Believers Rate Atheists About As Trustworthy As Rapists, Says New Study

[NMMNG]

We keep hearing there's no bigotry against atheists. Yet another study proves just the opposite.

A new study, Do You Believe in Atheists? Distrust is Central to Anti-Atheist Prejudice , probing the attitudes of people toward atheists has just been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The abstract reports:

Recent polls indicate that atheists are among the least liked people in areas with religious majorities (i.e., in most of the world). The sociofunctional approach to prejudice, combined with a cultural evolutionary theory of religion‘s effects on cooperation, suggest that anti-atheist prejudice is particularly motivated by distrust. Consistent with this theoretical framework, a broad sample of American adults revealed that distrust characterized anti-atheist prejudice, but not anti-gay prejudice (Study 1). In subsequent studies, distrust of atheists generalized even to participants from more liberal, secular populations. A description of a criminally untrustworthy individual was seen as comparably representative of atheists and rapists, but not representative of Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, feminists, or homosexuals (Studies 2-4). In addition, results were consistent with the hypothesis that the relationship between belief in God and atheist distrust was fully mediated by the belief that people behave better if they feel that God is watching them (Study 4). <snip>

Why are atheists so distrusted by believers? ScienceDaily reports one speculation from the lead researcher:

The religious behaviors of others may provide believers with important social cues, the researchers say. "Outward displays of belief in God may be viewed as a proxy for trustworthiness, particularly by religious believers who think that people behave better if they feel that God is watching them," says Norenzayan. "While atheists may see their disbelief as a private matter on a metaphysical issue, believers may consider atheists' absence of belief as a public threat to cooperation and honesty."

<snip>

Our self-proclaimed moral superiors deem us "as trustworthy as rapists" because we don't rely on a mystical cop to keep us in line. :yoiks: Is it just my migraine impeding my brain power or does that make no bloody sense at all?

[Mojambo]

1. Of course, another way to look at it is atheists are trusted just as much as most Catholic priests.

[NMMNG]

10. Most priests are trusted far more than they should be

[beam me up scottie]

2. !

:popcorn:

[silverweb]

3. Okay.

Fair, I guess.

I view people who wave their religiosity like a battle flag exactly the same way.

:shrug:

[laconicsax]

4. So, where are the people telling us that atheists don't face any prejudice?

:shrug:

[NMMNG]

5. They'll be along shortly I'm sure

They always like to remind us we don't face any bigotry/discrimination or to insist that if we do it's our own fault.

[laconicsax]

8. Sounds about right. n/t

[cleanhippie]

23. They hide from the evidence and only poke out their heads when they feel safe.

We will not hear a PEEP from them in this thread.

[Armin-A]

6. mindless worshiping rapes people's intelligence everyday

[procon]

7. Harrumph!

If the opinions of superstitious people who believe in paranormal phenomenon, ghosts, demons and oil slicks on sidewalks that become impromptu alters for handy supernaterual spirits, were relevant today, I'd try to act all faux insulted... really, I would.

[safeinOhio]

9. Yet, those that self report as Atheists

make up only .02% of the jail population. While Catholics and Baptist make up the majority. The difference is those that report a religion figure they can be forgiven for their evil while Atheists feel a personal responsibility for their actions.

[beam me up scottie]

12. If you're incarcerated in Alabama they want to release you from jail if you agree to attend church.

Of course it's strictly for christians, can you imagine the outrage if they offered muslim inmates the same choice?

[Skittles]

11. shows how easily they are brain-washed

[Kalidurga]

14. It actually makes sense if you think about it...

Xians worship a God that uses brute force. Rapist use brute force. Atheists or anyone else who does not believe in brute force as a way to control a situation are to be feared and distrusted.

[cleanhippie]

24. Ding ding ding! WINNNER! And they star early, indoctrinating their kids with this nonsense.

:puke:

[murray hill farm]

13. This clearly says that....

"believers" believe that the only thing that keeps "them" from raping is that god is watching and will punish them. So, it just follows to believe that those "others" who are not believers...well they WILL rape. Huh!

[Beartracks]

15. So... all crimes must be committed by non-Christians?

Anyone who thinks going to church or believing in God is somehow an "antidote" to bad behavior must really be deluding themselves. Such thinking also makes you reeeeally susceptible to people who would take advantage of you.

A moral compass is a) not exclusive to Christianity or religion in general, and b) heavily influenced by those who teach you which way it points.

