16 Common Myths About Atheists

Nice thread, MIMS.

And as far as Myth 14 goes, the number of Christians in American prisons FAR outnumber the atheists.

Considering that the number of atheists in the nation is something like 12% and the number of atheists in prison is .2%, and the number of Christians of varying sects (not including Mormons and Scientologists is 79.1% ... well, you do the math. I don't like math.

reply to post by MajorMalfunction


indeed...

hmm... where in the FSM's name are the theists to contradict any of the statements?

do they have no argument?
are they de facto agreeing that these are simply myths?

They probably aren't even reading the thread, MIMS. Though I can't speak for any of the religious folk, it may simply be a case of sticking heads in sand to avoid seeing something that doesn't mesh with their world views.

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
Nice thread, MIMS.

And as far as Myth 14 goes, the number of Christians in American prisons FAR outnumber the atheists.

Considering that the number of atheists in the nation is something like 12% and the number of atheists in prison is .2%, and the number of Christians of varying sects (not including Mormons and Scientologists is 79.1% ... well, you do the math. I don't like math.

Do you have a source for those statistics? I'd just like to know if whoever spewed them out addressed the issue of how many people converted to some form of religion after entering prison. From what I hear, it's practically suicide to not belong to some denomination, as it affords you a lot of protection on the inside. And let's not forget the fact that if those people were actually following the tenets of Christianity(not that most Christians do), they wouldn't be in prison in the first place.

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
hmm... where in the FSM's name are the theists to contradict any of the statements?

do they have no argument?
are they de facto agreeing that these are simply myths?

The myth is that the majority of Christians don’t actually believe your "myths." So in a way, yes, they are de facto agreeing that many of them are just myths, although not myths that the average Christian thinks are true. Let me make my own assumption about atheists here: you think we Christians give atheists much more thought than we actually do Most of us couldn’t care, unless you are close enough that we love you in a personal sense.

BTW, you do realize that it is distasteful for you to whine that no one is responding to your wonderful, be-all thread. See "arrogance" on your list of myths about your ilk.

Not only that, but stating repeatedly on a thread that you started that the certain segment of the population you wanted to lure in is not logging on in order to argue against your provocations is indicative of your possible TROLLING nature.

However I did bite, so let me say that one could just as easily create a strikingly similar list of common myths about Christians. Number one on that list could be "All Christians sit around all day thinking about atheists." Truth is, we typically only think about you atheists on the very rare occasion (there aren’t that many of you out there, proportionately) that someone actually says to us "I am an atheist."

Sorry, you just aren’t as important as you seem to think.

BTW, the fact that you authored this thread and spend so much time going out of your way to attempt to disprove Christianity tells me that you are indeed missing something in your life, as per your list. If this is not the case, then please explain your haunting of the Christians on this board. You have a defensive mind in this regard because deep down inside you know the truth, that the Lord is there and he loves you



[edit on 12-12-2007 by cavscout]

(begin sarcasm) Yeah, madness, you going about asking for people to post their thoughts on something is TROLLING! (end sarcasm)

Whether or not most people believe those myths, they're usually the ones people spout at us when we try to debate religion. I had a thread go down the toilet when somebody insisted endlessly that most inmates aren't religious, based solely on their perception of religious people compared to atheists and not at all on statistics or solid, verifiable observations.

I think this is a very good thread, and I think anyone who spouts one of those myths off in the future on ATS should be directed here in the future to debate it, instead of ruining that thread with prejudice and ignorance.

[edit on 12-12-2007 by mattifikation]

Originally posted by mattifikation
(begin sarcasm) Yeah, madness, you going about asking for people to post their thoughts on something is TROLLING! (end sarcasm)

If that was in reference to my post, you are either intentionally twisting the reason I gave for considering this trolling or you have given your grey matter a break and didn’t understand what I said.

Asking someone to post their thoughts on something is not trolling. But that isn’t the reason I gave for this being trolling and you know it.

The reason it LOOKS like trolling is that he almost came right out and said "look, I started this thread attacking the intelligence of a certain group and they wont argue! If you dont come here and argue, you must be stupid and it proves I am right." Well, at least that is what I got of it. Classic trolling, even if you dont think so.

instead of ruining that thread with prejudice and ignorance.

