The All-Powerful Atheismo: InfamousBLT: The All-Powerful Atheismo: InfamousBLT:
Because atheism comes with no preset morals. A Christian has a moral they will follow (that is, love everyone, or try your hardest anyways). Atrocities have nothing to do with not believing in a higher power, but they do have something to do with being kind to other humans.

Wow this is disturbingly wrong.

How is it wrong?

Because you're conflating two different things and committing a disturbing number of logical fallacies in a very short space. I don't feel like dissecting it all, but what you said was retarded. For example... you are comparing "atheism" with "a christian" which is two different things. If you were to say that "an ATHEIST" comes with no preset morals then you would have to say "a CHRISTIAN" comes with no preset morals, which would make more sense, even if it would be philosophically suspect.

Many many studies show that Atheists, in America anyway, tend to be more ethical and more moral than christians. Things like lower divorce rates for example. No, I'm not going to bother finding links for you, you're the one making stupid claims here.

Yes but as has been posted on fark nearly a jillion times, there are lots of different beliefs of atheists. The only thing they share is a lack of belief in any god. This has been repeated so many times it is virtually dogma. He is correct in saying that inherently there is not a single moral code that an atheist starts the game with. Whereas a Christian has his moral code pretty much defined for him from the beginning.

/living up to it is a different story though
//not all atheists are emphathetic vulcans, as fark seems to think

AburKadabur: I think the bigger news, and the tidbit that christians are bound to pull out when they debate, is that this guy is an atheist.

Statistically speaking atheists comprise an astonishingly small percentage of prison populations. At least in North America. I assume in Great Britain the percentage is similar, but I can't claim to know.

This implies one of two things; either atheists tend to commit less crimes than god-fearing folk. Or, atheists are better at not getting caught.

I guess a third might be that prison accounts for a great deal of conversion from atheism to theism. There are no statistics that I'm aware of as to the specifics of that scenario.

Almost certainly that option. In jail you don't have much to do, and prisoners are encouraged to "turn over a new leaf." What better to convince your captors that you are a changed man than by studying up on the Bible and professing that you have learned to be a moral person intent on correcting his mistakes?

A big message of the New Testament is redemption and the idea that Jesus loves everyone, even the weakest among us. When you have fubared your life totally, the idea that simply accepting Jesus lets you take a mulligan on this life and wait for the eternal kingdom of heaven.

Also, prior to the Ludovico treatment, think of what Alex was doing in prison. Most of these folks are "Christians" or "Muslims" in the same way that a kid that was grounded tries to be nice to his sister.

jaytkay: Fano: Yes but as has been posted on fark nearly a jillion times, there are lots of different beliefs of atheists...Whereas a Christian has his moral code pretty much defined for him from the beginning.

You mean the love-your-neighbor Christian? Or the no-dancing, no drinking Christian? Or the gay-hating Christian? The prosperity-gospel Christian? Mormons? Or Catholics? Speaking-in-tongues Christians? Deists?

There is no single Christian belief system. Different people made up different shiat to suit their own purposes.

I guess that whole Nicean creed thing was bunco. And as everyone knows on Fark, all Christians are fire breathing fundies. I have no idea what other kinds of Christians you are talking about. At any rate, these theoretical Christians you are talking about at least share a similar book to draw their beliefs and rituals from.

jaytkay: Fano: jaytkay: Fano: Yes but as has been posted on fark nearly a jillion times, there are lots of different beliefs of atheists...Whereas a Christian has his moral code pretty much defined for him from the beginning.

You mean the love-your-neighbor Christian? Or the no-dancing, no drinking Christian? Or the gay-hating Christian? The prosperity-gospel Christian? Mormons? Or Catholics? Speaking-in-tongues Christians? Deists?

There is no single Christian belief system. Different people made up different shiat to suit their own purposes.

I guess that whole Nicean creed thing was bunco. And as everyone knows on Fark, all Christians are fire breathing fundies. I have no idea what other kinds of Christians you are talking about. At any rate, these theoretical Christians you are talking about at least share a similar book to draw their beliefs and rituals from.

Pretending the groups I described don't exist, or that they follow the same "moral code" shows you are ignorant or dishonest. Or both.

Same with pretending I wrote or implied, "all Christians are fire breathing fundies."

So the point that you are making is that Christians are a group that is as diverse or moreso than atheists. Interesting. Ok.

AburKadabur: Fano:

Almost certainly that option. In jail you don't have much to do, and prisoners are encouraged to "turn over a new leaf." What better to convince your captors that you are a changed man than by studying up on the Bible and professing that you have learned to be a moral person intent on correcting his mistakes?

A big message of the New Testament is redemption and the idea that Jesus loves everyone, even the weakest among us. When you have fubared your life totally, the idea that simply accepting Jesus lets you take a mulligan on this life and wait for the eternal kingdom of heaven.

Also, prior to the Ludovico treatment, think of what Alex was doing in prison. Most of these folks are "Christians" or "Muslims" in the same way that a kid that was grounded tries to be nice to his sister.

While that may make the most sense to you, I was really hoping you could provide prison population conversion statistics, to back up your assertion.

Being atheist, I like to believe that atheists tend to commit fewer crimes than do theists. Which I like to attribute to not only greater moral character on the part of atheists, but also greater intelligence. That is, we tend not to commit crimes as we are more intelligent, better educated, make more money and so are less at risk of self-destructive behaviour, etc.

Well, that sort of tribalism worked for the Christians for hundreds of years, so, you may be right.

I will step out for a bit after noting that the nations of this world that were "officially atheist" were not necessarily bastions of moral grace or particularly wealthy. They also tended toward quite a bit of self-destructive behavior.

/agnostic myself

If he was forced to share a cell with a guy who just would. not. shut. up. about god, the Bible, religion, conversion, whatever- and we've all known people like that, even OUTSIDE of prison- then yeah, I can see that he would have the basis for a legitimate complaint.

If you substituted religion for some other topic that the guy just wouldn't STFU over, but didn't push people's buttons, it wouldn't make the news. It'd just be two prisoners who were incompatible.

letrole: Atheism is a Religion

Atheism is a religion just like baldness is a hair color.