The most common misconceptions about atheism
I am in need of your help.
I am building a nice shiny splash page for the site, and I have section on there called, "Misconceptions about Atheism" I was thinking I could just use Sam Harris' post about 10 myths and 10 truths about atheism But I really want your input. So use Sam Harris' post as a template/guide on what I am looking for. Simple to the point and easy to understand.
Thanks! :]
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Isaac S on -
While we as a group generally tend to be scientifically minded, we are also come in all stripes. Many do take a healthy interest in biology, other may simple have their interests lie in other areas. While the scientifically minded may be the majority, we should certainly not look at things as absolutes, but instead accept the panorama of thought.
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Permalink Reply by Cathleen Sessions on -
Atheists have gloomy dark little lives.
We care that Christians look down on and dislike us.
We are trying to persecute Christians.
That we are all angry people.
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on -
The myth that galls me the most is that: Atheists are wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Rodrica Davis on -
The myth that atheists are dangerous because we don't have gods in our lives. My grandmother told me this when I first told her of my atheism. Also that it takes more faith to be an atheist than it does a theist. I never understood that. It's like saying it's belief without evidence to not believe. And that atheism is not the default position. The next one may or may not be a myth but it is I think a misconception. That atheism is the believe that there is no gods rather than simply the disbelief in gods.
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Ulean Breedlove on -
I often find that ones with gods in their lives are more dangerous than the ones with out.. They certainly fight a lot quicker..
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Permalink Reply by Katie Wade on -
My favorite one is that Atheists are the same thing as the Antichrist. lol
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Ulean Breedlove on
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I don't hate anyone I just choose not to accept everything that some one tells me to believe..
Just like I don't believe everything I hear on TV, If I did there would be ghosts in my house, snakes under my table, goblins in my attic?? This list can go on..
However I like your list.. Very good.. As far as the one about the bible goes, I completely agree on that one!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Ulean Breedlove on
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I agree with that, it is religion that wages war on us! Hell they wage war on one another! lol
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Permalink Reply by Kris Feenstra on -
I've read through Sam Harris' list and the responses here, so hopefully i'm not repeating anything that's been said already.
Atheists are not charitable/ there are no atheist charities:
Here is the first list of atheist charities I have come across. I, myself, donate to several charities, have participated in charity fundraisers, have donated time, and try to help out the people around me when in need. This does not make me a good person; this makes me a person who accepts the very basic fact that we all need to lend a hand when we have the power to do so.
Atheists are all depressed:
Well, I can say for certain that not all atheists are emotionally unsettled. Certainly some are, but I have yet to see any evidence that the number of depressed, angry atheists is statistically different from the rest of humanity. After all, atheists are just humans.
Atheists have a centralized belief system, or share some sort of hive mind:
There is only one surefire commonality amongst all atheists, which is that we are all without theism. The implications of this may be different for every individual atheist. 'Winning' an argument against one atheist doesn't mean you've conquered all atheism as none of us are accountable in our beliefs to any other atheists. When one atheist answers your question a certain way, there answer is not representative of all atheists in any way. We have no official (or even unofficial) leadership.
That may seem like cheating to theists, but there is an important difference between atheism and most religions. The reason it is easier to attack religions as a whole is because most of them have centralized belief systems that are based in specific scripture and the teachings of various prophet and deity figures. Because these scriptures, prophets and deities are typically viewed as divine, it is quite difficult for a believer to contradict these sources without questioning the very divinity that lends their religion any supposed authority to begin with. Atheism has none of these things. Richard Dawkins, for example, is a man who, despite being well-respected, is not divine, nor is he infallible. Each atheist is free to explore reality and the universe by their own means. The trade off is that every atheist ultimately has to hold themselves accountable for their own beliefs; they can't pawn it off on religious figureheads or organizations.
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Permalink Reply by Precambrian Lullaby on -
That atheists are out to destroy religion.
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