Things Atheists Need to Understand About Religious People

This is not a list made to hate on atheists whatsoever!
The Top Ten
1 We are not all brainwashed

This is such a terrible misconception that desperately needs to be addressed! Some people out there seem to think that because kids are raised to be religious they are therefore brainwashed. I understand how atheists have come to that conclusion, but it's simply not true. The definition of brainwashed is 'to make (someone) adopt radically different beliefs by using systematic and often forcible pressure." From the outside it may appear that this is what's happening within religious groups but think about it. Are children that are raised by evolutionist atheists brainwashed because they they share the same beliefs as their parents? Of course not! Why is it any different for religious people? If you think that all religious people are brainwashed than according to your logic, everyone is brainwashed! Now don't get me wrong! There are many religious groups and cults that brainwash their followers. But is isn't fair to label all or even the majority of religious people as brainwashed, unless you are willing to acknowledge that atheists would also have to be brainwashed in order for that idea to be true.

2 We don't hate atheists

Religious people view atheists the same way they view other religions. Just another worldview that differs from their own.

3 We are not sexist
4 Just because we are in the same religion doesn't mean we agree

There are so many different beliefs even in the same religions that I get so tired when we are all grouped into the same group. Everyone reaches their own conclusions about life.

5 We don't hate science

It seems that because the majority of us rejected one scientific theory, people think we reject science as a whole, which isn't true. Science is the only way to explain the natural world, and very, very, very few people actually reject science. We simply rely on it less than atheists because we also believe in supernatural things. Science can only explain the natural parts of the universe.

My science teacher on 5th grade is religious so NOT all religious people hate science

6 We can work together with atheists to improve our society

Now more than ever, religious people and atheists need to realize what they have in common and start working together instead of constantly fighting. Religious people and atheists are compatible.

7 Just because we're against homosexual marriage doesn't mean we're evil

I myself am not against homosexual marriage being legalized and while I wouldn't describe Christians against it as being evil at all (in fact I to some extent would agree that homosexuality is in some ways immoral), I do not think that barring people from being married to the people they love in a healthy relationship is loving or firmly based in biblical truth. Christains today far too often make the mistake of believing that we must still follow the ancient ways of the Jews but Christians are actually called to follow the ways of Jesus.

8 We are just as capable of using scientific evidence as atheists

A lot of atheists think that they are just in general smarter than religious people, or that they are more scientific, and that is false. The vast majority of great scientists in history (Albert Einstein, Robert Boyle,Isaac Newton etc.) were religious. Simply because you deny God doesn't mean you are smart for arriving at that conclusion.

9 Some of us believe in evolution

Many religious people are firm believers in evolution. I personally do not believe in it, but evolution is not simply an atheistic belief.

10 We are not all homophobic

A lot of religious people are terrible to gay people and I want everyone to know that is only one group of religious people, not all of us.

Quite right. Jesus was probably one of the gayest people there ever was. I mean, he hung out with lepers.

The Contenders
11 Most of us don't want our beliefs to be forced on anyone

Atheists have this idea that religious people want everyone to share their beliefs and will stop at nothing to make that a reality. This isn't true. The vast majority of us couldn't care less what you think.

I'm a Christian, yet I don't force my religion on other people. It's their beliefs, their freedom, their choices.

This probably depends on which religion you are in and which religious community you're a part of.

12 We are not all conservatives

I mean absolutely no disrespect to conservatives with this addition. It's just that most religious people in the public eye are either terrorists or conservatives. You don't have to be conservative to be religious.

I'm a Christian and best believe, I'm not a conservative, nor am I a liberal.

13 Many of us are openly gay
14 Many of us are feminists
15 Some of us believe religion is a personal thing
16 Many of us support gay marriage
17 There are more religions than Christianity and Islam

Wicca and Buddhism is popular.
And no offense to any toptenners who are but Scientology is popular with some famous people.

18 Some don't care about the afterlife
19 We're not terrorists
20 Only the evangelists say "believe or Hell"
21 It's not all terrorism or evangelists
22 We have friends and family who are atheists
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