Why are most atheists left-wing?

[F1-Insanity]

I mean, come on. Religious teachings are basically Socialist themselves. I've belonged to 5, I know what I' saying.

Which 5? Does it include the one where some dude called Jesus said he had brought a sword to enforce the OT's laws? Or where he effectively said 'thou shalt not be jealous and take from the rich guy'? Because that fella only believed in 'voluntary charity'...

[Chinese Regions]

Some National-Socialists( Not all) are Atheist

[Trans-Danube]

Smart enough to be Athiests? Seriously, your gonna go there. *sigh* why can't we ever have an Athiest thread that dosen't insult thiests?

[Chinese Regions]

Depends on the religion. Jesus's teachings were decidedly in favor of the poor, but using them to justify socialism would be like using Muhammad's caliphate as a justification for internationalism.

Conservative Jesus!

[Thalam]

You cannot generalize atheists into having one common or majority ideology, since atheism has no central or common belief system. The only thing you can group atheists together by is a general lack of belief in gods. Apart from that, you will find diverse views on most other issues.

By asking why most atheists are left wing (something that you have not demonstrated to be true), you are implying that there is causative relationship between being atheist and being left-wing. If we're defining being "left-wing" from an American point of view, then social issues play a large part in defining where people fall on the political spectrum. I would say that atheists tend to be liberal on social issues since many of the socially conservative views (pro-life, anti-homosexual, "family values") tend to spring from religious sources. Without religion, there isn't really a logical reason to support these things. Still there are always exceptions; I personally know an atheist who is pro-life. I would accept a causal relationship between atheism and social liberalism.

However, I don't see much of a relationship between atheism and being economically left wing, unless you happen to be a hardcore communist. Speaking personally as an atheist and a socialist, I became an atheist long before I formed any sort of coherent political or economic views. The main reason for this was that I just didn't care that much about politics. My left wing views developed nearly a decade after my views on religion, and the two are entirely unrelated. In my personal experience, you tend to get a wide range of views among atheists when it comes to economic issues, with many of them trending toward either centrism or some form of libertarianism.

Also, you gotta love a thread full of non-atheists telling atheists what atheists believe.

[Keronians]

IMO your making a leap to say that intelligence = atheism whilst stupidity = Theism

Albert Einstein is a classic example, hell even Stephen Hawking admitted that

"the universe is governed by the laws of science. The laws may have been decreed by God, but God does not intervene to break the laws."

not denying that a theistic reality is possible.

In my own personal experience, 2 of the most intelligent people I have been fortunate enough to meet have both been religious (1 catholic, 1 Animist beleive it or not). Holding religious beleifs in no way is equatable to intelligence, other than that you have faith. Its not something I would have or care for, but it in no way makes someone as much of an idiot as the origional post would suggest.




Getting back on topic I suppose it is typically due to political values of society and how people are raised.
If you think about it for instance, by and large in America the two driving forces of your politics are either the Liberalist democrats or the Conservative republicans. Faith (or lack off) being a very personal thing, its far easier to identify and find common values with the side that you hold most in common with (this being more commonly from my own outsiders perspective of America, the liberals).

As for why we dislike Anarcho Capitalism? Because most people in the world see a need for a state, feel comforted by objective justice, have at some point been screwed over by a business and are terrified of what they could do without regulation, and of course most importantly (myself being example having spent a year where I could barely move due to crippling pain leaving me unable to function in society for that duration) are petrified by the thought of having no wellfare to keep them alive in times of need.

In short, not everyone beleives that Anarcho Capitalism is in their own "rational self interest".

Newton is a better one. Einstein, even if he was agnostic (which I doubt), is not necessary.

Newton was a hardcore Christian.

[Divair]

I wouldn't know.

I'm quite left-wing (going as far as believing that if human nature wasn't as crap as it was, we should all be Communist) and a very loud atheist.

[Rhodmhire]

I remain a left-libertarian to this day

with an anarcho-capitalist flag?

I didn't pick it because I agreed with it. I picked it because I'm madly infatuated with Sibirsky.

And also my flags almost never represent my own beliefs anyways.

[Free Soviets]

You cannot generalize atheists into having one common or majority ideology, since atheism has no central or common belief system. The only thing you can group atheists together by is a general lack of belief in gods. Apart from that, you will find diverse views on most other issues.

you absolutely can generalize atheists as having a majority ideology. because that turns out to be true. for example, in the US, 76% of atheists voted for obama. on every single measure, atheists have been overwhelmingly to the left of average for decades. for a review of some of the research, check out:
www.pitzer.edu/academics/faculty/zucker ... theism.pdf

By asking why most atheists are left wing, you are implying that there is causative relationship between being atheist and being left-wing.

more like wondering if there is one. and its pretty clear that they have a common cause, i think.

