How to Understand Atheists: A Guide for Christians

What is atheism? Are there really people out there who don't believe in your god? Are there people who don't believe in any gods? How can that be? What do they want? What do they think of Christians?

Hi there. I'm an atheist, and I write the blog Atheist Revolution. I write under a pseudonym because I live in an area dominated by evangelical fundamentalist Christians where my words could cost me my job, my friends, or even my personal safety. With that brief introduction out of the way, I'd like to provide you with a simple guide for understanding atheists.

Atheists and the Media

The posts I write at Atheist Revolution are inspired in many different ways (e.g., personal experience, information gained by visiting other atheist blogs, a variety of news sources). One of my favorite sources of inspiration are the comments left on the blog by my readers.

Here is part of what SonicYouthFan had to say in the comment thread for a recent post about how other minority groups do not allow politicians and the media to ignore them:

To the political right, atheists are seen on a level equivalent to Jerry Sandusky…The left, meanwhile, is so attention-starved, they're desperate to get faith-based voters on board…Therefore, the politically polarized portion of the media simply won't engage us…So the question is: how do we get attention form the media if they won't even return our calls?

That is a damn good question.

Contentment

I have encountered many religious believers, mostly Christians, who insist that their god belief is the key to their happiness. Several have suggested that atheists cannot be truly happy because we lack their god belief. When I disagree, they usually ask me if I am happy in a challenging tone as if anything would be proved by my answer. I usually point this out as an example of erroneous generalization from one experience (i.e., mine) to the entire atheist community. But as the lesson on reasoning continues, we rarely seem to get back to the original question. Am I happy?

The Mark of a Freethinker

When you hear the term freethinker, what image comes to mind? For me, it is an image of someone who bucks conventional wisdom, goes his or her own way, and questions authority. But I don't think any of this completely captures the mark of a true freethinker, at least not how I think of it. The mark of a true freethinker is that the person is every bit as likely to question the position of his or her allies as his or her enemies.

I know full well that many in the atheist community use "freethinker" as a somewhat more socially acceptable alternative to "atheist" or as an umbrella term that can be used to describe all atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, etc. I've done this myself, and I'm not quarreling with either of those uses here. This post isn't about semantics or definitions (for that discussion, see Austin Cline's post). I'm saying that when I think of what makes someone a true freethinker, what comes to mind is someone for whom critical thinking and meaningful inquiry are more important than group allegiance.

Deepak Chopra

Some years ago, my wife at the time (long since ex-wife) came home from shopping with a new book. I do not recall the title, but the author was Deepak Chopra. I suspect she bought it because she'd either heard about it on Oprah or knew someone who recommended it to her. But it made sense that it would appeal to her. She was feeling somewhat trapped between an atheist husband and a deeply religious mother. On most days, she would say that she really wasn't sure what she believed. She had been raised to value spirituality but had been turned off by organized religion. I think Chopra's book fit perfectly well into her search to find some sort of belief system with which she could align herself.

Atheists Arming Themselves for Protection

I wanted to follow up my recent post on the safety of atheists in the bible belt by raising the subject of atheists arming themselves because of concerns over safety. I've heard from more than a few atheists that they would carry a gun on their person at all times if they lived in the bible belt. And I've heard from a few living here in the bible belt who have said that this is exactly what they do. I'm not currently among them, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it. In fact, I'm still not sure that this is not something I might end up doing in the future.

How To Reduce Bigotry Against Atheists

Surprisingly little psychological research has been conducted with atheists. I know this because I've looked into it. Only a handful of empirical studies have been published; however, I am optimistic that this will soon begin to change. There are too many of us to ignore for long, and there is much to gain from studying atheists and how we are perceived by others.

Gervais (2011) published a fascinating article in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin in which he addresses one important factor for reducing anti-atheist prejudice. I should mention that this is a reputable peer-reviewed journal in the social psychology area.

Safety in the Bible Belt: A Concern for Atheists

One of the most common questions I receive from atheists outside the United States is, "Is it really that bad?" They look at the U.S. with puzzlement, wondering how a nation intentionally set up with a secular government and constitution could be so hostile to atheists. My answer always begins with, "It depends…" It depends on what part of the country one lives in, on the size of one's community, on the prevalence of evangelical fundamentalist Christianity in one's area, and a host of other factors. It isn't that bad everywhere, but it certainly can be pretty bad.

But My Faith Brings Me Comfort

Ever since I first realized that I am an atheist, I have received countless questions from Christian family members, friends, and even complete strangers who learn that I do not share their beliefs. Sometimes they seem to be genuine attempts to understand my position; other times they are transparent insults or attempts to convert me. But what nearly all have in common is that they are relatively easy to answer. In this post, I'd like to talk about one of the few exceptions, one that I have never felt like I've answered as effectively as I'd like.

