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Atheism Myths
Myth:
You are really anti-Christian because you spend all of your time on Christianity.
Response:
Although technically a misunderstanding, there is some validity in the above comment and it should be taken seriously. There is no ignoring the fact that many atheist web sites and atheist books spend a great deal of time with the doctrines and beliefs which are specific to Christianity or, at the very least, to traditional forms of Western monotheism while at the same time ignoring other religions and more general theistic beliefs. Why is that?
First, this occurs because most of the atheists involved live in Western countries where Christianity and monotheism are part of the dominant culture. This means that the atheists are most familiar with Christianity, have to contend with Christianity on a daily basis in their lives, and perhaps even were raised as Christians. All of these are valid and understandable reasons why Christianity is more of a focus for atheist critiques then Buddhism or Hinduism.
If Buddhists came to online communities to convert atheists or if Hindus came knocking on our doors to share the Hindu faith with us, things would be different. That isn't the case however and the reality we have to deal with is the dominance of Christianity where we live - thus, it is unavoidable that Christianity will play a major role in our critiques of religion.
Nevertheless, this does not always justify how big of a role Christianity plays in those critiques. Sometimes, books on atheism focus on Christianity to a degree that simply isn't necessary. It might be understandable because most of the book's readers will be familiar with Christianity, but I think that it would make more sense for those authors to widen the readers' horizons by making the critiques as general and broad as possible, when appropriate.
In addition, it is true that some atheists are indeed vehemently anti-Christian. It isn't simply that they object to religion and, hence, object to Christianity. On the contrary, they display an almost unreasoning hatred for everything associated with Christianity - even to the point where they can act downright irrational about the entire matter. This is unfortunate, but often understandable.
It must be remembered that some atheists come from a Christian background where they were discouraged from doubting and questioning. Once they started, however, the found that they had been deceived and lied to by religious leaders: this can result in a lingering resentment and even hatred of the religious beliefs and power structures which allowed such deception to occur and allows it to continue.
Some continue to suffer from discrimination and abuse from family, friends and colleagues. They often feel unable to even reveal that they are atheists for fear of reprisals and ostracization. In such a situation, it simply isn't possible to expect a person to have warm, fuzzy feelings about a religion which is used, from their perspective, to foster hatred and repression towards them simply because they are unable to adopt that religion. Christians who find such anti-Christian attitudes disturbing should probably focus on eliminating the persecution and hatred those atheists endure rather than trying to convert those atheists to Christianity.
Most atheists who have to contend with such experiences manage to overcome their anti-Christian feelings, but not all do. In no way, however, does such hatred have any implications for atheism itself. Even if all atheists happened to hate religion generally or Christianity specifically, that would not mean that atheism itself is unreasonable and theism reasonable. It would simply mean that atheists sometimes adopt unreasonable positions.
Myth:
Atheists are bigoted against Christians.
Response:
This is similar to the claim that atheists are anti-Christian because of the time they spend on critiquing Christianity - it is, however, a more general assertion and merits being addressed separately. Is it a legitimate complaint that atheists are bigoted when it comes to Christianity?
It must be remembered that some atheists come from a Christian background where they were discouraged from doubting and questioning. Once they started, however, the found that they had been deceived and lied to by religious leaders; this can result in a lingering resentment and even hatred of the religious beliefs and power structures which allowed such deception to occur and allows it to continue.
Some continue to suffer from discrimination and abuse from family, friends and colleagues. They often feel unable to even reveal that they are atheists for fear of reprisals and ostracization. In such a situation, it simply isn't possible to expect a person to have warm, fuzzy feelings about a religion which is used, from their perspective, to foster hatred and repression towards them simply because they are unable to adopt that religion. In such an atmosphere, it is possible for bigotry to develop - and so, yes, it is surely true that some atheists are bigoted towards Christians and Christianity.
However, it is important to note that not every act of opposing Christianity and Christians is an example of bigotry. A good example of how the "bigotry" card can be overplayed comes from Florida. In 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed as head of Florida's Child Welfare Agency Jerry Regier - a man who had in the past advocated spanking even if it produced serious bruises and welts, recreating American families based on "biblical norms" and that women are naturally "helpmates" to husbands and hence should only work at home.
Unsurprisingly, this appointment created a storm of protests, and in response, Bush asserted that it was all a consequence of a "soft bigotry that is emerging against people of faith." In other words, people objecting to a man who advocates spanking until it causes welts being in charge of child welfare for the entire state are only exhibiting "bigotry" towards religious people. Such an assertion implicitly denies the very possibility that rational, civil adults could have valid objects to this person's philosophies and ideas.
