Atheists - the most hated minority

[_Hoops]

Edited to show lunacy

Do you think snake wrangling is analogous to belief or unbelief?

Why are you bigoted against snake wranglers?

[_Buffalo]

Why are you bigoted against snake wranglers?

I'm not. I certainly wouldn't trust a snake wrangler less than anyone else just because he is a snake wrangler.

Why are you bigoted against atheists?

[_Hoops]

I'm not. I certainly wouldn't trust a snake wrangler less than anyone else just because he is a snake wrangler.

I have as much evidence for my claim as you have for yours.

Why are you bigoted against atheists?

Why are you bigoted against those who are bigoted against atheists? Or are some forms of bigotry okay and others not? Please list them so I know what I need to do to get on the approved list.

[_Buffalo]

Why are you bigoted against those who are bigoted against atheists? Or are some forms of bigotry okay and others not? Please list them so I know what I need to do to get on the approved list.

I'm not bigoted against you. I don't think you're any less trustworthy for being Christian or a bigot.

[Guest]

Scientific American had an article on this recently:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... e-distrust

This is a short summary of a hypothesis to explain why atheists are so distrusted with a clever experiment providing some support. The idea is that in order for people to feel trust in someone else, they must feel they are beholden to some authority. "God" acts as this authority for people, and since atheists don't believe in that, distrust is more likely. The article goes on to explain how subconsciously reminding people of the existence of secular authorities causes them to reduce their reported distrust of atheists.

So the thread is about distrust now? I thought it was about hate? Or is it that we should conflate both so that the points made here can remain in effect.

So, okay, as a general rule I would distrust an atheist more than one with religious worldview. But that presents several problems that the atheists have to addrress before they can claim bigotry. Namely, I have no idea how I would know if that guy with whom I'm about to enter a business relationship is an atheist. I don't ask. He may offer, but if he does, then it's his problem what my reaction is. It's not as if I would offer that I'm a Christian (I'm hopeful he would figure that out all on his own). And if he decides to not work with me because of that - that is fine with me.

I'm quite confident that I am not unusual. So what is the point?

Why would you trust an atheist less than religious person?

Let's look at the facts. Do religious people cheat more on their spouses than nonbelievers? No. Do religious people have a lower divorce rate that nonbelievers? No. Do religious people have lower incarceration rates than believers? The opposite is true. Prison populations are far more religious than atheistic. Lower premarital sex rates? No. Lower drug and alcohol abuse rates? No.

In fact, countries with the largest population of atheists, such as Netherlands and Sweden, are lower than the U.S. (one of the most believing countries) in most of these categories. So much for the theory that belief in God results in greater morality.

If anything, nonbelievers are MORE moral because they are choosing to be moral without the fear of divine punishment or divine reward. The moral quality of religious virtue is diminished by the fact that it is compelled or rewarded.

Based on statistics, it is we nonbelievers that should be distrusting believers. Utah is #1 in the US in mortgage fraud and ponzi schemes, and it is also #1 in religious devotion. One of my colleagues was just telling me about two different people in his ward who are being convicted of violating securities laws. A person in my ward is going to jail over embezzlement.

I do think most people would be better off without religion, but I do see the need for some people to hold onto a hope for something better in a "next" life, particularly for those who have a less than wonderful life here.

Back to your implication that atheism is not immutable and therefore it not deserving of the "hate" tag for identical behavior against racial minorities, is it possible to be bigoted against religious people? E.g., is there bigotry against Catholics, Muslims, Mormons, etc.? Mormons certainly think so based on the articles published by FAIR. I know many Muslims, U.S. citizens, who feel the "hate" and "distrust" of people because of 9/11. Is that fair?

If bigotry against religion is possible, why is it hard for people to recognize bigotry against nonbelievers?

You accuse me of conflating distrust with hate. Read the polls from my original post, which say that atheists are the group that:

least agrees with their vision of American society
most disapprove of if my child wanted to marry a member of this group
most distrusted
least likely to vote for

If this isn't hate, I do know what is. I'm sure that if your particular group was being persecuted (I don't know your religious belief -- Mormon? -- how about basketball players), you would feel that these attitudes, when expressed and acted upon, constitute hate.

[_Hoops]

I'm not bigoted against you. I don't think you're any less trustworthy for being Christian or a bigot.

big·Old Testament·ry
   [big-uh-tree] Show IPA

noun, plural -ries.
1.
stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.

Obviously you are a bigot. So why is your bigotry acceptable and mine isn't?

[_Buffalo]

I'm not bigoted against you. I don't think you're any less trustworthy for being Christian or a bigot.

big·Old Testament·ry
   [big-uh-tree] Show IPA

noun, plural -ries.
1.
stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.

Obviously you are a bigot. So why is your bigotry acceptable and mine isn't?

I tolerate you very well. Even though you're a bigot.

[_Hoops]

I tolerate you very well. Even though you're a bigot.

I tolerate you very well. Even though you're a bigot.

[_Buffalo]

I tolerate you very well. Even though you're a bigot.

I tolerate you very well. Even though you're a bigot.

Not very well. You don't trust me just because I'm an atheist. And even though I'm not a bigot, you called me one anyway. :(

[_Hoops]

Not very well. You don't trust me just because I'm an atheist. And even though I'm not a bigot, you called me one anyway. :(

Oh? Where did I write that?

Nonetheless, according to the operating definition of this thread (and dictionary.com) you are a bigot. You have no tolerance for the intolerant. Which, of course, means you're a hater.

Then, as it would seem, your brand of bigotry and hatred is acceptable.