Gomeza
Member
You would think that anyone offering an opinion on what are considered the common traits of a group of people would have some real life examples to derive their information from. Either that, or acknowledge that they know little of the subject and decline from offering an opinion but that does not seem to happen when atheists are being discussed by some religious folks.
Of the few recent threads discussing this subject right here on this very forum, it wasn't long before a long laundry list of of negative characteristics were being ascribed to all atheists. All of these common traits seemingly derived from a negative stereotype that so many people can describe with surprisingly similar details.
There are more than a few problems with this scenario however. First and foremost is attempting to construct a list of commonalities for a group of people who's only common trait is that they do not believe in God. It stops there, anything beyond that is a generalization inevitably rife with inaccuracies.
With a few exceptions, atheists do not cloister in associative groups, there are no associative philosophies or any specific scientific principles that can be ascribed to atheists. There are no identifiable social patterns whatsoever, yet somehow some religious folks know all about them . . . . my question is how? As in how does someone who is a religious adherent know all of these things? As a rule you will not find too many atheists involved with church social life.
So to those who have offered their opinions on the common traits of atheists, I ask how many atheists do you know? . . . or if you prefer: how large is the sampling that you are basing your opinion on?
If you do not know any personally, then what are you basing your opinion on?
Of the few recent threads discussing this subject right here on this very forum, it wasn't long before a long laundry list of of negative characteristics were being ascribed to all atheists. All of these common traits seemingly derived from a negative stereotype that so many people can describe with surprisingly similar details.
There are more than a few problems with this scenario however. First and foremost is attempting to construct a list of commonalities for a group of people who's only common trait is that they do not believe in God. It stops there, anything beyond that is a generalization inevitably rife with inaccuracies.
With a few exceptions, atheists do not cloister in associative groups, there are no associative philosophies or any specific scientific principles that can be ascribed to atheists. There are no identifiable social patterns whatsoever, yet somehow some religious folks know all about them . . . . my question is how? As in how does someone who is a religious adherent know all of these things? As a rule you will not find too many atheists involved with church social life.
So to those who have offered their opinions on the common traits of atheists, I ask how many atheists do you know? . . . or if you prefer: how large is the sampling that you are basing your opinion on?
If you do not know any personally, then what are you basing your opinion on?
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opcorn:
