Atheist and agnostics: I'm curious as to why...?

Question

As long as I've been coming on Y!Answers R&S, I think it's kinda interesting to note that when someone ask a question about God, and they dont specify a specific God;the default assumption by atheist and agnostics seems to be the God of the Bible.And it's usually a negative sentiment being expressed by atheist and agnostics.

Again I'm just curious as to why this is;when someone ask a question about God in which no specific God or faith has be mentioned;why atheist and agnostics default to the God of the Bible?Does it have anything to do with the fact that atheist and agnostics have a much higher,much greater, disdain and dislike for the God of the Bible?

If yes, why?

Answer 1

If someone simply says 'god' in their question and I respond to the question by saying 'god' then we are talking about the same god regardless of which they meant.

And since I view all deities the same way it doesn't usually matter which they meant. My answer would be the same.

If people don't want others to make assumptions they should be specific. Are you inferring that the majority of theists here are not talking about a judeo/christian god?

Answer 2

The widespread belief in Christianity in the West makes this assumption reasonable. It is really no different than people who write questions about "God" assuming everyone will know what they mean by the word. Should we just give all such questions the standard "which God" response? And, just so you know, capitalizing the G in God tends to refer to the Abrahamic deity, a practice started by bishop Ulfilas in his Gothic translation of the New Testament.

Answer 3

Of the western world, Christianity is the most prominent religion. Wars have been fought over it and currently still being fought.

We fall back and think of the religion we know most about. I mean, really, how many people were forced to sit through Buddhist temples and read the scriptures? Not many.

Half my family is Catholic and the other is Buddhist. I never attended temple in my life, nor do I plan to. However, I was forced to go to mass on Sundays and Palm Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, or whatever they called it.

So already I know more about the Bible than I do of Buddhist scriptures, whatever their formal name is. I would obviously disbelieve in something I know (but rather would have not known) about than something I know very little about.

Answer 4

You know, I actually asked a very similar question not too long ago. I finally came to my own conclusion though that free-thinking Americans could be called the "Christian hangup generation." Like, personally, I was brought up in a Christian family and was taught only one association with god. (Imagine if they had given me a choice as a kid- big no no.) Anyway, when I finally started thinking for myself, I always assumed that people who said god meant YHVH. It became hard-wired to my brain, as well as (I'm sure) many other free thinkers.
Usually, when people say "god" in America, they mean "the Christian concept of god." It's just how it is among the masses.
To be sure, I always try to clarify now whenever somebody says "god" though. 99 times out of 100, I could've just assumed the Christian god anyway.
Pagans will usually name their god, and other god believers will usually use different terms altogether "universe", "Tao", "id", et cetera.
hope that helps :)

EDIT: *kicks jonjon out of brotherhood*... wait, there's a brotherhood?

Answer 5

I would say most times I do not do that as I have a tendency to refer to supernatural entities from any belief as a deity or deities.

For some though, it could be because the only religion that seems to really actively try to arm twist atheists is christianity - many of the rest are content to let us find our own way. So, because of that, christianity seems to get the most backlash.

Answer 6

Most people on here who ask questions about a god are referring to the god of the Bible. It's a simple matter of playing the odds.

Answer 7

why we presume it's the christian god? I don't think a lot of hindus, etc (or at least not as many as christians) frequent this site....

also yes, I do have a greater dislike for the god of the bible. I'm european and they've done some pure unspeakable things in my country for the sake of the god of the bible...
like making me go to church for one !!! ;) just kidding, the other stuff was worse...

Answer 8

Many times I have seen folks ask "which god". In my experience I believe it is the one question I have seen the most here in posted replies. Sometimes it is not necessary to ask because it is obvious from the context of the posted question or it is obvious from reading the questioner's profile. A lot of peeps give a blurb about their beliefs in their profile. If someone states they are christian or jewish it is easy to figure out they are refering to the abrahamic god.

Answer 9

Because it usually is.

If they were to say "god" (uncapitalized), that is just a generic word. However, if they say "God", that is a proper noun that refers to the Judeo-Christian god. To my knowledge, that is the only religion that names their god, "God". The Muslims also call their god, "God", but that also derives from the Judeo-Christian god. Bahai's, too, call their god, "God", but again that derives from the Judeo-Christian god.

If someone mentions Ahura-Mazda, Shiva, Baal, Zeus, or some other name, we'll assume a different religion. However, God refers to the Judeo-Christian god. You can also usually judge from the content whether they are talking about the Judaism, Christianity, Islam or some other off-shoot.

Answer 10

Mainly because the Abrahamic gods are dominant in the world at the moment. A thousand years from now, it will probably be Elvis. We won't believe in him either (as a god, anyway).