Why do you think atheists are abundant on the Internet?

[Ovoon]

Yea, they are. And sometimes, it drives me to drink.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

The internet is a free forum for the expression of thought and open debate, and frankly, faith is not good for winning arguments based on rationale. Also, up until recently Atheism hasn't really been accepted socially. I'm not even joking when I say I got into a religious debate with one kid in high school, and it made its way around that I was an Atheist like it was some sort of big dirty rumor or something, and for like, 2-3 months there were a bunch of different people trying to convert me almost literally every day. Keep in mind, I grew up in california, easily one of the more liberal states. Granted this was like 7-8 years ago and it isn't like that anymore, but when I got on the internet and finally found myself in an environment where I could make educated points and it was physically impossible for them to talk over me, I'll admit, it was somewhat appealing.

Maybe that mentality has something to do with it, or maybe it's like the second generation of people who get that mentality from popular internet personalities that originally embodied that mentality when it was relevant like theamazingatheist. Maybe I'm just spitballing, Iunno I'm sort of failing to pin down the exact point I'm trying to make because it's a multi faceted explanation but hopefully you get what I'm driving at.

 

[DalekJaas]

Because atheists are abundant... everywhere? Which is a bloody good thing to.

 

[Auron225]

Atheists aren't more abundant, just easier to find. All the religious groups on the internet usually don't just broadly say "I believe in such and such"

So in the end you don't know anyone's religion who doesn't state it because you'd be surprised by the variety in religion.

This, this, and all of this.

 

[dratyan]

Speaking about my country: most religious people are either poor or old. Those two groups aren't seen much on the internet.

 

[SonicWaffle]

There's a relatively young demographic on this site, and ironically that seems to mean people are less likely to believe in a god.

Out of interest, why is that ironic?

It tends to be people on the younger side of the spectrum who believe in imaginary things. Imaginary friends, Santa, the Easter Bunny, Dane Cook not being shit, etc.

Those things (well, not Dane Cook) all promise immediate or imminent gratification. Chocolate or gifts will be coming soon, and kids can understand that. Religion I expect to seem more enticing to the elderly, who both understand the concept of delayed gratification and are afraid of their own mortality. The notion that instead of simply fading away you go on to a better place likely seems far more attractive when you know you're on your way out, and the understanding that if you suffer a little now you may be rewarded later comes a lot easier to people who've worked jobs most of their life than to some kid who is used to getting what they want, when they want it, simply by turning on the waterworks.

 

[SonicWaffle]

99% is a purely arbitrary figure intended to convey that genuine Christians are actually a quite small minority (in the UK at least). TBH in the UK the figure might actually be lower, however if you look at official statistics you will see a much higher figure but then the vast majority of the people who respond as Christian on surveys just identify with that cultural group rather than being actual "born again" church goers.

This is my personal experience anyway.

While I fully agree that a lot (perhaps even the majority) of people who respond as Christian/Hindu/whatever on surveys and the like are simply putting what they've been told they are, I'm not so sure all those people are flat-out atheists.

I'm of the opinion that many probably believe, in a nebulous and half-hearted fashion. They may not know much about their religion and they've never taken the time to think through what they actually believe or why, and so they rest in the default state of "OK, this is how I was raised and I don't have the time or the energy for a serious internal investigation of my own beliefs, so let's run with that"

I don't know what you'd call that, really. Faith by force of habit?

 

[Nikolaz72]

Well in a country like the US, Non-Religious is a pretty small minority. But if you look to Europe, specifically countries like Sweeden where they seperated state from church. Turns out when you tell people that they are not automatically Christian and you have to go make an effort to join them in the first place, their numbers started dwindling rapidly. And are now down from like 70 to 3 % or so. I think the US could do the same thing if they removed benefits from Christian Marriage, and Christian oaths in schools. And Christian prayer and going to church being the norm as a kid. And having to take a pledge to god when becomming President..

 

[SonicWaffle]

There's a relatively young demographic on this site, and ironically that seems to mean people are less likely to believe in a god.

Out of interest, why is that ironic?

i agree, why is that ironic? it kinda bugs me cos i see things with no irony to them whatsoever being described as ironic and i have to say (not wanting to point fingers but im gonna) it seems to be americans for the most part that dont understand the meaning of irony.

It's like raaaaaain, on your wedding day!

 

[Raine_sage]

I have to facepalm at people saying Athiests can't be pushy.
On this forum alone I have seen religion called a scam and the people who follow it morons. And that is just this forum, in the less civil places on the internet I've seen posts saying outright that religious people should just die out/be killed because they're polluting people's minds and other such nonsense.

