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Anything but an Atheist

A short interesting documentary on the social effects of atheism and the repercussions that can come about due to the admission of being atheist in the United States.

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  1. America your very lucky nation ,you’ve never had religious law /religious doctrin imposed upon you . If you had your attitude to religion would very different.

  2. If you live somewhere that you’re not treated poorly for your beliefs, good for you. It’s not like that everywhere.

    In rural Bible Belt USA your own family will treat you like an empty, moral-less vessel without a North Star to guide your decisions. “What’s your point for living?” They look down their nose at you as if your very existence is a threat to their whole way of life. “I sure hope I see you in Heaven”. That hurts coming from your mom who always treated you like the black sheep anyway.

    You can be strong in your views all day but the hatred and subtle digs HURT. That’s to say nothing of the fact that Christian fascists now run our Supreme Court & one half of our 2-party system.

    I may be agnostic/atheist but I consider myself more Christ-like than most modern Christians.

  3. Interesting documentary. Try being an Atheist in a Muslim country. Then you will see what real hate looks like. In America, believe what you want. But if you choose to live in the Bible belt in America and be athiest then you are naive if you think, particularly living in a small southern town if your belief system or lack of one will not stand out.

  4. Ex-Catholic agnostic-atheist here & I’ve never looked back. Inasmuch as I’ve never had a direct, personal, unmistakable experience of God, I’m an atheist. But beyond the world of my own intellect and experience, I think maybe there is a God & maybe there isn’t (but I don’t give a shit). That makes me an agnostic.

  5. I live in the cradle of Christianity, 200 km from the Pope, nobody gives a damn about me being an atheist and I don’t give a damn about others being Catholics or Protestants or Muslims. But we all have the common goal: to fight ignorance. And most people I know don’t let their religion get in their way to do that.

  6. Socrates said “The only thing I know for sure is that I know nothing at all, for sure.” In the end I think both sides should agree to this. I’ll never berate a believer or a non believer. You will find good and bad people in every sect and non sect.

  7. Thank god I live in a country where 95% of people are atheists. 🙂

    Must be though in the USE, with such a big crowd of non-thinkers….

  8. I am not an atheist, but an anti-theist.
    Atheists do not believe in god.
    Anti-theists do not like those people who fool themselves with any god-like concept. For the reason that they caused so much suffering, wars, and they are naturally against any kind of enlightment, progression, and science.

  9. if reiligion were true, 100% of ppl on this planet would believe in the same God, and no need for apolegetics to try and defend and undefendable position. And all would believe in the same God.

  10. I am an non-deist. I do not mind if you are a deist. Just don’t force your beliefs on me.

  11. Yeah, very open minded of you. You must be one of the tolerant and inclusive godhating atheists I have heard so much about.

  12. Indoctrinating children with Bronze Age superstitious nonsense in this day and age is nothing less than child abuse.
    All of the 4000 religions are based on fear of death and the power and/or money that can be exploited from people by using that fear of death. Disgusting and immoral doesn’t begin to cover it.

  13. sorry my friend you should change your writing about sigmund freud ! he was a jewish it is really upseting ,i live in israel and i know about jewish people around the world ,we even named streets on his name ….

    but i really interested in your video ,still it is really sad that people are judging people because of their race/religon

    WE SHOULD GET RID OFF ,FROM THIS IGNORANCE

    EVERY INDIVIDUAL IS EQUAL
    !!

  14. I would sure like to give this documentary a high rating, but the “background” music was so loud there were times I could barely hear what was being said.

  15. This seems like pure BS. Christians only want those who are lost to return. That would not be the case if this video was credible.

    • Assuming patronisingly that those who don’t share your fallacious beliefs is as ‘lost’ is part of the problem. If you just kept to yourselves and stopped trying to ‘save the world’ when it doesn’t need your brand of saving is dangerous. You need to clean up your own backyard before you start teaching people they are unworthy, evil, dirty and need forgiveness. Further, that the world narrative is a simple good vs evil, and christianity has a monopoly on morality is just power grabbing.
      Nobody killed anybody in the name of atheism.

  16. This was an interesting documentary. I enjoyed watching it. However, the exact film could be made coming from the exact opposite viewpoint, which makes it seem unbelievably biased and too much like a blatant propaganda piece…

  17. I avoid religious people, my aunty and uncle are christians and I never talk to them, because in my mind, they are insane and child abusers (indoctrinating their kids)

  18. While this poll may be somewhat accurate if you go up to random people on the street and ask them what they think about Atheists, from a much broader perspective, it’s completely full of shit. Atheists don’t get specifically treated any better or worse than Christians or Catholics. The only group of people who unfortunately get berated and shunned by Americans individually are Muslims. This is just what I’ve observed from being a 25 year old American and living through the continually expanding and ever-growing Atheism, and also living through the various terrorist attacks and the way the media purports it, and Muslims as a whole. There is way too big of a percentage of Americans who believe that Islam a political state of mind, and not a religion. It’s a quote I’ve heard many times.

