At times, it can seem overwhelming to attempt to refute the many myths and misconceptions about atheism. Atheists are unfairly slapped with the labels of being immoral, untrustworthy, and directionless, with some polls claiming that atheists are the least-trusted group in America, even below rapists and people observing non-Christian religions.

These negative perceptions of atheists are without warrant, but fortunately, reality provides us bountiful evidence to the contrary. Many of the world’s greatest thinkers, scholars, researchers, technological pioneers, entertainers, and authors have been atheists, while many great atrocities have been wrongly attributed to atheism. Instead of letting these misconceptions about atheism linger on, I decided to compile a list titled Refuting 30 Common Myths About Atheism, and will be releasing them one-by-one in the upcoming weeks.

Like most atheists in America, I grew up in in a part of the country where almost everyone was a Christian. In fact, it was pretty much a given that every person I knew all identified as Christians (or so I thought). To this very day, most of my relatives and loved ones are Christians, and many of my oldest friends are Christians.

While many of them are more laid back and reasonable about their beliefs than others (thankfully, not everyone takes the Bible literally), I understand that it can be difficult to have fair and friendly discussions about the topic of religion with some of the people who are dearest to us. This is largely because people hold their beliefs as so dear and personal that anything to the contrary sounds threatening to them, plus they often have false, preconceived notions about what atheism is.

It can also be frustrating and make our loved ones seem detached when they refuse to discuss why they believe the things they do and why you don’t believe those things (and why it’s important to you to talk about it); especially when you know they probably think you’re going to hell, and they may harbor contempt and resentment towards you for being vocal about your lack of belief.

While it may seem like people on either side of the discussion can rarely convince others to consider religion from a different perspective, I think it’s healthy and important for us all to engage in fair, honest, and respectful discussions with each other on the topics of religious beliefs and skepticism of those beliefs. But it’s important to remember that people deserve respect, while beliefs don’t necessarily deserve the same respect. So we should try our best to be respectful of each other as people, but we should never feel obligated to pay respect to beliefs we find unjustifiable, illogical, irrational, or harmful, regardless of which side of the discussion you’re on.

I also encourage people to understand that criticism, humor, and satire are all acceptable forms of discourse in opposition to everything else in life, and religion is no exception. Humor, and yes, sometimes even mockery can be an effective way to get people to understand their thought processes aren’t always laid on solid foundations. So don’t be mean to people, but don’t be afraid to exercise your sense of humor either, because humor is one of our greatest tools for opening our minds and coping with things. We should also realize that although people can get very defensive in these conversations, that’s not always a sign of ill-will towards the other person.

To the believers reading this, I appeal to your sense of love and compassion to try to understand atheists better, and to move past any of the false notions you may have that will be covered in each of these myths. After all, if you don’t already realize that one or more of your friends and relatives are probably atheists, it’s highly likely that they just haven’t told you yet… maybe because they’re afraid of your reaction. Non-believers have been forced to hide our feelings for centuries out of fear of retribution from our friends and families, and sometimes even employers.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want anybody I love to be afraid to be themselves, and I don’t want anybody I love to be afraid to speak their minds, either. If you’re a person who prefers to have people with different views than yours keep them to themselves, I’d like to politely remind you that the United States was founded on freedom of speech and the right to practice any religion you choose, or no religion at all. Perhaps it’s time you break out of your shell and try to understand why your atheist friends and family aren’t the least bit concerned about about what we consider to be man-made systems of religion, and why we don’t fear the idea of hell or eternal damnation.

With that being said, I thank you for reading this far, and for allowing me introduce you to our list which will refute 30 common myths and misconceptions about atheism, in no particular order. While many of these have been covered in the past by other atheist writers and speakers, it’s beneficial for us to get different perspectives on these misconceptions, and I felt it was time to compile a longer, more encompassing list than you normally see.

We will publish these myths and refutations one at a time, then once all 30 have been published, we’ll combine them all into one post for easy access. We welcome you to share your thoughts in the comments below, and welcome you to join us over the upcoming months as we continue Refuting 30 Common Myths About Atheism.

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