Comments on: Ten Common Misconceptions about Atheists

By: Common Misconceptions | The Evolution of an Atheist

Common Misconceptions | The Evolution of an Atheist — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:34:40 +0000

[...] 10 Misconceptions About Atheism [...]

By: Wendy

Wendy — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:37:33 +0000

Xjane: yes, a lot of what I said did come from a book by Neale Donald Walsh…and some of it did not. More of it did not…but I stand by everything written.

By: roy

roy — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:39:47 +0000

I have enough atheist friends in the real world to know this is not true, but if I were to go on what I see on the internet if I were you I would say add “11. We turn every article we read into a an argument about how this proves there is no god / comment about how religious people will react to this, even when the article did not make any even remotely religious comments.
12. We all 100% believe we are right and believe that anyone who believes in a god is 100% stupid despite the fact that many of us fresh out of highschool (or even younger)”

By: John

John — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:35:42 +0000

Onlooker, as someone who did change their mind through exposure to and participation in these religious debates, I have to disagree with you. Granted, it’s unlikely that one discussion will convince anyone, but based on my personal experience and those of my friends, the process of engaging in these debates is transformative. I’ve been in motion between skepticism to faith to skepticism and now moving a bit back towards spirituality again, and discussion with others online and IRL has been enormously influential. It’s not just the arguments on the page that transform people–it’s the discovery of that ones concerns are shared by others, exposure to how others have resolved their own issues, participation in a community of believers or dissenters or critics that can, in nudge someone in one direction or the other.

By: Onlooker

Onlooker — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 01:36:33 +0000

These religious debates never convince either side to change their views. People believe in God when they see evidence of his existence in the lives of others, or else they don’t believe because they don’t see any reason to. Most Christians display very little sign of anything out of the ordinary at work in their lives. Arguing online (however amicably the discussion is carried out) accomplishes nothing.

By: Steven

Steven — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:28:12 +0000

Hello Everyone.
I enjoy respectful and mature religious debate. I’m what you call an open minided spiritualist. I believe in God, but I don’t think he’s a racist, sexist, homophobic genecidal monster as depicted by many atheists. I think that is just used to further atheist arguments. True, the Old Testament describes this, but then the New Testament kind of contradicts this image by paving a loving and compassionate deity. Any thoughts?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:03:24 +0000

Holy hell, i just read some of the rest of the discussion.

What’s this? reasonable discourse? on MY internet?

i don’t think so.

Mark, Cameron, you are my new favorite people.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:01:29 +0000

goodness gracious, i JUST got around to reading time stamps.

Why does stumbleupon take me to year-old articles?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:23 +0000

hur. I find this list amusing.

as an agnostic (leaning theist, on the basis that it intrigues me) going to a jesuit university taking coures in theology, i’m astonished how well my theo professor and i get along, considering he has some very fundamentalist beliefs.

I remember debating with him one day after class, and he said to me:

“you know, anyone, especially any christian, worth his salt should know that no matter what you do, you’ll never be sure your beliefs are true.”

I just wish more people- for pete’s sake, the internet needs a double shot of this- would take the time to stop giving a damn what other people believe or don’t believe and let everyone else well enough alone.

Except for on Youtube. People arguing about religion and politics on youtube should be encouraged like we encourage the participants in the special olympics. Because bless them, they just put so much heart into it!

Either way, i lol’d (but perhaps not rofl’d- an issue you should adress)

By: Ida

Ida — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:18:24 +0000

haha nice list

By: xJane

xJane — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:24:30 +0000

Peter: I love your definitions of both (atheistic) morality & respect.
The first, that morality is instinct, has some basis in science (see: ape studies where it is discovered that charity is good for the tribe) and is a wonderful way of getting around Aristotle’s annoyance that all morality must come from the gods or some nebulous “highest good”.
The second, assumption of good faith on the part of the other party, is one that I need to work on. Thank you for that reminder.

