Common Bad Beliefs Among Atheists?

[Agatha]

Here's one irrational thing I see several atheists doing right now: thinking that everything someone says about atheist/atheists/atheism, including questions as well as statements, must be some kind of an attack.

I am reasonably sure that if the question were about beliefs that are common to theists (or common beliefs held by theists) that said theists would also take this as an attack.

Lumping people who hold many disparate beliefs but happen to have one thing in common, such as belief or lack of belief in god(s), will tend to get people riled up. Some atheists are on the left of politics, some on the right. Some believe in ghosts, some do not. Some swear by homoeopathy, some think it's mumbo-jumbo. Und so weiter. And the same goes for theists.

It's not irrational to object to false generalisations.

 

[acbytesla]

Here's one irrational thing I see several atheists doing right now: thinking that everything someone says about atheist/atheists/atheism, including questions as well as statements, must be some kind of an attack.

I don't necessarily think it must be an attack. In fact, I haven't seen an attack in this thread.
I just want people to be clear what atheism is and what it is not. In life, I've seen a tendency for people to have misconceptions about atheism. It's also not unusual for atheists to be attacked in some way.

 

[John Jones]

I think it's really strange how much pushback I'm getting from the idea that there is such a thing as a set of atheists on this planet, and that the tendencies of that set can be analyzed. Would anyone disagree with any of the following:

1. Atheists are less likely than theists to go to church on Sunday morning.
2. Atheists are less likely than theists to believe in the power of intercessory prayer.
3. Atheists are more likely than theists to critically analyze the predominant religion of their family or society.
There is nothing "inherent to atheism" in any of the above. Regardless, they are most likely true.

HA! Look what you wrote!

 

[I Am The Scum]

It's not irrational to object to false generalisations.

I honestly don't see any generalizations in this thread.

Let me try to get to the heart of the matter. I'm going to give a sample sentence and I want to see if you have any objections of any kind:

Japanese people tend to eat more rice than Canadians do.

I know this seems unrelated, but if the above is what you would classify as a "false generalization," then I need to know.

 

[Slowvehicle]

I honestly don't see any generalizations in this thread.

Let me try to get to the heart of the matter. I'm going to give a sample sentence and I want to see if you have any objections of any kind:

Japanese people tend to eat more rice than Canadians do.

I know this seems unrelated, but if the above is what you would classify as a "false generalization," then I need to know.

Do you mean, "people of Japanese descent", or "people who live in Japan"?

 

[I Am The Scum]

Do you mean, "people of Japanese descent", or "people who live in Japan"?

For the sake of my point, I don't think it really matters, but to answer your question: If you find either interpretation problematic, let me know.

 

[acbytesla]

I honestly don't see any generalizations in this thread.

Let me try to get to the heart of the matter. I'm going to give a sample sentence and I want to see if you have any objections of any kind:

Japanese people tend to eat more rice than Canadians do. I know this seems unrelated, but if the above is what you would classify as a "false generalization," then I need to know.

So what? What's the point in trying to correlate the simple rejection of a single claim to anything? It seems totally superfluous. What do you think this information will tell you? I really don't see how it might be used without it turning into a useless stereotype.

 

[Slowvehicle]

For the sake of my point, I don't think it really matters, but to answer your question: If you find either interpretation problematic, let me know.

The fact that you "don't think it really matters" illustrates the problem with your questions.

 

[Jules Galen]

I'm curious if any of the posters here (atheist or otherwise) would like to address any bad ideas that are common among nonbelievers. Here's my (least) favorite:

You can't reason someone out of what they did not reason themselves into.

I don't think I've ever heard a single non-atheist repeat this line. Strangely enough, however, it is quite common that atheists themselves are living counterexamples of the claim.

Many Atheists think that whatever, or whoever, the Historical Jesus was...is Dead. And he ain't coming back.

Yeah...Jesus don't come back. Not now. Not never.

Asta La Vista Jesus!


