Why Do People Distrust Atheists?
Why do people distrust atheists? Because of religion. Religions have done a great job of convincing people that the only path to morality is through them and if you don't follow their teachings there's no way of being a moral person. That's why religious people constantly ask us how we, as atheists, can be moral without following a god. The answer is simple: Because we're thinking beings who are able to arrive at moral decisions on our own.
Our particular group of atheists is made up of a variety of people from all kinds of socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and professional backgrounds. We're all atheists and we all believe in treating other people well and doing what we can to leave the world a better place for future generations. We behave with kindness and empathy, help people in need, and instill positive values in our children. We just do it without religion.
Religions have convinced many societies that we need them in order to be moral people when it's not even true. Think of a child with no religion: That child will still be able to behave positively, feel empathy, and play nicely with other kids. He or she needs no religion to be a good person, just some guidance from caring people about how to treat themselves and others with kindness. Atheists are often well equipped to be moral because they don't have a supernatural being telling them what to do, they have to use their own brains to make moral choices. We don't need someone watching over us in order to behave morally.
So, people don't trust atheists because religion has brainwashed most people into thinking that it is the only path to morality. The only problem with that assertion is that it is easily disproved by the countless atheists who are really wonderful, moral people, without god.
Our particular group of atheists is made up of a variety of people from all kinds of socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and professional backgrounds. We're all atheists and we all believe in treating other people well and doing what we can to leave the world a better place for future generations. We behave with kindness and empathy, help people in need, and instill positive values in our children. We just do it without religion.
Religions have convinced many societies that we need them in order to be moral people when it's not even true. Think of a child with no religion: That child will still be able to behave positively, feel empathy, and play nicely with other kids. He or she needs no religion to be a good person, just some guidance from caring people about how to treat themselves and others with kindness. Atheists are often well equipped to be moral because they don't have a supernatural being telling them what to do, they have to use their own brains to make moral choices. We don't need someone watching over us in order to behave morally.
So, people don't trust atheists because religion has brainwashed most people into thinking that it is the only path to morality. The only problem with that assertion is that it is easily disproved by the countless atheists who are really wonderful, moral people, without god.
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