I’m an Atheist and damn proud of it!
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I’m an Atheist and I’m happy to be one. I don’t waste time praying to invisible beings, nor do I live in fear of going to hell because I think women should have the right to choose and gays should not be persecuted. I think that stem cells should be used to save lives, not classified as lives, because that’s just plain silly.
In my experience, radical Christians hate just about everybody, except perhaps other radical Christians, although that is a subject for debate. They spout bullshit from the Silly Book, and twist the words of those ancient old desert dwellers to justify their aberrant behavior. Quite frankly, I’ve yet to meet a Bible Banger who wasn’t a mean spirited racist who made every effort to preach their poison to anyone who would listen. They are, quite frankly, hypocrites themselves, and are more often than not the greatest “sinners” of them all.
I live in the Deep South, a place that has a church on every corner, and a lying hypocrite behind every tree. Their contempt for Blacks and Mexicans is palpable, and their hatred for all others, especially Atheists, is legend. In almost every social gathering there will be at least one good Christian who will ask to which church you belong. I normally answer that I don’t sin therefore I don’t attend church. This statement will bring a look at first of surprise then of contempt. Before long the whole room knows you are a devil, the unsaved, condemned to an eternity in hell.
The fact is, however, that Atheists should be embraced not shunned, as discussed in the following article:
Long after blacks and Jews have made great strides, and even as homosexuals gain respect, acceptance and new rights, there is still a group that lots of Americans just don’t like much: atheists. Those who don’t believe in God are widely considered to be immoral, wicked and angry. They can’t join the Boy Scouts. Atheist soldiers are rated potentially deficient when they do not score as sufficiently “spiritual” in military psychological evaluations. Surveys find that most Americans refuse or are reluctant to marry or vote for nontheists; in other words, nonbelievers are one minority still commonly denied in practical terms the right to assume office despite the constitutional ban on religious tests.
Rarely denounced by the mainstream, this stunning anti-atheist discrimination is egged on by Christian conservatives who stridently — and uncivilly — declare that the lack of godly faith is detrimental to society, rendering nonbelievers intrinsically suspect and second-class citizens.
Is this knee-jerk dislike of atheists warranted? Not even close.
A growing body of social science research reveals that atheists, and non-religious people in general, are far from the unsavory beings many assume them to be. On basic questions of morality and human decency — issues such as governmental use of torture, the death penalty, punitive hitting of children, racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, environmental degradation or human rights — the irreligious tend to be more ethical than their religious peers, particularly compared with those who describe themselves as very religious.
Consider that at the societal level, murder rates are far lower in secularized nations such as Japan or Sweden than they are in the much more religious United States, which also has a much greater portion of its population in prison. Even within this country, those states with the highest levels of church attendance, such as Louisiana and Mississippi, have significantly higher murder rates than far less religious states such as Vermont and Oregon.
As individuals, atheists tend to score high on measures of intelligence, especially verbal ability and scientific literacy. They tend to raise their children to solve problems rationally, to make up their own minds when it comes to existential questions and to obey the golden rule. They are more likely to practice safe sex than the strongly religious are, and are less likely to be nationalistic or ethnocentric. They value freedom of thought.
While many studies show that secular Americans don’t fare as well as the religious when it comes to certain indicators of mental health or subjective well-being, new scholarship is showing that the relationships among atheism, theism, and mental health and well-being are complex. After all, Denmark, which is among the least religious countries in the history of the world, consistently rates as the happiest of nations. And studies of apostates — people who were religious but later rejected their religion — report feeling happier, better and liberated in their post-religious lives.
So what do you think? Are Atheists sub-human? Should they be harassed and hounded by Christians everywhere? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
Related articles
- Heaven Forbid the New York Times include Atheists (emergentchaos.com)
- What country is officially atheist (wiki.answers.com)
- Parent Removes Children from School because Atheists Set Up Table During Lunch (friendlyatheist.com)
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I’m atheist. It is hard to make sense why christians (or as I call them xtians) call themselves this if they would read the bible. This is after all their book of principals. Shows their stupidity. More importantly if you read it you would be atheist in a second.
You men should not jerk off into a tissue or on the ground or god will smite you dead. Women must never speak up and always follow your husband unless on your period. Then you should wonder alone while you cleanse yourself. Children must never mock god’s prophets or they will be killed by she bears. (That’s my favorite 2Kings 2:23-24) Of course, I would be here all day imputing things to show this is not moral book or even godly.
