I just completed a documentary - which you may or may not see, depending on your viewing habits - (HBO) - anyway, I found, in Los Angeles at least - that every gang - all of them, professed belief in Jesus or God - devout belief. Never once did I find an atheist among them.
Why is this... in your opinion?
Thanks for your answers.
2007-07-16 09:12:03 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Grendal: We interviewed Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian too. Not just black and Latino...
2007-07-16 09:20:56 · update #1
They are all hanging around libraries reading books. Books! Can you imagine?
2007-07-16 09:15:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 15⤊ 0⤋
True contact with Jesus Christ separates men and women from the world and the world of 'professed' beliefs. The variable is not belief (all men believe) but self justification.
In the above sense, and without Christ, a gang of Ivy League atheists, Bible Belt Christians, and gangs all work on self justification regardless of what they say or think. Behind the self justification rests a pile of reasons; race, economics, fear, pride, education, social status, and even imagination; which is a form and precursor of belief. Belief systems vary widely; but all serve the same purpose; and function much the same way.
My point is simply that you cannot sort out groups, or even individuals, solely on the basis of professed belief. You can certainly label them by belief; but it is a mistake to think that belief is the true and/or only motivation. The systems which have been labeled Christian, as just one religious example, have been chock full of atheists, agnostics, skeptics and the worst you can name. Not much has changed.
2007-07-16 17:48:21 · answer #2 · answered by Tommy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd like to see that Documentary, I'm a screenwriter... Back after the LA riots in 92, I started working with cripts and bloods there. There was this producer working on a documentary out of south central titled, "In the eyes of the children.' God what a con-artist he was. You won't find atheist gangs in America man, I'm telling you, Look for the kid wearing dark shades at the block party sitting down behind everybody just watching and not talking, that's your atheist. I've done anti-gang work on some of the roughest street corners in the country. You should already know the answer to your own question or your documentary is not complete and I'm too busy finishing this Terrorist story to break it down for you. Sure hope Spike likes it!
2007-07-16 16:34:01 · answer #3 · answered by THE FISH 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I suspect (not based on any actual research) that most kids are still holding to the beliefs they grew up with. I rather think that most people don't become atheists until they've reached adulthood.
That's one theory anyway.
My other one may be slightly offensive to some .... and that is that to be an atheist, one supposes that you embrace logic (to some extent anyway). Being a thuglet is not logical.
Oh and one more in the same vein....one assumes that atheists have the ability to reason like adults. Logical adults. Again, not the bailiwick of thuglets.
Oh, and atheists have to go against the grain somewhat. Gangs by their very definition are about conformity.
2007-07-16 16:38:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because typically gangs occur among the poor and downtrodden socioeconomic groups. These groups also have a much higher belief in God/religion, at least in the US.
It's like having an overwheling majority of Christian representation in prisons. It's not the religion, it's the demographics. Basic sociology.
2007-07-16 16:18:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Gangs go with little self esteem, and little general education (if you talk about street gangs). Therefore, it is quite normal for those scums to believed that they are something after death, since the chance that they are going to die in such gangs fighting is much bigger than in normal conditions. So, I guess they try to find some sort of comfort in a religion that they practice only when its suits them, just to give sense and tolerate such violent environments!
2007-07-16 17:31:11 · answer #6 · answered by Jedi squirrels 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People join gangs because they want to feel like they belong.. like they're part of a family, they want parental/maternal figures to look up to or to be loved by or get attention from; joining a church/mosque w/e or believing in a God or the same God that other people do is what people do for the same reasons ... atheists are natural outsiders and they don't go looking for parental figures or pseudo families to replace theirs.
2007-07-16 16:22:21 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
my opinion is that judgement and racism are religiously motivated even before politics. Even the mafia believes in God and attends church. Atheists believe in nothing judgemental. I am not an atheist but it makes sense to me.
2007-07-16 16:19:00 · answer #8 · answered by midnite rainbow 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
atheists are able to think for themselves, and aren't followers. believers and gang members have a hard time with both of those things.
2007-07-16 16:20:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
They are probably discussing points of view over a chilly beer. Hanging around with brain washed ninnies would be much to dull, yes, much.
2007-07-16 16:23:43 · answer #10 · answered by Lukusmcain// 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Maybe Atheist think they are too smart to be in gangs, but really they might make the perfect gangs.
2007-07-16 16:15:35 · answer #11 · answered by CR 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