All Atheists Believe X: All Atheists are Alike and Believe the Same Things:
Although there are a lot of different myths about atheism and atheists, there is one theme which keeps coming up over and over again: the assumption that all atheists share some political position, philosophical system, or attitude. In short, it's assumed that all atheists believe some "X," where X has little or nothing whatsoever to do with atheism. Thus theists try to pigeonhole atheists into a single philosophical straight-jacket, be it humanism, communism, nihilism, Objectivism, etc. Atheists Don't All Believe the Same Things...
Are Atheists all Materialistic & Greedy?:
The belief that atheists are more materialistic than theists isn't one that is founded on any evidence, but it is a popular one. A survey done by researchers in the University of Minnesota’s department of sociology found that atheists are the most despised and distrusted minority in America. The most popular reasons cited were "moral indiscretions" like criminal behavior, rampant materialism, and cultural elitism. Evidently being theistic and religious prevents such problems, but since when? Atheists are Not Materialistic, Worship Money...
Are Atheists all Hedonistic Pleasure Seekers?:
Is it true that atheists are all sex-crazed maniacs who care only about getting high? That's the implication of the popular myth that atheists are hedonists who have replaced the proper worship of the True God with worship of physical pleasures. There is no evidence that atheists are more likely to use or abuse drugs, nor is there any evidence that atheists "worship" physical pleasures like sex, no matter how loosely the term is defined. There is simply no empirical basis for this myth. Atheists are Not Hedonists Who Worship Pleasure...
How Can Atheists Believe In Nothing? Are Atheists All Nihilists?:
This question is based upon a misunderstanding of what atheism is. Many theists think that atheists don't believe in anything at all; evidently, we have no goals, no ideals, and no beliefs whatsoever. Theists cannot understand how it could be otherwise because their beliefs in and about their god often constitute the most important parts of their lives and are especially important when it comes to forming their goals, ideals, morality, etc. Without their god, then, those things can't exist. Atheists Don't Believe in Nothing, Aren't All Nihilists...
Are Atheists all Cynical? Do Atheists Disbelieve Everything They Hear?:
It's not common for atheists to be openly described as cynical, or at least inherently cynical, but this seem to be a common attitude which people have about atheists. When atheists appear on TV or in the movies, it's pretty common for them to be cynical, broken people who have "lost their faith." God failed them and now they distrust everyone and everything around them. Thus this myth is closely linked to the myth that people are atheists after feeling that God didn't do something for them. Atheists Aren't All Cynics...
