Atheists About As Trustworthy As Rapists

[Jessie]

Recent polls indicate that atheists are among the least liked people in areas with religious majorities (i.e., in most of the world). The sociofunctional approach to prejudice, combined with a cultural evolutionary theory of religion‘s effects on cooperation, suggest that anti-atheist prejudice is particularly motivated by distrust. Consistent with this theoretical framework, a broad sample of American adults revealed that distrust characterized anti-atheist prejudice, but not anti-gay prejudice (Study 1). In subsequent studies, distrust of atheists generalized even to participants from more liberal, secular populations. A description of a criminally untrustworthy individual was seen as comparably representative of atheists and rapists, but not representative of Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, feminists, or homosexuals (Studies 2-4). In addition, results were consistent with the hypothesis that the relationship between belief in God and atheist distrust was fully mediated by the belief that people behave better if they feel that God is watching them (Study 4). In implicit measures, participants strongly associated atheists with distrust, and belief in God was more strongly associated with implicit distrust of atheists than with implicit dislike of atheists (Study 5). Finally, atheists were systematically socially excluded only in high-trust domains; belief in God, but not authoritarianism, predicted this discriminatory decision-making against atheists in high trust domains (Study 6). These six studies are the first to systematically explore the social psychological underpinnings of anti-atheist prejudice, and converge to indicate the centrality of distrust in this phenomenon.

 

The Link

 

Yeah. This makes me a little sad. I'm not sure if it is because they automatically assume atheists are horrible people with no morals, or if it is because they are willing to trust someone who rapes women more than atheists, which to me, as a woman, is pretty disgusting.

[Jessie]

Well, I guess I should correct myself. The study itself says that "people did not significantly differentiate atheists from rapists," though the graph at the bottom of the entire study shows atheists pulling ahead. As with any study, there's a margin of error.

 

But still... /shake fist.

[Positivist]

I find it fascinating how Americans divide the human race into theists and non-theists/atheists. The distinction is telling, because it indicates underpinning values, beliefs and assumptions:

• the valuing of what people believe over what people do;
  
• the belief in superstition and that the unknowable is not only knowable but known (only by us!); and,
  
• the assumption that religious belief is the basis morality.
  

I wonder how many hundreds or thousands of years it will take for this sociocultural belief system to go away.

[Foxy Methoxy]

Personally, I like atheists better than I like rapists.

[florduh]

And some people still complain when an atheist gets angry or confrontational.

[Jessie]

Personally, I like atheists better than I like rapists.

 

You know, I'd think that this belief would be universal. But hey, if a Christian wants to sit next to a rapist on a bus instead of me... well, I guess that is his/her choice. At least they don't stone victims anymore.

[florduh]

At least they don't stone victims anymore.

That we know of. Major media just doesn't cover it.

[Guest wester]

Facts on the ground are that religious obsessives are much much much more likely to rape children than atheists.

 

Re: The Catholic Church for gawd knows how many generations.

Re: The entire so-called "conservative" [sic] establishment of Pennsylvania covering for child rapists.

Re: Bible school teacher, 28, 'had sex with boy, 13, she met at Christian summer camp' http://tinyurl.com/7yntelh

 

This is just for starters. You can also join the hyper-"Christian" American Military where you can rape Japanese students in Okinawa, run over Korean girls with tanks, and cook Iraqi babies with depleted uranium.

 

Please spare me the pathological ravings of a twisted society.

 

In 1954 psychologist Franz Fanon took a post at a mental hospital. Two years later he wrote a letter of resignation from the hospital declaring, in effect, that society was more insane than his patients. He was given 48 hours to leave the country.

[Kaiser01]

lol never knew i was as bad as a rapist, maby i should turn my self in.

[Thurisaz]

Makes me wonder... morontheists/rightards often demonstrate belief in "words shape behaviors". You know, don't talk about it or it will happen. If you keep silent about our hooooly preacher regularly raping altar boys then he ain't a rapist, and such.

 

Now, aren't they afraid in the least that, if they discuss publicly that "atheists are worse than rapists", that might (in their fucked minds anyway) make atheists think about "why not, I should go out and rape someone!"?

 

Oh wait, that would presuppose that they actually think.

[Sybaris]

 

Yeah. This makes me a little sad. I'm not sure if it is because they automatically assume atheists are horrible people with no morals,

 

A similar attitude has manifested itself with my daughter. When her unemployed borderline fundy boyfriend asked me about marrying her I objected and didn't throw a parade and jump on the bandwagon like the rest of the family and her friends. So she attributes my lack of support for her marriage or anything else I don't agree with to being an atheist.

[mwc]

So does this mean we now have a green light on the rape thing? Is it a part of the "atheist religion?"

 

mwc

[R. S. Martin]

So does this mean we now have a green light on the rape thing? Is it a part of the "atheist religion?"

 

mwc

 

I don't have to do something just because someone with a distorted worldview says I do it. False accusations don't make it so. I'm a good person and I mean to keep it so. Besides, there is no "atheist religion."

 

Maybe you were just being sarcastic. If so, way to go, mwc. These Christards stop at nothing to boost their own egos at the expense of atheists. Doesn't make them look good. Not good at all.

[Onyx]

Oh brother. They are fuckwits if they believe rapists are better than atheists.

