Thursday, January 26, 2012

"...For an Atheist"

I don't think I can count the number of times I've had someone tell me incredulously, "It's amazing! You're really a nice guy even though you're an atheist!" or "Wow! It's great that you're so open minded, especially since you're an atheist!" and my favorite, "You seem so happy and morally sound for an atheist!"

I was sure at those times that these statements were given as sincere compliments, and I gratefully accepted them as such. It was nice to know that I was providing a view of an atheist that didn't fit the stereotypical sad and lonely, angry-at-god, lost soul atheist that so many theists picture in their mind. Something in the back of my mind itched a bit though.

"...For an atheist?" What if the word "atheist" in those sentences was replaced with some other word defining a different segment of our population? Try inserting "Jew" or "Muslim" or "Christian" or "black" or "woman" in place of "atheist" in those statements. They don't sound like compliments any more, do they?

So if you have said anything similar to the examples I provided in the first paragraph, thank you. I do appreciate the sentiment. Lets just leave off that "for an atheist" bit from now on, m'kay?

4 comments:

  1. “You’re pretty liberal about eating pork, for a Jew”. “You sure go to the doctor a lot, for a Christian Scientist.” “You sure like your liquor, for a Muslim.” “Wow you eat a lot of hamburgers, for a Hindu.” “You’re really comfortable with my personal relationship with God, for an atheist.”

    These statements all seem natural to me. Then again people often tell me “You not very funny, for a comedian.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Anonynmous: They would be wrong, at least in my humble opinion. ;-) I actually enjoy irreverent and politically incorrect humor, because whether it makes you laugh or makes you angry, it makes you think. And thinking is something that appears to be lacking in this world.

      Delete
  2. Mike, mind if I call you Mike? I believe you are taking the conditional phrase in the wrong sense. Think of it this way instead: you have caused them to reevaluate their stereotypes of the named group, or if that stereotype has been entrenched by repeated reinforcement they are calling you an exceptional individual. i.e You’re really smart, for a Noble prize winner. So cherish those moments when you stand out as special and unique, after all is that not what we all want?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you can call me Mike.
      You make a good point, and as I said, I do take these statements as compliments. I suppose if I reevaluate what's bugging me, it may be that there is such a stigma attached to the word in the first place. That's what I'm trying to change however, so to put it in a positive light, I guess it shows that I'm doing my part in bringing that change to fruition. Thanks for your feedback!

      Delete