Atheists Least Trusted

[Timofei]

Originally posted by lazs2
I feel that most athiests wear it like a badge of, to me, stupidity and liberalism...
lazs

"Liberalism is an ideology, philosophy, political tradition, and current of political thought, which holds liberty as the primary political value. Broadly speaking, liberalism seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on the power of government and religion (and sometimes corporations), the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports private enterprise, and a system of government that is transparent. This form of government favors liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law, and an equal opportunity to succeed"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism

Yep, if atheism=liberalism, count me as an atheist.

[Russian]

Just because I don’t belief in magic (aka: God) does not hindrances my morals.

[Sandman]

Originally posted by crowMAW
A recent study shows that atheists are considered less trustworthy by Americans than Muslims.

Atheists identified as America’s most distrusted minority

While I don't consider myself a true atheist--I don't say there is no god, I say there is no earthly way to know if there is or isn't a god or gods.  I would bet that most thiests would consider that agnostics like me are about the same as atheists...so this survey impacts me.

Here's the question for Fundys...why?  What are you being told about atheists that would lead to that level of distrust?  Seagoon...what are you teaching your "flock" about us?  I understand that by Christian dogma, I'm not going to Heaven...that is my problem, but why does that effect you and why should you care about a choice that only effects me?  Is the mere existence of a person who rejects your teachings that threatening to your own beliefs (in which case I have to question the strength of your convictions)?

The article says that theists think that atheists lack morals.  Bullhockey!  Seems that most criminals have strong beliefs in a god and evidently that didn't have much of an impact on their moral compass.  And the atheists/agnostics I know seem more concerned about the rights of man than most theists I know...particularly we seem to have greater respect for life than theists since we know this is the only life we've got...and there ain't no more.

So what gives??

Luke 11:23

[crowMAW]

Originally posted by Jackal1
A lot of   supposedly aetheists, especialy on this board, seem frightened and  threatened by the mere mention of God or Christianity to the point of attacking those that do beleive.

It is usually not because of the concept of god or religion, but because of the people who are behind it.  We have seen this week what fundamentalists are capable of when some poor fellow is condemned to death for not believing in the majority's religion.  And it doesn't matter if the fundy is Muslim, Christian or Jew, they are all capable of terrible atrocities in the name of their religion.

And if you don't think it can happen here and that Christians aren't like that...well, from what I see, Christians take every opportunity to use government to proselytize and to limit liberty to meet their moral restrictions.

It isn't the possibility that a god exists that frightens me...it is the people who pretend to know what a god wants and will justify any action, no matter how terrible, if they think it is the will of a god to do it.  My definition of dishonesty: thinking that you know what a god wants, whether by writing it in a book and saying a god told you what to write; or those who read that book and believe that they have learned what a god wants.  Not only dishonesty, but arrogance too.

[icemaw]

Originally posted by Chairboy
Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian
 
10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.
 
9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.
 
8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.
 
7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!
 
6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.
 
5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.
 
4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering.  And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."

 
3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.
 
2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers.  You consider that to be evidence that prayer works.  And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.
 
1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.

And ATHEISTS are the ones with the problem?

I live well and do good because I think it's the right thing to do.  My religious friends live well and do good because they have the spectre of eternal damnation over their heads.

Who do you admire more?  The person who volunteers to pick up garbage on the side of the road?  Or the guys in the orange suits with a sheriff standing there with a shotgun?

 You are the man! All ye listen for the truth shall set you free!

[Debonair]

Why is it 50% cheaper to fly into Jacksonville than Savanah?

[nirvana]

The ones that don't trust atheists are the ones that trust a higher source to correct their F16 from diving into the ground at 800MPH.

[Chairboy]

American Atheist interviewed Douglas Adams once, good quick read:

http://www.americanatheist.org/win98-99/T2/silverman.html

Excerpt:

I don’t accept the currently fashionable assertion that any view is automatically as worthy of respect as any equal and opposite view. My view is that the moon is made of rock. If someone says to me “Well, you haven’t been there, have you? You haven’t seen it for yourself, so my view that it is made of Norwegian Beaver Cheese is equally valid” - then I can’t even be bothered to argue. There is such a thing as the burden of proof, and in the case of god, as in the case of the composition of the moon, this has shifted radically. God used to be the best explanation we’d got, and we’ve now got vastly better ones. God is no longer an explanation of anything, but has instead become something that would itself need an insurmountable amount of explaining. So I don’t think that being convinced that there is no god is as irrational or arrogant a point of view as belief that there is. I don’t think the matter calls for even-handedness at all.

[Debonair]

Anything from that guy is a bit hard to swallow.
He wrote a five volume trilogy

[SOB]

Originally posted by culero
SOB, lazs, it seems to me you misunderstand what "agnostic" means. Rather than "Agnostic = As far as I know, there is no god.", its more accurate to say "Agnostic = There is no way to know whether or not there is a god.".

Its a fine distinction but very significant to the conclusion you seem to draw regarding how definite a conclusion an agnostic makes regarding the existence of a deity. I personally feel its the most exactly honest profession that can be made, even though like lazs I do suspect there is more to our existence than we know and am content to wait until I'm able to be more enlightened rather than speculate now.

culero

Well, I guess I'm without a label then.  'Cause as far as I know, there is no god.  There certainly could be...stranger things have happened (like that time that Taco Bell actually got my drive-thru order correct), and it's hard to be certain there's no way of knowing something you've seen no proof of so far.  At this point though, it seems unlikely.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by lazs2
I am not an athiest or a religious man but...

I don't trust athiests either... they are either incapable of logic or they have an agenda that they will not admit or both.

I feel that most athiests wear it like a badge of, to me, stupidity and liberalism...

There are exceptions of course but that has been my experiance.

Personaly... I feel that there is a god but doubt that any of the current religions on the planet have a hot line to him... I am content to wait and see.

lazs

Word.

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by SOB
stranger things have happened (like that time that Taco Bell actually got my drive-thru order correct),

You only need two more miracles and you can be beatified.

[Hangtime]

Frankly, SOB; yer an agnostic if yer waiting for proof. Which to my limited mental capabilities makes a whole lot more sense than taking anything any organization has to say about anything "on faith".

[dmf]

And if theres a God then at least one of the religions has a chance of being right about God existance and teachings.
And if theres no God then the agnostics, athiests, and people that don't care are right.
None of us will ever know till we die.

[SOB]

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
You only need two more miracles and you can be beatified.

Sweet, I certainly deserve it!

Hang, sounds OK to me.  SOB the Agnosticator!