However, I don't see much of a relationship between atheism and being economically left wing

and yet the vast majority of atheists simply are economically leftish. presumably this is partly due to the package-deal nature of everyone's political opinions and partly because leftish economic positions tend to be less morally unpalatable than the major right-wing ones.

[Thalam]

You cannot generalize atheists into having one common or majority ideology, since atheism has no central or common belief system. The only thing you can group atheists together by is a general lack of belief in gods. Apart from that, you will find diverse views on most other issues.

you absolutely can generalize atheists as having a majority ideology. because that turns out to be true. for example, in the US, 76% of atheists voted for obama. on every single measure, atheists have been overwhelmingly to the left of average for decades. for a review of some of the research, check out:
http://www.pitzer.edu/academics/faculty ... theism.pdf

Everything in your source connecting atheism and liberalism are social issues, something that I acknowledged. The closest he comes to a general statement is that "irreligiosity is strongly and consistently correlated and with liberal, progressive, or left-wing political perspectives". However, the author doesn't differentiate between social and economic issues, or between the American "liberalism" associated with Democrats, and actual left wing views, which was the whole point of my post.

Aside from that, I think I stated the opening of my post poorly. It's pretty obvious that if we split politics into a liberal/conservative dichotomy then there will have to be a majority view in any group, unless it is evenly split. What I should have said however, is that there is no requirement to be left-wing if you are an atheist. A majority of atheists may hold generally similar political views, but left wing beliefs are not a requirement for atheism.

By asking why most atheists are left wing, you are implying that there is causative relationship between being atheist and being left-wing.

more like wondering if there is one. and its pretty clear that they have a common cause, i think.

Correlation doesn't equal causation, or even common causation.

However, I don't see much of a relationship between atheism and being economically left wing

and yet the vast majority of atheists simply are economically leftish. presumably this is partly due to the package-deal nature of everyone's political opinions and partly because leftish economic positions tend to be less morally unpalatable than the major right-wing ones.

Evidence for the majority of atheists being economically left? You showed that the majority of atheists in the U.S. voted for Obama, but that doesn't necessarily translate into economic views.

[Chinese Regions]

Newton is a better one. Einstein, even if he was agnostic (which I doubt), is not necessary.

Newton was a hardcore Christian.[/quote]
But his religious beliefs did not contribute to modern society in any form however but his scientific contributions did.

[Pope Joan]

In my personal opinion, this tendency relates mostly to European historical development.

The Church there was always quite conservative, and tied to the monied elements. Forget Francis, he was a reaction against the norm. Hell, it goes all the way back to Constantine.

So, when reform came and the aristos were ousted, so was the attachment to their religious trappings.

Not so much so then, perhaps, in the Americas. where religion was not so closely tied to institutional power.

[Dyakovo]

Voting is an action (although I doubt the fact that it's non-violent appeals to you). Also, it's a way of making sure that what policy you want to enact actually has some support. Whereas if you just went ahead and implemented change on your own without consulting the preferences of the wider pubilc, you'd pretty much be just oppressing them.

How is voting non-violent? If your vote supports a policy that favors one group at the expense of another, is that not violence?

Correct. That is not violence.

[Greater Cabinda]

Not so much so then, perhaps, in the Americas. where religion was not so closely tied to institutional power.

It's slowly becoming attached to institutional power, unfortunately, at least in the US.

[Zwitterjiund]

in all seriousness im atheist but i draw from both sides of the political spectrum

[Zebbstar]

This, My friends were lets say, Very Very Strong Atheist's, I myself before I met them wasn't sure what I was

But after hanging around with them for years, I have adopted their Atheist Liberal ways, Because it just makes sense
Because I've always believed in Science & People SHOULD have the right to do what THEY want with THEIR bodies

ALL of my closest friends are atheists. They actually calmed down once I converted. I never preached to them, nor did I invite them to church, but, one by one, each has at one time or another asked to attend services with me. They must have noticed the change in my demeanor. My best friend was even at my baptism crying out of happiness for me - she leans towards unitarian universalism but retains her extreme anti-Catholic (thanks public school!) and anti-bibliolater bias.

