No More Atheophobia

2008-12-25T12:50:00.073Z

"It always does annoy me when people say about atheists that they are amoral and heartless. The opposite is true." - Ricky Gervais

"...the religious paint unbelievers as poor desiccated rationalists, not only without values, but joyless, lacking a sense of mystery, devoid of awe." - Polly Toynbee

Atheists have long been looked down upon and criticised for their lack of religious beliefs. While open debate as to whether God exists is widespread, so are prejudiced views that paint atheists as lesser people. These views lead to insulting comments and occasionally downright hateful attacks aimed at atheists, the majority of whom are happy to live alongside religious peoples.

NEWS: as a response to the Atheist Bus Campaign in the UK, a religious group are planning to run adverts reading "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God". How offensive is that?

What Is Atheophobia?

Atheophobia is an irrational fear or hatred of atheists that manifests as a strong prejudice against those who do not believe in a God. It helps support a minority in their anti-atheist bigotry, where generalised, incorrect statements are made about atheists at large.

This bigotry includes incorrect claims that atheists:

- are morally inferior
- are a cause of evil
- have rejected God and embraced sin
- intend to destroy religion and religious holidays
- have meaningless or decadent lives
- should not be allowed to express their beliefs
- are unsuitable for positions of responsibility

These claims are often made via blogs or the media, and attack atheists at large rather than individuals.

While open debate about atheism is perfectly acceptable, it is absolutely unacceptable for religious persons to denigrate atheists for their lack of religious beliefs. This site aims to put an end to atheophobia and anti-atheist bigotry once and for all.

What You Can Do

This site encourages everyone, regardless of their belief, to reject atheophobia just as they would reject any other form of intolerance. Please do all you can to campaign against anti-atheist bigotry, and encourage others to do the same.

Using this site:

- Please let others know about the site.
- Email links to any bigoted websites to atheophobia-nomore [at] yahoo.co.uk so they can be added to the Hall of Shame
- Forward the 'leaflet', which explains what atheophobia is and why the reasons for it are wrong, to those who may be liable to atheophobia.

Elsewhere:

- Criticise intolerant views wherever you find them.
- Don't let bigoted remarks go unquestioned.
- Demand equality and respect for atheists and their way of life.
- Encourage greater understanding between atheists and believers.

...help rid society of atheophobia and anti-atheist bigotry once and for all.

Pages On This Site

Home Page (this page)
+ Possible Causes of Atheophobia
+ On Being an Atheist
+ 'Leaflet' About Atheophobia
+ Hall of Shame

Comments are welcome - please use the comments button below, or email atheophobia-nomore [at] yahoo.co.uk

2008-12-25T12:49:00.057Z

Hall of Shame

The No More Atheophobia campaign wishes to admonish the following for unacceptable levels of atheophobia or anti-atheist bigotry:

January 2009

www.christianvoice.org.uk
(for describing the Atheist Bus Campaign [which is intended to reassure non-believers who have seen adverts telling them they will go to hell] as "what amounts to an agnostic evangelistic crusade", and attempting to ban it.)

December 2008

www.eternalchoice.com/atheism.php
(for such things as blaming atheism for gun massacres at US high schools)

www.tencommandments.org/heathens.shtml
(for several reasons including the claim that "[nonbelievers] are therefore the true criminals of the world community and if there is a sane government, it should treat them accordingly.")

The author of Chapter 272, Section 36 of the General Laws of Massachusetts
(for adding a blasphemy law that can be used to put an atheist in jail for up to a year)

liberalsmustdie.com
(for making such an ironic claim as "Atheists Are Dumb")

Comment is Free writer Theo Hobson
(for generalising atheists as "pretentious and cowardly" and asking "What is this thing that the atheists hate so much?" when referring to religion)

http://www.conservapedia.com/Atheism
("There are a number of reasonable explanations for atheism:" ...goes on to include "Moral depravity", "Superficiality", "Error" and "Poor relationship with father")

http://raycomfortfood.blogspot.com/
(for claiming that atheists' lack of belief in hell means that they are "quite happy" for Hitler "simply to be dead" and that "that reveals something about your attitude to six million dead Jews")

Please email atheophobia-nomore [at] yahoo.co.uk if you find any website or organisation that deserves to be added to the Hall of Shame.

Pages On This Site

Home Page
+ Possible Causes of Atheophobia
+ On Being an Atheist
+ 'Leaflet' About Atheophobia
+ Hall of Shame (this page)

Comments are welcome - please use the comments button below, or email atheophobia-nomore [at] yahoo.co.uk

2008-12-25T12:49:00.054Z

'Leaflet' About Atheophobia

- What is atheophobia?

Atheophobia is a fear or hatred of atheists that leads to a prejudice against those who do not believe in God. It can lead to anti-atheist bigotry, including claims that atheists:

- are morally inferior
- are a cause of evil
- have rejected God and embraced sin
- intend to destroy religion and religious holidays
- have meaningless or decadent lives
- should not be allowed to express their beliefs
- are unsuitable for positions of responsibility

These claims are often made via blogs or the media, and attack atheists at large rather than individuals.

