10 Myths and 10 Truths About Atheism

	Duration: 06:48 minutes Upload Time: 2007-08-17 15:31:34 User: PitajTatu :::: Favorites :::: Top Videos of Day
Description: SAM HARRIS is the author of "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason" and "Letter to a Christian Nation." December 24, 2006 SEVERAL POLLS indicate that the term "atheism" has acquired such an extraordinary stigma in the United States that being an atheist is now a perfect impediment to a career in politics (in a way that being black, Muslim or homosexual is not). According to a recent Newsweek poll, only 37% of Americans would vote for an otherwise qualified atheist for president. Atheists are often imagined to be intolerant, immoral, depressed, blind to the beauty of nature and dogmatically closed to evidence of the supernatural. Even John Locke, one of the great patriarchs of the Enlightenment, believed that atheism was "not at all to be tolerated" because, he said, "promises, covenants and oaths, which are the bonds of human societies, can have no hold upon an atheist." That was more than 300 years ago. But in the United States today, little seems to have changed. A remarkable 87% of the population claims "never to doubt" the existence of God; fewer than 10% identify themselves as atheists — and their reputation appears to be deteriorating. Given that we know that atheists are often among the most intelligent and scientifically literate people in any society, it seems important to deflate the myths that prevent them from playing a larger role in our national discourse.
Comments
tekbarrier ::: Favorites "Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer." Very well said. And good video, btw. 07-10-19 04:38:55 __________________________________________________
mattschol ::: Favorites the funny thing is that not only do we each think we are completely right(that's normal) but we all think that the other is completely delusional. the thing that atheists don't recognize is that just because some practitioners of religion are bogus. doesn't mean they all are. how many people do u know that say they are christian only go to church twice a year? that's not really practicing.... 07-10-14 22:57:02 __________________________________________________
Extraintrovert ::: Favorites A well put togther video, addressing many points that, in my experience at least, theists place great emphasis on. The 'atheists have no morals' one is a particlar favourite of theirs, and you explained it both succintly and sufficiently. 07-10-13 22:11:28 __________________________________________________
Coen040 ::: Favorites Just like all other religions, christianity started because people could not explain everything.. Today, we CAN, so start using your common sence! There are lots and lots of things that prove that the earth wasnt made by god (in 7 days), for example: dinosaur bones(from milions of years ago), different layers of the earth out of different time periods (which could not have been there if god made the earth in 7 days..), and many more examples which are too many to all mention here. 07-10-05 15:02:22 __________________________________________________
Coen040 ::: Favorites They would have to follow rules, so they would not end up in so called "hell". Of course, what is a better way than to just scare people, so they follow you like a herd of sheeps? 07-10-05 14:59:58 __________________________________________________
Coen040 ::: Favorites You say that Atheists think life is meaningless, but what if we just dont think there has to be an explination for life.. This is what I think: around the year 0, "normal" people weren't as good-living as the higher ranks of society. So the higher ranked people tried to find a way to keep the "normal" people quiet. They thought that if the "normal" people believed in a supernatural being that somehow "created" the earth, they would live like they wanted them to do. 07-10-05 14:59:15 __________________________________________________
Minus000Renzo ::: Favorites "Given that we know that atheists are often among the most intelligent and scientifically literate people in any society..." Umm... I don't remember reading that in the video... Way to fabricate things, buddy. 07-10-05 02:09:33 __________________________________________________
PitajTatu ::: Favorites Actally that is not in the video. But this is: "Most polls show that about 90% of the general US public believes in a personal God; yet 93% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences do not." Even William Dembski on his weblog says that 85% of NAS do not belive in god. "This isn't arrogance; it is intellectual honesty." 07-10-04 14:06:06 __________________________________________________
wingsownyou ::: Favorites Not to beat an already ailing horse to death... but "Given that we know that atheists are often among the most intelligent and scientifically literate people in any society..." - THAT is a given??? Sounds like a generalization to me. A very arrogant generalization. 07-10-03 13:17:18 __________________________________________________
PitajTatu ::: Favorites "Well... your arrogant attempt to enlighten me on why there's not a god fell on very deaf ears" Did you even watch the video?! Nobody here was attempting to disprove gods existance. Topic is myths about atheism, not "There is no god". And please tell me what part of the video do you find arrogant, or insulting maybe? "However, my prayer for you certainly DID NOT. Matthew 25:40" Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer. 07-10-02 05:12:56 __________________________________________________