Society's Attitude Towards Atheism | Teen Ink

Society's Attitude Towards Atheism

July 21, 2010
By fibonaccimathgenius BRONZE, Birmingham, Michigan
fibonaccimathgenius BRONZE, Birmingham, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I'm going to bed before you two come up with a worse idea to get us killed -- or worse, expelled." -- Hermione Granger, HP #1 <3 :]


Throughout my elementary years, all students were forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day. That sentence alone might give you an idea of where I’m going with this, given the controversy in the news lately. Anyway, I had never been to a church in my life. My parents had decided to raise me and my brothers non-religiously. We celebrated Christmas every year, but that was the extent of our religious affiliation, and I had no problem with it. I mindlessly regurgitated the Pledge every weekday morning at 9:00, and was blissfully unaware of the complications that surrounded it. As I got older, though, and entered middle school, I became aware of the different religions and how mine didn’t really fit in. I had never met anyone who approached religion like my family did and so when my peers would talk about church group or similar activities, I would just quietly blend in with the nearest wall and try to look like I had some inkling of what they were talking about. The more I learned about this foreign concept called religion, the more I thought about it, and the more I thought about it, the more I wondered how anyone could ever actually believe any of it. But, as I attended a predominantly Christian public school, I didn’t speak up for fear of being abandoned by my friends or bullied.

In my freshman year World History class, we were taught about all of the religions of the world and how they came to be. This was enlightening for me, because all I really knew were the major beliefs of each religion. Learning about how Mohammed supposedly had seizures and hallucinations in which parts of the Quran came to him really put religion in perspective for me. What would happen today if someone started having the same experience and claimed that God was talking to them? You know as well as I do that they would promptly be shut in a cushioned room in an asylum far from civilization. Yet people today still believe what Mohammed recited so many years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to target Muslims in any respect; I am merely using their religion as an example of how ludicrous these ideas are to me.

After taking this history course, I read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, wishing to learn more about the scientific backing behind atheism. Theistic religions just didn’t make sense to me – when I heard people talking about creationism with all of the evidence of evolution staring them in the face, I wanted to rip my hair out or punch something exceptionally hard. The God Delusion put everything straight for me. It confirmed my suspicions and decisively disproved a lot of common arguments that Christians make against atheists. My favorite quote from Richard Dawkins is probably “We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.”

Now, I don’t care who knows that I am an atheist. Many people resent me for it, or say that I offend them by not believing in God. My retort for that question is that I am offended by them believing in God. I have used this in more than one situation, and the person in question has countered the statement with a look of complete disbelief. Why do they think that it is okay for them to say something to me, but that it is not okay for me to flip the statement back at them? Ah, mysteries of society that I will undoubtedly never understand. My true friends are the ones that don’t care what beliefs I hold. Those who hold it against me are obviously not worth my efforts.

I think that society needs to realize that atheists are real people, too. As much as people nowadays think about not discriminating against Jewish people or Muslims, they do not think about the views of atheists. Why are public schoolchildren across the US forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning when it makes the reader swear that they are under God? Does the separation of church and state not go that far?

But do me a favor and think about religion and the factual evidence that is out there. Read Dawkins’ book. Ponder why you believe what you do. Is it because you’ve been told to believe it since you were very young? Or is it because it is truly what you believe? Don’t let yourself be blinded anymore. Open your eyes.

Thank you.


The author's comments:
I read the article 'My Religion' and really felt that my views could be expressed as well. Atheists have a voice and we need to be heard!

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This article has 145 comments.


on Mar. 2 2012 at 2:02 pm
TerraAnimusPatronus BRONZE, Eden, North Carolina
1 article 0 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
«You are either the best kept secret or just surrounded by blind people.»

lets be peaceful about our debates now

on Mar. 2 2012 at 1:59 pm
TerraAnimusPatronus BRONZE, Eden, North Carolina
1 article 0 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
«You are either the best kept secret or just surrounded by blind people.»

something had to create the universe if u believe in the big bang what caused it something had to help in the process of creation even if its not God or Allah or any other gods something had to help the process to begin dont be hard headed and not believe in a "god" because u have to believe in something

on Mar. 2 2012 at 9:01 am
cam_parks BRONZE, Richmond, Texas
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
LOL got em!

on Feb. 26 2012 at 9:16 pm
bookthief PLATINUM, Concord, Massachusetts
20 articles 0 photos 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life is the art of drawing without an eraser." -- John W. Gardener

ServantofGod, you seem very devoted to proving religion through faith. How do you feel about members of other religions with holy books just as valid as the Bible who also prove their religion through faith?

on Jan. 17 2012 at 2:13 pm
TerraAnimusPatronus BRONZE, Eden, North Carolina
1 article 0 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
«You are either the best kept secret or just surrounded by blind people.»

um... if God is a powerful being why would he have human emotions he is perfect think about that why would he be frustrated he all pwerful and knowing

shinjite said...
on Oct. 28 2011 at 5:46 pm
In the Old Testament, God seems very tyrantish. But actually, one could only expect Him to be a bit frustrated because of all of the people that reject Him and pray to false gods. God is very loving and merciful, but many mock Him or neglect Him or don't accept Him and that really must frustrate Him. God does love you very much though!

shinjite said...
on Oct. 28 2011 at 5:43 pm

If you are an atheist, I don't hate you, but I must admit that for me, it would be really hard to live without God. Isn't it hard whenever you have something you're really scared or worried about, and you don't have anyone higher to trust in? Wouldn't it be better to have a God who loves you and is kind and merciful? I know you could say "well, my family loves me and I don't need mercy" but God is someone who will love you so much more than that. I'm just curious, I'm not trying to be rude. But, Why don't you believe in God? What proof do you have that a God doesn't exist? I'm not attacking anyone, I just seriously want to know. 

