Whoever heard of an atheist with a job, a mortgage and a family to look after, they are all immoral and murder and steal without a care don't they?... this must be because they have no Christian morals to guide them of course, how do any of them stay out of prison without religious morals to keep them in check, how do any stay married or in a committed relationship...Hmmm, makes you think doesn't it!
129887
Funny! They let you type on the internet in prison? You probably stole the computer and are beating someone up as you type. \n\nI hope you can see my sarcasm as well. I am also an atheist. It is funny that people believe that morals and right and wrong come from a god. I guess Christians believe that people before Jesus came had no morals since they had no religion tell them what to do.\n\nThere's nothing more rewarding than being a happy, hard-working person who pays the rent (no mortgage or family yet!) and is kind to others and loves his friends or family, and does it all without having a god tell me what to do. I did it all on my own. That may sound selfish or self-rightous, but there's nothing more out there to help me.\n\nI read somewhere that only only 5 percent of prisoners are atheists.\n\nWell, I gotta go. The warden wants me to mop the cafeteria and then I have to stamp some liscense plates.
255130
Because they don't respect our beliefs.\nCan you imagine how much they'd freak out if we tried to "convert" them?\n\nhey if believing in something the equavalent of Santa Claus just cuz someone told you helps you through they day - that's fine. \n\nBut don't try to push your beliefs onto me.\nI believe atheists are smarter and more moral people.\nWe do not work on blind faith.  We question things and only believe in things that can be proved.\nWe don't just behave because we're scare of a mythical hell, we have chosen to be good people because we believe it's the right thing to do, not because of some magical heaven up in the sky.  We function without an emotional crutch, without some belief in some greater meaning to our lives and without a promise of happy reunions in an afterlife.  We are stronger emotionally.  \nWe do not try to tell people how to live their lives (a la the religious rights efforts to control every aspect of our life).   We are more tolerant.\n.... I could go on for days....\n\n...phew.... thanks for letting me vent... that's all the stuff I try not to scream at them as they judge me, try to tell me how to live my life and threaten me with damnation.
655351
"There is something borderline arrogant about Christians saying Atheists do not like the hard work it takes to be a true believer."\n\nPerhaps you dont understand what Christians are saying. Scripture states that our faith has nothing to do with us. It is a free gift from God. No hard work involved.\nI would agree that Christians can be arrogant. And selfish. And just about any other negative label you care to apply. In short, Christians are sinful people. But, people who live in the forgiveness given freely through faith in Christ.
625493
It doesnt make sense because you have decided there are moral people. There is a way that seems right to a man and this way ends in death...God knows that we are all immoral...those that consider themselves moral have no use for God they are the one that are in trouble the rest of us understand that we need God seek him and he reveals himself to those who see value in him...It really makes sense when you know God nad its not suposed to make sense to those who have no value in him....Just the way it works.
425859
Lot's of people have.  They obviously don't think their lives are bad enough already that they are tempting God to send them straight to hell!\n\nI'm an Atheist and have nothing to do with the whole affair, if God exists then he surely admires my honesty and will send me straight up!
60299
Here goes...\n\nAtheists along with many modern beliefs are very open and inviting and accept all with any belief you have or want to have. Hmmm that sounds an awful lot like that wide gate aye? \n\nChristians know that Christ is the only way. And that you must surrender all to enter this narrow gate.\n\nHere we have two very different world views. But both have their very own belief. Christians share their belief with others. Atheists share their belief with others. The Atheistic belief that there is no God is non threatening so its okay to share. The Christian belief convicts and demands a response. Unbelievers dont like to hear that someone else believes that they will spend an eternity of absence of God (hell) if they dont serve Christ. Christians dont like the idea of spending eternity rotting in a grave.\nBoth are somewhat offensive outcomes to the one who doesnt believe.\n\nDont they have a right to be intolerant? I mean after all we are going to be in a wonderful place for eternity. And they think that they are going to rot in a wooden box 6 feet under. And we are trying to tell them that it is actually worse than that....\n\n**** Oh and btw.... About statistics, they left out how only about only 14% of Christians say they believe in Jesus' deity, the trinity, the bible... and other things very important to the Christian walk.
