A rather pointed question for atheists?

Whoa. You are stepping over the line. I am a christian and yes, I try to do good things but atheists do too. You are a hypocrit. A true christian wouldn't say that.

Firstly how many Christians ar ether ein your country? How many in your state, town? Is the number that attend church on Sunday equal exactly the number standing beside you at those shelters? Wearing a label such as Christian or Atheist doesn't make them all the same, and it's even more true for Atheists because we don't have a doctrine.

We have our own personal beliefs, much as you yourself. Can you be sure that you wouldn't be attending those places if you weren't a Christian? Imagine you were born over 2000 years ago, would you still be charitable without any knowledge of the religion you have today? I don't think religion can be heralded as the reason for every good thing it's members do, nor can it be the reason lacking in those that do not.

Some of us give to charity, I have in the past, and it wasn't for a Get out of Hell free card. I was impressed with the cause, and I had the money to give at the time. I don't anymore, because I don't have the money now. I believe in certain causes, and I support them where i can if the opportunity comes up. But it is not my life. Are all Pagans and Druids in Greenpeace? I objected to the War on Iraq and I joined a local march in my town but that was all I did. Doesn't mean i still don't object, but I feel I can better use my time doing other things can continueing to march.

One last thing: How many did you ask their religion? We are not prone to wearing badges that say "Hi, My name is John, i'm an Atheist. Ask me Why!"

I was thinking about you question and....

You know, I really think that the charities someone supports is more related to thier political affiliation than thier religion. you mentioned this "Planned parenthood, save the whales, free Tibet, PETA" which I think your saying that all atheists are liberal douchbags.

I'm an atheist, but more importantly a Libertarian. the way I see it I give $300 to charity every 2 weeks on the right side of my paystub.

The thing is, you don't have to get it.

I, personally, believe in the real world. I accept that my strengths and failings are mine, and mine alone; not gifts or punishments from an invisible being. I accept that death is the end, and don't need the promise of an afterlife (or the need to deny myself anything in this life in order to attain it). This life is the only one I get, and I make the most of it.

I've worked in soup kitchens (and was friends with a few of the priests who ran them). I've delivered meals on wheels, worked on a Habitat home, and organized a donation drive for Hurricane Katrina victims in areas that didn't recieve alot of media attention. I support Planned Parenthood's mission, think that the whales are fine on their own, and believe that we need to take care of our own poor before worrying about the rest of the world.

PETA is a joke at best, and gives humans a bad name.

The fact is, just because one doesn't believe in a higher power, it doesn't mean that can't or don't contribute to their society. In fact, I would say that they tend to be more selfless when doing a charitible deed, because it is done with no hope or promise of a reward, earthly or otherwise.

Stop the stupid ramble, your first sentence has nothing to do with the rest of your comments.

I was asked at work to contribute to a Toys-for-Tots campaign, it was a very 'Christian' thing to do, everyone knew who had contributed and we were encouraged heavily to make it a 100% participation. This seems to be what happens with religious communities they have to make a noise about it.

I did not contribute, I on my own bought toys for an entire village in South America, I did not boast of it, I told no-one at work, I'm probably still though of as a 'mean self-centered atheist', it was my decision, this is an anonymous forum unlike a church or workplace.

The biggest givers in the world are people like Soros and Gates who by my reckoning are atheists or close to it.

Wise up.

Because Atheists don't have to congregate to reinforce their superstitious delusional deeply held misconceptions the way religionists do, they lack the organization that is provided by churches. How do you know that the person next to you spooning out stuffing to the homeless on Thanksgiving is not an Atheist? They don't toot their horn the way delusionalists do. I spent several years working as a volunteer with the deaf and don't remember telling anyone I was an Atheist while doing it.

Athiests believe a lot of different things (just like religious people believe a lot of different things). Athiests just don't believe in God. So doesn't it sort of make sense that you wouldn't have worked with one on a mission trip, given the god-based nature of mission work?

Perhaps your volunteering has been in church-lead situations only and so either you have not had the opportunity to work next to an athiest or -- more likely -- they just didn't choose to share that information with you.

Athiests do plenty of volunteer work and also support a variety of charities, depending on their own personal beliefs. Could be those you list, could be others. I know a lot of athiests who have given two+ years of their lives to Peace Corps volunteering. Remember, though, that athiests are not by definition Democrats, liberals or vegetarians.

I know many people who do not believe in God and who are some of the most moral, generous, loving people I've met. Their kindness just isn't generated by a belief that they need to earn a place in heaven, convert a bunch of heathens, or confirm to an arbitrary set of rules written down by humans thousands of years ago. It comes from their own hearts.

Now here's one that will really get your head spinning -- I'm an athiest and I'm Jewish.

One of two posibilities.

1) Maybe you don't know who is an atheist and who isn't. Atheists are the most discriminated-against group in this country so most don't go around proclaiming themselves to be one. And just because someone belongs to a church (even YOUR church) doesn't mean they aren't an atheist. There are a lot of societal and family pressures to join churches.

2) Or, maybe you've never worked side by side with an atheist at those places because you've never worked at those places yourself. I've worked in soup kitches and have raised money for disaster relief and have fixed homes of senior citizens who couldn't afford to hire somebody. I

I believe in things that there is evidence to support. There is none to support a god.

As to charities. I am a conservative and I can assure you that I have issues with most of the ones you mentioned-just look at my other answers. I personally like the Red Cross because they help with disasters and are not an organization that is often one that enables people to live in a way that keeps them down. I feel that most homeless shelters do enable bad behavior and encourage the mentally ill not to seek real help. I also like the ones that support our military, especially providing scholarships to children of soldiers who are killed.

So... when you're working at these places you go around and ask all the people there what their religion is? I think it's more likely that the christians feel a need to make sure you know how awesome and christ-like they are for working at a soup kitchen, and the atheists don't. Frankly, this question of yours supports that theory, as well.

The scientists told the engineers what they wanted, the engineers designed a product (Fake arm) that met the needs of the scientists. The doctor implemented the fake arm and made an unfortunate girl slightly better off. To be fair, put yourself in an atheists shoes and ask yourself the same question. Why do theists enclose themselves in a belief? Why not be skeptical and find your own path? God or no god, I think that is what we are here to do. Question everyone and everything, find your own answers.