Thanks ;)


on Sep. 26 2011 at 4:55 am
RumMonkey BRONZE, Sunny Side Somewhere, Other
4 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I dream I'm on the surface of my own life, watching it unfold."

Atheists shouldn't be hated just because they choose logic and science over personal belief. Because WE don't believe anyone deserves to die just because they have different opinions.

Sylvia BRONZE said...
on Sep. 3 2011 at 3:25 pm
Sylvia BRONZE, London, Other
3 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love thy neighbour"

And by the way, that comment about Christians was, unfortunately, genuine, and posted online. Thankfully though, it was not on this site. I hope there's no room for that kind of hate here.

Sylvia BRONZE said...
on Sep. 3 2011 at 3:21 pm
Sylvia BRONZE, London, Other
3 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love thy neighbour"

Okay, I accept the fact that perhaps in certain parts of the US atheists will feel persecuted. But in the UK, particularly in major cities like London, the situation is very different. Even in a traditionally Church of England school, if you tried to preach the Lord's word, or say grace before eating a meal, or pray before an exam, you would get strange looks or, much worse, bullying. Granted a British Christian's perspective will differ greatly from an American atheist's, but please keep in mind that in this day and age, you have an advantage as an atheist, what with the rise of the so-called "New Atheism", the frontrunners being people like Richard Dawkins, A.C Grayling and Christopher Hitchens. With that in the picture, Christianity is seen as weak and old news. Having a certain belief imposed on you at times is one thing, but being deprived of your cherished belief whenever at school, and having to sit still and say nothing while others are free to write, "Christians are stupid. they should go and kill themselves," is another thing entirely. Please take that into consideration, however you also have my sympathy for the oppression you are feeling.

ambnyc SILVER said...
on Aug. 20 2011 at 10:14 pm
ambnyc SILVER, Rego Park, New York
6 articles 0 photos 133 comments

Favorite Quote:
You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. - Dr. Seuss

I'm so happy to see all these well-written Atheist articles on here!

Atheist here, loved The God Delusion. Dawkins is a wonderful man.

I'll say it outright: I don't believe in God. And if you do, I believe you are misled.

Call me disrespectful, idiotic, whatever, that's my belief.


ambnyc SILVER said...
on Aug. 20 2011 at 10:12 pm
ambnyc SILVER, Rego Park, New York
6 articles 0 photos 133 comments

Favorite Quote:
You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. - Dr. Seuss

"God" doesn't exist.

Person said...
on Aug. 2 2011 at 1:12 am
Actually, yes. I believe the universe had a creator, but I don't believe he has a "Holy Word." The way I see it, the way God is potrayed in Holy Books is kind of tyrantish, and a tad sadistic. I can't make myself follow something like that, but that's just me. Who knows? He could have created us for the reasons people created TV. He could be laughing his behind off at how seriously effed up the world is right now, and we would have no clue.

Emmy88 BRONZE said...
on Aug. 1 2011 at 8:29 pm
Emmy88 BRONZE, New Rochelle, New York
1 article 0 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."-Wayne Gretzky

This article is talking about accepting atheism just like Judaism or anything else. You judge like we aren't people

 


Emmy88 BRONZE said...
on Aug. 1 2011 at 8:24 pm
Emmy88 BRONZE, New Rochelle, New York
1 article 0 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."-Wayne Gretzky

Are you saying the torah and other religious books are fiction too?

Atheists are like a religion of not having a religion


on Jul. 30 2011 at 12:25 pm
ZeeBYoung BRONZE, Coatesville, Pennsylvania
3 articles 0 photos 72 comments

Favorite Quote:
Don't judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes. That way, you're a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. :)

Well, this doesn't come off like you're a Holier Than Though, self righteous, bigoted "my opinion is right and everyone who disagrees with it is wrong, and just horrible and evil and should be dam.ned to the lowest pits of He.ll" as.shole at all. Have fun living a life where absolutely everyone will most likely hate you.

Person said...
on Jul. 30 2011 at 12:14 pm
Why do I doubt? Simple. I'm Deist. But, I could have easily been Mu.slim, Hin.di, Wic.can, or any other religion that believes in a Supreme Being but believes the Bi.ble is false. And because a persons religion is a matter of opinion, it wouldnt make me wrong. It just means I believe in God in a different context than you do. -insert "U MAD?" gif here-

on Jul. 29 2011 at 2:33 pm
If you know there is a God, why do you doubt His Holy Word? If you think that the Bible is false, then God should take away your breath. Because the Bible is directly from God, He used many people to write His Word. The only Bible I use is the King James Version, because it is the oldest and it was the first.   

on Jul. 19 2011 at 1:37 am
ZeeBYoung BRONZE, Coatesville, Pennsylvania
3 articles 0 photos 72 comments

Favorite Quote:
Don't judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes. That way, you're a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. :)

And that right there is your problem. You can't make it in life if you're going to get fussy over a difference of opinion. Everyone has different views, and that's something you're going to have to suck up and get over. Tolerance.

on Jul. 19 2011 at 1:35 am
ZeeBYoung BRONZE, Coatesville, Pennsylvania
3 articles 0 photos 72 comments

Favorite Quote:
Don't judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes. That way, you're a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. :)

And right there is you're problem. If you're going to get butthurt over a difference in opinion, you won't make it. When you get older, people will different opinions, and you just have to suck it up and get used to it. Tolerance.