Article that suggests athiests don’t know much about what believers believe, but make assumptions instead.

I don’t know what that article says but I’m going to assume it tells me I’m ignorant because I’m an atheist.

So, atheists are ignorant and prejudiced, and make sweeping assumptions based on almost no evidence?

This can only end badly.

Haha good one!

Oldnpastit did you read the article? It tells the results of a study.

On the ninth, whilst remembering a previous well-known event of religious slaughtering, we’re told that religious people are slaughtering other religious people over in Burma, apparently because they’re not properly religious people like the religious people who are doing the slaughtering…

I wonder why it is you never hear about atheists slaughtering other atheists for not being the proper sort of atheist.

Too many ‘militant’ atheists have read a bit too much Dawkins, which seems to turn them into dicks.

Some of us have no belief in god, but manage to not be dicks.

Article that suggests athiests don’t know much about what believers believe, but make assumptions instead.

Article being based around

A YouGov poll, commissioned by Newman University in Birmingham

The University is named after the 19th century religious figure Cardinal Newman

Provenance, Provenance, Provenance.

So in answer to

Anyone for another religion thread?

No, I’m alright thanks.

I’m a Christian. I go to church. It makes me happy. It works for me.
I have no interest whatsoever in trying to convince anyone else that it’s what they should do.
I don’t give a monkeys hump what anyone else chooses to believe. That’s their business.

It’s not about who’s right or wrong. It’s about what works for the individual.
I’m done with this thread now because not one single person will gain any wisdom from it.

molgrips – Member

Article that suggests athiests don’t know much about what believers believe, but make assumptions instead.

TBH I’m not that surprised, it’s very hard as an atheist to correlate what people who claim to follow a religion say and do, with the religion they claim to follow. The gaps are often so big that to an outsider it’s more like the person doesn’t follow that faith at all. It’s like buying a handlebar and claiming you’re now a cyclist.

(that isn’t aimed at any one person btw; I have a lot of respect for people with profound and consistent faith. But sometimes they seem like the minority, or maybe it’s just that so many of the people who shout loudest about religion seem to fall into the lip-service category.)

And after all, believers often struggle with the fact that atheists don’t believe anything after all (rather than believing that there is no god) I was raised roughly Church of Scotland and tbf I think I follow the moral code of that faith more closely than a lot of people who say they’re christian; it’s just that I do it because I think it’s right and good. I’ve kept the bits I like and thrown out the rest, I just can’t claim to be religious.

Article that suggests athiests don’t know much about what believers believe, but make assumptions instead.

You’re making a rash generalisation about a particular demographic based on an article studying that demographic’s rash generalisations?

I may be back later, but for now I’ve got to do the ironing.

Article that suggests athiests don’t know much about what believers believe, but make assumptions instead.

I was brought up C of E, confirmation, Church School etc, so I know more than I need to.
I think there’s a good moral code in The Bible, and that it was essentially a book of rules to help in an uncertain time. It explained to the people of the time the two big mysteries – Where we come from and what happens when we die – and gave sensible rules to live by. There’s a lot of sense in it.
But people try to read too much into it. It’s just a book.
I don’t and never really have believed in ‘god’. It always seemed a bit far fetched to me, but I have nothing against the teachings or general gist of it, but without man’s belief, there is no god.
I have no problem with any religion, as long as nobody tries to force it on me, I’m happy to live and let live.

rather than believing that there is no god

Point of note here whilst we’re discussing not understanding each other: It’s not that we believe there is no god, rather that we don’t believe that there is a god. Atheism does not require a belief system.

They lost me after the first paragraph, I stumbled through the rest of the article which had nothing to do with the opening paragraph or the headline..

What Cougar says. I don’t need to know what believers believe to confirm my position of non-belief.

Though having dipped my toe in the article it’s refreshing to see that many accept it isn’t necessary to take every word in the book as “gospel” (see what I did there?).

They lost me after the first paragraph,

They’re basically saying that some atheists believe that Xtians believe in creationism, and in some cases they’re incorrect.

Didn’t need a study, I could’ve told you that.

