Hollywood Atheist: Difference between revisions

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* Atheists have been turned off by [[Corrupt Church|hypocrites and villains acting in the name of religion]] and only need to be shown a non-hypocritical believer to see the light.
* Atheists have been turned off by [[Corrupt Church|hypocrites and villains acting in the name of religion]] and only need to be shown a non-hypocritical believer to see the light.
* Atheists are somehow simply unaware of religion, and [[Easy Evangelism|will happily convert on the spot]] when informed of the rudiments of whatever dogma the work is endorsing. Expect them in an [[Author Tract]] (despite the name this shows up as early as the book Hayy ibn Yaqzan, making this trope [[Older Than Feudalism]]).
* Atheists are somehow simply unaware of religion, and [[Easy Evangelism|will happily convert on the spot]] when informed of the rudiments of whatever dogma the work is endorsing. Expect them in an [[Author Tract]] (despite the name this shows up as early as the book Hayy ibn Yaqzan, making this trope [[Older Than Feudalism]]).
* Atheists only seem to have arguments against their culture's predominant religion. There is ''never'' any evidence that they've looked into non-mainstream religions for something they can find more plausible.
* Atheists only seem to attack or have arguments against their culture's predominant religion. There is ''never'' any evidence that they've looked into non-mainstream religions for something they can find more plausible.
** On that note, another trait atheists might have, albeit one that's so rarely portrayed in fiction it is [[Rule of Cautious Editing Judgement|arguably more common in real-life]] is a [[Double Standard]] where the atheist singles out a specific religion over a teaching or action they disapprove of while ignoring identical ones from other religions.
* Atheists are all materialists and probably [[Machine Worship|technophiles]]/[[Transhuman|transhumanists]]/[[First Church of Mecha|roboticists]] as well.
* Atheists are all materialists and probably [[Machine Worship|technophiles]]/[[Transhuman|transhumanists]]/[[First Church of Mecha|roboticists]] as well.
* Atheists are depressed, lonely, antisocial and often [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]s. This definitely is not always true. Atheists can be just as happy or unhappy as anyone else.
* Atheists are depressed, lonely, antisocial and often [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]s. This definitely is not always true. Atheists can be just as happy or unhappy as anyone else.
* Atheists exist solely to belittle religious people.
* Atheists attack or belittle anyone who's religious or believes in any god.
* Atheists are straight-out evil, having apparently rejected all concept of right and wrong when they rejected religion. [[Chick Tracts]] love these, too. Compare and contrast [[Faith Heel Turn]]. The notion of immoral atheists goes back a long way. Most notably, Jean Jacques Rousseau, who (very progressively) proposed religious tolerance, suggested that atheists should be refused political rights due to their inherent un-trustworthiness.
* Atheists are straight-out evil, having apparently rejected all concept of right and wrong when they rejected religion. [[Chick Tracts]] love these, too. Compare and contrast [[Faith Heel Turn]]. The notion of immoral atheists goes back a long way. Most notably, Jean Jacques Rousseau, who (very progressively) proposed religious tolerance, suggested that atheists should be refused political rights due to their inherent un-trustworthiness.
* Atheists have no moral code (and are uncharitable, unkind, and have no ethical boundaries).
* Atheists have no moral code (and are uncharitable, unkind, and have no ethical boundaries).
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** For that matter, atheists think believers in the predominant local religion are "religious opponents".
** For that matter, atheists think believers in the predominant local religion are "religious opponents".


While these are unfair generalisations most of the time, in rare cases one or another generalisation can have an element of truth - just like every other [[stereotype]] of every other belief out there.
While these are unfair generalizations most of the time, to varying degrees and in varying amounts these traits can be found in some atheists - just like every other [[stereotype]] of every other belief out there.


Common to all portrayals of the Hollywood Atheist is the idea that faith is the natural state and [[Crisis of Faith|something must occur to drive the character away]] from the norm. Given that most humans worldwide are religious this is understandable, but still, it's always 'my reason for not believing is X.' One never hears 'I do not have a reason to believe', which is by far the most common reason given by atheists. It should come as no surprise that many atheists find the assumption that unbelief is unnatural ''deeply'' insulting.
Common to all portrayals of the Hollywood Atheist is the idea that faith is the natural state and [[Crisis of Faith|something must occur to drive the character away]] from the norm. Given that most humans worldwide are religious this is understandable, but still, it's always 'my reason for not believing is X.' One never hears 'I do not have a reason to believe', which is by far the most common reason given by atheists. It should come as no surprise that many atheists find the assumption that unbelief is unnatural ''deeply'' insulting.
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