Question to Atheists: Why do you help people in need?

[Caecilian]

The OP is remarkably stupid and offensive, even considering that it was written by a religious nut.

Speaking personally, I've spent most of my adult life working with people with learning disability, mental health issues and/ or substance misuse problems. I've done that sort of work because I genuinely care about my fellow human beings. I could have earned much more money doing other stuff, but I prefer doing work that makes the world a better place to doing work that gets me lots of cash.

In my experience, atheists are no more or less likely to work in the care sector than theists. On the other hand, atheists are more likely to do their job well. Many theists get into this sort of work for entirely the wrong reasons- they see a vulnerable group of people, and they want to proselytize them. I've seen plenty of this sort of unprofessional crap over the years. There are also theists who do care work because god told them to (its a calling, or whatever)- those sanctimonious halfwits aren't much better than the evangelicals.

[Kylyssa]

Many theists get into this sort of work for entirely the wrong reasons- they see a vulnerable group of people, and they want to proselytize them. I've seen plenty of this sort of unprofessional crap over the years.

A nurse tried to proselytize to my mother right after she had surgery by trying to get her frightened of death.  Good thing my dad had stepped out before she did that, not that I didn't feel light punching the nurse's lights out myself.

[Caecilian]

A nurse tried to proselytize to my mother right after she had surgery by trying to get her frightened of death.  Good thing my dad had stepped out before she did that, not that I didn't feel light punching the nurse's lights out myself.

Thats exactly the kind of thing that I was talking about. Sadly, it happens rather a lot.

What you won't find is atheist nurses trying to talk patients out of their beliefs.

Religious beliefs can also cloud people's professional judgement rather severely. An extreme example:

Some years ago, I worked with a young woman with disassociative personality disorder (multiple personalities). From a theoretical perspective, its a fascinating condition; in practical terms she was a real handful- very needy, very confused, also extremely likeable. One of my co-workers, who was a hardline fundie, became convinced that she was possessed by demons. He even told her this, encouraged her to not engage with mental health services, and tried to get her to join his church (with the aim of getting her exorcized).

When it became clear what the stupid fucker had been up to he was suspended, and subsequently sacked (I'm pleased to say that I had a hand in this). I don't know what happened to the young woman- last I heard she was in hospital (again), but that was many years ago- I moved to another part of the country a few months after the co-worker went.

This was just the worst example of the kind of stuff that happened in that particular job. The whole experience of working with fundies (there were quite a few of 'em) is what changed me from being an apathetic atheist to being a militant atheist.

[pinkocommie]

A nurse tried to proselytize to my mother right after she had surgery by trying to get her frightened of death.  Good thing my dad had stepped out before she did that, not that I didn't feel light punching the nurse's lights out myself.

Thats exactly the kind of thing that I was talking about. Sadly, it happens rather a lot.

What you won't find is atheist nurses trying to talk patients out of their beliefs.

Religious beliefs can also cloud people's professional judgement rather severely. An extreme example:

Some years ago, I worked with a young woman with disassociative personality disorder (multiple personalities). From a theoretical perspective, its a fascinating condition; in practical terms she was a real handful- very needy, very confused, also extremely likeable. One of my co-workers, who was a hardline fundie, became convinced that she was possessed by demons. He even told her this, encouraged her to not engage with mental health services, and tried to get her to join his church (with the aim of getting her exorcized).

When it became clear what the stupid fucker had been up to he was suspended, and subsequently sacked (I'm pleased to say that I had a hand in this). I don't know what happened to the young woman- last I heard she was in hospital (again), but that was many years ago- I moved to another part of the country a few months after the co-worker went.

This was just the worst example of the kind of stuff that happened in that particular job. The whole experience of working with fundies (there were quite a few of 'em) is what changed me from being an apathetic atheist to being a militant atheist.

One thing that seems to be on the rise in certain areas of the US (maybe other places?  If so, forgive my ignorance. ) are religious groups setting up what is essentially fake clinics for women specifically so that if a girl goes in search of birth control, condoms, medical services (like a pap or an abortion), or even just information  and she accidentally wanders into one of these places, she'll be told all about abstinence, religion, and - if pregnant - about how abortion is murder and giving the baby to a religious organization or a religious family who wants to adopt it is really the only choice open to her if she doesn't want to raise the child herself.  It's horrible.  The last I heard, at least one state was talking about making these groups put some sort of indication in their windows so that girls could tell just by looking at the place that it was actually a religious group and not a medical facility, but that's all I've really heard about.  Thank Mighty Atheismo for Planned Parenting.  =D

[Caecilian]

One thing that seems to be on the rise in certain areas of the US (maybe other places?  If so, forgive my ignorance. ) are religious groups setting up what is essentially fake clinics for women specifically so that if a girl goes in search of birth control, condoms, medical services (like a pap or an abortion), or even just information  and she accidentally wanders into one of these places, she'll be told all about abstinence, religion, and - if pregnant - about how abortion is murder and giving the baby to a religious organization or a religious family who wants to adopt it is really the only choice open to her if she doesn't want to raise the child herself.  It's horrible.  The last I heard, at least one state was talking about making these groups put some sort of indication in their windows so that girls could tell just by looking at the place that it was actually a religious group and not a medical facility, but that's all I've really heard about.  Thank Mighty Atheismo for Planned Parenting.  =D

Now that is exceptionally grim. I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't be possible to pull that sort of stunt in the UK- but then this is a much more secular place than the US.

The 'fake abortion clinic' thing kinda demonstrates just how unprincipled many christians are. Nothing corrodes ethical principles like fanaticism, and nothing produces fanaticism like religion.

[Martin TK]

"How is that insulting at all? The title doesn’t say, ‘Imagine No Atheists’ or 'The Atheist Delusion' . All I want is a public debate. I want you atheists to defend some of your unethical and behavior."

I'm kind of sorry the guy got banned, I would love to have handled this, as I have done so on a number of occasions over the years.  I liked the answer someone gave that Atheism, unlike theism, is NOT a belief system.

I know MANY, MANY atheists who do good deeds, myself included.  I would like to know what the excuse is for all the evils done in the name of religion.

[AsylumSeeker]

Everybody has already said what I would have said, except they said it better!

[Davin]

Everybody has already said what I would have said, except they said it better!

It is very possible that the same would be said about what you say.

[Caecilian]

I know MANY, MANY atheists who do good deeds, myself included.  I would like to know what the excuse is for all the evils done in the name of religion.

What god wills cannot be evil. God, after all, is omni-benovolent, so by definition everything done according to his will and law must also be benevolent. Regardless of how bad it is.

Which has the effect of:

1. Completely destroying any possibility of real ethics. God massacred most of humanity in the flood, he called down the plague in Egypt, he drowned the pharoh's army in the Red Sea, he authorized David to sack numerous cities. And worst of all: he condemns countless souls to eternal torment. So theres nothing wrong with mass murder or torture per se.

2. Utterly defiling and degrading the whole concept of goodness. If the actions of yahweh are good, then I'll take evil, thanks very much.

[Whitney]

I changed the OP question from don't to do since the don't part was not only derogatory but was annoying me