Why do people think christians are so stupid?

Question

The other day at school, I heard some atheist and agnostic people talking about how stupid christians are. How we think the earth has only been around for 12,000 years, and how christians don't believe in dinasaurs or anything like that.
I know that the earth has been around for millions of years.
I believe in evolution.

It made me pretty mad. I didn't know what to say back.


I know that atheists don't believe in God, but do they have to make the people that do feel so stupid?

Answer 1

You seem to be one of the intelligent ones but there are alot of Christians that believe that stuff. Don't bother to debate them. Just ignore them.

Answer 2

First, I'm not an atheist, though I can sympathize a great deal with many of them, and I do understand their viewpoint.

I also know that many, if not most atheists don't think that all Christians are stupid. What you were witnessing is a generalization of what many Christians think to the whole of Christendom. That's a stereotype, and stereotypes do actually serve a purpose. They help us predict the behavior of an individual from the behavior of a group. If a person is vocal about being a Republican, it is reasonable to assume that they oppose abortion, gay marriage and that they hold other decidedly Republican viewpoints. People tend to gravitate toward other like-minded people. A person who hates Rock and Roll music is unlikely to spend a great deal of time in a Rock and Roll club.

The most Vocal of Christians are those who believe the Earth to be 6000 years old, who don't believe in Evolution, and who believe that humans walked contemporaneously with the dinosaurs. They tend to be anti-science, to believe that humans are not responsible for global warming; some believe that 911 was caused by God because America is becoming accepting of homosexuals.

While I don't know your specific views, the truth is that Christians who accept evolution as factual are not the ones making headlines. There are, and have been, many wonderful minds in Christendom. Many people have never heard of them, or if they have, have not read what these people have written. How many have heard of Augustine, how many have read his works? What about Aquinas. Pascal, or even C.S. Lewis?

While reading and knowing is one thing, making your position known in a manner that does not offend others is something else. If you hear people talking about the ignorance of "Christians", you might go up to them and mention that not all Christians believe the same thing. Just as there are extremists and fundamentalists in Islam, so are there in Christianity, but though vocal, they don't represent the entirety of the faith.

You could then explain that you leave science to the scientists, and matters of faith to the Church. Evolution is a matter of science; you simply believe that God created the Earth, and that perhaps evolution is a tool. (Or whatever your actual position is.)

Argument and shouting and ridicule build walls. Intelligent, well-thought-out answers, and a spirit of humility will remove barriers. Engaging in conversation is the way to let people such as those you saw recognize that they are engaging in prejudice and stereotypes, and that these things are not always effective in predicting behavior or identifying what people believe.

Of course, you might run into people who will then say you still believe in fairy-tales, but you need to be confident enough in yourself to have answers for such things. As was mentioned in the Bible, "Always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you."

Blessings,

--Dee

Answer 3

When they say things like this, they usually mean the ones they have personally encountered, and only when you challenge them to qualify their statement will they say "Oh, of course we didn't mean ALL christians". But look, how many times have YOU tarred aaaaaalll the members of one group with the same brush? Didn't you just come close to it in your question? You asked why do atheists, who don't believe in God, have to make the people who do, feel so stupid?" Well ALL atheists do not do that. Look, I have heard a lot of people who call themselves Christians, aaaaabsolutely insist that this whole Universe is only six thousand years old. I mean, they were serious. LOLOL Dang, I have shoes older than that.

No question about it, there is plenty of "stupid" in this world to go around, and I can assure you, it catches a few people in every category, from believers to non-believers. They both can say some pretty dumb things when they get too carried away with their own personal stance. But let me tell you one thing, NOBODY has the ability to make another person feel stupid unless that other person himself thinks that he is. There was certainly no reason for you to feel stupid because of what this guy said. Now, you can show how stupid you are NOT by simply not falling into the trap that so many do, of thinking that all atheists are like that. They are not.