Many people are still atheophobic today, thus allowing a smaller but significant number to get away with open bigotry towards atheists.

- Does atheophobia matter?

Yes. Anti-atheist bigotry can be very upsetting for atheists and widens the rift between non-believers and believers. It is just as unacceptable as any other form of bigotry or intolerance.

- But atheists are wrong!

It is perfectly acceptable for opinions to differ as to the existence of God, and open debate should be encouraged. However, this difference of opinions should not be used as grounds to insult and belittle an atheist's beliefs. Arguments may be made against the concept of godlessness, but not against a group of godless people.

- But the Bible says...

Holy books are a mixed blessing - some bits are quite pleasant, but some are not. The parts that suggest that atheists deserve to be treated badly fall quite firmly into the 'unpleasant' category, and believers would do well to ignore them.

- But atheists are immoral!

There is an argument that religion is the source of all morals, and that atheists are therefore morally bankrupt. This simply isn't true, and if it were it would be hypocritical for a religious person to claim the moral high ground while bullying atheists.

- But atheists want to destroy religion!

The vast majority of atheists have no problem with religion existing. Those who object strongly to religion may well do so because they have been greatly upset by atheophobia and other bigotry. Put simply, the choice is between mutual destruction or mutual respect.

- But atheists believe in nothing!

This is a common misconception. Actually, atheists are generally ordinary people who believe in all sorts of things (such as love, friendship, truth, beauty, freedom, rights, even aliens...) and are capable of living morally upright, fulfilling and meaningful lives.

- How You Can Help Stop Anti-Atheist Bigotry

Please do forward this 'leaflet' to others, and thus spread the message that anti-atheist bigotry exists and needs to be stamped out of society.

For more information about atheophobia, visit atheophobia.blogspot.com/

Pages On This Site

Home Page
+ Possible Causes of Atheophobia
+ On Being an Atheist
+ 'Leaflet' About Atheophobia (this page)
+ Hall of Shame

Comments are welcome - please use the comments button below, or email atheophobia-nomore [at] yahoo.co.uk

2008-12-25T12:49:00.038Z

On Being an Atheist

Being an atheist isn't necessarily easy. Although the world is now quite liberal when it comes to religious freedom (read "freedom to follow any religion or none"), many people are still religious enough for it to cause difficulties when you inform them of your atheism - not that it's often necessary, but when it is you don't want to end up shunned by friends or colleagues simply because you believe a different thing to them.

More pertinently, being an atheist can be difficult due to the atheophobia found in the press, in blogs and on forums. Church leaders often make speeches condemning secular society or blaming atheists for evil, and online atheophobes can be found blogging all sorts of hateful comments about atheists lacking morals, believing in nothing and generally being evil.

Some advice for atheists:

1. Don't feel you have to justify your beliefs to others, or that you need to be drawn into arguments about the existence of God.

2. Try not to get irritated by those stories in the papers or those hateful blogs, but do write to them informing them that they have said something upsetting.

3. Don't take criticism of your beliefs personally. Some people just go around deliberately upsetting others.

4. Don't feel isolated - there are many groups on the web for humanists/freethinkers/just-plain-atheists out there.

5. If someone really is being downright nasty or hateful, treat just like any other form of bullying: report it.

6. Remember that the world hasn't quite accepted atheism as a belief system, but that you can help change that fact by tolerating others and asking for equality and tolerance yourself.

See also this guide to coming out as an atheist (links to an external site).

Pages On This Site

Home Page
+ Possible Causes of Atheophobia
+ On Being an Atheist (this page)
+ 'Leaflet' About Atheophobia
+ Hall of Shame

Comments are welcome - please use the comments button below, or email atheophobia-nomore [at] yahoo.co.uk

2008-12-25T12:47:00.016Z

Possible Causes of Atheophobia

Some possible causes of atheophobia are listed below. Critical comments follow each one.

1. Enthusiastic interpretation of passages from the Bible and other holy books
- the fact that a book tells you to do something does not make it an acceptable pastime.

2. Irritation at the dogmatic campaigns by Richard Dawkins and other 'new atheists'
- just because Dawkins is irritating doesn't mean it's acceptable to insult atheists.

3. Claims that atheists want to cancel Christmas and other holidays
- the vast majority of atheists have no problem with Christians celebrating Christmas

4. Confusion between atheism (no God) and nihilism (no anything)
- it is a mistake to believe that atheists have no beliefs or morals whatsoever.

5. Belief that religion is the source of all morals
- it's not, and if it were it would be hypocritical to claim the moral high ground while bullying atheists

6. Fears that religions will shrink as atheism becomes more popular
- inciting hatred between atheists and religious person is hardly going to solve that one.

Pages On This Site

Home Page
+ Possible Causes of Atheophobia (this page)
+ On Being an Atheist
+ 'Leaflet' About Atheophobia
+ Hall of Shame

Comments are welcome - please use the comments button below, or email atheophobia-nomore [at] yahoo.co.uk