# What’s the worst thing about being an atheist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 25, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166 "2023-04-25T13:18:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 27
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/521 "2024-04-03T11:13:15Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > And I still don’t see how gender got into it. There are no religions that I know of that count females as real people. At best women are second class citizens. Why not all women are atheists is fully beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/522 "2024-04-03T12:56:38Z")
Wicca? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/523 "2024-04-03T13:58:13Z")
They think women are witches. Does that count as real people? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/524 "2024-04-03T14:07:27Z")
Only if they weight more than a duck? ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/525 "2024-04-03T14:24:42Z")
On my largest scales, of course. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/526 "2024-04-03T15:24:43Z")
Nowadays, of course, technology has made things so much easier. You just use a hand-held wiccometer. Sort of a specialized tricorder. It detects magical emanations (apparently the elementary particles are called wiccons). Developed by a spinoff from scientology’s e-meter, I think? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/527 "2024-04-05T02:21:18Z")
find out more about it here: [![](https://microcosmpublishing.com/previews/Wiccapedia.JPG_blowup.jpg) ](https://microcosmpublishing.com/previews/Wiccapedia.JPG_blowup.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/528 "2024-04-05T02:36:28Z")
WTF are you going on about? I’ll be sure and let my rabbi know that our religion doesn’t consider her a real person 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/529 "2024-04-05T03:07:17Z")
_Your_ religion is the source of misogyny in a large fraction of the world. In book 1, who is it that brings about the downfall of humanity? Who was it listened to the serpent and took the first bite of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and then convinced the other person to follow suit?        I mean, yeah, maybe the Jewish sects are not quite as rabbid about putting women in their place as are the derivatives, but where the hell do you think those derivatives got those ideas to begin with? ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/530 "2024-04-05T05:23:42Z")
Well, it is certainly true that misogyny and patriarchy are completely unknown in all non-Abrahamic cultures, so I guess you’ve got me there. I’ll show myself out and leave you to your self-righteous circle jerk. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/531 "2024-04-05T06:06:57Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Well, it is certainly true that misogyny and patriarchy are completely unknown in all non-Abrahamic cultures, so I guess you’ve got me there. I’ll show myself out and leave you to your self-righteous circle jerk The irony of this post by a privileged male of the religion is not lost on this non-priveledged female. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2024, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/532 "2024-04-05T11:28:50Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > _Your_ religion is the source of misogyny in a large fraction of the world. It’s a stretch to say that it’s the source. I think @Thing.Fish has a reasonable point. Correlation is not causation, especially when plenty of examples of the supposed effect can be found without the supposed cause. (And none of this is to deny @The_Librarian’s point that there are few if any religions that are not infected with misogyny. But that’s certainly not limited to religion.) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/533 "2024-04-05T15:26:08Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Well, it is certainly true that misogyny and patriarchy are completely unknown in all non-Abrahamic cultures, so I guess you’ve got me there. Lemme get this straight. Other religions do it so it’s okay if you do too. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/534 "2024-04-05T15:51:56Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Lemme get this straight. Other religions do it so it’s okay if you do too. I don’t see where you got that from what @Thing.Fish said. As I understand it, he was responding to @eschereal’s claim that “your religion” and its “derivatives” were the source of much of the misogyny in the world by using sarcasm to point out that, if that were true, you’d expect to see much less misogyny and patriarchy in non-Abrahamic cultures. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166/535 "2024-04-05T15:53:53Z")
And which of these cultures are irreligious, and don’t use their holy word as justification? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-the-worst-thing-about-being-an-atheist/983166.md?page=26)