What Christians think of atheists

[Angrboda]

Well, to be fair, don't we, as atheists, tend to stereotype Christians and other believers? Be honest - we're notorious for painting believers with a VERY broad brush.

Boru

I agree that it happens a disturbing amount. It's because it's easier to argue against a stereotype than deal with someone's actual position.

I think it goes beyond that. Whenever people of radically different views confront each other, there's an inevitable bias invoked that the other person is stupid, dishonest, or deranged — this seems to be the default response to someone whose views and beliefs are impossible for us to understand. It doesn't matter which side of the divide you're on, it's the divide itself which generates these responses. The atheist sees the theist as stupid or dishonest. The theist sees the atheist as stupid or dishonest. Neither side is aware of what is dredging up these notions in them, so they mistake them for reality. The theist really is stupid or dishonest, and vice versa. This only compounds matters because it results in strong emotions of anger and contempt toward the other party, which itself fuels a more biased view of things, leading to more demonizing as stupid or dishonest, and less engagement of behaviors which might resolve the conflict. I notice it in myself when I confront other theists. I notice the same in atheists towards me if I choose to take a contrary tone. This type of demonizing bias is, in my view, just a product of the way our psychology works as human beings. So I try to take the accusations of stupidity and lying or delusion from both sides with a grain of salt. To my view, such accusations from any side are usually a result of people not having the breadth of view to see the reaction for what it is. Simply an automatic cognitive bias. It's a powerful bias. When I get in such situations, I find the draw of such emotions impossible to resist. I think it's an example of the bias blindspot. We like to think we can consciously introspect our biases, but since bias operates at the subconscious level, there's nothing to introspect. I, too, subconsciously react the same way toward people whose views I find impossible to understand. I'm not above it, as noted. When I'm in such conflicts, the feelings (and accusations) tend to snowball.