Why do athiests let the media govern their lives?

Question

All their attitudes are straight out of newspapers,magazines,and television. They all take the same exact view of everything as the media,it never fails. You don't have to ask an atheist his/her opinion on anything; if you already know the media spin or "take" you already know what atheists "think". Simply put:whatever the media thinks. Period. I've never known an exception. How can you people exist like that? Never having an independent thought?

What do I mean by the media? The New York Times,The New Yorker,CBS,NBC,ABC,CNN,The Villahe Voice,the Associated Press,the Washington Post,et al. I din't know the media consisted of Fox news. Funny - all the atheists i know parrot Mike Wallace and all the other tv newsmagazines. 20/20. Dateline. Frontline. 60 minutes. 48 hours. That's the media - and the Mind of the atheist.

Answer 1

I've noticed the same thing only I don't know that I would put a religious construct on it; I think it's just that urban liberals and atheists overlap to a great extent. But with either ( or both) types I've definitely noticed the way they parrot the media. The New York Times is sort of their Moses. They consider everything it says to be gospel truth. Actually,the NYT often publishes lies and distortions,for example during the Argentinian invasion and occupation of the Falklands. The Times falsely reported that the Falklands were once Argentinian; that the islands were right off the Argentinian coast,and worst that the population was ethnic Argentinian. Actually,it was entirely British and no Argentinians had lived there,ever. It related to the UK the way the US Virgin islands relate to us. So for me that was a wake-up call. But anytime I'm around atheists or gung-ho liberals I am struck by their extreme preoccupation with whatever is in the headlines,and also the fact that they virtually always endorse the media view. I've actually come to consider atheist/urban liberals sort of a shadow cast by the media,particularly the NYT and CBS. I certainly agree that they get most of their information off of television newsmagazines. That is why they believe fundies represent all of Christianity,or are at least some kind of centerpiece.
p.s. The intense reaction you got from atheists strongly suggests you struck a nerve.

Answer 2

You mean like the conservative fundamentalists do with Rush or the christian coalition? Or what most liberals to with Al Franken?

As an athiest, I take offense to your insinuation. I would say that most athiests are more free-thinking, since there isn't a set of religious or "faith-based" set of parameters they need to work in. They don't have to believe anything just because someone (even if it's a "higher" someone) told them to.

The way I look at ANY religion, is they all tell you do basically do the same thing: be a good person, and things will work out for you in the end. Weather it's going to heaven, being reincarnated as a higher being, or, as an athiest, I believe that if you are a good person, you will be surrounded by people who care about you your whole life. It has nothing to do with when I read in the paper, or see on TV.

BTW: What do you mean by "media"? Fox News? Ann Coulter? The 700 Club? Somehow I doubt it.

Answer 3

Don't be absurd, Grendel.

THE media. Whut's thet? Do you mean the 3000 daily newspapers in the USA, the 100+ major television stations, the dozens of cable channels, the thousands of blogs, the thousand-or-so radio stations, the hundreds of magazines, the thousands of online magazines and newspapers--in short, lad, tell me what you mean by THE media.

In the meantime, I'll respond to your question: "Why do atheists let the media govern their lives?" You disappoint me, lad. I had come to think you were smarter than that, and perhaps you are only making a joke. Yes, I'll tell myself that's what you're doing.

Answer 4

"How can you people exist like that? Never having an independent thought?" And this is coming from someone who blindly follows a 2000 year old book written by superstitious middle-eastern sheep herders, and blindly accepts everything spoon fed to them by their religious leaders without question. Think like this... believe this... don't question this...
Wow. Atheists don't take the exact same view as the media on everything, that's ridiculous. But even if we did, at least *we're* following people who are educated enough to know that the Earth isn't flat, illness isn't caused by demon possession, the sun and stars don't revolve around the Earth, and that you need to wash your hands after using the facilities.

Answer 5

You are clearly either misinformed or lying. This can be demonstrated by the fact that I and several of my atheist friends have vastly different political views. If we all just robotically follow "the media" then we'd agree 100% of the time.

I really think that you need to get to know some more atheists before you start making these sorts of judgments.

Answer 6

Wow, are you mixed up. Where do you get the idea that atheists let the media control their lives? And, as far as independent thought, show me the church that encourages that. Why do you believe what you believe? Because you thought about it, or because it's what was drummed into you in church since you were a child?

Answer 7

The implication in your question is wrong.

Even if it were right, I'd much rather have someone whose opinions were formed by the New York Times (hell, USA Today) than by the Bible.

Answer 8

You are making an unwarranted assumption. I think your interpretation that their ideas all come from mass media is not only false, but insulting.

Answer 9

You haven't given a single example to support your "thesis". You're just being insulting without having any idea of what you're talking about.

Answer 10

where the he** have you been? athiests don't agree with most media being spread around, nonetheless you don't have the right to call us "YOU people" and/or claim that we don't have independent thought, because obviously you don't know what a true athiest is.