135544
I've been on the other side where I thought that people who didn't believe in god must feel lost.  (I was raised to think they are evil.)  So, I can kinda understand why some religious individuals think that non-believers feel some sort of void or are immoral.  However, I also view that stance as an immature belief.  It doesn't take a lot of looking around to realize that agnostics and atheists are very content with their worldviews and live ethical lives.
659300
i don't believe atheists are in their truest sense evil, wicked, or vendetta ridden, maybe cynical, but that's mostly from self defense.....\n\nyes, the child would be an "a-theist"\ncorrect about the man, though he would not be perfect.\n\natheists are just faithless\nfaithlessness implies that there's something lacking from their spirituality. empty in a way that people of faith can't understand. \n\nit is said that empty hearts and idle hands do evil works. \n\nhumans are three dimensional beings and in that we have three planes of existence, the physical, the mental (IE emotional and intellectual) and the spiritual. ignore any one of these and the other two are bound to become corrupted by the absence of the third. we can only function properly if all three facets of us are fed and maintained
223579
There are legit christians, but many are homophobic. They may not be violent, but their words are. They claim "Homosexuality is a choice", but that contradicts the latest scientific experiment on the brains of homosexuals and lesbians (I also know myself, being gay, that it's something you have since birth, I myself discovered I was gay around age 5). Basically, everything they're saying about gay people is false, and they need to grow up. Even though I'm an atheist, I don't mean to offend anyone's religion, but sometimes I think people take advantage of their religion and their bible and "paraphrase" content in it to meet their specific agenda for hate. You can tell they're doing this because they ignore the fact that gluttony is a sin, as well as wearing certain fibers, yet they ignore that, and persecute the gays. It doesn't add up, does it.
67934
Awesome! I respect you, alot, because of this statement. I agree that God should not be brought into alot of things. Alot of these people make such statements blindly as they've yet to receive any ACTUAL experience in the type of situation of which the person you're talking to has gone through, but they feel it necessary to enforce (selfishly, I might add.) that they are a Christian and that by saying this they gain points with God. It doesnt. Why would god want to enstill so much trauma on a person? Common sense doesnt react well with fear, and in this case it is the fear that God is abit shakey about their loyalty to him (Which if they were a true Christian then they would probably come to the conclusion that as long as you build good karma selflessly, then their diety would be happy.).\n\nNow the subject about people preaching their beliefs and then sinning out their asses, I believe you're right. In the Bible, it says that God'll cleanse your sins (NOTE: I am an Athiest and do not believe this, but this is for the sake of argument) but that doesnt mean you should rack up as much negative points while you can. A quote from an AWESOME Scream Christian Band (Hardcore True Christians, mind you.)-\n\n"...Christ is not a Fashion..." - Memphis Will Be Layed To Waste by Norma Jean.
596916
god is not the good police making sure that every decent person only has good stuff happen to them.  if nothing bad ever happened you would never grow or mature.  it's the tough times that shapes your character.
250733
Why not?  People complain it is against God.  so those who feel that way should decline wedding invitations from gays.  MAN makes these rules and uses God as an excuse.  There are religions where a man can have many wives; do you  hear anyone complaining?  Anyway marriage does not have to be a religious ceremony.  People get married every day by a Justice of the Peace, a Mayor, even a ship's captain.  atheists get married.  what's the big deal?   so all the people who think this is a sin, would leave the "sinners" alone,  after all isn't it their God's job to judge them?  and to "punish".  They do believe their God gave them "free will" don't they?
105842
I think they are rebellious, and don't like limits. Religion consists of many limits. I think they are immature, and not ready to accept responsibility. Have you ever seen an atheist that was a loving caring mother? No because if they were an atheist at the time they had children they would believe in god as soon as they saw him/her. Also thank him every day for giving her such a gift.