Are religious people capable of being just as vitriolic and spiteful? Of course. Our campus occasionally has one of the local preachers wander onto it to start spouting things about fire and brimstone while students mostly ignore him. I've seen firsthand religious idiocy, I'm not denying it exists.

But to say that Athiests don't go shoving their beliefs in other people's faces is a lie. When you say that my beliefs are stupid, and that I am an idiot for believing them in the first place, that is the very definition of pushing your beliefs on me. It is no different than the protestant minister who tells me I'm going to hell because I pray the rosary.

The only difference is that the minister at least has the stones to do it to my face and not from behind a computer screen.

 

[Neyon]

Well in my personal experience here in the UK Atheists & Agnostics make up the VAST majority of the population.

 

[Jaeke]

I'm sure most "aetheists" aren't really atheists at all, just faithless (not bashing) people who want to troll others who tell them they have to obey any rules, especially on the internet.

 

[chiefohara]

snip

I get what you're saying (sort of, you kinda come across as very yelly), but that makes you no better than those few religious zealots, does it not? If you wanted religious people to stop talking about your atheism, and then you come onto the Internet and tear down anyone of faith, then you're the same side of that destructive coin.

If you called atheism a religious population, yes. I was mostly referring to other people, though.

I don't recall ever doing so, so phew. I know these subjects are touchy, and the last thing I want to do is piss somebody off.

Except one side of this destructive coin has no atrocities of genocide or worse under its belt.

The Soviet Union was militantly athiest.

Stalin ordered certain religious sects to be outlawed and persecuted. Many religions popular in the ethnic regions of the Soviet Union including the Roman Catholic Church, Uniats, Baptists, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, etc. underwent ordeals similar to the Orthodox churches in other parts: thousands of monks were murdered abused or forced to go into hiding, and countless churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, sacred monuments, monasteries and other religious buildings were razed.

 

[SonicWaffle]

I think you're slightly confused about the terminology here. Atheist means someone who purposefully believes that God/a god/gods DON'T exist.

I think you're mis-using the word "purposefully". It isn't a choice. You either believe in a god or gods plural, or you don't. You don't wake up one day and think "I'd like to start believing in God", focus your mind on it and suddenly it'll happen.

I've had Christian friends tell me that atheism is choosing not to believe in God. The logical response is "Could you, right now, choose not to believe in God?". The answer is always no. Hence, whether or not to believe isn't a choice.

 

[hooksashands]

None of it is a sham.

What activities individuals engage in have no bearing on the validity of their beliefs, which are as irrational as ever.

That wasn't my conclusive statement, nor the point of anything I just argued. Re-read.

 

[The Pinray]

It boils down to anonymity, as mentioned before.

But I can say, living here in the "Bible belt" as an agnostic isn't exactly peachy...

ESPECIALLY when my name is a Christian religious name.

They're super cool and friendly until religion is brought up.

Then they go quiet and look at me like I'm some sort of demon worshiper.

 

[Durgiun]

God only knows.

 

[SonicWaffle]

False. As of 2005, only about 2.3% of the world's population is atheist. 11.9% is just non-religious (agnostic, unexposed, etc.) Encyclopedia Britannica did the study, you can look it up.

The problem is that statistics like that are not even remotely accurate. It's like using surveyed statistics to find out how many people in the world are gay; you're never, ever going to get an accurate number because many people won't even admit it anonymously for fear of persecution should it ever leak out.

There's also the issue which has already been raised on this thread whereby people who don't actually believe (or have never really investigated) their nominal religion will never consider themselves atheist or agnostic because they identify with the social group out of habit. My parents, for example, consider me Catholic regardless of my actual beliefs simply because I was baptised as one. That sort of thinking is very, very common - "Oh, I'm a Christian. No, I never go to church, but my mum was a Christian and we sent the kids to a C of E school, so that's what I am!"

I think that for the most part, people are either too busy with their lives or simply not inclined to ponder such things. They were told as kids they were Muslim (for example), so that's what they are, regardless of actual beliefs.

 

[sinterklaas]

I'm fairly sure that it's because the younger generation simply doesn't much care and coincidentally is also the internet's main user base. Certainly, in the UK, most people under 25 or so would be atheist by my definition, and I've no reason not to think my experience is representative. By contrast, society in general tends to be older and more conservative, hence more religious.

I believe this is the correct answer.

Only elderly people go to church, at least in my country. It's a bit different with muslims though, they all go to the mosque.

Another explanation could simply be that the more educated you are the less likely you are to believe in a 'mainstream' religion.

 

[SonicWaffle]

God only knows.

...what I'd be without you?