Are atheists arrogant? immoral? angry?

[IndigoChild5559]

I just viewed and greatly enjoyed a three part video series by Matt Baker, who did his doctoral thesis on the psychology of atheism. Although all three videos are excellent, it is the third one that I wanted to share and discuss.

Christians often make certain generalizations about atheists:
1. That they are arrogant and dogmatic
2. That they prefer to be non-religious because they are selfish and religion is an inconvenience
3. That they are angry with God
4. That they either lost their father at a young age, or had a strained relationship with their father, making it more difficult to form a good relationship with the Divine Father.

Matt Bakar deals with each of these scientifically. He comes to the following conclusions:
1. None of the 4 assertions above accurately generalize about atheists
2. What DOES seem to have a high correlation with atheism is a score of TP on the Myers Briggs (video 2 deals with this in depth). This matches up nicely with other studies that correlate atheism wish low agreeability and low conscientiousness using the Big 5 personality elements. What it basically means is that atheists are twice as likely to greatly care about truth even if it costs them and be open to change.

 

[Revoltingest]

Being angry at God is the funniest one.
Why pick a particular god to be angry at?
There are so many others. If I were to be
angry at their god (the one named God),
I'd be angry at them all. But since they
don't exist, I've no feelings for them at all.
I'd never heard of #4.

 

[Soandso]

2. What DOES seem to have a high correlation with atheism is a score of TP on the Myers Briggs (video 2 deals with this in depth). This matches up nicely with other studies that correlate atheism wish low agreeability and low conscientiousness using the Big 5 personality elements. What it basically means is that atheists are twice as likely to greatly care about truth even if it costs them and be open to change.

INFJ here

 

[Bthoth]

The generalizations are hilarious.
But the majority of all atheist are evolved theist. They grew up.

The morals, the comprehension of right and wrong are about natural to any honest soul. They can be learned, retained and do what is right until the final revealing that is promised of the old literature.

 

[Revoltingest]

INFJ here

JERK here.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

INFJ here

Me too! INFJ's rock!

 

[Rational Agnostic]

I just viewed and greatly enjoyed a three part video series by Matt Baker, who did his doctoral thesis on the psychology of atheism. Although all three videos are excellent, it is the third one that I wanted to share and discuss.

Christians often make certain generalizations about atheists:
1. That they are arrogant and dogmatic
2. That they prefer to be non-religious because they are selfish and religion is an inconvenience
3. That they are angry with God
4. That they either lost their father at a young age, or had a strained relationship with their father, making it more difficult to form a good relationship with the Divine Father.

Matt Bakar deals with each of these scientifically. He comes to the following conclusions:
1. None of the 4 assertions above accurately generalize about atheists
2. What DOES seem to have a high correlation with atheism is a score of TP on the Myers Briggs (video 2 deals with this in depth). This matches up nicely with other studies that correlate atheism wish low agreeability and low conscientiousness using the Big 5 personality elements. What it basically means is that atheists are twice as likely to greatly care about truth even if it costs them and be open to change.

#3 and #4 are ridiculous stereotypes. The first and second can be true for some atheists but that also does not mean that they are wrong. In general though, I view any type of position held with certainty, as well as the need for certainty, as a mental illness (likely falling under the same category as obsessive-compulsive disorder). That includes all religious beliefs, as well as gnostic atheism, and any other belief that is held with certainty and conviction.

 

[Nakosis]

My agreeability and conscientiousness turned out to be average.
Otherwise it said I was not neurotic but was introverted.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I just viewed and greatly enjoyed a three part video series by Matt Baker, who did his doctoral thesis on the psychology of atheism. Although all three videos are excellent, it is the third one that I wanted to share and discuss.

Christians often make certain generalizations about atheists:
1. That they are arrogant and dogmatic
2. That they prefer to be non-religious because they are selfish and religion is an inconvenience
3. That they are angry with God
4. That they either lost their father at a young age, or had a strained relationship with their father, making it more difficult to form a good relationship with the Divine Father.

Matt Bakar deals with each of these scientifically. He comes to the following conclusions:
1. None of the 4 assertions above accurately generalize about atheists
2. What DOES seem to have a high correlation with atheism is a score of TP on the Myers Briggs (video 2 deals with this in depth). This matches up nicely with other studies that correlate atheism wish low agreeability and low conscientiousness using the Big 5 personality elements. What it basically means is that atheists are twice as likely to greatly care about truth even if it costs them and be open to change.