I **** hate them intolerant ****. String the **** up.

You’re making a rash generalisation about a particular demographic

I’m definitely not. I’m posting what the study found, because it’s interesting. I’m not making any assertions. I reported what the article suggested.

So rather than taking me down, why not discuss the idea that it presents, which is that many atheists may be making incorrect assumptions about believers.

I’m posting what the study found

No you aren’t. You said, “Article that suggests athiests don’t know much about what believers believe, but make assumptions instead.” There’s a “some” missing in that sentence (in fact, there’s two).

why not discuss the idea that it presents, which is that many atheists may be making incorrect assumptions about believers.

That’s better.

a conflict between science and religion

I think that’s at the heart of the article and if not, it’s the bit that stuck with me. My grandad was a scientist and a Scottish protestant. His career was something I could dream about but will never have.

His library was stuffed full of books exploring exactly this area. Lewis Carroll’s works were the only readable ones.

The divisiveness doesn’t have to exist. We can have both.

The good thing is that non believers are now in the majority in the UK – 53% in recent a survey. One day it’ll be 100%…

As an atheist and someone who is somewhat artistic, it’s a very disturbing article.

‘continues to inspire artists and writers. But according to a groundbreaking new survey, it is also at the heart of a deep misunderstanding between religious and non-religious Britons.’

There’s no misunderstanding, some religious artworks are truly beautiful.

That’s not justification for religion. That’s just beautiful art.

The whole article is complete junk and really badly phrased, it’s an article about how religion is on the decline, ok great, but why frame it in such a way?

Atheist here, hi.

Interesting article though it does make some big assumptions on the data. As mentioned above, it’s also been commissioned by a Catholic university so is far from unbiased.

It does make an interesting point on one thing that I struggle with and that is people picking and choosing which bits of a religion they want to believe. In my head you’re either all in or you’re all out. I just can’t get my head round saying “well, I believe that part but not that one as it doesn’t sit with by beliefs/the modern world”. Do you not either believe the Good Book or not?

Peterpoddy….

“It explained to the people of the time the two big mysteries – Where we come from and what happens when we die – and gave sensible rules to live by. There’s a lot of sense in it.”

So how relevant is this book today?

Case in point….

Leviticus 19:19
‘You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together.

So im not allowed to wear a cotton/polyester shirt? Nor should I be drinking milk from the abomination that is the “Holstein Friesian.” And what about my Allotment? I’ve got carrots planted in the same field as cabbages?

Sensible rules indeed!! LOL

Am I going to hell?

religion is on the decline

.

It is a peculiar article and the writing is a bit weird.

But it’s certainly the case that people of faith are regularly “beaten up” online and that’s terribly wrong.

I believe that part but not that one as it doesn’t sit with by beliefs/the modern world”. Do you not either believe the Good Book or not?

And every Relgious person does the same, hence aggravation, various sects and sometimes war.

If only there could be a universal code of ethics, where people agree that some things are inhumane.

user-removed – Member

.

It is a peculiar article and the writing is a bit weird.

It’s seems to be an entirely false premise – atheists assume Christians don’t believe in evolution. Turns out Christians* do believe in evolution.

*They are pick and mix Christians and tehcnically apostates. Therefore not Christians, therefore atheists are right.

But it’s certainly the case that people of faith are regularly “beaten up” online and that’s terribly wrong.

And yet you don’t see Atheists lining up outside churches and mosques or places they disapprove of trying to shame or convert believers from their wicked ways. You are always going to have people getting “beaten up” when they are trying to argue something that is completely dependent on faith and has no evidence to support it.

The good thing is that non believers are now in the majority in the UK – 53% in recent a survey. One day it’ll be 100%…

I very much doubt it. Atheism is on the rise and Christianity is falling, sure, but Islam is rising too (figures doubled between the last two censuses IIRC), and their followers tend to be a lot less ambivalent towards their religion than many who identify as Christian because they go to mass every Christmas. I can’t see the majority of Muslims going “eh, you know what, we were wrong all this time, let’s all be atheists.”