Really its just a story retold over and over again like Shakespeare’s Othello or Romeo and Juliet. Jesus isn’t original nor was he real. Nobody heard of this false prophet until the third century. Jesus is just a story retold from Horus(Egypt-3000bc), Attis(Greece-1200bc),Mithra(Persia-1200bc),Krishna(India-900bc),Dionysis(Greece-500bc) and then Jesus. Funny how all were born of virgin, born on 12/25, most walked on water, healed sick, taught, disciples of 12, all died and resurrected. Just a story to make money off the people. Vatican will tell you how its worked!
Good comments and I couldn’t agree more. If interested in writing for us let me know using the contact form at the top.
Thanks for the confidence. I get angry with xtians or any religious groups and their morality. Not sure about writing articles. I use twitter as my form of venting…
I am an atheist and I know how many
People judge and frown upon it.why must
People question atheists so much we are
Who we are an no one can change that
Thank god I’m an atheist!
I’m an Atheist amongst an entire religious family. I sometimes think they don’t really believe me but they tell me they’re praying for my soul. I don’t think it needs saving because I’m just as virtuous as they, some even more so.
I respect everyone’s right to believe what they want and just want others to respect my right not to. Isn’t that supposed to be the “American Way”? And if so, why are there so many people who try to shove “their” views down our throats? Even if their Bible says to “spread the word”, that still doesn’t give them the right to do it to unwilling listeners.
Thor bless you.
We’re scared shitless JP. We worry all the time about what we’re doing right or wrong.
Joe : I totally respect your beliefs mate…actually I’m rather jealous in a way…as an ‘Agnostic’ I kinda wish I had ‘faith’ if only to protect my sanity when my time comes.
That’s ‘the thing’ really isn’t it?
Faith protects you from ‘fear’ when your time comes.
Us Athiests and Agnostics are pretty screwed really.
It matters not whether we are right and you are wrong. When our time comes we’ll be shit scared and you won’t be.
Whether you’re right or we’re right matters not.
We’ll still be scared.
Now ain’t THAT the truth?
I got no problem with your atheism Mike. You and most atheists know more and better quote the Bible than us Christians. You’d think that would get us motivated to read The Bible more often but in reality it just makes most Christians hate you even more.
I figured that’s why you guys learn all the Bible stuff. To piss off us guys. Personally I plan on using this to get into Heaven if St. Peter whips a few questions on me. I’ll act offended, “Why you asking me? Go ask that dirty Atheist guy over there.”
While you’re educating St. Peter I’ll sneak in.
I am an out atheist, married to a religious fellow and don’t have any issues getting in the TBFJ** faces, even in my family. If I hear one more time how Christians are persecuted, I might just do some serious persecuting of them myself.
**Tambrine bangers fir Jesus
Praise Cheetos and pass the bong.
Power to you RR!!! Stay alive and fight the fight mate!!!!
Being an atheist among bible bumping, bigoted, anti-science, illiterate, non-thinkers makes me want to commit suicide. I’ve thought about it, but then who would fight the religious idiots trying to ruin the world.
signed:
An atheist who cares about what happens to humanity.
I’m not an Athiest – don’t tell anyone, I have a reputation to uphold….What do you mean Holty?? What reputation???…Cheeky sod!!….;-)
I’m actually Agnostic. I doubt there is an afterlife as such – Heaven and Hell and all that garbage and I’m firmly convinced there is no divine being (God/Allah/Buddah et al) but I’m not entirely certain re ‘the human spirit’.
We die and it all goes black – end of – no more – nothingness
We die and something inside lives on, on another plane…or is that plain?…whatever.
Regardless… Athiests (and Agnostics) are entitled to the same respect regarding their beliefs as Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Catholics, Scientologists, Moonies, Jehovah’s Witnesses…well…alright…not Jehovah’s Witnesses…we have to draw the line somewhere…;-)
Actually Mike…as you are clearly Satan incarnate I’m very happy. I couldn’t have a real friend who wasn’t…;-)
One hypothesis states that it isn’t the atheism of a region that leads directly to better living standards but the higher education. Then this higher education itself leads to higher rates of non-religion. But I believe it is more complex than just this. While it might be the start, higher rates of non-religion tend to promote higher education as well, which leads to a further spreading of the non-religious base. Combine this with grounding ethics in testable matters and not dogma (which is a factor of both education and non-religion) and you soon realize that both factors become a self-perpetuating cycle. Neither by itself can do the job, but each naturally leads to the other which carries itself forward.
I’m an atheist and I want everyone to know especially my annoying neighbors and family who keep insisting I need to go to church. Good article.
I suspect followers of MMA may have suspected that for some time Barton 🙂
Hey Mike came out of the closet! Congratulations man.