Are Atheists less Homophobic?

[fuckass365]

Well I really don't mind gay people at all. I have had several gay friends in the past, met most of them in the US Army. They're generally really fun people.

[Child of Stardust]

Almost certainly. Not that there are no homophobic atheists, but major religions like Xtianity and Islam (even some types of Buddhism) have tenets that oppose it, which encourage people who otherwise wouldn't care about homosexuality to oppose it. A lot of religious people, at least in the West, sort of want to be non-homophobic, but feel compelled to oppose homosexual behavior because of their faith. When you don't have religious reasons to oppose it, it becomes more of a "who cares" for most people.

If no religious condemned homosexuality you'd probably see an equal number of religious and irrelgious homophobes.

[Xavier]

In the classical world in ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt homosexuality was generally deemed acceptable.

Hatred of homosexuality throughout the ages in general comes from the Bible and the Quran.

Atheists are in general less likely to be homophobic than people of the Abrahamic religions who view it as a sin.

[DeistPaladin]

In the classical world in ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt homosexuality was generally deemed acceptable.

My understanding from an episode of the History Channel is they had no word for "gay" or "straight". It would be to them like it might seem for us visiting a civilization where people were grouped according to some other sexual preference like "blondophile" or "Asianophile".

[Zen Badger]

I've always felt that judging some one on an activity that takes up less than 1% of their time to be rather stupid.

[kılıç_mehmet]

Most of the world, and virtually all of the industrialized world, is opposed to homophobia. Mehmet apparently does not live in such a place, but he is in the minority compared to the rest of the modern world.

Really, the rest of the modern world is not of my concern, friend.
Here, we have certain social limits. Homosexuals do have legal rights on practicing their ways, however, they do not try to break the boundaries that society has put before them by going over the edge. Mostly, they're not even taken seriously, the concept itself is mostly made fun of, and is the basis of swearwords like in your country.

it becomes more of a "who cares" for most people.

It's a "who cares" issue for me. However, once it tries to spill out into the normal public life, it becomes a problem. Fortunately, homosexuals in Turkey generally abstain from flaunting themselves, I for one, never met a homosexual in Turkey. I've only seen them on TV, and these are the "prominent" ones, like singers, who can afford to be open about their nature.
The rest have to adhere to the laws and rules of society, which is fine by me.

[Erinome]

I'm not certain if atheists tend to be less homophobic, but I do know that I'm not.

I don't understand how anyone slightly rational could think that it's okay to think that something is wrong with two people being in love and living life/raising a family together, just because they have the same genitalia. What the fuck kind of world do we live in, where people can't see beyond their own way of life, and realize that their way of life isn't for everyone?

You know what I have? Homophobicphobia. I think people who hate things they don't have the insight to understand are freaks of fucking nature. They should be jailed and/or shunned from society. They shouldn't be allowed to raise children or get married. Being a spouse and a parent requires compassion, understanding and tolerance. Homophobes don't have that. They have no concept of a world outside of their own insecure, selfish ideals and shouldn't be welcomed by any individual with a shred of decency.

That's pretty much how I feel.

[KichigaiNeko]

Don't stress Gooders....you are amongst friends here....

Many of my friends are gay and I love them to bits...they are so much more better dressed than me

[Phil]

Well..Are Atheists less homophobic?

How the hell is anyone supposed to answer that question since you left out a relevant bit of information?

[genkaus]

Playing the devil's advocate for a while, there could be many other sources of homophobia than religion.

For example, I did not encounter any concrete instances of homosexuality until late in my college years, but, as a concept, I knew about since high school. During that period, I could be classified as a homophobe.

For starters, the only depiction of homosexuality I saw was in movies, with the stereotypically flamboyant gay character making sexual passes at every guy in sight and I found it disturbing and creepy.

I also had some specific ideas about gender role then - probably due to specific roles played by my parents throughout my life - and I thought of any family without a father and a mother seemed incomplete.

Oh, and I simply couldn't imagine the aforementioned character in a parental role.

While all these could be chalked up to my ignorance and sexual subjects being taboo (I know, the joys of a third world country), we shouldn't forget that ignorance still prevails and sexual subjects are still a taboo. That religion happens to encourage both, is not as relevant as you'd think.