History UsefulNotes / Atheism

* '''Have an angry, bitter or depressed disposition''': The common stereotype that atheists are perpetually angry and/or defensive is often used as "proof" that atheism makes people unhappy. Ironically, atheists might be less cranky if "why are you unbelievers so mad all the time?" was a less common question.[[note]]Less ironically, the continual repetition of any of these myths can have a similarly infuriating effect.[[/note]] For one thing, the existence of angry atheists does not invalidate the existence of generally cheerful and upbeat ones (just as there are "God is love" believers as well as "[[FireAndBrimstoneHell fire and brimstone]]" [[TheFundamentalist believers]]). For another, many people have things they get upset about, and for atheists it may be the perception and treatment of atheists in society. It doesn't mean that the non-religious are angry all the time. Many atheists are simply happy, well-adjusted people, who aren't bitter at all. The stereotype seems to originate from the idea that atheists must be angry at God (see above), or that without belief in God, atheists must be unhappy all the time. Heck ''some atheists are even happier without the concept of God''.

** Second, "atheism" is more on the level of "monotheism" or "polytheism" than "Christian" or "Muslim", or "Hindu" or "Shinto". It tells you how many gods the person believes in (zero) without telling you anything about what they precisely believe about the world or which rules they live by beyond that.

** Second, "atheism" is more on the level of "monotheism" or "polytheism" than "Christian" or "Muslim", or "Hindu" or "Sikh". It tells you how many gods the person believes in (zero) without telling you anything about what they precisely believe about the world or which rules they live by beyond that.

*** Even those who do believe in shaming religious believers do not usually advocate laws banning religious freedom. P.Z. Myers of the blog Pharyngula is probably the most well-known "Mock the religious" atheist, but he has on several occasions shown disgust at religious oppression in Middle Eastern countries.