# Ask the Atheist **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 16, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704 "2015-11-16T16:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/81 "2015-11-17T13:18:12Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Are there any character benefits you associate with atheism? More intelligent, less prone to senseless violence, better taste in movies and music, etc.? I know many atheist people. One of them is a bigoted racist. Another is big on the pseudoscience of Homeopathy. One is a good friend of mine and he never graduated from high school. Another is a good friend of mine and he has his degree in philosophy and comparative religion. Basically atheists can come from any background, have completely different political and social views, be incredibly smart, be incredibly stupid, be very nice, and be complete jerks. They pretty much run the spectrum. What I have noticed is that those people who have come to non-belief through rational thought, skepticism and free thinking, they tend to be very well educated. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/82 "2015-11-17T13:25:18Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Why would \*\*you \*\*being an atheist mean that \*\*she \*\*goes to church less? Is it that disconnecting “practice of worship” from “thing we do as a family” has caused the former to have less significance in her mind?. The same thing happened to my wife. When I was a believer, we would go to church every Sunday. When I came out to her the frequency at which she would go to church slowly started coming down. Now she goes about twice per month. I think part of it is that she wants to keep that “doing things with the family” aspect going and I also think that my disbelief is starting to affect her beliefs. She is starting to wonder, at least on a subconscious level, if perhaps I am correct. I’ve heard of it happening to other couples where one becomes an atheist and the other follows suit months or years afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/83 "2015-11-17T14:20:22Z")
Have you ever considered taking [the next step](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theological_noncognitivism) on from atheism? ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/84 "2015-11-17T15:03:15Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Have you ever considered taking [the next step](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theological_noncognitivism) on from atheism? I’ve never really thought about Theological Noncognitivism. I suppose in some ways I have already done this, but not to the extent that the link you provided describes. I think that the term “god” is a very ambiguous term when I talk to believers that are trying to convince me of his/her existence, so I often will ask, “How do you define god?” I ask this because everyone’s definition of their god is always different, so I like to make sure that words and concepts are clearly defined. Then I can have a meaningful discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/85 "2015-11-17T15:08:18Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > I can’t tell you what ultimately made it okay for her, but one day it simply was. For a few years after we were married, my wife continued to go to church regularly. I went a few times with her, but she knew I was doing it just for her. Over time, she went less and less often. I never pressured her about it. One day she simply stopped going regularly, with Easter and Christmas being the only exceptions. She’s resigned herself to it now. We don’t talk about religion or gods or anything like that anymore. She does go to church when she visits her family in her native country, or when they visit her here, but that is the extent of it. > [@Gyrate](#): > > Why would \*\*you \*\*being an atheist mean that \*\*she \*\*goes to church less? Is it that disconnecting “practice of worship” from “thing we do as a family” has caused the former to have less significance in her mind? I don’t know. I didn’t analyze it; I simply didn’t want to rock the boat. Had she continued attending her church with her previous frequency, I would have been fine with it. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/86 "2015-11-17T18:48:28Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Ah, there ya go. That’s a bit different than I got out of your OP; perhaps they did, too 😉 > > I suspect a thread with a title something like “How did you come to atheism and how do you present it in your life” may start things off on a better foot. I have no clue; just trying to figure out what the thread was about. > > I am not into organized religions or dogma, but have never considered framing myself as an “atheist.” No particular reason why. Possibly because _atheist_ is a negative word? It only describes what you _don’t_ believe, not what you _do._ It’s such a broad word, too - it covers everything from Zen Buddhism to religious humanism to philosophical materialism. I can’t see Richard Gere being philosophically closer to Sam Harris than to, say, Thomas Merton. I’m an atheist, but that’s just one aspect of my religious views. _Secular humanist_ is a better fit. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/87 "2015-11-18T10:01:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Why do you hate Odin? That’s a Thor point… As far as differences between atheists and believers, here’s recent study that shows [Religious upbringing linked to less altruism, study of children suggests](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151105121916.htm). Note that this is a single study, so don’t take it as (ahem) gospel. It’ll have to be confirmed (or not) with more studies. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/88 "2015-11-18T13:54:40Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > **Dragwyr** Has your loss of religious belief affected any of your other beliefs? Do you look at political or social issues any differently than before? There is one thing that has changed in my social/political views since I became an atheist. I am more concerned with church-state separation than I used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/89 "2015-11-18T15:30:49Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Possibly because _atheist_ is a negative word? It only describes what you _don’t_ believe, not what you _do._ > > It’s such a broad word, too - it covers everything from Zen Buddhism to religious humanism to philosophical materialism. I can’t see Richard Gere being philosophically closer to Sam Harris than to, say, Thomas Merton. > > I’m an atheist, but that’s just one aspect of my religious views. _Secular humanist_ is a better fit. Atheism is a belief: that there is no god. Agnosticism is the lack of belief. Of myself I say (and have said so on these boards) that by knowledge I am agnostic, but by actual belief I am an atheist. That is, I have no evidence one way or the other, but I believe there is no god. If I am wrong, he can come this instant and demonstrate his existence. No the OP said somewhere, he would like to hear from others. I was raised in a home that had no overt religious practice. I always knew we were Jewish (and had practicing relatives), but never went to schul and, except for attending Seders at an aunt’s house, never practiced religion. I did go to Hebrew school for a year and half to learn enough for a bar mitzvah, but after that date, never returned. At some point, I had a school assignment involving the bible (don’t recall what) and it turned out we didn’t own one. Later on my parents joined a reform synagogue and went to Friday night services, but that was really more social than religious. So it came quite naturally to me to not think about religion (or god). My wife grew up similarly, although her mother’s second husband was quite religious and her mother went along. I have no idea whether the mother really believed. But my wife and I raised our children without any religion. Two of the three married a spouse with no relgious belief either. The third married a woman who does practice religion. Not only that, she believes that deep down my wife and I do believe in god. She’s wrong. But I accept that deep down she does believe in god, although I can hardly believe it. Dawkins is too intolerant for my taste. (But his “The Ancestor’s Tale” is a wonderful book). ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/90 "2015-11-18T17:14:17Z")