Service for Atheists? (Unless I misread that)
I'm derp and cannot understand this post(Which I probably am)

My Aunty is a strong christian, Which is good for her
So everytime I visited, I was made to go to church and pray and such until I was said age and said fuck this and spoke up

So coming from that, Religion just makes no sense to me . Its just brainwashing in my eyes
It may be good for some but certainly not me

I don't enjoy being told what to do, What is and isn't wrong
They are my choices to make, Not Jebus' Not God's and Not a really old book
What people want to do with their bodies is noone elses choice(Drugs,Abortions and Euthanasia) They are all frowned upon in religious ways
Why certain people can and can't get married (Straight BTW and my partner is Atheist to)

[Free Soviets]

Everything in your source connecting atheism and liberalism are social issues, something that I acknowledged. The closest he comes to a general statement is that "irreligiosity is strongly and consistently correlated and with liberal, progressive, or left-wing political perspectives". However, the author doesn't differentiate between social and economic issues, or between the American "liberalism" associated with Democrats, and actual left wing views, which was the whole point of my post.

cross-culturally, atheists overwhelmingly vote for the lefter mainstream party - as do the irreligious in general. and when asked whether they think of themselves as to the left or the right, atheists and people that just don't do religion again go for the left well beyond society as a whole. see http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/A ... er%209.pdf for more.



now, it is possible that this is all due to social issues. but that seems extraordinarily unlikely. especially because we know that almost all of the variance in something like the political compass falls on a basically straight diagonal line - left social ideas are strongly linked to left economic ones.

A majority of atheists may hold generally similar political views, but left wing beliefs are not a requirement for atheism.
...
Correlation doesn't equal causation, or even common causation.

but, as xkcd put it, it does waggle its eyebrows suggestively and gesture furtively while mouthing 'look over there'. and my point is that;
a) it would be fundamentally strange for this to be a purely happenstance cross-cultural correlation, and
b) there is an obvious causal story that fits well with what we know about the nature of atheism, intellectualism, and ideology.
being to the left isn't a requirement for being an atheist. but the standard path to both is basically the same.

[GeneralHaNor]

How is voting non-violent? If your vote supports a policy that favors one group at the expense of another, is that not violence?

Correct. That is not violence.

Tell that to the jews circa 1933.

[Geilinor]

People on the right tend to reject atheists.

[Dyakovo]

Correct. That is not violence.

Tell that to the jews circa 1933.

An example of voting in favor of a preferential policy leading to violence does not prove that voting is violence.

[Mr Bananagrabber]

Voting is an action (although I doubt the fact that it's non-violent appeals to you). Also, it's a way of making sure that what policy you want to enact actually has some support. Whereas if you just went ahead and implemented change on your own without consulting the preferences of the wider pubilc, you'd pretty much be just oppressing them.

Until "none of the above" appears on my ballot, I'll go ahead and dismiss this theory
It may be an action, but it's pretty much as potent as "I reject the social contract by continuing to breathe without the state's permission"

Blank ballots get counted.

[Ryadn]

While I realize that higher education correlates with atheism and liberalism, I have to say, as a liberal atheist, I don't think belief in the divine or supernatural relies on intelligence. Nor do I think possession of a moral compass relies on intelligence or belief in the divine. I am intelligent, I find resonance with no particular faith or religious 'truth', and my moral compass tells me that the practices and outcomes of pure capitalism lead to unnecessary suffering for many people, which is personally repugnant.

[Natty Narwhal]

Economically, I'm sure there are atheists who identify with the right.

[Sapheria V]

I'm an Atheist and a Libertarian. I believe most secularists are left winged because it is a more favorable side to take for us. Left wingers push for social justice and equality, while it seems most right wingers would have us burn at the stake. While I do see a good reason for us to be centrist or libertarian, I can't see us siding with conservatives. Most Athiests have to break away from a mold of social standards, which is usually enforced violently or in a cruel manner by conservatives.

[Grave_n_idle]

I used to post in some atheist forum(randi,rationaskepticism,rationalia,freethought etc) and I have left all of them

Why? because the great majority of atheists there are liberals/social democrats(US sense) or far-leftists

Another thing i have noticed is: we(anarcho-capitalists/libertarians) are often treat very badly,often worse than social conservative

Why people smart enough to be atheists are not smart enough to understand the free market?

If this is the really real world, and one shot is all you get - then every minute of every life matters.

If you use 'left wing' the way the American political spectrum seems to use it - i.e. to describe things that provide a social safety net, support, assistance, etc to the needy - then the link between Atheism and 'left-wing' politics is obvious.