My friends are mostly Christian which comes as no surprise since most Americans are. When they ask me about my beliefs, they act so surprised when I say I'm an atheist. They act like I just murdered someone. They ask, "HOW COULD YOU NOT BELIEVE IN GOD." I don't believe in God for the same reason most Christians believe in God. I was raised an atheist. My father was an atheist and my mother was an agnostic. Most Christians had Christian parents and therefore they are Christian. Even when I give the "my parents were athiests" answer, they still act confused. What gives????
2007-05-05 10:22:54 · 34 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Contrary to what one of you just said, I did say that most Americans believe in a divine power.
2007-05-05 10:35:43 · update #1
They're afraid you're going to eat their babies.
2007-05-05 10:25:59 · answer #1 · answered by glitterkittyy 7 · 5⤊ 3⤋
Many christians think that everybody is born christian, and if they are not still in later life, they must somehow be converted. As if every kid in India is brainwashed from christianity to hinduism or something like that.
Also in the bible the non-believers are the worst people anyone can imagine. Many christians trust muslims and gays over atheists. The fact is that atheists are the least trusted people in the US.
Christians think atheists have no moral, because they have no moral guidance, and no one to be held accountable by after they die. Some christians and muslims even compare atheists with the devil.
In some states of the US it's forbidden for atheists to have a governmental function, which is religious discrimination.
Check out what the old Bush said about atheists:
http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/ghwbush.htm
Sad but all true. I hope you can convince them of the opposite, but real christians believe that the devil always shows a nice face first, so I can only hope you can still regain their trust.
2007-05-05 10:57:07 · answer #2 · answered by Caveman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they're used to everyone believing in some sort of deity. They were raised in a religion and they expect everybody to be the same. Even if they don't practice what they preach they expect everybody to at least believe in something. Even if you cheat, lie, and act like a jerk people still would look at you better if you believe in God than if you were an atheist that never harmed anybody. That is the way we think.
2007-05-05 11:09:54 · answer #3 · answered by cynical 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Culturally, "my parents were" is a commonly heard reason, but it's not a convincing one.
"Well, everyone else was." doesn't work as a defence in law against very many accusations.
Note, this can be levelled at theists as well as atheists who have adopted their position by osmosis, rather than careful independent consideration.
Any one adopting a stance away from the majority one will encounter surprise, and quite possibly revulsion.
But there's more than one majority culture.
The immediate family provides one setting but might be at odds with the broader community, which might belong to a country shunned by the rest of the world.
What other people do and think is informative, and sometimes thought-provoking. It provides no perfect guide for life, unless one is content to be simply a herd animal.
2007-05-05 10:38:22 · answer #4 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I find your argument perfectly understandable. Most believers believe in a composite image of God, based on what we have been taught, our own hopes and experiences. More often that not we get so taken up with our own idea of God that we leave the real God out of it.
Against that. many atheist don't really reject God, just that they do not have a satisfying image of God.
Our limited minds can only deal with an imagination of God, fortunately, The Almighty is not concerned about our intellectual wranglings, but on our real self and how we treat others.
The test, I feel, is not whether or not you believe, but what is there about God that you have been told that you could not imagine.
2007-05-05 11:31:52 · answer #5 · answered by d00ney 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I cant understand how someone does not believe in God,just as you cannot understand why one does believe.I do not think you are horrible in any way.I feel bad,and wonder where is your hope.You may feel as though I am delusional in my beliefs,but my beliefs have lived through many challenging circumstances that my prayers have changed.My faith has been shaken many times,but because when I have prayed God has most assuredly answered.Not the way I always wanted but an answer never the less.
2007-05-05 11:05:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe it's because you are a good person. Lots of Christians and religious people alike believe that if you are a good person you have to have a religious backround of some type. I will admit I used to have this false idea. That is until I started meeting people who were athiests and were just as good if not better people then me and my Christian friends. I hope this helps have a good one.
2007-05-05 10:38:18 · answer #7 · answered by curtisjb1983 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its not that you don't believe in god that surprises them. Its the fact that you have the balls to say it. Most of them probably question their own beliefs as well and maybe agree with you. Its just not everyday people discuss the religious beliefs or non beliefs. I don't believe in god also, and I have no problem talking about it. However I find a lot of people do.
2007-05-05 10:32:36 · answer #8 · answered by steamsmith 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
looool this is certainly a first... being brainwashed into not believing? :)
anyway, i myself am surprised when someone says that they r an atheist because to believe is a natural thing in human beings, its an instinct. ever since there were people in the world, they worshiped something. could be because its too depressing to think otherwise, i mean, that there is nothing else out there and that we're just here to reproduce (like all the other animals).
2007-05-05 10:55:13 · answer #9 · answered by sleepless-in-L 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's sad that so many Christians are raised not only without the ability to think critically about their beliefs, but also with the bigotry to immediately assume non-Christian beliefs are ridiculous. They are ignorant and bigoted without knowing it.
But your statement that you are atheist only because your parents were is also somewhat weak. If you haven't already, you should spend some time studying philosophy and develop your own understanding to support your beliefs.
2007-05-05 10:33:29 · answer #10 · answered by Jim L 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
People generally live in a bubble, especially if they have never ventured far from home.
They associate with others based on the Church they attend and often the school district, or even religious schooling.
I've met Catholics from Connecticut who were as surprised that I wasn't Catholic as they were that I was Atheist.
Baptists from the South are the same way, generally. "What? You're not BAPTIST?"
2007-05-05 10:35:35 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