=====================

[struggle4progress]

16. FBI Hate Crime Statistics 2009, Table I

Incidents, Offenses, Victims, and Known Offenders by Bias Motivation
http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2009/data/table_01.html

The table shows 6,604 incidents reported in 2009: 3,199 motivated by race alone, 1,303 by religion alone, 1,223 by sexual orientation alone, 777 by ethnicity or national origin alone, and 96 by disability alone, with an additional 6 incidents motivated by multiple prejudices

In more detail, there were reported: 2,284 anti-black hate crimes, 931 anti-Jewish hate crimes, 682 anti-male-homosexual hate crimes, 545 anti-white hate crimes, and 483 anti-Hispanic hate crimes

This may be compared to the 10 reported anti-atheism/agnosticism/etc hate crimes

To determine relative risks, we need estimates of the population sizes

About 12.6% of the US population is black, about 72.4% white, about 16.3% Hispanic:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

about 1.7% Jewish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_population#Populations_as_a_percentage

perhaps 5% of the US male population is gay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_demographics_of_the_United_States

perhaps 15% of the US population is irreligious
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_the_United_States

Let's now compare the ratios (#hate crime incidents)/(% of population)

54765 Jewish (931/.17)
27280 gay male (682/.025)
18127 black (2284/.126)
02963 Hispanic (483/.163)
00753 white (545/.724)
00067 irreligious (10/.15)

It seems that the Jewish population is at most risk for hate crimes, being in about twice as danger as the gay male population and perhaps about thrice the danger of the black population. Moreover, being white seems to put one at 10x the risk of being a hate crime victim as being irreligious

I don't know how reliable the underlying statistics are

[darkstar3]

17. Thank you again for a Google paste job that was neither relevant nor asked for.

[struggle4progress]

18. You're welcome, of course. Here's the 2010 Table I info:

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/tables/table-1-incidents-offenses-victims-and-known-offenders-by-bias-motivation-2010.xls

The table shows 6,624 incidents reported in 2010: 3,135 motivated by race alone, 1,322 by religion alone, 1,277 by sexual orientation alone, 847 by ethnicity or national origin alone, and 43 by disability alone, with an additional 4 incidents motivated by multiple prejudices

In more detail, there were reported: 2,201 anti-black hate crimes, 887 anti-Jewish hate crimes, 739 anti-male-homosexual hate crimes, 575 anti-white hate crimes, and 534 anti-Hispanic hate crimes

This may be compared to the 5 reported anti-atheism/agnosticism/etc hate crimes

The numbers for 2009 and 2010 thus seem relatively stable

Let's now compare the ratios (#hate crime incidents)/(% of population)

52176 Jewish (887/.017)
29560 gay male (739/.025)
17468 black (2201/.126)
03276 Hispanic (534/.163)
00794 white (575/.724)
00033 irreligious (5/.15)

So this provides a somewhat different snapshot of US bias than indicated by the OP

[trotsky]

19. There's a really good reason why that snapshot is different.

It's kind of like how apples and oranges are different.

You do understand that statistics about hate crimes are different than measured public opinion about groups of people, right?

Especially groups that do not generally make their views known in public, and thus are pretty unlikely to be a victim of a hate crime for it.

You get this, right?

[beam me up scottie]

20. Definitely not an it-getter when it comes to his religion.

Or the Constitution.

Always the first to defend and protect the majority from the minority, how gallant. :sarcasm:

[trotsky]

25. Well, that's what Jesus did, right?

Defended the powerful majority from the weak, despised minorities.

He's just doing the work of his Lord.

[beam me up scottie]

27. I'm wondering where the rest of the majority are.

Would it kill them to admit that religious intolerance against atheists exists?

[trotsky]

30. I'm beginning to think that yes, it would. n/t

[NMMNG]

21. So if we're not being beaten or killed we have nothing to complain about?

Nice attitude.

[deacon_sephiroth]

22. Even if we are it's not going to be reported as a "hate crime" n/t

[trotsky]

32. It sure would be nice if you could be "Christian" enough...

to admit you were either being deliberately misleading, or were simply honestly mistaken.

What do you think Jesus would want you to do, s4p?

[edhopper]

33. Since most atheist

are unaffiliated and usually keep their non-belief private. With no public display of their atheism or institutions where they gather, the opportunity for hate crimes against them is limited.
I would also submit that a good portion of the hate crimes you posted are religiously motivated.

[Deep13]

26. Not lying to oneself makes that person dishonest, I guess. nt

[NMMNG]

29. There's a common theme

Atheists, like LGBT folk, are supposed to lie and pretend they're something they're not so as to placate the majority. Apparently diversity scares people while lying doesn't. Go figure. :shrug:

[ZombieHorde]

28. Why do so many believers hate their own babies? nt

[NMMNG]

31. Good question

Some of them don't even want children if they can't make them be Christians. Anybody who thinks or acts differently is apparently something to fear and reject--even if it's your own child.