2008 Woodie Awards
Don't trust the atheist
Andrew Cotney
Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: Opinions
Most people claim morals come from their religion, but I am not so sure that is true. I know people who do not attend church, and some of my best friends are agnostics or atheists. These are some of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met.
I am sure they are not flawless, but not every Christian I have met seems to always uphold his duties to Jesus Christ. Nothing and nobody in this world is perfect. There are horrible acts of crime committed by people with or without religious beliefs. Religious fanatics kill doctors because they do not believe abortion is right.
I believe there would still be two tall towers standing in New York if it was not for religion.
There are atheists with radical beliefs also. Joseph Stalin, a communist and atheist, cost the lives of millions of people in Soviet Union during the 20th century.
The point is, there always will be a few bad apples in every group. I do not think we should jump to conclusions about the whole group, though.
Our society tags someone who doesn't claim a religion as someone who has no morals, and he or she is labeled as evil. It disgusts me. I don't believe you should label someone so quickly based on their religious beliefs.
The people without faith will be cast into eternal damnation anyway. This may be true. However, my atheistic and agnostic friends seem to have more morals than God when I turn on my television and see our world.
You can turn on the cynical news of America to see the atrocities with our high-definition televisions. I see violence, fraud and destruction in every color on the screen. I am quick to put God under the bright lights, but I do believe there must be reason to this madness.
Religion always has been a sensitive subject for people, but maybe it's time that changed. Maybe it's time for us to open our minds. Maybe we shouldn't stereotype someone for not having faith or religion in his or her life.
I would like to see religion more like someone's attire. You may not like it and it may not fit you, but that does not mean you should hate the person wearing it, and it doesn't mean you should force a person to wear yours.
I am sure they are not flawless, but not every Christian I have met seems to always uphold his duties to Jesus Christ. Nothing and nobody in this world is perfect. There are horrible acts of crime committed by people with or without religious beliefs. Religious fanatics kill doctors because they do not believe abortion is right.
I believe there would still be two tall towers standing in New York if it was not for religion.
There are atheists with radical beliefs also. Joseph Stalin, a communist and atheist, cost the lives of millions of people in Soviet Union during the 20th century.
The point is, there always will be a few bad apples in every group. I do not think we should jump to conclusions about the whole group, though.
Our society tags someone who doesn't claim a religion as someone who has no morals, and he or she is labeled as evil. It disgusts me. I don't believe you should label someone so quickly based on their religious beliefs.
The people without faith will be cast into eternal damnation anyway. This may be true. However, my atheistic and agnostic friends seem to have more morals than God when I turn on my television and see our world.
You can turn on the cynical news of America to see the atrocities with our high-definition televisions. I see violence, fraud and destruction in every color on the screen. I am quick to put God under the bright lights, but I do believe there must be reason to this madness.
Religion always has been a sensitive subject for people, but maybe it's time that changed. Maybe it's time for us to open our minds. Maybe we shouldn't stereotype someone for not having faith or religion in his or her life.
I would like to see religion more like someone's attire. You may not like it and it may not fit you, but that does not mean you should hate the person wearing it, and it doesn't mean you should force a person to wear yours.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 16
MP
posted 1/28/08 @ 11:50 PM CST
"I believe there would still be two tall towers standing in New York if it was not for religion."
I'm an atheist, but I think that's a cheap shot. Sure the attacks were theopolitical, but there is terrorism for reasons other than religion. (Continued…)
Pierre JC
posted 1/29/08 @ 1:43 AM CST
This is a very even-handed article. The person who gave it the title "Don't Trust the Atheist" was apparently not the author, but rather another person who happens to be an idiot. (Continued…)
Dustin Farahnak
posted 1/29/08 @ 8:06 AM CST
To be sure, Militant Atheists kills hundreds of millions of people in the 20th century in China and Russia. Atheism killed more people in the 20th century than all religions combined. (Continued…)
Mark Williamson
posted 1/29/08 @ 10:54 AM CST
Most of the article is correct. It is nonsense to believe that atheists and agnostics must have no moral principles. All their belief does to their morals is dictate that they come from another source. (Continued…)
Mark Williamson
posted 1/29/08 @ 11:08 AM CST
I also forgot to mention that Christianity, being more about a relationship with God than about the Bible in and of itself, isn't something that can become out-dated. (Continued…)
Common Sense
posted 1/29/08 @ 11:24 AM CST
lols, clearly lots misconstruing of history going on but Hitler may have been catholic but he is just full of hypocrisies and contradictions i.e. he wasn't Aryan but professed Aryan supremacy. (Continued…)
Pixie
posted 1/30/08 @ 11:44 PM CST
It seems to me that many of the people posting here missed where the author said "The point is, there always will be a few bad apples in every group. I do not think we should jump to conclusions about the whole group, though. (Continued…)
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