    • Well said. Finally someone on here who recognises the enormous brainwashing that is going on thanks to the mainstream media who are connected to the military industrial complex, who’s only interest is spreading ignorance, fear and outrage which serves their economic interests.
      Surveys carried out on those who watch fox news are disturbing as to the far out beliefs they hold – some so ridiculous they would be right at home in middle age Europe.

    • Technically, Islam is a theocracy. That means nothing but Islam in jurisdiction, legislation, etc. etc. It is haram for any Muslim to live outside a state of Sharia (their legal state of theocracy) unless they have intent to Da’wa (spreading of Islam). Sure, there are nice Muslims and all that, but speaking of Islam of anything outside of a theocracy is like calling Christianity anything but based upon their ‘Christ’.

      Source: The 5 authenticated Hadiths through the world’s top clerics in Egypt. These are scripts that are recording of the sayings and the prophet when he was alive. The entirety of Islam’s behavior and its theocracy is based upon them. Fundamental Islam, some might say. All Muslims are to be guided by them. They have much infighting over which ‘sect’ is a direct lineage of their prophet and also much confusion from cultural influences. They all agree to hate Western culture even without showing it. Make no misunderstanding about these things.

      • Although sounding informed, you are misrepresenting the history of Islam. It is a religion, and just like other religions, has cultural, political, historical lineages as well as different sects.
        They have the Quran, the prophet Muhammed and basic tenets of Islam.
        Where fanatical Islam originates in modern terms is from the Saudi state religion of Wahhabism- which is a sunni extremist form of Islam.
        In fact the split in Islam came quite early in the movement through disputes over which leaders should be seen as the rightful clerics or leaders. Dating back to the late middle ages.
        It conforms basically to the criterion of any other religious faith, being monotheistic, having a gospel, and spiritual tenets.
        It is in fact, not that dissimilar to christianity or Judaism, which both have their extremist sects and fundamentalist teachings. especially christianity which through western democracies, ostensibly through proxy power, spread the teachings of Christ the saviour, and views any other faith as satanic. Even music and books are viewed as works of the devil, science, the Devils plan to deny God.
        During the reign of the Ottomans, many of the sheiks were considerably moderate and held symposiums with other religious scholars to promote scientific knowledge and advancement.
        The trouble is not with Islam, but the west’s fear and prejudice of it.

  19. This is why I moved to Germany….weird right?

  20. I live in Ireland, a Catholic country basically trapped in the middle ages. I am Atheist and I get treated differently because of it. I don’t see how we don’t have a plea to human rights just like gay people and muslim/jewish people who are constantly discriminated against. I also think that it shows the true stupidity of christians when they try to argue that I am a satanist, I don’t believe in fucking satan, in the same way that I don’t believe in god. I just want to finish with my favorite Dawkins quote “I am agnostic about god in the same way that I am agnostic about fairies.”

  21. there are too many people in this forum who can’t even state the correct definitions of Atheism and Agnosticism. GO OUT AND READ THE FUCKING DICTIONARIES AT LEAST! BLOODY FUCK

  22. I’m a believer, a moderately religious person. My best friend is an atheist by nature, not by
    intellectual decision. God simply doesn’t occur to him one way or the
    other. The concept is not on his radar. He feels no need to hammer
    anyone about anything. We can talk about some of the deepest issues in life, and I consider him to be one of the most spiritual
    people I know through his deep humanism. On the other hand, I have found some of the atheists in my life (though not all) to be disturbingly evangelical people. Almost every conversation somehow comes around to an attempt to convince me of the rightness of their view. I’m an intelligent person, but the attitude of some atheists seems to be, clearly, that no smart individual could possibly believe in God. I can’t tell you how often I’ve had that idea thrown at me. So while I have respect for atheist (non) belief, I really don’t agree with this doc’s contention that atheists are among the most tolerant people out there. There are just as many self-righteous, snob atheists as there are in the Christian Right.

    • I believe you are referring to the more militant Atheists, people like Penn Jillette come to mind immediately. And in that sense, you are absolutely right. I, as an American Atheist, try to stay away from people like that. I don’t shove my lack of religion down anybody’s throat, as I don’t expect anybody to shove their Christianity down my throat (although that has happened before). I only speak of my Atheism when the subject of religion comes up, and I don’t argue religion and it’s ridiculousness with believers, only a fool would do that. Everybody has their opinions, and unfortunately, not everybody agrees. I still believe that the vast majority of Atheists are like myself, definitely from experience, in that they don’t insult others’ religion or intelligence for believing, and they only speak about it when the subject comes up.

