Statheism

[BreadGod]

A post by BlameThe1st inspired me to create this thread. This issue has been bugging me for quite sometime. As an atheist, I find it discouraging that so many atheists - well, the majority I've talked to - are progressive leftists. (This forum is the exception to the rule. This place is filled with people who actually support liberty.) Most of the atheists I've interacted with worship the state with a level of passion they once reserved for religion. They reject religious laws as nothing more than words written by ancient shepherds, yet they hold great reverence for secular laws written by what are essentially wolves in human form. They refuse to recognize the similarities between religion and government. They deny that taxes are taken by the threat of force. They talk endlessly about the social contract, a concept as imaginary as the holy spirit. They support gun control. They support the government forcing itself into everyone's business via onerous and often ridiculous regulations. They believe that spending lots of money on welfare is the best way to lift people out of poverty, even though the data shows that welfare just makes people dependent on the government. They support a woman's right to have an abortion, yet they oppose any form of choice in education. They demonize capitalism by saying that it's every man for himself, and they don't even try to learn what libertarianism is.

In case you don't believe me, just go to any atheist forum and write up a few posts that are pro-liberty. Talk about the rights of the individual, or the importance of gun rights, or the advantages of free markets over central planning, then watch how they react. (Don't try this experiment unless you have thick skin and flame-proof underwear.)

What I'm now wondering is why. Why is it that so many atheists hold such reverence for the state? Here are some possible explanations other people have thought up:

• One of the most plausible explanations is that it's cultural. Just like almost everyone else, atheists have been raised to believe that government is the solution to all our social and economic problems.
• Another explanation is that atheists love science, but most scientific research is funded by the government, so for atheists, to be anti-government is to be anti-science.
• Another explanation is to fulfill an emotional need. Many atheists worship the state simply as desperate compensation for the comfort religion brings.
• Another explanation is that atheists are bleeding hearts. They want to help the less fortunate, but they see government intervention as the only way to do it. Atheists became such because they see religion as a destructive force (which is largely is), but they believe that a system based on coercion- er, I mean, "compassion" and evidence can help the downtrodden.
• One final explanation is that atheists have no faith in humanity. They believe that humans are inherently evil, which means that a strong central government is needed in order to keep them from raping and killing each other.

There are probably many more types I might not know about. Of course, it might be simpler than this. Some might just be ignorant of the similarities between religion and government and wouldn't care even if they knew.

TL;DR: Many atheists are statists and I'm having a hard time figuring out why.

Those are my thoughts. What are your thoughts?

[dallen68]

One of the most plausible explanations is that it's cultural. Just like almost everyone else, atheists have been raised to believe that government is the solution to all our social and economic problems.

That's true in many cases.

Another explanation is that atheists love science, but most scientific research is funded by the government, so for atheists, to be anti-government is to be anti-science.

Well, many people believe that-just because most scientific research is actually conducted by businesses trying to provide products and services never enters their mind.
Point 3: Well, yeah
Point 4 : Well, no. In fact many atheist become atheist because they have an inherent belief in the goodness of humanity. Religion is based on the evilness of humanity.

[Lord T Hawkeye]

Girlwriteswhat may have the explanation you were looking for.



Because a lot of atheists are in fact in it for all the wrong reasons.  They just think god is a bad infallible substitute for thought and turn to the state instead, missing the whole point of atheism in that there are no infallible substitutes for thought.

[Travis Retriever]

Girlwriteswhat may have the explanation you were looking for.

Because a lot of atheists are in fact in it for all the wrong reasons.  They just think god is a bad infallible substitute for thought and turn to the state instead, missing the whole point of atheism in that there are no infallible substitutes for thought.

Indeed.  If you're an atheist who worships the state, you're still a dogmatist just like any other religious fundamentalist;  I lump you both together and rightly so.
There's a reason we call them "state cultists" and members of "The Cult of the Omnipotent State."

PS: I fixed the link/embed to her video:

[yt]bUPxRYWpglQ[/yt]

[BreadGod]

Point 4 : Well, no. In fact many atheist become atheist because they have an inherent belief in the goodness of humanity. Religion is based on the evilness of humanity.

Perhaps you're right. I guess my views must have been tainted because most of the atheists I talked to were bitter and cynical.

[Ibrahim90]

Perhaps you're right. I guess my views must have been tainted because most of the atheists I talked to were bitter and cynical.

It's not universal though, since not every religion works off of the evilness of man (in fact, I got into trouble with people because of this issue growing up). And I'm sure not every Atheist was once a Christian.

And as you yourself said, some are clearly very cynical about human nature: it sometimes goes hand in hand with a belief in the power of the state (Legalism worked this way in China).

I suppose There is no one reason, just as there is no one type of person: that's why I'm not particularly interested in why some people become "Statheists": I'm sure the reasons you give are not mutually exclusive, or there may be other reasons or motives. It's only really proper to do it on a case-by-case basis.

[Travis Retriever]

I'm sure not every Atheist was once a Christian.

Indeed.  It's mainly because in America most of the population is Christian, so if someone is going to deconvert from a religion to atheism, it's just more probable that said person is a Christian first.

[Travis Retriever]

Perhaps you're right. I guess my views must have been tainted because most of the atheists I talked to were bitter and cynical.

And I'm having flashbacks of George Carlin...ugh. lol.  I used to like him, but now he just strikes me as a bitter cynical old codger.

[dallen68]

It's not universal though, since not every religion works off of the evilness of man (in fact, I got into trouble with people because of this issue growing up). And I'm sure not every Atheist was once a Christian.

And as you yourself said, some are clearly very cynical about human nature: it sometimes goes hand in hand with a belief in the power of the state (Legalism worked this way in China).

I suppose There is no one reason, just as there is no one type of person: that's why I'm not particularly interested in why some people become "Statheists": I'm sure the reasons you give are not mutually exclusive, or there may be other reasons or motives. It's only really proper to do it on a case-by-case basis.

Well, yes, what I meant was the religion that most of us on this forum are familiar with as religion involves the inherent evilness of man.