The simple fact that you believe if a Christians posts on this thread it will be ignorant shows your prejudice

Originally posted by mattifikation
I think this is a very good thread, and I think anyone who spouts one of those myths off in the future on ATS should be directed here in the future to debate it, instead of ruining that thread with prejudice and ignorance.

Sorry, just couldn’t leave this one alone.

Although the meaning of the word "ignorance" is not "one who lacks intelligence" it is clear that this is the meaning you assigned to the word in your post. I will address it with your meaning because, although you appear to be ignorant as to the meaning of the word ignorance, all speech is a form of communication and you have successfully communicated the idea you had in mind, that all or most Christians are less intelligent than atheists, or at least that their beliefs on the subject of divinity are stupid.

Your prejudice could be added to the "myths of Christianity" list. We are not all inbreed mouth breathers. So seeing as the point of this thread was to give the impression of dispelling common stereotypes let me say this about myself: although I put little stock in IQ tests, I am a Christian and my IQ is well above average. I am highly educated. My parents are not related. I don’t live in the south and I am not a conservative. I don’t support war, the Iraq war, or the POTUS. Oh, and I don’t often breath through my mouth OR drool.

Imagine that.
.

Quit putting words in my mouth. I meant ignorance just as it's defined.

And no, he did not say anything like your silly quote. He simply inquired a few times as to why nobody was coming to discuss his issues with him.

Stop looking for insults when nobody's throwing them, it makes YOU look like the troll.

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
Nice thread, MIMS.

And as far as Myth 14 goes, the number of Christians in American prisons FAR outnumber the atheists.

Considering that the number of atheists in the nation is something like 12% and the number of atheists in prison is .2%, and the number of Christians of varying sects (not including Mormons and Scientologists is 79.1% ... well, you do the math. I don't like math.

idiotic "stats", if you think those prisoners are actually religious, bible reading chaps- what happens is people just throw out labels labels to the prison admin (be it race, nationality etc which often give them prison benefits) then good luck to you, total garbage from any sane assessment

As for the maths, the "muslim" prisoners heavily outweigh their percentage- do you reserve special ire for them?

[edit on 13-12-2007 by blueorder]

reply to post by cavscout


The only thing I've seen Madness do is to try to dispel the myths about atheists. YOU may not feel this way, but I certainly have heard all of these myths before about atheists. In fact, whenever a Christian talks about atheists, these myths are what they believe atheism is about.

No one here said that Christians are stupid or less intelligent. I certainly don't believe that. I do believe that Christianity is not a healthy mindset, but that's just me. I do think that anyone who believes in faith-based anything is probably at least somewhat propagandized/brainwashed. I think beliefs should be based on facts, not faith. But intelligence has nothing to do with what path one does or does not follow spiritually.

Taking offense at things that were not said is a way of keeping the "war" between Christians and atheists going. Perhaps a little tolerance would help; at least, that's what Jesus taught, right?

Hi um… (Sorry about going off topic here) just out of curiosity do you (atheists) believe in this alien (if you believe in extraterrestrial life additional to our own) proclamation that the Grays created all religions? In addition, that Jesus was a gray masquerading as a human.
I did many readings concerning the alien abduction theory plus it’s allegation that they formed the religions and whatnot, consequently a number of people believed that and started to consider that the aliens are here to point us to the right direction.

The Christians will never be convinced that those myths aren't true. These myths aren't something they make up on their own. It's part of the brainwashing they get as children.

The above statement is also a myth. I find it amusing how all "believers" are lumped together, yet the entire OP was basically about how these common myths apply to only a few athiests.

Personally, I'd be considered Christian, I suppose, although I do not attend church. But guess what? I married an Athiest. We've been married for 9 years. If all Christians were so "brainwashed" would that even be possible?

We're not all so closed minded, and illogical as most seem to believe. Just food for thought.

my personal example: true, i want a world without religion... but i want a world that is VOLUNTARILY without religion. one where people are atheists who have come to the decision themselves.

Yes how transparent is this.

Here let me translate for mad to better illustrate just how that sounds.

What a wonderful world this could be,, if only everyone were a little more

like me.

BTW, Hitler wanted a world without religion, so did stalin. Two men, atheists that had killed millions and millions in genocidal slaughter. Then went on to start WWll the holocaust, and the mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Jehova wittnesses. It is people like yourself but want a world without religion that are to blame for much of the atrocities of evil.

