WATCH: Seven Common Myths About Atheists Debunked


Many atheists, especially in the Bible Belt, have faced hate and persecution for being non-believers. Some think that we can’t have morals without the Bible and many other false theories. A website called AtheistRepublic has posted their list of ten common myths about atheists. This is my perspective on their points:

1. Atheists Believe Something Came From Nothing

Creationists believe that God created the world. Therefore, without a God, we must believe that the universe came from nothing. The author points out that quantum physics has given us some answers to this question. Lawrence Krauss,  a physicist, says that there were virtual particles that were created in a vacuum. Therefore, it wasn’t something from nothing.

2. Atheists Have No Morals

Humans are social beings; therefore, we have morals. Many Christians think that atheists cannot have morals because we don’t have a God to punish or instruct us. If this were true, every atheist would be an evil deviant. The author points out that this doesn’t say much about Christians since this reasoning implies that Christians would be immoral if they didn’t have the Bible. These myths assume that Christianity and the Bible are the only sources of morality. I believe that we get our morals through empathy. We know what pain and suffering is like, so we don’t want to harm others. We get our belief systems from life experiences more than a book.

3. Atheists Cannot Have A Life With Meaning

Some Christians believe that there is no meaning to your life without an afterlife. The author points out that we create our own meaning in life by pursuing things we enjoy. I agree. I enjoy my pets. I enjoy movies. I enjoy television. I enjoy good junk food. I enjoy my job. I believe that pursuing what you love and trying to contribute to society will create your own meaning for your life. Jerry Coyne, an evolutionary biologist has this thought on the subject:

“People like me don’t worry about what it’s all about in a cosmic sense, because we know it isn’t about anything. It’s what we make of this transitory existence that matters.”

4. Atheists Are Angry And Mean

Challenging religion used to be taboo, but those days are all but over. The author points out that it is not as taboo to question it now as it once was. Being skeptical does not mean we are all angry. Yes, there are some angry atheists out there, but there are angry Christians out there, as well.

Religion gets special treatment sometimes. It makes some Christians think that questioning their beliefs is disrespectful. We treat it the same way we treat other theories and beliefs. I don’t value this philosophy above any others that I come across. This special treatment can unfairly shield Christianity from skepticism.

5. Atheists Are Responsible For The Worst Atrocities In History

Stalin and Mao were atheists, so atheists must be responsible for all of the bad things in human history. There are plenty of people in other religions that have done unspeakable things. Here is what the AtheistRepublic author had to say about the subject:

“This statement is usually a retort to blaming Christianity for the Crusades or Islam for terrorism. The fact of the matter is there have been Christians, atheists, Muslims and many others of different beliefs and non beliefs who have committed multiple atrocities throughout history. But there have also been some of the kindest deeds in history performed by people of all kinds of belief and non belief.”

6. Atheists Are Guilty of “Scientism”

Christians use “scientism” as a negative term toward atheists. They believe in things that can’t be proven by science, so we are the problem. Here is what the author had to say on this point:

Scientism is a philosophy which holds that science is the ultimate truth, and that science is the only way to truth. But preferring science to superstition doesn’t mean science is always correct.

Scientists do make mistakes, but the scientific method is solid.

7. Atheists Are All Purely Rational And Logical All The Time

Many atheists like to consider themselves more rational than theists. Atheism is a lack of belief, not a particular religion. There are many atheists that believe in homeopathy or 911 conspiracy theories or other irrational beliefs. Atheists believe in many things all over the spectrum; we can’t all be lumped together. We are all human; no one is rational 100 percent of the time. We all have our quirks. For example, I believe in karma; that is one theist belief I hold. I do believe that people that do bad things will get what’s coming to them.

For more on atheism and the myths surrounding them, see the video below:

Featured image by Brian via Flickr, available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Hi, I'm from Huntsville, AL. I'm a Liberal living in the Bible Belt, which can be quite challenging at times. I'm passionate about many issues including mental health, women's rights, gay rights, and many others. Check out my blog weneedtotalkaboutmentalhealth.com