Poor uneducated unintelligent aheists

[Eudaimonia]

Peace....


Many atheists I have come into contact with are people who were educated, typically above average as it relates to critical thinking, and go on from their college background to earn a relatively decent living. Atheism is not typically the poor, uneducated, lower intelligence persons disposition. But what if it was?

What if the message of Hitchens and Dawkins caught on to this demographic, how would it affect things like prostitution, drug use, home invasion, parenting, and despair as it relates to quality of life issues? Many low income, disenfranchised populations are pacified by the belief that they will receive their due in heaven, and that their greedy bosses and the rich in general will be punished for being so selfish on Earth..But what would happen when they came to grips with the reality that if they don't get it in this life, they will never see heaven? How would things changed if this group really understood that this is as good as it gets for them unless they take matters into their own hands?

Social order is contingent upon a social contract, when the poor feel as if the contract has been broken, many turn into rogues, however most turn to religion and allow God the role of Arbiter...God informs them of the next life and how good its gonna be and how He will judge the guilty..and of course it makes things a little easier to deal with for the poor and disenfranchised...Is it safe to liberate the minds of this population at this point in America knowing that there is little probabilty that things are gonna rapidly turn around for the poor and desperate?



Whirling Moat

Ironically and with great caution I agree with you to some extent.. It is a unsettling uncomfortable truth that many people NEED religion like a drug until they slowly get through withdrawal.. I've witnessed people go backwards when they internally wrestle with the realization that there is no Daddy in the sky looking out for them.. I mean that's all they have in life....

People are not religious because they logically deduce it to be a good thing.. They are religious because it is their identity.. They are emotionally, traditionally and psychologically tied to the idea of a God.. To remove this idea without putting forth an alternative for many would mean psychosis..

But here is the thing.. Atheists are not doctors.. or psychologists.. and are not responsible for the God drug the public feeds upon.. I do think it would behoove us to be more careful if possible but I would not hold anyone responsible.. Not generally.. I leave that to those who seek or proclaim themselves enlightened leaders...

In addition, liberation of a mind should be the goal.. even in the face of the reality of that it may take some time..

I know men who have gotten off drugs.. stopped beating women.. and reduced their promiscuity when they became more religious.. Because they needed something to respect AND fear to aid their transformation..

As far as I know there is no alternative to this.. that is free, effective, immediate and generally supported by friends/family.. Also, many religious peoples sense of justice is wrapped up in their belief.. they see no hope for man adequately adjudicating fairness within society and pyschologically cope by believing that heaven will effect justice as it should be done.. (of course controlling for their own inability to adequately assess what justice "is"- possibly hampered by selfishness or greed)

The only thing we have to say to present to them is logic..

But logic is not what guides them..

Moat.. in spite of all of this the flaw I see in your argument is to suppress truth in favor of a lie in hopes of reducing casualties of the mind and less peace in society.. however, you have no evidence that this would happen en masse or enough to be destabilizing..

and even if you did.. It would not make God real.. true.. or necessary.. It would simply mean enlightened atheists would have to figure out what to do with those strung out on God drugs and continue to suffer delusions..

~Gday...