 

I have met rapists before and if you forced me to choose hypothetically who is the superior person:

 

a teacher who thinks Robert G. Inersgoll was great, is an atheist and used to be a graduate scientist; in her spare time, she travels to museums and art galleries amnd she enjoys long walks on the beach and likes her new puppy

or

a rapist who spies on other people via friends' Facebook, use their cellphones to gather information on who were loyal to him, constantly lies to people, who had a narcissistic show in a dance competition, is only interested in making money and is charismatic.

 

Then you'd be damn sure that I'd pick the intellectual loving scientist teacher, animal lover, museum and art galleries attending, beach walkin' atheist EVERY FUCKIN' SINGLE TIME. No contest at all. So who's the moral person?

[Thurisaz]

So who's the moral person?

 

You listed a total of thirteen traits you base your decision on. The morontheist mindset signals overload after the 2nd already, and the only important thing (to them) you didn't even touch. Namely: "who of the two kisses the right führer's arse?".

[mwc]

I don't have to do something just because someone with a distorted worldview says I do it. False accusations don't make it so. I'm a good person and I mean to keep it so. Besides, there is no "atheist religion."

 

Maybe you were just being sarcastic. If so, way to go, mwc. These Christards stop at nothing to boost their own egos at the expense of atheists. Doesn't make them look good. Not good at all.

That's just it. Equivocation and the belief that there is an "atheist religion" is a dangerous thing. So I was just poking a bit of fun at those ideas.

 

mwc

[TheBluegrassSkeptic]

Being a firm non-believer in anything, and a sexual abuse victim of a believer, I just want to take these people (religionists) out in the streets and start beating them. I'm sorry, they need to be oppressed. This type of ignorance is what keeps us in this darkened age. I feel like technology has hurt progress on some levels because it has been easier for these morons to perpetuate their bullshit. We seriously need to find a way to get these assholes to not band together in government under the umbrella labeled Christianity, and expose the actual divided/bigoted jerkoffs they are towards one another. Divide and conquer these fools and lets take back the majority we really are.

[hereticzero]

Well, atheists are not the ones making excuses for rapists in the employ of their religion, namely Christians.

[BrotherJosh]

Well, atheists are not the ones making excuses for rapists in the employ of their religion, namely Christians.

 

No, in the case of the Catholic church they just blame the rapists/pedophiles on homosexuals.

[hereticzero]

Well, atheists are not the ones making excuses for rapists in the employ of their religion, namely Christians.

 

No, in the case of the Catholic church they just blame the rapists/pedophiles on homosexuals.

As atheists, we can claim that rapists and child molesters were not Real Atheists™ and must be Real Christians™ instead!

[florduh]

Religious people are no slackers when it comes to rape. But then, there are more of them than there are atheists. I suspect, as with everything else, a similar percentage of both groups are rapists.

[Jedah]

I think part of the problem is that there is a widespread false belief that all atheists are gnostic atheists. That we believe for 100% that it is completely impossible for any gods or paranormal spiritual entities of any sort to exist, when in reality the atheist position simply lacks belief in god because there is no evidence for god. People don't seem to understand that if valid evidence for gods existence did come to be, the vast majority of atheists would then believe in god.

 

On the flipside whenever evidence against any specific religion comes up, the members just chalk it up as a conspiracy.

[Foxy Methoxy]

Well, atheists are not the ones making excuses for rapists in the employ of their religion, namely Christians.

 

No, in the case of the Catholic church they just blame the rapists/pedophiles on homosexuals.

As atheists, we can claim that rapists and child molesters were not Real Atheists™ and must be Real Christians™ instead!

Sometimes when an apostate struggles with his lack of faith, it makes him a little rapey.

[midniterider]

Recent polls indicate that atheists are among the least liked people in areas with religious majorities (i.e., in most of the world). The sociofunctional approach to prejudice, combined with a cultural evolutionary theory of religion‘s effects on cooperation, suggest that anti-atheist prejudice is particularly motivated by distrust. Consistent with this theoretical framework, a broad sample of American adults revealed that distrust characterized anti-atheist prejudice, but not anti-gay prejudice (Study 1). In subsequent studies, distrust of atheists generalized even to participants from more liberal, secular populations. A description of a criminally untrustworthy individual was seen as comparably representative of atheists and rapists, but not representative of Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, feminists, or homosexuals (Studies 2-4). In addition, results were consistent with the hypothesis that the relationship between belief in God and atheist distrust was fully mediated by the belief that people behave better if they feel that God is watching them (Study 4). In implicit measures, participants strongly associated atheists with distrust, and belief in God was more strongly associated with implicit distrust of atheists than with implicit dislike of atheists (Study 5). Finally, atheists were systematically socially excluded only in high-trust domains; belief in God, but not authoritarianism, predicted this discriminatory decision-making against atheists in high trust domains (Study 6). These six studies are the first to systematically explore the social psychological underpinnings of anti-atheist prejudice, and converge to indicate the centrality of distrust in this phenomenon.

 

The Link

 

Yeah. This makes me a little sad. I'm not sure if it is because they automatically assume atheists are horrible people with no morals, or if it is because they are willing to trust someone who rapes women more than atheists, which to me, as a woman, is pretty disgusting.

 

 

Funny, rapists tend to go to prison. But atheism isn't a crime.

[agnosticator]

I'm not sure if it is because they automatically assume atheists are horrible people with no morals, or if it is because they are willing to trust someone who rapes women more than atheists, which to me, as a woman, is pretty disgusting.

 

Subconsciously, believers know their God is raping them up the ass. So consciously, they either project their suppressed fear and hatred of their God onto atheists, or literally act out what their God is doing to them and rape the weak and helpless.