Sometimes in the tangents and fun I have on this blog, I forget why I started it in the first place: to illustrate how atheists are hated in America. Apparently, we’re just as bad as rapists.
Someone in my local atheist group responded, “Just re-affirms my personal belief that I’m included in a group that’s more hated than any other race, religion, gender (or sex) or sexual orientation, Also, the most publicly accepted prejudice.” Another commented, “But if it is true that the hatred is even more than the hatred against rapists, I really want to know exactly who are those people who trust rapists! If such people really exist, that should be more disturbing than anything else, don’t you think?”
There are a lot of issues at play here. Who trusts rapists at all would be a good one. Is the experiment the article is about valid? Would people really be just as (un)comfortable hiring a rapist as an atheist for a high-trust job such as childcare? And if childcare is a high-trust job, why doesn’t it pay better?
Food for thought!
4 users responded " We’re as bad as rapists "
January 24 2012
I use this to my advantage, Whenever people say ‘ I am hated because I am Gay / Black / Jewish / ‘ etc etc , I reply with something like
“Consider yourself Lucky, I am an Atheist, we are more hated than any other minority group ” and I point them to the studies like this:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-10/religion-atheism/51777612/1
January 27 2012
There was a study recently about “trust” and guess which group came it along side or behind radical Islamic terrorists? You guessed it, atheists.
Something in the American DNA, but we also don’t show ourselves as best as we could or should. If we keep letting others define us then we’ll never be seen as moral or good.
We need to do things to break the cycle and perceptions. That’s why I do and why I encourage other atheists to do good works. Takes the wind out of the sails of those who would paint us as immoral, unjust and evil.
Cheers,
David
January 27 2012
Hi guys,
Being Jewish, I know what it’s like to be hated on a more global level. Not being gay, black, etc., I don’t know directly what it’s like to be hated as these folks. Misogyny as a woman is no day at the beach, either.
If I’m worse than an Islamic terrorist, I don’t know how to respond to that. After all, has anyone ever blown up buildings in the name of atheism?
Doing good works helps, yes. Let’s go for it!
Sarah
February 25 2012
‘LL You guys have got it wrong. Off all the criminals namely rapists, arsonists and terrorists, Atheists are way way worse. Good Religious people could never be in their comfortable zone when atheists are around. I guess atheists should be banned to a different planet. Coz’ the thing that they try to achieve on earth is unforgivable
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