Why are atheists the most unaccepted group in society?

Question

I was raised in a family with out religion, we were never told as kids that god existed, and i was unfamiliar with what religion was until i went to school for the first time, when kids would talk about church and god, and i would go home and ask my parents about it, they told me about with an open mind. But what I'm really wondering is Why are atheists so unaccepted? when it would come out in school that i was an atheist, some kids would stop talking to me, others would call me a devil, when i was always under the impression that you were supposed to accept and love all people under religion. I have been ostracized and hassled for my lack of religion, even though i never had it to begin with, so what i'm wondering is why if your religous would you treat some one so differently who is not?

Answer 1

Because religion is power.

Religion is based on dogma and blind acceptance of doctrine.

A person that questions that dogma and doctrine is a danger to that religion.

Hence the powers in the religions have drummed it into their followers that anyone who questions that dogma and doctrine is EVIL!!! And must be ignored and/or hated, and must never ever be listened to.

Answer 2

I think fundamentally they just don't know what to talk about with you. Their faith background infuses so much of their thinking and speaking that your presence probably makes them self-conscious. The idea of a mind completely free of any conceptions of a god is alien and unnerving to them. And they react badly.

Children can be excused. They only reflect the attitudes of their parents. But as a person grows up, a time should come when they question their own beliefs at some level. However, most decide to adjust and accommodate some version of their birth faith, considering how much time they've already invested.

How much extra time could have been saved by never having gone to church, never saying grace over meals, never kneeling and praying? Perhaps the thought inspires some jealousy. The believer thinks up many justifications for prayer and worship. It's important to cultivate an attitude of humility and gratitude, otherwise we humans become arrogant. And without a divinity, what authority is there for setting any moral standards at all?

In other words, you're an outlaw. You ignore, don't even see the rules they've willingly put themselves under. How can what you say be trusted, since without God, you must be either deluded or deceitful? See how the paranoia can grow?

Faith can be a slippery slope. Since it requires the willful suspension of disbelief in the absence of evidence, where does one stop? And if one believed thing is found to be untrue, that threatens the verity of the rest. So "true believers" would want to keep their distance from you. And your lack of investment in the supernatural could be considered "cheating", neglectful and reckless.

Fortunately, there are believers with a sense of proportion who can successfully live in both the natural world and the world of faith. But since it's not such a big deal to them, they are not nearly as noisy as the others.

Answer 3

As a child you did not know about God. But after someone told you I wonder did you search or anything as an adult? Did you have Questions about Christianity? I wouldn't call you an atheist as a child not knowing or able to understand anymore that I would call a child who's parents bringing up a child in the church a Christian. That is a Personal decision in a persons life. Just because your parents gave you there views did you search these out for yourself? Don't call yourself an Atheist unless because your parents were. As for your Question of why they are accepted . I don't know that they are I as a Christian feel unaccepted also at times. I feel I am living (or trying to live) as My God wants but The world I live in lives a different way not following Christ. Taking my God following things out of my life Putting what I think as Evil into my son on TV and Movies and in my world in general. I thing there are more people living Without God that with God. So I think your more the Worlds way than I am.

Answer 4

As a Christian, I would not because it makes absolutely no sense to be a hypocrital Christian. I think it's becuase religion gives people something bigger than life to believe in and some people can't believe that you don't believe in anything. But that's not fair to you since you grew up without a religion. And then sometimes it's not even hypocritical; it's simply ignorance. They don't understand something thats different from them. And your impression was right. In religion, especially Christianity, you are supposed to accept and love all people. And pray about what you don't understand. I would accept you because life is all about different views, different people. How boring would it be if everyone was part of the seemingly acceptable? I think it's hard to explain why, because people are raised with different values. And if that's how they view atheists, that's how they'll continue to view them until someone shows them a different light.

Answer 5

Depends on the society.

Lots of answers for this.

But I guess the easiest one would be because societies are made up of people who have the 'sheep' psychology. They follow a certain norm that theyve established for themselves, and they will look at anyone else who has a different norm than theres with an eye of skepticism.