The only difference is you want them to comply voluntarily (gee how kind of you pffft) while the others just wanted them dead.

Since they were not religious tyrants, I guess it doesn't count.

You want to dispell stereotypes about atheists while making broad generalizations regarding religion. Religions are so many so differen't how you can just lump them all into a blame for so many social ills and have us believe you knew SQUAT about them is yet another transparent issue.

- Love Con
PS; Oh yeah,, and mad,,by the way,,
Jesus Loves you.

hee hee

The only thing I've seen Madness do is to try to dispel the myths about atheists. YOU may not feel this way, but I certainly have heard all of these myths before about atheists. In fact, whenever a Christian talks about atheists, these myths are what they believe atheism is about.

I think I speak for most Christendom when I say that Christians really don't have myths about them and quite frankly your assertion an effort to dispell them is warranted by blaming Christians for spreading them is baseless unless you think we can tell who they are by their hairstyle. Atheists, with all due respect,, just aren't that interesting, fascinating or important.

Although your disengenuous disclosure that you don't think Christians are stupid or less intelligent while in the very same paragragh you cast aspersions to our mental health, that we are brainwashed and taken in by propaganda. Hey,, don't sugarcoat it guy,, just admit you think were stupid. Then after that Ill clue you in to some of your own.

While attempting to rationalize logical intelligence with faith, something that you clearly have no understanding let alone see the distinction between the two,,making any comparison between belief in anything by faith and one by facts when you can't even tell me you believe the sun is coming up tommorow but by faith.

The fact is it came up yesterday and everyday before that but that's all facts I can honestly go by, till the morning I have lots of faith it will be a fact again.

You make patent all the "myths" about atheist's mad is trying to dispell.



Jesus has no tolerance for atheists and to atheists,, Jesus was a liar a charltan or a myth. If they want to believe that,, so be it. Isn't a big deal.

[edit on 13-12-2007 by Conspiriology]

hmm... where in the FSM's name are the theists to contradict any of the statements?

LOL they are all putting on the war paint for the big shindig here.

Naaah really is no argument is there? You say these are myths about atheists and I have to agree as I would any having a fixed opinion about people as if they are all cut from the same mold. You would know more about such things and my guess is you have had some degree of injustice felt by some who hold such ideas about atheists.

Good seeing you Maj, hope all is well with you and yours.

- Con

I believe in a higher power, but I abhore organized religion, especially christianity.

I was speaking with a friends son the other day. He is 8 years old and is fascinated by dinosaurs. I told him that some people think the didn't go extinct but rather evolved into the birds you see everyday. His mother in a very angry and contemptuous voice told me that they don't believe in evolution and not to talk to her son about it. She states he learns "gods truth about creation". The kid is home schooled and drilled with Christian dogma. I must say i feel terrible for this child that he doesn't know any better and will never hear other viewpoints. Pretty SAD. This is just one example of why I have big problems with Religion.

reply to post by blueorder


Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?

The stats come from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. A letter was sent to a website owner per his request for stats.

The letter can be found here.

You can do the denial dance all you like, but since America is a "Christian" nation, it makes sense that most prisoners are "Christians" doesn't it?

But the disparity between the number of atheists on the outside and the percentage of atheists in the prison population is quite telling about who has better ethics: those who are steeped in superstitious stupidity and those who live a good life because it's the right thing to do, not because the sky fairy is watching.

reply to post by codex code


No. I don't believe that aliens are visiting our planet either.

Religion came from man's need to know "why". When there was no scientific method to figure out and explain "why" gods were created to fill the gaps. Now that we can figure out things on our own, without the "Poof! a miracle!" defense, the god of the gaps is not necessary.

Sadly, people still cling to this primitive mindset and it's holding the world back from progress. If people don't move along to true mental maturity, religion is probably going to be the end of our species in the next 5 to 10 decades when any fundamentalist extremist can learn how to build a dirty bomb or engineer anthrax from the internet.

This is an awesome post. I am glad someone finally covered this topic.

One thing that stumps me about the christian religion is that if you dont go to church you're apparently going to hell. So if I am the nicest person in the world, go out of my way to do things for others, perform charitable acts on a daily basis but still live my life as an atheist......where will I end up when I die, providing that I am wrong and there is a god