160607
I agree with you Tory.\n\nThis situation is getting nuts all over because of a handful of people.\n\nMy sister teaches at a CATHOLIC school. She had her class make Easter Cards for their parents with religious pix from old Christmas cards, etc. and had them hang them on the wall.\n\nThe principal had her TAKE THEM DOWN because they were 'religious'!!!  \nAnd there were non-Catholic kids in the school!!??\nHello?? What is wrong with THAT picture?\n\nMy opinion with the Atheists....\nthey want every 'God' related word removed from our history, buildings, etc.\n\nWhat they fail to realize is their belief of non-belief is also represented -\non government buildings....any blank spot or wall ...\nrepresents the Atheist.\non our currency....the white blank border.....\nrepresents the Atheist.\nWhen we are finished saying our "Pledge of Allegiance" under Our God and we are silent for the 30 seconds following...that is for the Atheist!!\n\nGet my drift?\n\nTheir non-belief \nis very much represented \nin our Government!!
487742
No strings attached. If you don't believe in God you have no reason to have morals or a conscience. Life becomes a game... until you die and realize it's too late and then you get to enjoy hell with no regrets.
85301
I think some people are confused. They don't really realize that many of the people they think of as "atheists" are actually god-fearing individuals.\n\nThey simply point at Hollywood or scientists and assume that these people are godless. They are largely wrong.\n\nI'm coming from a different frame of view. I think that faith divides people and causes them to do terrible things to one another. Worse than that, it justifies these actions. The idea that atheists are immoral is faulty. The idea that one cannot have morals without god is faulty. \n\nThe people who come down so hard on atheism are missing that it truly is a message of tolerance. It's an acknowlegement that there are no rewards or punishments in some made-up after-life, so it is incumbent upon the individual to do the right thing for no other reason than doing the right thing. It is selfless in that sense.\n\nThere is a man in Florida who is trying to start a town for Catholics where abortion (among other things) would be banned. Is it constitutional? I don't know. However, I think that if I were to try to start a town for atheists, secular-humanists, whatever you want to call yourself and the only rules would be "1. No worship of the supernatural and 2. Tolerate everyone" people would go crazy and decry it as a new Sodom or Gomorrah.\n\nAlso, atheists cannot recruit in the traditional sense. We cannot "show you the light." One must reach their own rational conclusions. The further truth is that most atheists do not fault people simply for believing in god. It's when they use their faith as justification for intolerance or violence that we really get up in arms.\n\nDespite our lack of organization, we have something going for us that no other "faith" does. We will never go away. Whether people worship Zeus, Jehovah, or (maybe in 1000 years) The Star Wars Trilogy, there will always be people who say, "This cannot be right."
551996
My question to you is this: Why did you not pose this question to everyone and only American Christians because you didn't give details on Whose households were used to answer. This is bias. Do you actually know who answered this survey and what group or individuals answered? I hope that you don't think believers only answered that. As a former atheist, I never told anyone what I belived and it wasn't out of fear and rejection. I believe that those who see atheists as the most distrusted group of people is because they seem to be the opposite of any thing that reliigous people belive in for instance some atheist are for abortion. Reliigous are against it. Some atheists are against homosexuality and gay marriages. Some Religious people are against. Some atheists are deadset on pushing evolution on anyone that's against it especially on this site. Stem cell research is another issue and some religious people are for it. Let's not forget how some atheists consistently oppose against religious rights. Not every christian want to destroy religious freedom and seek only one religon nor want others to believe as they do. IMO,Hell was created for a reason not every one wants to believe. There are unbelievers in the christian world that label themselves believers and straddle the fence. No one can be trusted if they want to impose their beliefs or non beliefs on any individual that have made theirs up. As for as I am concern atheists are in every group that you have listed such as Muslims,recent immigrants, homosexuals and minorities and let's not forget christians. Think about it!