In some societies, your atheism wouldnt even be an issue, unless you specifically come out and insult other peoples religions.

For example in India, people couldnt care less what your religion or non religion was.

Or Turkey for example, they wouldnt mind having you around or bother you until you said something to specifically hurt them or their values.

I do believe in the majority of places in the world that people will rarely bother you because you just dont believe the way they do, they will however bother you if your behaviours dont quite match upto their expectations.

At any case, the answers always change depending on where you are, and this is mostly a sociological issue rather than a religious one.

Hope that helps.

Answer 6

The origin of society not accepting atheists all started when the God YHWH forced Moses to "weed out" all nonbelievers (atheists), from the original group of Israelites that the God YHWH led out of Egypt. It became one of Gods strict new laws that the Israelites were to maintain from generation after generation even until now. In fact all religions that evolved from Abraham were also forced by the God YHWH to follow these same laws. God did this to prevent the nonbelievers from spreading like a cancer throughout His people. This is why 3500 years later this way of thinking is still around towards atheists. It will continue to be this way until science proves that the God YHWH really exsists and proves the theory of atheism once and for all wrong.

Answer 7

Actually, the Christian holy book says that ALL people are stupid (the word used is "foolish") and evil. We are compared to sheep ("harrassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd"), one of the less intelligent of all the animals. I don't see what the problem is, unless we think that we are so smart and accomplished, which is only possible if we if we ignore the relational and physical abonomination we have made of our society and our planet.
Atheists are the most celebrated and protected group in America! Postmodernism is accelerating! Soon we'll have thought crime legislation that will outlaw Christianity (at least that version of Christianity that believes in the God of the Bible)! Atheist, rejoice, what have you to worry about! If truth really is subjective, you are in a brave new world devoid of meaning, hope, or purpose, all of which you get to make up for yourself just like your parents said. Take a vacation! Have a drink! Think good thoughts or vindictive thoughts and they will all be true, such is the nature of truth!
This chair next to me is broken, but I think it will hold me just fine because I create my own reality! See, no probl-
Oh, that's gonna leave a mark, my butt hurts...

Answer 8

I don't think we're unaccepted, just misunderstood. It's easy to follow the herd and point out peoples indifferences, but to be a true individual and not swallow the force fed crap of the masses is where it gets hard. We're the right wings scapegoats, we are pinned as "everything" that is wrong with the world today. Putting faith in yourself instead of putting faith in a supposed higher power seems selfish and unjust to some. Most people fear what they don't know while atheists embrace it.

Answer 9

it's only true here in the USA - but it has to do with the hate believers have for non-believers. To a believer there is nothing worse than a non-believer. I think it's frankly because their faith feels threatened - they are told not to have atheist friends because religious leaders know once a person starts to question religion they start down the path to a non-believer. They know religion cannot withstand scrutiny. Religion, in short, is a house of cards.

Answer 10

Because religion is made of of rules. Rules that people follow out of fear. Rules such as thou shall not commit adultery or murder. People of religion believe that with out these rules we would just go around fornicating everyone and everything or killing it. They believe that we are base creatures without control if left to our own devices. They believe that God is the force that stops us from doing these horrific things to each other. So if you don't believe in God you don't have these controls embedded. If you have control and compassion without the fear of damnation or the promise of paradise then you kinda ruin their whole perception of things. Thus you become another cog of their fear machine. They create this grandiose fantasy image of the slobbering, deviant atheist. You become another devil to them, because you are free of their delusions. We are a lamp unto ourselves. If there is any divinity it is in the way we treat each other.

Answer 11

On a planet where most of the people still believe one or more of a wild variety of gods who created everything you can expect some negative experiences.

I could tell you religion is dying, and it is, but it's going to take at least another 2000 years so that is not much help to us now. But take comfort in that not 300 years ago you would have been on a heresy trial and probably killed by these nice loving christians. We're making progress.