Why do so many (religious) people hate atheists? In what way could they possibly be considered a threat?

Question

Less than 3% of the world's population are Atheists, they don't aggressively (try to) recruit/convert anyone, and I've never heard of anyone doing anything bad in the name of Atheism. Of course, as with every religion, there are some followers who do/have done bad things, but never to publicise or further their belief. For example, no Atheist ever bombed a crowded church in the name of that.

Answer 1

Religion causes more problems than it solves..

Answer 2

Atheists first problem is that they completely close their mind to possibility of a God existing. This totally goes against science were you cannot close your mind to any possibilities.

Atheists can get very aggressive when defending their beliefs. They feel that the Bible is for idiots who do not want to think about things too deeply and they are not ashamed to put this across in the most insulting and condescending ways possible.

They will state in matter-of-fact way that evolution is fact when it is still very much a theory. Facts can proven, evolution can't.

Nothing bad has been done in the name of Atheism but nothing good has been done because of it either. Atheists favour the 'religion causes wars' arguement. Although I agree with this, I also appreciate that while religion might provide reasons to go to war, scientists (most of of whom are no doubt atheists) create the weapons (land mines designed to look like children's toys, bombs designed to maim and disfigure rather than kill, atomic bombs designed to wipe out hundreds of thousands of innocent people including other atheists), government officials create the strategies and the soldiers, not all of whom have a faith, do the killing on the battlefield.

If atheists were so against war, they would not join the army in the first place and refuse to fight, preferring instead to be sent to prison.

If someone does not believe in a God then they do not believe they are answerable to Him. Therefore they can conclude that if they break the law of the land, as long as they don't get caught, it doesn't matter. Do you think the world's prisons are full of church-goers? No, they are full of people who have no regard for God's word or their fellow man. I am not saying that people who are religious are perfect because some who profess to have a faith do not act in accordance with scripture.

Answer 3

You say you've never heard of anyone doing anything bad in the name of atheism. Let's look at that for a moment. How many whacko's over the last say, 40 years, have committed atrocities in the name of Christianity? Lots, huh? My question for you is , why do atheists never seem to say that such people were obviously not faithful Christians, when any other time they claim to know so much about what biblical Christianity is to the point of trying to tell people like me what my faith means (BIG mistake)? Why isn't that same criteria applied to some douchebag like Jim Jones or Charles Manson who "claimed " to be "God's people", and so obviously were not, yet ALL of Christianity is supposed to take it on the chin for the actions of morons like them? Ted "Unabomber" Kascinski-isn't he an atheist?

Answer 4

One of the things that has surprised me in YA is the attitude of atheists toward Christians. There are Christians here who in my opinion are out of line. They have put people down or avoided their question to evangelize. I regret that.

However, the assumption that Christianity is responsible for more problems than good needs proof. The great majority of Christians are good people and many (despite the claims of atheists on YA) are intelligent and capable people who chose their faith and live their faith. They are caring people who feed the hungry and reach out to people in need throughout the world. Christians have missions in every country in the world where they work to bring water, improve agriculture, and benefit the lives of others. Christians in major cities run shelters for abused women and homeless.

As has been said here the Communist governments of Russia and China are atheist. They have oppressed the churches, tortured and killed Christians and destroyed the lives of their people. Yet it is just as unfair to say that atheists are oppressive killers as it is to say that Christians are.

Pastor John

Answer 5

I'm a Christian and I can tell you, I do not hate atheists. I used to be one. My Dad was an atheist up until just before he died. ( He was saved and Baptized 4 days before he passed. Thank God.) I have friend and relatives who are unbelievers. I don't hate them. They know I love them and they love me. I know that God can bring their thought into captivity of the Holy Spirit and that's my prayer. I do disagree that they don't recruit. Why do you think they are always preaching there is no God. Even on here ,you have to have seen them telling people not to believe in God, and telling them how ignorant they are for believing in God. It's just not true that they don't try to convert.God bless!!

Answer 6

I think perhaps it's for the same reason the some theists do commit these acts in the names of their religions. They are trying to defend their faith, they just go to some cruel extremes. Whether these be bombing churches or hating atheists, these FEW believers just think they are acting in faith.

I say few because a huge amount of theists, like atheists, are peaceful. It's only the terrorists that the media ever talks about.

Answer 7

Brainwashing in that unless you're following your said religious faction rules exactly to the letter, you're not giving God honour or something and people are convinced to believe they have to judge on behalf of God as he isn't capable of judgement himself, what with his powers and all.

Religions are powerful tools. And the people in them don't always practice what they preach either. Ie they only help the church, so, "I'm doing my bit!" answers. You have your opinions, I'll have mine. I don't just accept what I read or am told, though I wonder if there could be something else.

IMO, all you need to do is help people when you can. Not make judgements or commit murder because a religious faction has a different opinion to you. They can get on with their beliefs and another factor can have theirs as far as I am concerned. I don't think anyone should enforce belief you can make your own decisions of good and bad.

Answer 8

bombing is not about religion but about power. look into it a little more and dare to think for yourself.

i am a christian who used to be an atheist and i find more hatred towards christians than i ever did towards atheists. but i suppose it depends on the religion, extremists always ruin any belief for the serious followers of whatever that belief is.

Answer 9

The truth is v. frightening, how would you like to be told that you're never going to be again having been assured all your life that you were? Believers are also afraid that they could/would do anything if they weren't being watched over and don't understand why Atheists don't.

Answer 10

I give up? What kind of question is that? If you look in to history, there's always been a Jacobite, a military coup, anti royalist, Presidential shooting, archaists bomb thrower, Guy Fawkes, It goes on? And to read all the other responses agreeing with you, ''I give up''

Answer 11

Thanks for pointing that out (although I think the number is higher than 3%). However, you should know that atheists are not "followers." Atheism is neither a belief system, nor a religion. It is merely the lack of belief in the existence of a god or gods.