Atheists just want to affirm the reality of the matter. To point out the flaws of theology.

 

[PureX]

Yes, some atheists are arrogant, immoral and angry. But so are some theists. And since there are more thrusts than atheist, there are more arrogant, immoral and angry theists than there are similar atheists. Because the percentage will remain constant regardless of one's concept of God.

 

[ChristineM]

How it seems to be to me.

 

[ChristineM]

That they are arrogant and dogmatic

See above

That they prefer to be non-religious because they are selfish and religion is an inconvenience

Nope, i am atheist because i read the bible.

That they are angry with God

Eh? Doesn't make sense

That they either lost their father at a young age, or had a strained relationship with their father, making it more difficult to form a good relationship with the Divine Father.

My father is a wonderful man, i love him dearly, to say such is insulting to family and morality

 

[Colt]

I just viewed and greatly enjoyed a three part video series by Matt Baker, who did his doctoral thesis on the psychology of atheism. Although all three videos are excellent, it is the third one that I wanted to share and discuss.

Christians often make certain generalizations about atheists:
1. That they are arrogant and dogmatic
2. That they prefer to be non-religious because they are selfish and religion is an inconvenience
3. That they are angry with God
4. That they either lost their father at a young age, or had a strained relationship with their father, making it more difficult to form a good relationship with the Divine Father.

Matt Bakar deals with each of these scientifically. He comes to the following conclusions:
1. None of the 4 assertions above accurately generalize about atheists
2. What DOES seem to have a high correlation with atheism is a score of TP on the Myers Briggs (video 2 deals with this in depth). This matches up nicely with other studies that correlate atheism wish low agreeability and low conscientiousness using the Big 5 personality elements. What it basically means is that atheists are twice as likely to greatly care about truth even if it costs them and be open to change.

I'm both a material truth seeker and a spiritual truth seeker. There never was a time that I didn't believe in God even while being raised in a Methodist church where I heard ridiculous things that I never have believed! But I was a functional agnostic up until age 21, that is to say that I believed in and knew the presence of the Loving God but ignored God! I lived as if I didn't have belief! I used the faults of religion as an excuse not to dedicate my life to God.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

But the majority of all atheist are evolved theist. They grew up.

Modeling hubris?

 

[Colt]

Modeling hubris?

Yea, Stalin grew up!

 

[Kenny]

Christians often make certain generalizations about atheists:

I think that is a generalization made about Christians.

1. That they are arrogant and dogmatic

No… any group of people can be arrogant and dogmatic. Christians can be that way too. Are there some? Yes, as there are in any group.

2. That they prefer to be non-religious because they are selfish and religion is an inconvenience

Again… I wouldn’t agree. If that were true, there would be no atheists becoming Christians.

3. That they are angry with God

There are Christians that say “I was angry at God”. In a sense, this is a contradiction because “How can you be angry at God if you don’t believe that a God exists?"

4. That they either lost their father at a young age, or had a strained relationship with their father, making it more difficult to form a good relationship with the Divine Father.

That could be true but not always. But there is a reality that there are some people who have difficulty in acknowledge the Father because they had a difficult childhood. But the love of The Father can overcomes that

 

[Revoltingest]

#3 and #4 are ridiculous stereotypes. The first and second can be true for some atheists but that also does not mean that they are wrong. In general though, I view any type of position held with certainty, as well as the need for certainty, as a mental illness (likely falling under the same category as obsessive-compulsive disorder). That includes all religious beliefs, as well as gnostic atheism, and any other belief that is held with certainty and conviction.

I don't recall ever meeting an atheist fitting #2.
But many believers fall into #2.

 

[Firenze]

The most common one I see lately is - “I’m sorry you were hurt. I’ll pray for you.” This is immediately followed by their exit from the discussion.

 

[Bthoth]

Modeling hubris?

Quite the opposite, the ability to evolve beyond that perceived exceptionalism, takes humility.

The model of hubris is best observed in the ideology of being 'chosen' over the rest of mankind. Such arrogance reflects the sense of impunity.

For example: you tend to falsely accuse me as 'anti semitic' as if you have immunity. Where do you get that arrogance?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

The model of hubris is best observed in the ideology of being 'chosen' over the rest of mankind.

And the antisemitic tropes continue to flow.