Thus, we can see the problem inherent in the bigotry card: when objections and complaints are labeled as "bigotry," they are immediately dismissed as being worthy of serious consideration. They are no longer "real" objections. Those complaining are no longer worthy of addressing. It marks an end to political discussion and a beginning of demonization.
Genuine bigots exist, there is no question about that; but when accusing a person of bigotry, it is important to be sure that dismissing their position in such a manner is actually justified. Jeb Bush obviously wasn't justified and simply found the "bigotry" label a convenient way to avoid admitting that critics might have a legitimate complaint. How many Christians who say that a particular atheist is being bigoted towards Christianity are making a legitimate observation, and how many are simply trying to find a way to avoid that atheist's critiques?
Myth:
Atheists hate God and that is why they claim not to believe.
Response:
To atheists, this is a really odd claim. How can someone hate something in which they do not believe? As odd as it may sound, some people really do argue for this perspective. For example William J. Murray, the son of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, has written:
...there is no such thing as "intellectual atheism." Atheism is a system of sin denial. Atheists deny God because they decry and violate His laws and His love.
This argument and its variations imply that atheists really believe in a god but hate this god and want to rebel. First, if this were true then they would not be atheists. Atheists are not people who believe in a god but are angry at it - those are just angry theists.
But, ignoring that for now, this simply isn't true. Most of the atheists who are here really have no belief in any gods. Some atheists here actively disbelieve in some gods and deny that they exist. You can't hate something in which you don't believe or which you are certain does cannot exist. Saying that an atheist hates god is like saying that someone (maybe you?) hates unicorns. If you don't believe in unicorns, the claim simply doesn't make any sense.
Most atheists have come to their beliefs or lack thereof by reviewing the available evidence and either deciding that there is no evidence to support a positive belief, or that there is evidence to support disbelief. That is why they are atheists. Atheists don't hate god(s).
Now, there might be some confusion due to the fact that some atheists do have strong feelings about related subjects. Some atheists, for example, may hate the idea of god(s), religion in general, or some religions in particular. For example, some atheists have had bad experiences with religion either while growing up or when they started to question things.
Another point of confusion occurs when atheists make claims about "God" being psychotic or immoral. In such cases, it would be more accurate if the author were to add the qualifier "if He exists," but that is cumbersome and rarely happens. Thus it can be understandable (if not quite accurate) why some would see such statements and then conclude that the author "hates God."
Other reasons for any anger will vary considerably, and one of the most common is that they feel that these ideas or practices are ultimately harmful to people and society. However, the specific reasons for these beliefs aren't relevant here. What is relevant is that, even if atheists have strong feelings about some of these concepts, they still can't be said to hate god. You just can't hate something you don't believe in.
Myth:
Atheists hate Christians and Christianity, that's why they are always so critical.
Response:
Related to the above, some will try to argue that atheists hate Christians. To be honest, some atheists might indeed hate Christians. This statement cannot, however be made in general. Some atheists might hate Christians. Some might hate Christianity but not Christians themselves.
Most atheists do not hate Christians. It is true that many atheists may get frustrated or angry at some Christians' behavior, especially in forums for atheists. It is all too common for Christians to come in and start preaching or ranting, and that gets people upset. But this is not the same as hating Christians. Indeed, it is actually rather rude to make false general statements such as "atheists hate Christians" just because some atheists have acted improperly If you would like to have any constructive discourse on atheist forums, it would be best if you avoided statements like this.
Myth:
You think that the Church is evil, and just want to knock it, and God.
Response:
It is true that there are people who have become atheists due to anger at their church and/or religious institutions generally. It is also true that some of these same atheists have not let go of their anger even today, allowing it to influence their critiques of religion and theism.
However, it should not be assumed that the above is true of all atheists. Atheists are, in fact, a very diverse group, and they do not hold a large number of opinions in common. Some atheists, in fact, even regard religion as a good thing. On an institutional level it often causes problems, but on a personal level some believe that it gives great support and succor to its members.
More importantly, however, it should be remembered that theism and religion are simply not the same thing. Some religions are atheistic, and it certainly cannot be assumed that members of those traditions are only atheists in order to knock religion and churches. Critiques of religious beliefs and critiques of theism itself may often be related, but they are nevertheless separate issues.
Atheists simply don't believe in any gods. They may regard theism as nonsense, or they may simply not care. They may regard religion as harmful and religious institutions as dangerous, or they may not care. Atheists are all different, and simply knowing that someone is an atheist does not entitle one to make assumptions about their opinions regarding religion, politics or anything else for that matter.
Source: The Atheism Web
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