Gallup: Atheists, Muslims See Most Bias as Presidential Candidates

[John Dibble]

young people, while clearly more "open minded" than their elders still put atheists way behind Catholics in name only.

I notice for the youngest group the gap between atheists, gays or lesbians, and muslims isn't as wide as it is for the other groups. I'm wondering how much the groups correlate, and how one's religious upbringing affects the chance one will answer yes or no.

New Atheism is destroying the credibility and reputation of the irreligious community.

I don't know what country you think you've been living in, but being openly irreligious hasn't exactly been something that would make you considered credible in America for most of it's history. If you actually look at the data, it says only 18% would vote for an atheist in 1958, and the "New Atheists" weren't even a thing back then.

[John Dibble]

New Atheism is destroying the credibility and reputation of the irreligious community.

I don't know what country you think you've been living in, but being openly irreligious hasn't exactly been something that would make you considered credible in America for most of it's history. If you actually look at the data, it says only 18% would vote for an atheist in 1958, and the "New Atheists" weren't even a thing back then.

Well, being disliked more than people who are credited with hating us (Muslims) is saying something. The acceptance of atheism has lagged behind other groups. That's saying something.

Yeah, it says something, but it doesn't necessarily say the New Atheists are to blame.

[John Dibble]

New Atheism is destroying the credibility and reputation of the irreligious community.

I don't know what country you think you've been living in, but being openly irreligious hasn't exactly been something that would make you considered credible in America for most of it's history. If you actually look at the data, it says only 18% would vote for an atheist in 1958, and the "New Atheists" weren't even a thing back then.

Well, being disliked more than people who are credited with hating us (Muslims) is saying something. The acceptance of atheism has lagged behind other groups. That's saying something.

Yeah, it says something, but it doesn't necessarily say the New Atheists are to blame.

They're not helping.

And I suppose that's because they do such terrible things like writing books to express their opinions and why they hold them. I suppose they should just shut up, go back in the closet, and pretend like they don't care about the issue?

[John Dibble]

And I suppose that black supremacists, heterophobes, Islamists, violent feminists, and La Raza were such good agents of tolerance and helpful in getting their groups accepted. But I suppose yes, they should stop going and trying to attack the religious majority as idiotic, ignorant, and vile. That's not helping them. Most atheists are not like that.

The New Atheists aren't even remotely like those groups, and it's completely idiotic of you to act like they are even remotely comparable. For instance, can you name even one act of violence perpetrated by the New Atheists? Can you even point out one place where they advocate violence in the name of atheism?

[John Dibble]

And I suppose that black supremacists, heterophobes, Islamists, violent feminists, and La Raza were such good agents of tolerance and helpful in getting their groups accepted. But I suppose yes, they should stop going and trying to attack the religious majority as idiotic, ignorant, and vile. That's not helping them. Most atheists are not like that.

The New Atheists aren't even remotely like those groups, and it's completely idiotic of you to act like they are even remotely comparable. For instance, can you name even one act of violence perpetrated by the New Atheists? Can you even point out one place where they advocate violence in the name of atheism?

I wasn't talking about the violence angle. I was talking about the ideas of their own superiority and the idiocy/lesser status of those who do not agree with them.

Since when is pointing out why you think someone wrong about an issue the same thing as thinking you are superior and they are idiots of lesser status?

[John Dibble]

Of what I was saying? Dibble- have you not read anything by Hitchens or Dawkins?

I've read stuff by Dawkins and watched a number of debates with him, Hitchens, Sam Harris, and others. I don't recall them ever claiming that atheists are superior people or that religious people are inherently stupid, much less inferior. Their argument is primarily about how religious beliefs are not based on evidence and inhibits critical thinking as it tends to encourage the blind acceptance of authority, which leads to bad things.

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While Maher is a vocal atheist, I don't think he's typically viewed as part of the New Atheists. You should also keep in mind that he a comedian and being insulting is part of his shtick.