Ben: so true.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:45:45 +0000

12. We show how naive we are to think logic and reason are welcome in the realm of faith.

By: Nat

Nat — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:54:05 +0000

I know this was mostly just a joke and all in fun, but it’s a bit offensive. As someone mentioned in an earlier comment, a common misconception of Christians is that we actually believe these things.

By: Elton

Elton — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 06:46:07 +0000

11. we spend way to much time worrying about something we don’t belive exists.

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:16:23 +0000

8. Without God, we lead gluttonous, hedonistic lives, throwing orgies all the time.

That is this athiest right here!

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:58:13 +0000

I’m gonna have to say #2 is wrong.
We can’t hate what doesn’t exist.

By: John

John — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:22:03 +0000

This is satire, folks, satire…

By: xJane

xJane — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:57:18 +0000

Abner: I’m sure it varies from rightwinger to rightwinger. From my parents alone I heard 1, 2, & 4-9. But you’re right, “common” is in the eyes of the beholder…

By: Abner Little

Abner Little — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:07:48 +0000

I was raised in the christian right, but never have I heard any of these misconceptions…

Common? Really?

Man, I guess I grew up more liberal than I thought.

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:35:43 +0000

Wendy: “True, the theory of evolution is still a theory”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory
People mix up the words theory and hypothesis, as they are the same in everyday use, but not in science.

Cameron: I am ‘good’ and moral due to my evolution. An organism that lives only for itself is not ‘designed’ (not implying a creator) to survive.
Consider, if evolution is true it is an explanation on why we survive. Humans that do not work with other humans will not pass on their genes. Therefore if it is in their nature to be unco-operative this nature will die out. If it is because of nurture, then these ways of nurturing (most likely learned from their parents) will not survive either. Therefor we survive because we are built to survive. Everyone on the earth today is the result of the co-operation of two (or more) people. Can’t dispute that.
Now, the reason why I am good is because you need to be to interact with other humans. If you are not productive for the community, you will most likely me expelled. So an ‘evil’ man who might harm others will not be able to pass on his genes if it runs counter to the wants of the community (In most cases).
So I am the prduct of good conduct, due either to nature or nuture, and these teaching will usually be passed on, allowing the community to live on.
When bees attack they must sacrifice their lives. And it takes something like 1000 bees (killer variety) to kill an animal as large as a man.
But if all bees were selfish, the hive wouldnt survive. The bees sacrifice themselves for the greater good, but I think all experts would agree that it is not a consious choice on the part of the bee. Its an instinct. In most our or moral codes, the bees have preformed a selfless and good act. They are moral creatures. Yet can they really be called so? For it is not a choice they make, it is a reaction.
I think the same could be said for us. Ethics and morals are just a name put to these instincts. No-one ever told me rape was wrong. Never seen it, had it, know some one affected by it. Yet I do not like it, without any teaching on the subject matter. My parents never raised me with a moral code, yet I have one. The only rules pertained to fighting with my siblings and my bed time.
I went to a multi-donominational school (you may have guessed already that I cant spell) and learned about all different world religions, yet I wasnt tought the moral code they follow.
Obviously, my morals come from somewhere else.

I accept the Big-Bang ‘Theory’ (That word again!) as there is evidence to support it (Read the book by Simon Singh) and it has the exact same flaw as the god hypothesis has, the start.

Also, if I knew the chrisitian god to exist, I wouldnt worship him. How can you love something you dont know? Or cant understand?
Also, as for respecting god, or religion, I cant do that. Respect, as far as I can determine, is the assumption of good faith on the part of the respected.
The only assumption I deal with is that most of the data from my senses is correct.

“what do you believe about life after this life?”
Surely the whole notion of infinte life after this one totally reduces the value of our time now. Why cry over death, when you will meet the person in a couple of decades? Why does god need to test us?
Im gonna donate my body to science, if it is in a fit condition. It will provide a use!

“if god is omniscient, then he has a purpose”
This is a unexplained leap in logic.
And surely he would know the outcome of any actions, thus he wouldnt need to do them.