Quoting Leviticus is classic online atheist not understanding Christianity behaviour.

The number of Muslims is still relatively small, and the longer they live here the less likely that are to remain much more that cultural Muslims, I’d guess.

I’m just pissed off they cited artists and writers in the opener.. Clearly an article intended to provoke, but it seems that what journalists do these days, never mind those pesky facts, we’ll open by dragging in a completely unrelated demographic.

The ‘writer’ in question should ask themselves a few questions.

User removed, how on earth can anyone be beaten up online? Challenged, abused textually, confronted yes, which might leave them offended, but beaten up?

Believers with blind faith take affront far too easily in my opinion. Dare I say the resort to calling it abuse because they simply don’t have the argument to counter it convincingly.

why not discuss the idea that it presents, which is that many atheists may be making incorrect assumptions about believers.

Of course they do, everyone makes incorrect assumptions about things all the time. However, as believers are not all the same then they is no one way a believer would act or follow their faith.

I could assume what I think a Christian gets up to but as some are genuinely nice people who are good to others, don’t judge etc,. there are quite a few who are nuts (see southern states of America).
So which one do I assume is Christian as they both sure think they are ?

Nope..

miketually – Member

The number of Muslims is still relatively small, and the longer they live here the less likely that are to remain much more that cultural Muslims, I’d guess.

What are you basing that on?

The number of Muslims is still relatively small, and the longer they live here the less likely that are to remain much more that cultural Muslims, I’d guess.

They’re also a lot younger, on the whole. I think I read somewhere a while back that the average age of a UK Muslim is 25, of a UK Christian it’s 50. Or something like that.

The surge in Islam’s followers here is in no small part due to birthrate; kids being born to Muslim parents are being raised as Muslim, whereas kids being raised by nominal Christians don’t really give much of a toss about religion one way or another. Meanwhile, many of the devout churchgoing Christians are dying of old age.

Cougar – Moderator

They’re also a lot younger, on the whole. I think I read somewhere a while back that the average age of a UK Muslim is 25, of a UK Christian it’s 50. Or something like that.

The surge in Islam’s followers here is in no small part due to birthrate; kids being born to Muslim parents are being raised as Muslim, whereas kids being raised by nominal Christians don’t really give much of a toss about religion one way or another. Meanwhile, many of the devout churchgoing Christians are dying of old age.

It’s also more difficult (culturally speaking) to walk away from Islam. Have a read on http://www.exmna.com or listen to Sarah Haider or Maajid Nawaz or Ayan Hirsi Ali.

Love & Hate: A Muslim community’s response to a gay wedding

Let me get this right- a ‘poll’ found that the vast majority of (polled) ‘athiests’ believe that a vast majority of Christians reject evolution?

In the same way that results from a poll of ‘Christians’ would depend upon the sample group/flavour of Christians polled?

Who is the athiest atheist? Is it like the Christianist Christian?

On another note – I’d maybe like to debate Dr Elsdon-Baker 🙂

What are you basing that on?

Partly gut instinct. Partly the fact that Christian beliefs declined here over generations. Partly from the behaviour of Muslim friends when at uni.

Partly gut instinct. Partly the fact that Christian beliefs declined here over generations. Partly from the behaviour of Muslim friends when at uni.

Are you talking about people becoming lip-service Muslims in the same manner as we have currently with other religions? That’s an interesting one for sure.

I think perhaps one of two things will happen: Either we’ll end up with some sort of Western version of Islam which will harmoniously blend in with the rest of society, or the EDL will be proven right.

As I said earlier there is a lot of younger Muslims, and I’d speculate that the more rigid views will generally be held by the older generation, so it’s in the hands of the Millennials really. Are we as a country going to raise a generation of more liberal Muslims, or are we going to entrench them further? It’ll all hinge on how well society is treating them right now I suppose.

Erm. Oh.

Islam in the UK is probably where the Anglican or Roman Catholic churches were fifty years ago? But, they’re surrounded by atheists to an extent that Christians of fifty years ago were not, which should make leaving the religion easier?