richardhutnik said:
It is a trend I am seeing, and I welcome counterpoints to this. Like, what gets heralded as top atheist lists: http://www.superscholar.org/features/influential-atheists/ It is all about intellect above everything else. You see other religious side, and people will herald moral character. It is just the atheist side, it seems to be all about intellect. Individuals with spotty personal lives get heralded as being great. And here is another one: http://www.thebestschools.org/blog/2011/12/01/50-top-atheists-in-the-world-today/
Contrast that with how other people end up doing top list: http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976,00.html http://www.adherents.com/adh_influ.html
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the only counter point i can think is atheists are a diverse group so no one particular statement may apply to all of them.
the "religous" athiests i know tend to have something of a similar backstory of not being able to have faith in an idea (religion) that has no evidence, proof, or substantive argument beyond "believe or you will be punished for not believing". and that tends to be the same skepticive outlook that is the foundation of scientific thought. so yeah, many atheists are intellectuals that pride intelligence over other personal attributes.
..but there are also the apethetic athiests that don't believe in religion not because they are adamant religion is wrong but they don't care to learn enough out religion to disbute it. ..and then there is the agnostic athiests.