    • All the people who are atheists are not going to heaven. God is not going to let his son suffer and die on the cross for nothing. People rational this with their human minds & that is not how to rationalize this.

  23. Who did the poll ? . Is this person an expert on this matter? I think its a bit light on content. I don’t live in the US but I am fascinated . If that is the general representation of intolerance to atheism in America then WOW. Its not really an issue in Australia .I guess It depends on what circles you hang round ? I don’t go Shouting It out , but when asked my religious views, I tell whoever asks that I don’t believe in a god . I don’t see the point labelling myself an Atheist , I feel Its a bit redundant needing a name for not believing . Non believer.

  24. probably this is the reason why the rest of the world is laughing at america for their stupidity

  25. This was posted on my birthday!

  26. stop looking for a right. people alway will hate atheist, people that want hope will do anything for it. people are scare and this is why gods & faith make a killing out of people lives . it makes them happy. you will never change this! but its funny how science can prove its wrong and we still talk about.. dumb

  27. I’m getting sick of everyone claiming they know what is and what is not. Religious people are 100% sure there’s god, and now I’m reading this comments and some atheists claiming there’s no god and they’re also certain about it. Untill either side can prove there is or is not, the question is open if you like it or not. In time when we’re leaning toward string theory or thinking about posibility that we’re just a simulation (since particle is somewhere only when it’s observed like pixel on computer screen for example) we have bunch of people claiming they know there’s god and bunch of others claiming they’re certain there is none, like they alredy checked all 11 dimensions and infinite number of possible multiverses. We have so much more to explore and figure out that we’re in no position to make any claim about god. I find it especially crazy and blatantly redicoulus listening to religious people talking about god like they’re drinking coffee with him every day. But If you’re brain washed, manipulated in church since your birth, like some Hitlers Youth, there’s no suprise the power of idea is so strong. And yes, I do think comparison is just fine, since it is quite clear, that christians that got overdose of bible never doubt in it, no matter how much proof you pile in front of them. How simple and beautifull must it be, to be so blatantly ignorant.

    Sorry for my bad english

  28. Jeeze guys, don’t fight. I don’t care if the big bad Christians are mean. Show your moral fiber and deal with it in a wise way, not a petty way in a comment section. Personally, I’m an agnostic, so I don’t consider myself a part of this group, but I deal with judgement all the time too. Also, keep in mind atheism takes a lot of faith- pretty much as much faith as it does to say that you believe in a god. So hop off your high horses, and try to act “generally more intelligent, generally more educated”.in the face of adversity.

  29. I tried to watch this, but then I realized I could just turn on Faux News.

  30. This makes it sound like Atheism is a separate religion. Its just a name for a people who choose not to have a religion. Completely different thing.

  31. I don’t see why this has such a high rating. Why do I care what celebrities are atheists? Just put it to sad music and its inspiring? This isn’t a documentary this is shit. Doesn’t do us must justice.

  32. Totally disagree with the last sentence of the first chapter: “the least violent,most tolerant, most intelligent, most progressive… most hated and mistrusted minority in the United States.” I don’t think that tolerance or intelligence have to do something with the personal beliefs or a person. Atheism is just the denial of an idea of a god (or superior being like that) and being atheist doesn’t make anybody intelligent as well as religion doesn’t make anybody stupid.

    • It didn’t say that Atheism MAKES them intelligent. It means that intelligent people tend to gravitate towards Atheism.

  33. Believers just seem so ill-informed to me.. I’d find it very hard to take seriously any criticism or condemnation from them.

  34. I’m religious and I find this genuinely sad. I don’t understand how people can be so intolerant. I hope that changes one day.

  35. Besides the discussion on religion, atheism, agnosticism etcetera; This film does not deserve to be called a documentary. It is merely a selective compilation of news shows and other TV programs adding some biased texts. It would be a documentary if it objectively approached the subject of religion and atheism in US society. Now it is merely as objective as FOX or CNN news. As a European I wonder: Why does it seem that American interest groups tend to polarize discussions (assuming this film was made by an interest group).

  36. Don’t forget Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, and countless others who are two afraid to speak out.

  37. I love these theist versus atheist arguments. It always devolves into an endless flame war which seems completely at odds with the core beliefs of each group. Here’s the thing:
    Atheists are people who think about existence, in what they hope is an objective way, and come to the conclusion that a godless universe makes more sense than one with a God. Theists on the other hand believe that existence only makes sense if there is a God. As far as I’m concerned both views are perfectly all right. Theists do not need to argue for the existence of God through logic and deduction because they believe. That is not to say that they are any less intelligent than atheists. Belief is a powerful force in people’s lives and is, perhaps, critical food for the human “soul”. Atheists aren’t amoral people either just because they don’t take their morals from holy texts doesn’t mean they don’t have any. In fact they have the freedom to craft their own moral codes through life which allows for more flexibility and the acceptance of others’ choices that don’t correspond with their own world views. That’s not to say religious moral codes are totally inflexible because they do tend to change with the times as well.

