Tyranny of the atheist minority

[Adrian Laguna]

Unaffiliated or non-religious in polls does not necessarily mean "atheist".

In fact, it often means "religious, but doesn't go to church".

[TithonusSyndrome]

Whoever it denotes, it usually doesn't mean many people who can recite arguments they heard from Dawkins. I'm willing to bet that most American "atheists" identify as such because they are the stereotypical grumpy assholes who believe that life is a futile slough of pointless labors with no purpose because they've had spells of shitty luck in their personal experience, not because they know what Occam's Razor is. They're neither really a credit to atheists nor a sign that progress or reason is taking hold.

[Junghalli]

Well, over the past couple of hundred years the general trend has been toward an increase in rationalism and decrease in religiousity. I don't find the notion of the US (and the world, for that matter) eventually becoming majority atheist particularly unbelievable, though 20 years seems a bit optimistic.

[Kanastrous]

They probably think back to times when an elite minority dominated over a majority and think it applies here.

Conveniently ignoring the fact that religion was usually key, in permitting that minority to maintain their dominance.

[Pablo Sanchez]

I'm willing to bet that most American "atheists" identify as such because they are the stereotypical grumpy assholes who believe that life is a futile slough of pointless labors with no purpose because they've had spells of shitty luck in their personal experience, not because they know what Occam's Razor is. They're neither really a credit to atheists nor a sign that progress or reason is taking hold.

I find this a pretty insulting statement and I'm willing to bet you actually have absolutely no basis for saying it. I, like every other atheist I know personally (and I know a lot of them) came to non-belief not because of any kind of personal trauma but because I reasoned my way to it. In my case, I read the book of revelation at age 8 to 10, decided that it was obvious bullshit, and went from there. This might be anecdotal evidence but it's still better than a bald assertion that you essentially just made up.

I am going to have to ask that you support this assertion with something other than anecdotes. Are their statistics showing the religious reversion rates by generation removed from religion?

It's nice of you to ask for such a ridiculously specific set of statistics, which obviously wouldn't exist. It's a cute faux-reasonable comeback. This website details a man's search for information on the topic of atheist deconversion. Either he's approaching it from the wrong methodology, or there just is no extant statistical data to support either conclusion.

Of course, since so little attention is paid to atheists in this country, and what little is given is hostile, I very much doubt that any serious statistical analysis of their habits has been done--except in direct comparisons like the rate of divorce among atheists versus the religious, etc.

In fact, it often means "religious, but doesn't go to church".

Somebody who won't even go so far as to profess any specific religious faith on an opinion poll is functionally non-religious, reflexive belief in some kind of higher power notwithstanding.

[General Zod]

Whoever it denotes, it usually doesn't mean many people who can recite arguments they heard from Dawkins. I'm willing to bet that most American "atheists" identify as such because they are the stereotypical grumpy assholes who believe that life is a futile slough of pointless labors with no purpose because they've had spells of shitty luck in their personal experience, not because they know what Occam's Razor is. They're neither really a credit to atheists nor a sign that progress or reason is taking hold.

That sounds more like a "lapsed Christian" as opposed to an actual atheist. Most of whom still cling to a small amount of religious dogma for whatever reason but won't quite cop up to it.

[Imperial Overlord]

Did your friend get shit from the cop? Because if he didn't he was very lucky.

Yes, he did. He basically told the cop that he knew his rights, the cop had no grounds to mess with him, and the cop left him alone after that. Of course, that it actually went that far is appalling.

[Wicked Pilot]

Unaffiliated or non-religious in polls does not necessarily mean "atheist".

Thus the trouble with getting an accurate count of atheist in the US. Depending on how you phrase the questions the number is usually somewhere between 3-15%. Whatever differences there exist between those who identify themselves as atheist, those who fit the definition of atheist but label themselves otherwise (agnostics, freethinkers, etc), deist, or those who consider themselves simply 'spiritual' without any meaningful consequence, they are all completely incompatible with Christianity. For all practical purposes within the scope of this discussion they can be lumped into the same group.

[Wicked Pilot]

Whoever it denotes, it usually doesn't mean many people who can recite arguments they heard from Dawkins. I'm willing to bet that most American "atheists" identify as such because they are the stereotypical grumpy assholes who believe that life is a futile slough of pointless labors with no purpose because they've had spells of shitty luck in their personal experience, not because they know what Occam's Razor is. They're neither really a credit to atheists nor a sign that progress or reason is taking hold.

Thank you Pat Robertson for identifying yourself. I always knew you lurked here but could not prove it until now. Your god is imaginary, get over it.


As someone who has in the past been somewhat active in a real life atheist community (ACA), I am not just willing to bet, but am willing to flat out say that you're full of shit. Without exception everyone I've met have been well adjusted individuals indistinguishable to everyone else in society with the exception of not having an imaginary friend. They have families, jobs, hobbies, are generally well versed in debate tactics and logical fallacies, including Occam's Razor, and in some cases their knowledge of Christianity is so extensive it's downright scary. They could debate anyone here under the table and some of them take on local fundies on fucking live television. And contrary to what you believe they don't walk around cursing the world and shaking their fist at the unfairness of whatever tragedy supposedly got them mad at God. They, and I, take our atheism in a very serious manner, usually after a very long, very hard, and sometimes very painful examination of the accuracy and usefulness of the religions in which we where indoctrinated into since childbirth. Seriously, who the fuck do you think you are to just rip our lives apart without even the slightest hint of a basis? Grow the fuck up.

[JBG]

'What they really mean is that they own this country, and if they want to use taxpayer dollars for religious displays, in defiance of the law of the land (not to mention any sense of neighbourly consideration), they should be allowed to. Anyone who won't let them do this is a "tyrant".

This is the same kind of imbecile who goes into a furious tirade about government abuse of power when a traffic cop writes him up for illegally parking in a handicapped spot."

You should see, Darth Wong, what the World Youth Day, in reality a Catholic youth gathering, is costing the NSW taxpayer. That is apart from city shutdowns and, damn them to hell, cutting down trees that may have hampered the movements of a bunch of younger persons walking, on one occasion, from here to there for some reason.

Re parking spots, I have a severely disabled friend ( peripheral nerve atropy, ie claw hands, club feet, no muscle strength, gets worse all the time, gruesome surgery that only a vet rehab hospital can do ) who takes to such arseholes cars with his walking stick. A couple of people have taken exception to his response but none of these worms ( apologies to worms who are useful ) would take the matter even as far as calling the cops! Shows what sort of sub-slugs they are.