Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This is just another fantasy of those that believe in fantasies. I have been in life/death situations as a firefighter, and the last damn thing I am going to do is ask some imaginary deity thing for help. My training, my experience, and my fellow firefighters are why I am here to tell you an atheist in a foxhole is still an atheist.
It is funny and quite sad that those suffering the delusion that gods are real automatically think others will just because they are scared at some point. Stupid stupid stupid.
Atheists are mostly bookworms and nerds who spend their lives thinking, reading, and questioning. Probably mostly college grads, too. That kind of person is much less likely to wind up in prison.
True morals are superior to fear based morals of theists.
I really worry about the person that says stuff like "if I weren't a christian, I would kill, rob, or whatever". That is one sick individual without real morals. When only the fear learned from religion keeps one in check, the real person behind the cloak of religion is unethical, immoral to just a common criminal.
Strange, I have never heard a Christian say that
Does that occurrence happen often in the liberal city of Ashville ?
Depending on the study, about 10% of Americans do not believe in a God.
But the estimated number of incarcerated atheists ranges from .07% to .2% (2 tens of one percent) of all inmates. Apparently godless, heathen, 'amoral' atheists are less likely crimes than professed Christians.
What study did you use to show that there are no or few atheists in prison? Going to a religious meeting gets an inmate out of the pod for awhile, and some inmates have been known to sign up for several different religions. It doesn't mean that they actually believe what they signed up for, it just means that they want a pass to get out of the pod.
Does that occurrence happen often in the liberal city of Ashville ?
Go hang out in a religious forum, it is a frequent statement, especially when they are going about expressing their ignorance about atheists saying they are immoral because they are not held in check with the fear of the wrath of their god.
And I've heard it in person as a christian groped to express their irrational hatred for atheists.
Maybe it has more to do with the fact that in prison, going to church services and Bible studies is just something to do to pass the time for many of those incarcerated. There are more benefits to claiming to be a Christian in prison than outside.
Should have read comments first. She beat me to it. That's exactly right.
Depending on the study, about 10% of Americans do not believe in a God.
But the estimated number of incarcerated atheists ranges from .07% to .2% (2 tens of one percent) of all inmates. Apparently godless, heathen, 'amoral' atheists are less likely crimes than professed Christians.
You know... there were/are a lot of atheists in Russia and the former Soviet Collapsed blocs. I'm hazarding a guess you're unaware of the crime that has went on in Russia?
Atheists in the United States tend to be well educated people and work in the professional fields. They are not usually reared in the inner-cities and their social network tends to be more law-abiding citizens (many upper-class Christians among them). And even if these white-collar professionals did commit crimes the whit collar crimes they're more likely to commit won't usually send them to criminal court. They go to civil courts.
Poor people and the working-class go before criminal courts.
From the article:
[quote]
Leslie Zukor was a 19-year-old student at Reed College studying prison rehabilitation programs when something jumped out at her.
While there were programs tackling drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, technical training and more, all of them were offered by faith-based organizations. Where were the options for those behind bars who are atheists, like her? [/QUOTE]
I believe Reed College is a nationally respected institute of higher learning with a lot of prestige behind its name. My university is UW-Milwaukee. Mostly a sea of young white people. But I'm hazarding a guess that statistically more former students of UW-Milwaukee end up in prison than former students of MIT, Harvard, or Reed. Just a guess. The networking from the latter 3 is incredible. The name recognition from those institutions alone opens doors.
Religion is a belief set that basically allows you to believe that you have control of your life, the universe and beyond, which in reality is made up of random events. Once you are in prison and are faced with an indisputable reality of having no control over your life, voila--religion. You then have the coping mechanism of religion to allow yourself to believe you have some control and which probably makes prison life more mentally tolerable. Also, if you "find" religion in prison you may allow yourself to believe you are being a "good" person despite the fact that being in prison is society telling you that you are not a good person.
Depending on the study, about 10% of Americans do not believe in a God.
But the estimated number of incarcerated atheists ranges from .07% to .2% (2 tens of one percent) of all inmates. Apparently godless, heathen, 'amoral' atheists are less likely crimes than professed Christians.
It could also be that atheists are just smarter, and more concerned with wrong/right as a group, than believers (which would be a very diverse grouping)
I'd make the assumption they think more about morality than some religious folk. In a religion, most things are told to you to be 'right' or 'wrong' where as an athiest might delve deeper into the philosophy and reasoning of why something is right or wrong.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
