like i do believers, and i enjoy engaging in intelligent conversation and trying to understand what people believe and sharing my personal beliefs without being nasty and misrpresenting Christ.

Hope that helps-- feel free to email me with any questions.

Kindly,

Nickster

Answer 4

I know many Athiest and they are not bad. Infact this is the life God has chosen for them. We need all types of people in the world and many athiest are objective and scientific, which are good things. See brother, its like this, If you don't seek the Lord then will not find. I chose at an early age to seek the truth. For many years I would argue with anybody that there was actually NO proof of God. I was wrong, for there are many things in this universe that our primitive human minds cannot grasp yet, but we are trying. See many people in this world will say they believe in God, but they will never understand God. Perverse things will still come out there mouth, they will hate, make fun of people, lie , steal, cheat, but ask them if they believe and they will say yes. So what does their belief mean when they continue to sin? there beliefs mean nothing. To actually fear the Lord is understanding. You are on the right track though because all you want is truth, and if you keep an open mind I think it will find you. I personally am not religious, Even Jesus himself was against religion, but I am way past believing in God, I'll tell you straight that there is GOD, its no belief, its what I know. Good FORTUNE TO YOU. See above the first message, this so called God believer calls athiest stupid, Thats the type of thing i'm talking about, they do not have the true understanding.

Answer 5

well, athiest are normally ok. However, they show signs of not recognizing whats in front of them. For that matter, religous people tend to hate them. I mean i am a muslim, and i feel nothing wrong in the fact that you have your own point of veiw in life, however, most atheist tend to defend that God doesnot exsist without proof. I know you must be thinking that religous people do also that. However, trust me that if any proof is out there, it is more toward that god exsist. There on the other hand is no proof what so ever that for 100% sure He does not exsist. As one scientist put it nicely, " That the posibility of life accidently orginating on earth from chemical soup is much more less than a monkey being handed over a type writer, and he then starts randomly punching on the buttons churning out words of shakespear"

Answer 6

Religions persist by attracting new adherents and by keeping the ones that they have. Because they ask adherents to believe obvious nonsense and make financial sacrifices, they must offer something in return. What they offer is the false promises of eternal paradise. But so do other religions. Religions must defend themselves against defections. The main way that they do so is by making their adherents feel special.

Now, they could do that by emphasizing the positive aspects of those people's lives, but in fact a religion that only worked for people living effective lives would die off due to lack of members. Religions have to appeal to the far larger population of people living desperate, broken lives. Since they can't very well do so by emphasizing how wonderfully effective those people are, they resort to demonizing those not part of the religion. Finding a common enemy is a tried-and-true way of making people feel special.

When religious people insist that atheists are evil, or that we're responsible for the evil in this world, what you're seeing is evolution in action. Religions evolve, and this is how they do so.

Answer 7

I'll tell you why:

I was raised in a small town in Texas as a southern babtist. My family is very religous...my grandpa is a retired preacher.....I remember this one kid in elementary school that was kinda different from the rest...one day he said he was an atheist and I remember feeling sorry for him....because according to the teachings in church....he was going to burn in hell for eturnity. I remember being disgusted, also...thinking he should be ashamed for saying such a thing....but then again sometimes I would look at him and think....nah...he is just saying that to get attention...and deep down, he knows he believes and one day he will grow up and be saved....

Fast forward to adulthood...I was dating this guy who said he went to church a little growing up, but he thinks he is an atheist...I saw red flags....how could we ever have a future?

Fast forward a little more....I am now married to him....his mom is a major christian, but he and his sister are not.

I don't know what did it....the fact that I was in the Army, where I met so many people from all over...different cultures...different races....or I think it was partly those college history classes that I took....I have had time to reflect....and I don't know if I want to be a christian anymore....I could go on and on about my reasons for questioning and the things that I have looked in to and learned...but I don't feel badly towards atheist anymore....I may be one.

I admit...with all the reading and TV with what is going on in the middle east..sometimes I feel badly towards Muslims...but I have to remember that I am not fully educated on that subject so I can't make judgments. Also, I have realized that with all the fighting in the world...all the protesting...and sometimes with the serial killers and crazy people...many of those times we find that religon (finantical) starts out as the root problem! So maybe atheists are the most normal of them all?!

Anyway....sorry so long....but in the first paragraph, what I said about how I was raised....that is why I used to look at athiests like they were bad people.

(please see my HORRIBLE spelling as unintentional...I tried running the spell check but after 3 min. it wasn't doing anything so I gave up)

Answer 8

No, you're not a bad person. But you know that. What is absolutely shameful is the disservice some 'christians' do to their own faith with such ugly rhetoric. I thank the Blessed AlVater every day I'm an Asatruar. We at least TRY to be nice, even if we don't agree with you. Does that make me a better christian than some christians?

~Morg~

Answer 9

any one who bears false wittness to their neighbor is, not a good person.

and they were warned to be prepared for the three bowls of sins to be poured out upon this world. but they were not prepared for this, because the majority did not realy believe this.

and their nastiness, may only be contrary to yours, as you cannot see, from the way they see. and neither side can see the way each other sees religiously. and you are a very religious person, religiously against G-D. and you preach against G-D. and since i am a son from a family with an athiest father. your not going to fool me with that subtle, i am not religious rhetoric. because i know that athiest are extreemly religious, but just not with G-D for who they worship.

even the earth has a religion, as it religiously turns, as it religiously moves around the sun. and you can tell an oak tree from and elm tree, because of their differences in assigned religions. and you can religiously tell the obvious difference between a grasshopper and a lion, because of their assigned religions.

Answer 10

I have come to expect this out of the more fanatic Xtians. It is all that they seem to be able to manage. If they ever had the thought that their was no Devil and that it was people just like them doing the crap stuff in the world they would not be able to face it and would all end up on drugs again.