Stigma. Thousands of years of it. To be without god is to be wicked and immoral in their eyes.
Correct and it will take many more to correct the sitiuation
I've come across some rude/mean atheists. They make us look bad.
The same reason some atheists hate very nice people like believers
Not all atheist are nice. Some just pretend to be. I'm talking to atheist now and she say that she nice but her actions say something different.
That has to be true...because we all come from the family, called HUMAN! Some of us humans, just expect too much, from an imperfect species, especially when we secretly think we are pretty close to the ideal...
Easier to demonize those who oppose your views then to accept them
Because we don't comply and fit in and deep down they know we could be right and make there whole life seam like the bullshit it is.
Take a look at the Trump Pinata group and that will answer your question.
Ha ha .That’s for sure
Brainwashed by the churches. They are told not to mix with unbelievers.
It's conditioning. I remember my mother talking about atheists when I was little she would screw her face up and spit the word "atheist" out like it was a demon. I grew up thinking there was nothing worse. I know I'm not alone in being taught this way. I know atheists who are apologists for Christians because they think religious people should be treated better, because of their beliefs. I don't understand why we let them walk all over us. The first atheist I got to know was one of the most delightful people I ever knew. Unfortunately he died a few years ago. He changed what I believed about atheists. I never would have believed I would some day be one. Some of the nicest people I've ever known are secular people.
If they don't have knowledge of what it means, to be a non-believing person...they are simply fearful of the unknown! As a mtater of fact, most humans are fearful of the unknown of anything, to a more or lessor degree!
People hate whatever differs from their views
Lack of agency pertaining to ideas and beliefs, i.e. Ideas and beliefs are things that happen to me, not things I control; therefore, if I come into contact with an idea or belief that challenges mine, I have no control over what will happen."
A lot of atheists are dicks! But also there is a lot of myths about us. For those of us that are in the position and have the personality, so be open and try to give atheist a different imagine. Im not taking about pandering ether! But we don't have to be dicks! Tone it down a little out there people.
"Tone it down. . ." , I don't think so. I fight fire with fire. I once had a friend (theists) that told me to "tone it down" (I am a very vocal anti-theist) in that I actively educate theists about the lack of truth and honesty of their ways. . . Long story short: After a local theist initiated the "PERSONHOOD" amendment, my friend became aware of the great evil theists are causing to our society. She has become a strong atheist and now believes it is necessary to educate theists as they are doing a great deal of harm to our civilization.
@NoMagicCookie "The great evil theist are causing." WTF? I have friends that are theist that tirelessly work charities and seen to expect nothing. You have civil Rights leaders putting themselves in the line for all humanity and they are theist. Dropping all theist in one category is illogical. The issue is fundamentalism. Whether it's Christian Fundamentalist ,Muslim Fundamentalist or stalinist atheist. It doesn't matter. Whoever is trying to "other" large groups of people are the problem. We atheist should not pick up the ideologies and methods of those who we oppose.
@WizardBill is that a whataboutism?
@JeffB Did I specify "all" theists? Some theists are good but the overall impact of the policies being implemented in the name of the religious (climate change deniers, anti-science (faith over facts) or the anti-wemon's health (that I specified) issues are primarily a products of the religious.
I find that if I get to know someone first, then they find out that I am atheist there is usually not a problem. But if they find out that I am atheist first, they don't always try to get to know me. But those types of people are not worth knowing anyway.
In Ireland years ago the Protestants were stricter and had to stay in Sunday Best all day reading the bible - if it was a Sunny Sunday at harvest time the Catholics could get out after mass and get in the hay. probably why we have all this hating goign on now still.
People usually 'hate' on others because they imagining that that person has something that they themselves by rights should really have - (maybe self confidence/whatever ) because it can be very edgy being a believer. I am not always nice but I am always apologetic after a row.