Why do atheists get singled out like this?

[Gawdzilla]

They don't like us because if we're right, they're not going to Heaven, or anywhere else. The idea that they'll cease disturbs them no end.

[IATIA]

Because we are the scum of the earth. We are lower than Satan. Even Satan believes in god, he just does not like him.

[Zen Badger]

They fear us because their religions tell them to.

Their religions fear us because we ask all sorts of awkward questions.

Like "Is what you do actually of any value?"

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I don't understand how this survey was put together.

Why are atheists compared to homosexuals, Hispanics, and even immigrants?
Americans are so stupid they think atheists are devil worshipers. Umm, HELLO?
Atheists don't believe in the fucking devil!

Morons.

[KichigaiNeko]

I am afraid (Americans on this forum excluded) that the majority of 'Americans' ARE as stoopid and ignorant and uneducated as the best out of Afghanistan or Iraq..sorry guys but you are a laughing stock amongst your fellow Anglo-Saxons...most of 'Americans' don't know where Australia is let alone Europe.

[Theistsbane]

I think its undeniable that we have a P.R. problem. First of all, you're going to get mistrust from what is the vast majority of the world's population. Simply because we believe something contrary to, like it or not, something that is inextricably intertwined with our entire civilization. Its extremely difficult to wage such a culture war against something so fundamental to who and what we are. What we profess, unashamedly, is nothing less than a radical point of view in regards to conventional thinking for most of human civilization. We all know this. We all understand that this is going to be slow to change. Second, I think the term "atheist" is too imprecise to describe any one of us. They already think "atheist" means "nihilistic hedonist communist, with no exceptions", which they're told to think. We all know that they think morals come only from a god and consequently we have none. We can offer several philosophies that many of us employ, but they would still reject them all for lack of a deity. Regardless, our philosophies are too widely varied to offer any real conformity in our atheism, which is also important to them. Third, even though all religions in America talk behind each other's backs, they all like to play the game of "at least we believe in something" and work very hard at appearing to show mutual respect and at least being polite and nice to each other's faces. However, the most vocal and loudest of us, the celebrity atheists like Dawkins and Hitchens, are not polite and nice. They are confrontational and often condescending. I act the same way. I'm not saying we should back down, far from it, but it doesn't help win any hearts or minds. These are some of the reasons why I think we're singled out.

[KichigaiNeko]

Disagree
Atheist means = 'something unholy and of the devil' and not to go near. Any other definition is just mind wanking. Theists AREN'T that complicated...they are rather simplistic imho and so anything that smacks of intellect is suspect because "theists don't know this shit so it must be of the devil" nonsense.

Witches has this same issue ages ago.

[Anomalocaris]

People feel comfortable around those suffering the same limitation they do and therefore do not threaten them with powers catagorically beyong their understanding or grasp. Christians derive self worth from self loathing. They can not abide by anyone possessing any self worth without self loathing because that seem to the to bespeak of power forever beyond their grasp.

[Ace Otana]

Because there are far too many religious shitheads who shudder at the thought that someone has rejected their bullshit story.

It's called "fear."

Absolutely.

When your living in a fantasy world where everything has a special purpose and you get to fly to la-la land when you pass away, your greatest threat is someone questioning it.
They attack atheists through fear. They want to keep their fantasy going for as long as possible. Someone who doesn't share such beliefs are threats to their delusions.

All I have to say is, tough! It's time to wake up. There is no god, there is no special purpose, the universe was not designed or created for us and there will be no other existence when we die.
Can't handle reality? Then run back to your silly church in fear. Oh and give us back our lightning rods, I'm sure your imaginary friend will protect your churches.

[downbeatplumb]

in their world you HAVE to believe in something, even if its not what they believe. But to not believe.....Just does not compute with them for some reason. Hence the fear.

To not believe in one thing is fine, but to posit the idea of not believing anything doesn't compute, because everybody believes in something. They believe in a world where deity is included, and you believe in a world where deity is not included.

Beliefs are quite high up the level of what we take to be true.
For example I believe that there are no elephants in my fridge, I can back up this belief with photographs if needed.

But when it comes to religious stuff I prefer to use the phrase 'the evidence has led me to conclude' rather than 'belief' because beliefs can be based on passing whims or fancies.

Some people believe that there is life on other planets and I would say this is a strong statement.

I think it is likely that there is life on other planets elsewhere in the universe.

I think this is a reasonable assumption because there is life on this planet.

I don't however 'believe' that there is life on other planets because it has yet to be proven.

I have a position that leans towards there being life but it is not belief.

I have a similar feeling about theism. The universe looks exactly how a godless universe would look. The things that were atributed to god have either been proved to have a materialistic mechanism or a materialistic mechanism is a viable alternative (abiogenesis is what I'm thinking of here).

Frodo is fond of pointing out that there can be no evidence one way or the other where it comes to gods.

This view I dont entirely conform to, the evidence leads me to the conclusion that it is overwhelmingly unlikely that there is a god or gods.

Does that count as a belief?

It seems that to a theistic mind it must because they cannot concieve of no belief.

It rocks their world.