Answer 4

I believe that calling anybody's beliefs "stupid" is morally wrong. I think we could all really learn something from one another if we dropped the biases we all come equipped with and really listen to another side of the story for a minute, but unfortunately that is what makes us human- wanting to defend what we have been taught with an ardor that turns even the nicest of us into savages every once in awhile. I am sorry you were personally offended by these people, but you have to admit that there are Christian people out there (not you necessarily) who think atheists and agnostics are "stupid" too, because they don't believe what you do. Many Christians percieve atheists and agnostics as confused, godless heathens who will surely go to Hell, right? Well, whether that's true or not, we'll never find out until we're dead and then it will be too late to tell anyone on Earth, right? My point is, people tend to make unflattering judgments about groups as a whole, based on stereotypes, and there is an unflattering stereotype about every race, religion, nationality, etc. out there. It's an ugly part of life, and I hope someday we'll all find a way to retain our human qualities without having to lash out at the unfamiliar. Best of luck to you.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, there are some very loud and aggressive people who do speak for "all Christians" who say just that. Earlier today, someone told me the comedian Stephen Colbert wasn't a Christian, even though he quoted the Sermon on the Mount in an interview and teaches Sunday School sometimes. (The real Colbert, not his character.) These Christians are also often quite unkind to atheists and agnostics, as you might see here. What you'll have to do is do like Colbert and speak out, let it be known to anyone who'll listen that Christianity and Christians don't have to be like that. Good luck!

PS--I'm Pagan and sometimes need a reminder that not all Christians are mean, backwards, etc.

Answer 6

Well, they may have been talking about Christan's that ARE stupid...and even if they said "All" Christians, it was probably only the ones that they know...if they know you, then why let it bother you? Words only hurt when you let them hurt, you know? And they are talking (more than likely) about the Christians that believe young Earth and are anti-evolution, etc. Hell, I know plenty of Christians that are dumber than Bush, (which is saying a lot) I just wonder why you let that get under your skin, Christians actually stoned me (threw rocks at me) because I said I was Atheist, so wouldn't that classify them as "Stupid" you may not be like that, but this IS a democracy, and with democracies, majority rules, and a majority of Christians that I know, are idiots...not all, but most. I hope I got a point across somewhere in that...hope I helped! ^_^

Answer 7

Unfortunately your thoughts and opinions are in the minority. Most of what the alleged atheist in your story said are what the "true" Christians say they believe are scientific facts, even though real science says that it's all wrong. Hence makes a lot atheists think Christians are stupid.

Answer 8

Wow, If I was you I wouldn't be calling other people stupid. After what you just wrote down. You're facts are so wrong. How about you do some research and then ask this question again?

P.S. Christians believe the Earth is only 6,000 years old. Lol, you say the Earth is millions years old. It's around 4.6 billion years old, not in the millions.

Answer 9

There are stupid people who are Christians and stupid people who are atheists. And it is really impolite to call someone stupid. There should be sufficient provocation before such an insulting term is used.

Probably people in general consider Christians to be stupid is because the dogma that Christians believe in seems really illogical and unbelievable and unrealistic to the outside observer. it also strikes one as patriarchal and misogynistic. But people do believe in it, and as long as they aren't hurting anyone else, it should be the prerogative of individuals to follow their own religious path without being insulted publicly.

As long as you yourself know that you aren't stupid, just try to ignore rude people.

Blessings,
Lady Morgana )0(

Answer 10

Fundamentalist christians believe the earth is 6000 years old not 12,000.
It just becomes difficult for a christian to accept evolution and still be a christian. The bible explicitly states that god created the earth. When you start saying that its not to be taken literally the problem then becomes what do you take literally and what don't you?
You start picking and choosing what you like out the bible. And then you can justify any action according to how you mold and shape the meanings out of the bible.

Answer 11

I thin they were discussing the Christians that believe in the Bible. Come on face it anyone believing that book 100% is a fool - there is no way around that sister, A FOOL.

The Earth was not created in 6 days.

The Earth never turned backwards.

No one ever lived in the stomach of a whale.

I could go on and on