    What I’m trying to say is “Can’t we all just get along?” As an atheist I respect theists’ views and wish them all the best. I would just like the same in turn. I accept anyone and their pursuits so long as they don’t encroach on the freedom of others.

    It saddens me to see how to see how people on either side of this issue debate it. They use a rhetoric filled with hate and accusation, claiming that the other side is amoral or stupid. I recognize that I won’t win a true believer over to side of atheism with words, but I sincerely hope that I can help them see that atheists are no more inherently worse people than the religious.

    I hope that with this post I may facilitate a civil and respectful conversation between the two sides of this argument. Perhaps this is is vain but I have faith that neither side consists of inherently bad and quarrelsome people. Ultimately, I think theists and atheists that post in this context are thoughtful, kind people. Please treat each other with mutual respect.

    We are all good people.

  38. Take a trip to any C of E or catholic church in the UK on a Sunday morning, and I guarantee, that apart from a handful of elderly Polish immigrants, they will be empty. Here, Christianity tends to be the last bastion of the mentally ill.

  39. Doesnt matter if jew, catholic, christian, muslim, buddist, atheist or whatever ………………. What realy matters is we all believe in love, trust and respect! Greetings from Mexico.

  40. Anyone else realise that the statistics at the start add up to 142%?

  41. Actually two years ago when I was going to college in Pheonix, there was a chap screaming that the liberal agenda and college education leads away from god on campus. We had a confrontation, he threatened me with hell, I told him I was an atheist. The next week while walking back from classes, a group of guys pushed me into an alley. Before I could respond, one clocked me in the jaw, sent me to the ground. Then they were on me, kicking and spitting, screaming that they would stop when I prayed to god, calling me athiest trash, the basics. I actually tried to pray-just to get them off, but one kicked me in the throat so I couldn’t speak. I woke up a while later, they were gone. I found out later that they wrote athiest across my forehead. I walked two blocks before anybody helped me out. Thankfully somebody stopped, took me to the hospital. A concussion, 7 bruised ribs (thank god for an itallian build! Hooray for big bones), and a laundry list of other injuries.

    To clarify though, athiesm isn’t a religion, it’s the lack of one. While it is true, many athiests are prone to claiming certainty as to the lack of an existence of a god, this is more along the lines of proclaiming certainty that there are no unicorns. Most athiest are actually agnostic in regards to their belief in a god-meaning that with no evidence for or against, they default to the assumption that there isn’t. Again, to use unicorns as an example, I have no strong beliefs for or against unicorns, but until I see evidence they exist, the default position is that they don’t. i could be wrong, but without evidence or new information I won’t change my position. This isn’t due to faith, but simply due to the most logical assumption based on current information.

  42. This is the most bullshit bogus video ever. I don’t believe a word on here.

  43. That’s a sorry bunch of atheists. Whew am I glad I’m not one of them.

  44. I’m a hated atheist and PROUD OF IT!!! <3

  45. That was awful. It should be taken it down.

  46. Religion has caused more death than any weapon ever created by man, and due to Zealots and fanatics is the cause of most of the worlds conflicts and woes. Not that being religious is wrong, but it is wrong to force your views on others and claim that their views are wrong, live your own life the way you wish so long as it does not cause peril to others and kindly speaking butt out of peoples lives.

  47. Why not accept that people are different, get off this thread and live your life! If you are so dogmatic in your beliefs of no God, why waste the precious time you have (since there is no eternity) in trying to convince other people of how wrong they are. 
    The church has done some horrific things in the past, present, and they will continue to do so into the future, but that is not God, it is man’s flawed, greedy and corrupted representation of God, for their own gain. No christian on earth could give you all the answers, but if we had all the answers there would be nothing to believe in. The world was once flat, we were once the center of the universe. The greatest lesson from history is that man does not learn from history. Stop with the hate people. Don’t we all breath the same air, drink the same water, feel pain? Do yourself a favor and stop to deeply ponder your existence for a minute. Maybe if you feel you would like to know the facts about the other side of the story, check this out: http://documentaryheaven.com/the-case-for-christ/I guess it all comes down to living a happy life. If you’re not happy, does it really matter what you believe? That goes to all those Christians out there too.Have a great day errrrrrbody! From Taiwan. 

  48. The real question is why do they feel threatened by us?

  49. I am not impressed by actors as examples of atheists. Fuck all celebrities, I hate mass hysteria surrounding famous people. Wacko Jacko is the perfect example. They made him the freak he was and when he, mercifully, bought it, they crucified the poor doctor. I would’ve given the guy a medal

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