Atheists identified as America’s most distrusted minority, according to new U of M study

University of Minnesota News ^ | 3/20/06

[Right Wing Professor]

It would seem that being an atheist, one would not give a damn about just about any thing -- sort of like John Lennon's "Imagine."

I can't imagine why you'd think that.

[FormerLib]

I tried to, but the chip on his shoulder poked me in the eye!

[FormerLib]

I have a problem with atheists who have a problem with Christianity.

Roger that, an important clarification.

[Join Or Die]

I trust them more than most people personally. But that's just my opinion which I know is not widely shared amongst my peers.

[Right Wing Professor]

Many of the study’s respondents associated atheism with an array of moral indiscretions ranging from criminal behavior to rampant materialism and cultural elitism

Oh sure, because we don't want to crowd into a garish building once a week with a bunch of credulous bubbas, clad in their best polyester, dragged there by their big-haired wives, and listen to shallow platitudes about hypothetical beings, mouthed by rednecks with thick Southern accents, they call us cultural elitists.

:-)

[Mordacious]

Umm, personally, I'd prefer a godless atheist, who, by definition, is *FAR* more likely *not* to blow himself up than a deranged Islamic 'believer' that thinks he's going to his virgins.

I'm with you.

[Mushinronshasan]

"Ive never known as athiest. Now maybe someone I knew was and I just did not know it. I do have a friend who claims to be agnostic. I told him he was just a lazy athiest. He said he liked that idea. Really he is just stubborn. Can't make a decision etc."

Atheism and agnosticism are not neccesarily mutually exclusive.

Atheism is simply lack of belief in a deity, and agnosticism is lack of knowledge of a deity.

If your friend tells you he doesn't know if there is a deity hiding from our perception but based on the evidence presented, he doesn't conclude that there is one, he is both atheist and agnostic.

[FormerLib]

Democrats are more likely to be atheists than Republicans.

Consider the claim backed up. LOL!

[FormerLib]

Note to self: Atheists are also more likely to be bitter wretches, which may be why folks distrust them. Thanks for the reminder! ;-)

[Right Wing Professor]

Atheists are also more likely to be bitter wretches, which may be why folks distrust them.

Well, I did add a smiley to tip off those too dumb to see what I posted was obviously intended to be humorous. Trouble is, there are people so dumb they can't even figure it out after being tipped off.

[FormerLib]

I don't care if you added a dancing Fig Newton to your post, you still come off as a bitter wretch and your little tantrum in response just proves it.

[ChessExpert]

"Atheists, who account for about 3 percent of the U.S. population..."

I am skeptical of this claim. I suspect the percentage is much higher. 3% is presented as a fact. No substantiation is offered. The author may have a source, which I presume would be a survey. What were the survey questions? How do agnostics fit in? How about Jews who do not believe in God? Were respondents candid? How many people in the survey? How were people chosen? How about the effect of self-selection, with some people refusing to take the survey? There are lots of relevant questions about the "3%" but no answers in this article.

I wonder if Penny Edgell believes in God. What percentage of the University of Minnesota's Sociology Department believe in God? Are my questions too personal?

Do you suppose Penny is sensitive to the response to her article from academics at the University of Minnesota? How about the response from academics at the more "educated" and "accepting" (tolerant) East and West coasts?

To me, this smells like a soft-sell smear of fly-over country Christians. Don't forget, it's "science," so you have to agree. This is one of many studies. Though the impact of one "scientific" study may be small, the cumulative impact of many studies may be large. One nail in the coffin?

[VOA]

"That's a bit odd, since it would imply that you can't deny the existance
of Santa Claus or the Toothfairy."

That is a good point.
This is just a friendly question: I'm no philosopher, but do you know
a formal-logic answer that Russell should have give?

About the only way out that comes to my feeble mind would have been for
Russell to say that his atheism is a religion/faith/belief-system.
That is to say that he fully believed that there was no G-d, even though he
didn't have the omniscience needed for a total disproval of existence.

[Right Wing Professor]

I don't care if you added a dancing Fig Newton to your post, you still come off as a bitter wretch and your little tantrum in response just proves it.

One of us certainly seems to be bitter.

[Sols]

This is why I very, very rarely tell anyone I personally know that I am atheist if I can help it. They look at you like you just kicked them in the balls.

[Old_Mil]

Umm, personally, I'd prefer a godless atheist, who, by definition, is *FAR* more likely *not* to blow himself up than a deranged Islamic 'believer' that thinks he's going to his virgins.

Muslims want to tell you how to die, atheists want to tell you how to live (as the ACLU litigated court cases of the past few decades illustrate).

[SouthernFreebird]

I'd take an atheists over a muslim any day.

[RinaseaofDs]

Bingo.

Dead on. Atheist say there is no God, which begs the question of proof - which they come up short on, necessarily. An agnostic is simply unsure, or more extremely, utterly unconvinced .

[Minn]

Oh sure, because we don't want to crowd into a garish building once a week with a bunch of credulous bubbas, clad in their best polyester, dragged there by their big-haired wives, and listen to shallow platitudes about hypothetical beings, mouthed by rednecks with thick Southern accents, they call us cultural elitists.

I can understand a non-believer having a cultural distaste for the church scene. Sometimes I share aspects of that sentiment. What I don’t get is the atheist that has a seething hatred of all things Christian. You have to wonder if they were perhaps abused by nuns or something. If you’re convinced there’s no god, why would you possibly care what others believe? It’s not like you need to convert others so they can share nothingness with you after death. I see militant atheists as about the most psychologically defective people you are likely to encounter.

I work with a guy that proudly displays a plaque sporting the humanist manifesto on his desk, along with numerous comics lampooning faith. One equates the pointy hats of Boy Scouts with the KKK. I’ve carefully avoided ever discussing politics with the guy, but often wonder: what the hell? What is he attempting to accomplish by sticking a finger in the eye of many of the people that encounter his little display?

[Right Wing Professor]

This may help.

Sheesh!