What are some stereotypes about your beliefs?

Question

This also applies to agnostics and atheists.. what stereotypes would you like to educate others about today?

to clarify, I mean what are the stereotypes and how are they incorrect?

It wouldn't be fair of me to judge these answers. I'm sending this to a vote. Thank you all for participating!

Answer 1

Being talked down to like we have no morals.
Is it so asinine to think we have no conscience because we don't believe in an "omnipresent being"?

I'm an Atheist.

Answer 2

Well, some people seem to think that all Christians are ignorant, uneducated, Southern, racist rednecks. Oh, and we're all Republicans, and have never left our small Southern town. And we were brainwashed into becoming Christians at an early age, and have stayed that way.

THIS Christian is getting a college education, has studied many different subjects (including many different religions), I am NOT from the South (though I did live there for a couple years), I am NOT a Republican, I love people of all races, and I'm now living in Europe.

And, to top it all off, I've only been a Christian for eight months.

Answer 3

i am LDS(mormon) there is quite a few but here are the top ones
-polygamy: has not been practiced by LDS members since the early 1800's. Yes there are break off fundamnetalist groups, but they are not mormon!! any LDS member practcing polygamy would be excommunicated from the church.
-a cult: just because some of our doctrine is different from mainstream christianity is not grounds for a cult. every religion was pioneered by someone, and we all have free agency and the ability and encouragment to think for oursleves.
- we worship joesph smith- we recognize him as the first prophet of the latter days and an influental man to the restoration of the gospel, but the truth of the matter is if it wasn't Joesph Smith, it wouldv'e been someone else. God would have restored His church with or without him. JS is RECOGNIZED, not worshiped.
-woman are oppressed and forced to be baby makers: i have been outside of the church and in, and when i was not an active member was when i felt the degregation of women. it was disgusting. Never have seen a church that puts women on a higher pedestal. Yes women do not hold the priesthood, but they never did in biblical times either. Why would now be any different? Besides, priesthood is a responibilty, not a right. - and family is a huge aspect of the LDS religion, so a lot of members CHOOSE to have large families (average 5 kids) but it is NOT EVER said how many one should have, or if they have to have any! personally i think 3 is enough! and i am not condemned or looked down on for it!
-the book of mormon is added to the Bible. it is NOT. it is a completley seperate book, written and compiled on a completley different continent as the Bible. It is ANOTHER testament of Jesus Christ.
- there is more but those are the one's that bother me the most! thanks for the question, and giving all of us that fall under stereotypes to vent and set the record straight!

Answer 4

I am a Christian. From my perspective it seems that Christianity is the only religion these days that is allowed to be vilified, made fun of and called names.

On television, any time there is a character who is a Christian, they are either portrayed as Catholic, or one or a combination of:

A killer of abortion doctors
A ignorant simpleton
A redneck
A woman who is subjugated by a man against her will
The man who is subjugating the woman
A crazy cult leader
Hollow minded cult followers
A hater of anyone not a Christian
A hater of homosexuals or anyone else with a different lifestyle
and much worse.

In all of my years I have never ever known a Christian who was any of the above, besides maybe some rednecks. My family are all Christians, my husband, my son, my daughter, my mom, my dad was until he died, my brothers, sister in law, nieces, nephew, almost all of my aunts and uncles and cousins. And I have had a myriad of Christian friends over my life time, from all different walks of life, some wealthy, some poor, and a lot in between. But none of them have been anything that the mainstream movie and TV people have portrayed them to be. I agree that there are people who call themselves Christian, and participate in some very unseemly stuff, but they are a very small minority and the same could be said for all religions, races, and walks of life.

Answer 5

All muslims are terrorists
muslim women are oppressed

There are many but these two are the worst. There is some truth in all stereotypes and some muslims do fit these stereotypes. But those are the worst kinds and thankfully not representive of the majority. Some say we should be louder than those so that people know that we do not think like that but I wonder how can we speak louder than a bomb?

Answer 6

I'm an atheist. Which apparently means that I have no morals, no values, and believe that life is pointless. I'm supposed to be a hateful individual who hears only what I want to hear. I've also heard that I really do believe in God, but since I'm so hateful, I figure the best way to hurt God's feelings is to anounce that I don't believe in Him. Not to mention, I'm rumored to be jealous of all the love Jesus gives to Christians. I'm selfish, and see no need for helping those in need.

The truth? I'm a three-time cancer survivor who very much understands the value of life. I regularly volunteer at a local hospital's cancer ward, and routinely meet with cancer patients to give them support at a time when, believe me, they need it. I regularly donate to charities, and encourage others to do the same. I'm married to a wonderful woman who does not share my religious viewpoints (she's Wiccan), and we are expecting our first child in December (we did In Vitro, since my previous treatments left me... shall we say... shooting blanks). My family is very close to me, and we frequently spend time together; I am also very close to my wife's family. My love of nature has given me enough pets to make my home a zoo, and most of my vacations tend to be wilderness-based. And that part about wanting to hurt God's feelings? Humorous, to say the least. How can I hurt what doesn't exist? Ditto the Jesus jealousy scene.

When I was a Christian, I had heard many strange things about the "evil" atheists and the "twisted views" of other religions. Having stepped outside of it all, I've come to find that very little of what I'd heard is true. I wonder where they get this stuff!

Answer 7

I'm an agnostic. The number one theory/ question is:

So if you don't believe God does exist or that God doesn't exist, where do you think you're going after you die?

Same place everyone else who wants to be cremated go, in an urn. Sorry to be so blunt but weren't you?

I think people create these assumptions and stereotypes mainly because they don't understand the belief so they try to "indirectly" make fun through the questions that they ask. It's cool sometimes but other times it can be really annoying and immature of them.

Answer 8

I'm a Christian, and some people tend to think that "blind faith" means we just believe whatever we're told. There probably are some people out there who do that and think they can ride somebody else's coattails into Heaven. But the bible specifically tells us to test everything we hear against the word of God.

Contrary to popular belief, most Christians are not "brainwashed". We have a choice in the matter. I was not raised in a Christian home / in church, and I choose to follow God.

Answer 9

That I worship satan... nope sure don't. Will interfere with another persons free will. People think that you will give them a spell because they ask for it. Think that all pagans are wild sexing people. That I have no morals because I don't follow their religion. Oh and the people who want you to put a love spell on someone.

I don't believe a spell is needed for everything. Mundane methods should be tried first. I don't do love spells. I don't worship satan. I do have morals. I don't interefere with others free will.

Answer 10

Being agnostic does NOT mean:
I don't care about religious or spiritual beliefs.
I have no opinion.
Christianity is the only belief I question (I equally doubt all beliefs)

Answer 11

Mines simple!

I'm a Satanist, so people automatically assume I worship the Devil!

They are wrong!

I don't worship any God, In a way I am God!

Of course I'm a foolish God who really desires nothing but to make it to the end of my life!

I'm fairly confident I'll make it.