Pretty much everyone on these boards is atheist or at least “non-religious”. You may as well have started a thread titled “Ask the SDMB poster”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/91 "2015-11-18T17:22:30Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Pretty much everyone on these boards is atheist or at least “non-religious”. That’s not true; but it sometimes at least seems like everyone who wants to talk about what they are is an atheist. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/92 "2015-11-18T17:36:26Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > That’s not true; but it sometimes at least seems like everyone who wants to talk about what they are is an atheist. Nah, there have been polls: [2012 - “Theist” or “Non-theist”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638489) (63.12% voted “non-theist”) [2011 - “Atheist” or “Other”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=627615) (public in this case, and 76.23% voted “atheist”) [2010 - “Theist”, “Agnostic”, “Atheist”, or “Antitheist”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=559551) (69.85% voted “atheist” or “agnostic”, and 8.78% voted “antitheist”, whatever that is) [2009 - Various religions as options](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=533099) (67.46% voted “atheist”, “agnostic”, or “undecided”) While admittedly I exaggerated in saying “pretty much everyone”, it’s clearly established as the majority viewpoint. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/93 "2015-11-18T17:57:18Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Nah, there have been polls: > > [2012 - “Theist” or “Non-theist”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638489) (63.12% voted “non-theist”) > [2011 - “Atheist” or “Other”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=627615) (public in this case, and 76.23% voted “atheist”) > [2010 - “Theist”, “Agnostic”, “Atheist”, or “Antitheist”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=559551) (69.85% voted “atheist” or “agnostic”, and 8.78% voted “antitheist”, whatever that is) > [2009 - Various religions as options](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=533099) (67.46% voted “atheist”, “agnostic”, or “undecided”) > > While admittedly I exaggerated in saying “pretty much everyone”, it’s clearly established as the majority viewpoint. And the vast majority of those who polled “atheist” usually keep silent on the subject on this message board. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/94 "2015-11-18T19:17:05Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Atheism is a belief: that there is no god. Agnosticism is the lack of belief. Of myself I say (and have said so on these boards) that by knowledge I am agnostic, but by actual belief I am an atheist. That is, I have no evidence one way or the other, but I believe there is no god. If I am wrong, he can come this instant and demonstrate his existence. I don’t quite agree with your definitions. As Matt Dillahunty has said many times, theism has to do with what you believe and gnosticism has to do with what you know. Atheism is not in and of itself a belief, but it does have to do with what you believe. It is a response to the proposition that some sort of god exists, saying that one does not believe it. Non belief in a god is not the same as saying that a god does not exist. Agnosticism says that one does not know if there is a god. Therefore, I would consider myself an agnostic atheist. I don’t know if there is a god so I won’t believe one exists until I know for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/95 "2015-11-18T19:18:16Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And the vast majority of those who polled “atheist” usually keep silent on the subject on this message board. Which is one of the reasons I started this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/96 "2015-11-18T19:41:01Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > Which is one of the reasons I started this thread. I think he was being czarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/97 "2015-11-18T20:01:47Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > I did a thorough search and found nothing like this posted. > **[What would your "Ask the..." thread be?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359846)** > > I have tried to search on this, but find my SDMB search-fu to be sorely lacking - since the words “ask” and “the” get filtered out as too common, I don’t know how to check how many “ask the” threads there have been… So if there are one or more... > **[Growing up Atheist](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=50565)** > > I’d like to ask the atheist Dopers on this board about your upbringing. More specifically, did your upbringing contribute to your atheism in any way? Were your parents hardcore, Bible-thumping shitheads who screamed at you that you were going to burn... > **[Ask the atheist, 15 year old, male Hoosier.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=307900)** > > Well, go ahead. Ask away. > **[Ask The Atheist Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=89018)** > > Well, I don’t think we’ve had one of these yet. I searched and didn’t find one, anyway. So, if you have any questions about atheism or atheists in general, I will answer them to my best ability. > **[Ask the Atheist.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=285902)** > > I recently vowed to (try) not to be offensive to theists and remind mysef that I consider many of them friends (or at least admirable people), so this thread is for general curiosity type questions such as “are you willing to get married” (my... > **[Ask The Atheist Raised As A Jehovah's Witness..](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=504694)** > > After reading the latest thread about Jehovah’s Witnesses, I feel that there is still a lot of ignorance regarding what they believe, how they practice their beliefs, and how they live their lives. Most of my family are still practicing members of... ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/98 "2015-11-18T20:20:00Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > [What would your "Ask the..." thread be? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359846) > [Growing up Atheist - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=50565) > [Ask the atheist, 15 year old, male Hoosier. - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=307900) > [Ask The Atheist Guy - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=89018) > [Ask the Atheist. - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=285902) > [Ask The Atheist Raised As A Jehovah's Witness.. - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=504694) Ok. I apparently suck at searching the board. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/99 "2015-11-18T20:27:22Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > I’m an atheist as well, I keep it to myself IRL to avoid being shunned. I work with an ark-load of xtians and the industry is very small even though I’m IT. Very regrettable. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704/100 "2015-11-18T23:08:27Z")
What’s the most annoying assumption that a non-atheist has made about you? Is there any main misconception you’d like to clear up about atheists or atheism? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-atheist/737704.md?page=6)