misconceptions about atheism

This thread is here to address misconceptions as to what atheism is and atheists are.
All atheists share the disbelief in gods, apart from this commonality, there is a wide variety of political affiliations, ideologies, professions, lifestyles etc. to be found amongst atheists.


Atheists, share some false understandings and prejudices you've experienced!
For me, the most irritating presumption I am often confronted with, is that atheists believe in no higher values, lack morality and sense in life.

Here the video I got the title from:
[video=youtube;rLIKAyzeIw4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLIKAyzeIw4[/video]

 

Believing Atheism is a relgion is totally stupid.

 

Atheists just hate (insert your god here).

 

Atheists don't believe in anything.

 

anything???? They don't believe in anything???

 

That is a misconception.

 

aahhhh......you're leading me astray........

 

Yep, that's a great one to raise. Fearful religious people seem to make a leap from atheism to nihilism in their minds, as if there's a great chasmthey will fall down if they quit clinging to their god.

Dostoevsky kind of covered it when his character Ivan (with whom I most identify today - funny thing) proclaimed that, "If God does not exist, everything is permitted." Can these people not handle moral and ethical freedom? Leaving Christianity didn't make me a murderer or some other awful thing, and it didn't stop me believing in moral and ethical standards. On the contrary, it has helped me to form a reasonable basis for my ethics. They have changed a bit as a consequence, but only on issues such as abortion and gay marriage, where I just see religious dolts attempting to limit others' freedoms unnecessarily.

 

Its a great strawman to cling to despite all of the objections "you are wrong" to the contrary.

Atheism isn't hard to understand, a lot of people pretend that it is.

 

Right.....religious people just want to classify Atheism as a religious to say "you have a religion too". They make atheism out to be more than it is, because they have too.

 

Then their definition includes the NFL and gun clubs. LOL

 

Atheists believe in many of the things everyone else believes in.

Atheism is not a religion but many atheists act in such a manner that it does take on the appearance of a religion.

If you dig deep you may find that some atheist people form opinions and group together acting like a religion and actually fitting the definition of religion.

Definition of RELIGION

1 a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion>
b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
— re·li·gion·less adjective

religious

Definition of RELIGIOUS

1: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity <a religious person> <religious attitudes>
2: of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances <joined a religious order>
3 a : scrupulously and conscientiously faithful
b : fervent, zealous

Definition of ULTIMATE REALITY

: something that is the supreme, final, and fundamental power in all reality <ultimate reality in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is God>

 

If that is their ultimate reality!

 

You can have my gun when you pry it from my dead cold hands!



and Im a big NFL fan.

 

I hate guns

 

There is alot I dislike also. But if its constitutional, then I live with it.

 

I just don't like that so many people are dying by them. I'd much rather not have them around. Even having good people armed is not going to prevent gun violence. In fact, the more guns you have around, the more likelihood of gun violence occurring..

 

I am one of very few uber left gun owners.

I own quite a few "collectibles" then a few practical guns.

Guns are creepy in sense, but with that in mind, one must respect them and accept them as a necessary evil.

 

True, they're here to stay no matter what. Still, their presence makes killing, whether on purpose or by accident, waaaaaaay too easy for my liking.

I keep a couple of swords around, but no guns

 

Yeah, that is true. I'm not sure if too many gun guys think it through fully, instead resorting to silly and over done bumper sticker slogans.

Most of the firearms I own, and that is about 49 at the moment (I am selling a few), are collectables. WWII era mostly, some very old, 1800's. They sit in the safe, come out occasionally, they are just cool. The firearms that are not collectables are used on a somewhat regular basis and I have .22LR version to make practice cheaper. However target practice what I had in mind at the time of purchase, those firearms are intended, and accessorized, with self-defense in mind. The idea of harming or killing another human being or animal for the sake of my own preservation. I am selling a few firearms I simply do not use to further enhance the few tools I do favor above all the test. I have participated in expensive self-defense courses to enhance my own abilities.

AR-15's and S&W M&P's, I can use both effectively.

To me, that is very creepy. And completely against what I think should "right". I am a leftie hippy. I don't like negative music, I don't like violent horror movies, I am going vegetarian because I ham having a difficult justifying the consumption of meat.

However, I do believe it is a necessary evil in light of the reality of which we live in.

 

That's interesting, the idea of justifying the consumption of meat. I generally just don't think about that, and I know that whether I go vegetarian or not, animals will be butchered and sold for food anyway. I have moved away from eating beef, though, preferring the leaner, healthier turkey in my spaghetti..

 

Atheists have killed more people than any other "religion", and then they throw up people like Stalin and Mao.

 

Even better when they throw out people such as Hitler when Hitler was a Catholic.

 

There is some truth in this. For example, I myself loosely follow Buddhism, which is a religion which doesn't involve belief in any gods. Some branches of Hinduism and paganism could also be described as atheist.

As for atheists who gather in organisations furthering their views, I'd say it's quite a stretch to label the organisations religion. Then any group which subscribes to a particular philosophy would be a religion, but there are clear destinctions.

 

Understand I am not saying Atheism is a religion I am saying some Atheists. When many of them fight as hard or harder than Christians to disprove God they are as Zealots. When in this frame of mind they are as frenzied and emotional as any fundamentalist. Hell I am surprised they do not speak in tongues.