Why do people treat the word atheist as if it is synonymous with evil and immorality?

It's a threat to their non-thought-based dogma.

Haven't you noticed that the most dogmatic, rigid, knee-jerk ideologues are actually afraid when somebody says something opposed to their belief system?

Those are the people who have no tolerance, because they haven't thought their belief system through.

Too mentally lazy.

It's because religion is a social phenomenon.

Religious people who find atheists to be problematic treat modernity and many of its elements, such as a secular worldview, as an enemy. Any attempt to refine or promote this secular worldview is automatically seen as wrong-minded.

For example, when science is studying something that doesn't necessarily advance elements of the secular worldview, they have no problem. For example, if scientists want to probe the inner structures of an atom, they have no real beef. But when something advances the elements of a secular worldview that contrasts with their religious worldview, they take issue. For example, evolution: it must be wrong because they already think otherwise. Ditto with other theories.

The worldviews are tied in to a religious identity. A person might see themselves in many social identities. They are a citizen of their country. They are a member of their family. They are employees of their company. Religious identity is often another social identity: They are a member of this faith. They are a parishioner of this church. Identities define themselves in contrast to what they are not, and certain fundamentalist groups define themselves in terms that are anti-modernity. They are of a particular group, the rest of the world is not.

This automatically leads to stereotypes of both the ideal member of their group (which they strive to be), and the stereotypes of other members. Why can somebody who's never met an atheist think that atheists must be evil, close-minded, and deluded? Because they're the opposite of the group that the person holding these attitudes must belong to.

And, since any fundamentalism is automatically a minority in the world, because modernity marches on and progresses further, they seem themselves as under attack. They don't feel "threatened," but they do feel that there's a battle taking place between the ultimate good (which they serve) and the ultimate evil (which everybody else serves by not being a member of their group).

It's a social phenomenon, not a phenomenon based on facts. That's why some people find atheists, not so much threatening, but something that must be responded to: because it's different from what their group believes, even if they have no hard evidence to hold up that contradicts the mainstream theories. By thinking that they battle against evil, they further cement their own religious identity. It isn't important that they win, or even that they really know what they're talking about, just as long they did or said something instead of nothing.

Morality really is only relative. However, it has been my experience that atheism is often confused with immorality. Many people believe that atheists are immoral because many religious communites disapprove of relativism and often think that a disbelief in God is a belief in and consequentially a worship of Satan. I think the definition of atheism needs to be looked at more closely: "the lack of belief in a supreme being"...this also includes Satan. I also know many purported theists who are "immoral" i.e. do whatever Monday through Saturday and repent on Sunday..don't worry, God will forgive you and you'll still go to Heaven...I also don't think a disbelief in a supreme being makes it easier for people to "lead immoral and selfish lives"...people are people and some things are human nature it is our job to TEACH (notice I did not say preach) proper behavior relative to the society in which we live or in which we would like to live in the future, regardless of whether or not you use a god to do it. :)

Yes, I agree. You are long winded and clueless about your own belief system.

Instead of diving in and telling us about the benefits of atheism as you know it, you look to someone you consider a moron for your understanding. You can't get dumber than that.

***Why do people treat the word atheist as if it is synonymous with evil and immorality?***

Let's define evil as the absents of good like you define darkness as the absence of light.

As theists were created by God to do a task during their lifetime, atheists evolved without one intelligent thought and have no reason to live.

As what the theists were made to do is called "right" and everything is called "wrong", atheists have no such demand to do anything with there life and so have nothing they can define as "right" or "wrong". Being amoral, they can live their life making decisions one or the other and neither would be "right" and neither would be "wrong" as they have nothing to base "right" and "wrong" on to measure it.

This means, with atheism, all paths are equal as they all lead to the grave and as nothing is to be accomplished while living. Being equal, it would normally be consider a stupid thing for an atheist to argue against the theist position. But since their is no consequence for an atheist acting with intelligence or in their natural state, completely void of it, one must conclude that for an atheist, being stupid is equal to being smart making both equally acceptable choices.

I hope you see where all this is going, but if you don't, that is equally OK in atheism.

Edit

Sches7, Yes you are clueless. Because you place yourself in the "people who have a clue" category and believe that is all the self-deception you need to make what you imagined a fact, doesn't mean you have in anyway come close to achieving your objective.

Sches7 says, ***but I refuse to constrict my senses into a deluded state ignoring facts and truth based on blind faith.***

Sches7 contradicting himself: *** I respect the atheist position because they follow the facts and they seek truth on the purest level which is natural evidence.***

Prove all atheists ***follow the facts and they seek truth on the purest level***

Self-defeating argument and your house of cards collapse.

*** Everything you said in your answer just goes to show everyone how uninformed you are on the subject of atheism and the concept of morality subsequently***

Are you suggesting that atheists really believe in God or that the fictitious Mother Nature pondered about what Atheists should do during their lifetimes and communicated it to them?

Self-defeating argument and your house of cards collapse.

***I didn't know sh*t and went around voicing my fallacious opinion***

I see that you haven't changed in the last 5 years...the only difference is the side of the fence you choose to be clueless.

Bottom line. So we wouldn't be atheists.

Short answer:

Their preachers/ministers/evangelic/granddaddies and grand-mommies tell them we are.

most people simply don't think and regurgitate what their pastor/priest/shaman has spoon fed them since birth

Seriously...when what it really means is "I am a narcissistic self impressed moron who thinks they I it all"