No, They Don’t

Science suggests that atheists are no more prone to anger than people of faith – but everyone believes that they are

What is it with journalists and idiocy? “Everyone”, eh? Well, I don’t think that at all. This is because, not being a journalist and not being an idiot, I realise that everyone doesn’t think anything of the  sort. Some people think that atheists are angry, and they would be wrong. Atheists are no more angry than anyone else. The only thing that atheists have in common with each other is a lack of belief in gods. Otherwise, we are the same eclectic mix as everyone else.

Either way, it’s difficult to examine Richard Dawkins’s Twitter feed (to pick the most unfairly obvious example) and fail to conclude that tetchiness and faithlessness go hand in hand.

Well, if you are going to tar us all with the same brush as a consequence of one man’s tweets, is it any surprise we get tetchy? That tetchiness has nothing to do with a lack of faith, it is because yet again we are presented with the hard-of-thinking vacuousness of the  mainstream media in all its moronic glory. That’s enough to drive anyone to drink, frankly.

But when the researchers recruited more than a thousand students, determined their religious beliefs, then administered multiple tests to measure their disposition to anger, no correlation emerged. “We did not find any evidence to suggest that atheists – or those people believing in God to a lesser extent – are particularly angry individuals” they wrote, and concluded: “The idea of the angry atheist is a myth.”

Well, duh! Whodathunkit?

7 Comments

  1. Of course atheists are more prone to anger, we are sick of hearing all the medieval mumbo jumbo
    and all the barking mad screaming of the islamfanatics !!!!

  2. It’s amazing what levels of fuckwittery qualify as journalism in The Guardian these days.

  3. Most of the atheists I’ve met seem to have more of an issue with people not instantly agreeing that they are so much more intelligent and knowledgable than any believer, or else having some deep personal anger with God for not existing.
    I tend to avoid them and their nonsensical and increasingly shrill,ahem, *Dawkins* ahem, complaints.

    • I was educated at Christian primary and secondary schools. The latter was later made infamous by “The Thieving Nun”, although even before her tenure, it only ever aspired to the giddy heights of mediocrity.

      Naturally, I left the education system as an irreligious* atheist.

      I have no problem with other people believing in gods, as long as they don’t expect me to take their views and opinions any more seriously than I would those of a child who believes in unicorns or fairies.

      * (Contrary to popular belief, not all religions involve worshipping a god.)

      • That’s because you are probably self-important.
        Actually, ther is a correlation (over a very large sample) between likeliness of being an atheist & a higher “IQ” – whatever that last means.
        Let’s face it, with modern information & scientific knowledge, there is no reason to believe in any BigSkyFairy at all – it’s a hangover of cultural conditioning.
        But that is another story

  4. I’m an atheist, but not of the strident, militant, persuasion. I don’t broadcast my atheism but I don’t hide it either. If people ask me about my religious beliefs, I will state I’m an atheist. Most folk don’t pursue it further. However, if they would like to discuss it I am more than happy to oblige. Several things have struck me over the years: First, the woeful ignorance concerning the atheistic stance by believers. Most believers think I have to proffer evidence for my atheistic viewpoint. Of course, the onus of proof is with the believer. I don’t believe in Unicorns either. If you believe in Unicorns then offer proof. Why should a non-believer in Unicorns be expected to provide evidence for something they don’t believe exists? Thus is the psychological power of the word ‘god’. It is invoked without thought or coherent support, and this is considered rational? Also the debate quickly lapses into the irrational. Often, after explaining that the concept of god is absurd and contradictory, I’m confronted with the’arguement’ that ‘proof’ is a matter of faith. No matter that faith, as a way of gaining knowledge about anything, is epistemologically unsound. Tis a bloody waste of time, I know. And what really makes me angry is the assumptions which are associated with the epithet, ‘Atheism’. I’m expected to be a Communist, because Communists are notoriously atheist; I’m expected to be unhappy; I’m expected to be a tortured and lonely individual; I am mad at god- this one in particular, make me angry, but not lonely. As you rightly state, atheists share only one thing in common: We do not believe in deities. That’s it. We can be mad, sad and bad, but so are theists! Frankly, I’m happy, surrounded by people I love and I’m right wing of Genghis Khan. I am mad though; fair enough.

    When it comes to polls, the only consistent stats are: Atheists tend to be smarter, better educated and know more about the bible than believers. I rest my case and I’m buggering off to drink beer with my atheistic son. At least I’ve done something right.

    Sorry about the rant, but it is something I feel strongly about.

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