Child Abuse: Are Atheists More Likely to be Victims?

It all started when I was reading a few threads over at Reddit/r/atheism. I know, I'm not supposed to enjoy /r/atheism because some of the people who are active there are sexist and have posted inappropriate comments on innocent photos of young women. But I've learned that those who do this sort of thing are a small minority and that there are some really good discussions at /r/atheism. In fact, I've had trouble getting a few of them out of my head for a few days now, and I want to write about one issue they helped bring to my attention.

Steep Costs for Abstinence Only Programs

I don't watch the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC that often. Even though I agree with her politics more often than not, I find her almost constant snark more than a little annoying. And I rarely have the patience to sit through her long-winded introductions. But I have often enjoyed her interviews, and I caught a particularly interesting one this week. It led me to think a bit differently about some of the issues I've addressed here many times (e.g., abstinence only sex education).

Maddow's guest was Gail Collins, a columnist for the New York Times, who was there to talk about her new book, As Texas Goes...: How the Lone Star State Hijacked the American Agenda. I hadn't heard of this book before, but I believe it is one I'm going to have to read.

Pastor John Hagee is a Bigot

What is depicted in this brief video clip is bigotry. It doesn't matter whether Pastor Hagee's motivation for saying what he said was religious, political, or something else entirely. It is still bigotry. If you are not sure about that, try replacing "atheist" with "Jew" and see how it sounds.

I do not doubt Pastor Hagee's credentials as a Christian extremist, but I'm no longer sure that I can call what he says here extreme. I've heard it too often and from too many Christians. Perhaps the sentiment he's expressing here is far more mainstream than many Americans want to admit. That is a scary thought.

Atheist Answers Questions From a Christian

A Christian blog, the BitterSweet End, has posted ten questions for atheists. Here they are (unedited except for the italics) along with some quick answers, all of which could be expanded but probably don't need to be:

1. If there is NO God, then their is no Measurement or Standard for morality? Then what will define morality?

Plenty of standards for morality have been developed over the centuries. In fact, there is an entire branch of philosophy dealing with this (i.e., ethics). Philosophers have produced moral theories (e.g., utilitarianism), which provide standards for determining what is moral. However, one can find an even more basic form of morality in the "golden rule." From what I recall, this predates Christianity by hundreds of years.

Scientific evidence suggests an evolutionary basis for what we call morality. Research shows that non-human animals exhibit some of the precursors to what we think of as the moral emotions, and we have long observed evidence of altruistic behavior among non-human species. Clearly, supernatural entities are not necessary for morality.

Sissy Bradford Feels the Love From Christians

My recent post, Christian Terrorism in Texas, told the story of Sissy Bradford, an adjunct professor at Texas A&M - San Antonio who was fired, threatened, and stalked after her complaint prompted legal action by Americans United for Separation of Church and State to remove crosses from a taxpayer-funded tower at the campus entrance. Ms. Bradford has now contributed a couple of comments on that post, and I want to highlight them here so they are not missed. First, she shared the following email she received from a particularly deranged Christian:

To: Sissy Bradford

Subject: Professor

As a professor, do you have a right to live? Have you ever been married or you're too ugly and stupid that nobody wants you? Do you know the difference between good and evil? Do you know why you exist? The day you die, a cross is going to be inside your coffin and a cross on your tomb to let you know who is KING. Your tongue will confess and your knees will bow down to the Holy name of JESUS. After that you will reign with your father satan. You're a perfect idiot profesor that has no morals. You don't know whether you're coming or going. You live a sorry, depressing life seeking evil instead of good. You and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will make a perfect couple; you should consider it and leave now. You are a disgrace to Texas A&M and to the United States of America!

Next, Ms. Bradford provided a link to her Facebook page, where she is making documentation of her story available.

Last, there is now a petition asking for her reinstatement at Texas A&M.

Sexual Harassment in the Atheist Movement

You know the common simile, "like a moth drawn to the flame?" Everyone knows what it means. We've all seen moths flying into lightbulbs or open flames, only to be fried on contact. And we have all felt the pull to do or say things we know will have unpleasant results.

I am beginning to feel this way about addressing sexism in the atheist community and related subjects like sexual harassment in the atheist convention circuit. Based on what I've heard from many others, I'm not the only one. This is unfortunate because sweeping things under the rug is rarely a good strategy for solving problems (just ask the Catholic Church). I believe that conventions should be places where people from diverse backgrounds can gather without having to worry about sexual harassment. And you know what? For the most part, I think they are.