What's the craziest thing you have heard about atheism?

[Recusant]

I've read something interesting somewhere... Illustrated Science, I think. There it was claimed that people of high intelligence tend to undervalue their own intellectual worth to a degree, yet less-than-intelligent people tend to overvalue themselves. Basically, even if a "dumb shit" is obvious as such to like... The majority of the better educated population, the likelihood is that the "dumb shit" considers himself about as smart as any.

Wikipedia article on the Dunning-Kruger effect

Original paper by Dunning and Kruger from Psychology

I think that "arrogance" may run in families.  I know that I and my siblings are often perceived as arrogant, and that members of previous generations (at least on my mother's side) were as well.  What others perceive as arrogance may simply be justified self-confidence.  I think of myself as fairly humble, having met many people who are more intelligent, wittier and stronger than I am, and acknowledged that. However, I know for a fact that in many respects I have superior abilities to a large percentage of the population.

So, am I an example of the dummköpfe who have an undeservedly high opinion of themselves? Perhaps so.  

[skwurll]

When I was 18 I was kicked out of my parent's house for refusing to go to church. I was basically told "if you're not at church next week you better not be here when we get home." So I got a shitty apartment and continued working my even shittier part-time job. I stayed in school (which I paid for myself anyways) and saw my first degree as a slap in my parent's face - "See, I don't need you assholes anyways" is what I thought.

All I can say is keep at it- you're basically being discriminated against in your own home and I understand how it can really suck at times. Especially when you're at an age where your parents will look down at you and think your atheism is just your way of rebelling.

It sucks that people are so intolerant, I live in a pretty conservative area, and I've dealt with quite a lot of discrimination in school. Best thing I've found is to ignore them, and when they can't be ignored, make up ridiculous scripture and quote it to them. (Actually works on my parents.)

As soon as I move out, I'm never going to church again, telling my parent they're bigots, and living my own life.

[terranus]

Glad my parents weren't/aren't crazy like y'alls. My mom actually deconverted before I did. My stepdad is a math professor, he only worships the math gods (pi, golden-ratio, etc.).

"you masturbate with the blood of aborted babies"

Ooo, that's a good one. Might have to put that in my signature.

[Extropian]

In 60 years of convinced atheism, the two most common arguments against it by theists are..............

[a] They identify atheism as synonymous with communism.

They insist that atheism is a religion.

Both contentions are easily silenced except for one or two particularly dense theists who can't understand the arguments put forward by atheists  

In [a] They love citing the 20th century when we had some rather ruthless regimes that were communist. Theists seized on a book titled DEATH BY GOVERNMENT written by a Prof.Rudolph Rummell of the U of Hawaii, wherein statistics were slanted and misapplied against communist regimes and over-generalised by the theist reader.

In One need only ask what is the purpose behind their calling atheism a religion. To extol atheism or to denigrate it?
Obviously the latter. Just simple reasoning reveals that they want to REDUCE atheism to the same level as religious faith and by illogical association, burden it with all the clap-trap of religious doctrine, commentary and concordance, all the contrived thought processes that try to explain away contradiction, untruth, impenetrable analogy and allegory, fable, symbolism and anachronism.

IOW, they want to tar atheists with the same brush by which they have been tarred. And by this they acknowledge the original superior position of atheism............get it?

It is so rare to find a theist who rejoices in his faith and has no need of putting down non-faith in doing so.

Always examine their motives and closely follow their reasoning. In almost every case one finds contempt, spite, ignorance and contumacy, all of which are totally at odds with their faith. Theists are so smugly conceited they never recognise this in themselves.

Extropian

Extropian

[Davin]

Just recently that atheists are giving some kind of power or something to god by using religious exclamations.

[YaarghMatey487]

We can't possibly appreciate or understand positive emotions such as natural beauty, love, compassion, etc because we don't have god as a driving force to our morality or outlook on life. If you don't believe in miracles or creation how can you appreciate any of the good things life has to offer?

[fester30]

1.  Atheists believe in god, they're just rebelling against their parents.
2.  Atheists are devil-worshippers.
3.  Atheists don't believe in god because they want to be able to sin freely.
4.  Atheists are always angry and yelling at you.

[Asmodean]

Original paper by Dunning and Kruger from Psychology

Sweet! Thanks  lol[/quote]
...OR maybe you are undervaluing yourself and are actually twice as brilliant as you think?  

[JuggernautJon]

Some people are under the false impression that atheist is another word for satanist.

Hit the nail right on the head! I get "atheism is the devil's work and we worship satan." I counter with "who?"

[The Magic Pudding]

Just recently that atheists are giving some kind of power or something to god by using religious exclamations.

Yes that one and some atheists think it likely life exists somewhere else in the universe so... I'm not sure what, invent a faith around it or something.  It's like your married siblings trying to hitch you up with someone.  Yes this alien worshipping faith doesn't look like much, but you must be lonely and who else is going to take you?

[xSilverPhinx]

Hmm, that is interesting. I know of a few stereotypes (which i'm not about to use here) but it would be interestng to see figures for religious vs. openly atheist ratios in various South American countries.

Anyone else here have personal experiences with religious attitudes from various Hispanic countries, and how fervently they worship?

I live in southern Brazil, but since I restrict my views to the internet and don't go around talking about my lack of beliefs IRL there isn't much I've been exposed to except behind my back. People know that I'm an atheist, and have varying views on what atheism is all about. Some think that I'm spiritually dead and lack that extra something in order to give in and have faith in fairy tales. My mother thinks that later on in life I'll "see the light", but that's only because that's what happened to her. I don't know, maybe...though I highly doubt it'll be any form of theism, those things just really don't sit with me. There's also plenty of the the generic 'atheists are demons' or 'worship the devil' (god doesn't exist but the devil does? Why do these people feel they need to worship something...anything?), 'atheists are nihilists, immoral and hellbound'. Pretty much the same things.

There's this one guy here that takes his personal relationship with Jesus very seriously and even goes as far as to insist that others respect him, on dates such as Christmas (thinks the holiday should be exclusively about Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! He's an ignorant and close-minded one.

Pisses me off, especially since this guy does not deserve the respect he wants.

All in all it is a religiously tolerant society. I don't have the numbers, but there isn't a clearly dominant sect which concentrates influence on itself.

And just as in most places of the world, the religious fail miserably when trying to grasp what atheism is and what an atheist usually thinks about belief in gods. Out of all life's mysteries they have figured out, atheism is just not one of them...unfortunately their imaginary friends failed to give them proper insight there...

[darkcyd]

Get on Conservopedia and type in atheism

[missedtheboat]

My mom thinks atheist conventions are for devil worshippers!

[Sweetdeath]

The only one i've heard was athiests are devil worshippers thing. I see you all have brought that up already, but it is still irritating, as how would one NOT believe in God, but Lucifer?

I don't get what's so hard to accept about people who don't worship Santa in the sky?  I love that my logic and actions not being religiously influenced.

[fester30]

Apparently there's some sort of George Soros-funded movement populated by the likes of Van Jones, Jeremiah Wright, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reed, ACORN, Organizing for America, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Secular Coalition for America, the liberal media, and Barack Obama.  The goal of this movement is to turn America into the Soviet Union... a socialist, atheist state. 

Nevermind that the Soviet Union wasn't really socialist, or that if we actually went truly socialist, billionaire Soros wouldn't be rich anymore, or that Jeremiah Wright is a preacher, etc.  Apparently "the atheist" is trying to take over America and get rid of all religion and take everybody's money to give it to lazy bums.