Or...in other words:

Jesus, ya' been dead for 2000 years...isn't it time ya' re-assemble and come back? Or are you just jearkin' us around?

 

[Loss Leader]

I'm curious if any of the posters here (atheist or otherwise) would like to address any bad ideas that are common among nonbelievers.

Skipping ahead: certitude: the smug belief that anyone who thinks differently is just stupid, incapable of clear thought, etvc.

This is hardly limited to atheists. When I identified as Jewish, I would get attacked by Christians for not believing whatever that story was about. And it is hardly a trait of atheism.

It's just something that, when I see it in anybody, immediately causes me to shut them off.

 

[I Am The Scum]

The fact that you "don't think it really matters" illustrates the problem with your questions.

Please explain the problem to me. I want to learn.

 

[Slowvehicle]

Please explain the problem to me. I want to learn.

I am a constructivist educator. Demonstrate your desire to learn by constructing at east one viable explanation of "the problem", as expressed in your example, and I will help you come to see your fundamental error.

 

[I Am The Scum]

I am a constructivist educator. Demonstrate your desire to learn by constructing at east one viable explanation of "the problem", as expressed in your example, and I will help you come to see your fundamental error.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think you are asking about this part:

If you find either interpretation problematic, let me know.

By which I mean any of the following: False, misleading, generalizing, or even disagreeable.

 

[Nay_Sayer]

Many Atheists think that whatever, or whoever, the Historical Jesus was...is Dead. And he ain't coming back.

Yeah...Jesus don't come back. Not now. Not never.

Asta La Vista Jesus!


Or...in other words:

Jesus, ya' been dead for 2000 years...isn't it time ya' re-assemble and come back? Or are you just jearkin' us around?

I don't think a historical Jesus existed, let alone died.

I guess no pie for me.

 

[David Mo]

What is this thread about?

I suppose that our friend is asking to us -atheists- to confess our sins and eventually do an act of contrition.

It would be useful if he could put an example. Something like this:

-Atheists are agressive and intolerant toward deists.
-Atheists' breath smells.
-...................

Something so.

 

[MRC_Hans]

If any of you could point out where I even imply that most/all atheists believe [whatever], I'd be really impressed.

Or you could focus on what I'm actually saying. At this point, I think I would find that impressive, as well.

"Common bad beliefs"

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/common

Be my guest.

Hans

 

[MRC_Hans]

Here's one irrational thing I see several atheists doing right now: thinking that everything someone says about atheist/atheists/atheism, including questions as well as statements, must be some kind of an attack.

"Common bad beliefs"?

Well, it certainly ain't appraisal.

Hans

 

[Dave Rogers]

Here's one irrational thing I see several atheists doing right now: thinking that everything someone says about atheist/atheists/atheism, including questions as well as statements, must be some kind of an attack.

Well, apart from all the atheists who read the thread, didn't see it as an attack, and didn't bother to respond because they didn't have anything to say. To take a self-selecting sample as evidence of a common property is a good example of confirmation bias.

Dave

 

[Slowvehicle]

I'm not entirely sure, but I think you are asking about this part:


By which I mean any of the following: False, misleading, generalizing, or even disagreeable.

No, but I do appreciate your attempt. Consider the very structure of your "argument", the very nature of your test groups. Consider the necessity of identifying, and controlling for, multiple variables.

 

[Elagabalus]

The highlighted. But if there are any examples of the former, that's fine too.

Here's another I remembered on the way to work this morning:

Religion was just created to control people.

While this may be true in some cases (Scientology being an obvious example), and it might be true that religion is sometimes used as a control mechanism, the purpose behind a religion's genesis is not so cut and dry. At best, it's historically ignorant. The earliest Christians, for example, did not benefit greatly from their beliefs; they suffered. At worst, it's conspiratorial - just more parroting of Zeitgeist.

I get what you're going for but, perhaps, it needs a bit of narrowing down for this crowd (as well as a different subforum). Until then, you might want to check out Badhistory over on Reddit.