Atheists are no less moral: The sad delusion of the Christian Evangelical movement

[cleanhippie]

When most people thinks about Las Vegas they picture some combination of gambling, burlesque, night clubs and legalized prostitution—the pleasures that earned Vegas the nickname Sin City. But when Sociologist Lori Fazzino thinks about Las Vegas, she pictures churches.

Seventy-seven percent of Las Vegas residents say they are religious, mostly Christian; and Vegas caters to a largely Christian population of tourists, many of whom party hard on Saturday night and then attend one of the 30 churches surrounding the strip on Sunday. And yet, the city’s public image makes it a target for revival meetings, “church planting” and missionary outreach by conservative Christians who see the city as ripe for redemption. According to Fazzino, that makes Sin City a fascinating place to study religious belief and non-belief.

Fazzino is an instructor and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Nevada, and a former Evangelical Christian. Her research explores social movements and identity, religious conversion and deconversion, and in particular how people leaving their religion arrive at a new worldview and community. In this interview she discusses challenges faced by secular groups and individuals in a city that is enamored with both sin and salvation.

http://www.salon.com/2015/08/22/atheist_are_as_moral_as_theists_an_interview_with_a_sin_city_religious_sociologist_partner/

Interesting interview.

[On the Road]

1. Written by a Self-Described Activist with an Axe to Grind?

Seems legit.

[Lorien]

2. I would say that evangelicals are far less moral than secular people.

After all, the Bible belt has a much higher rate of divorce, domestic abuse, child abuse, alcoholism, meth use, and uses far more social services than "Blue States" do. I grew up in the North and now live in the South (for the weather and cost of living, and that's about it. I live in a blue pocket surrounded by a sea of red). While there was some cheating, emotional abuse, occasional heavy drinking, and marijuana use by Yankee friends and family members, it completely pales in comparison to what I see regularly here in the South. The most right wing colleague I've had here is a serial cheater, his teenage daughter is pregnant, she's been arrested several times, the cops are called to his house regularly for domestic disturbances, he's lazy and has trouble holding down a job due to both his extreme laziness and foul temper. He's openly racist and sexist. He has multiple family members on welfare and food stamps, some of whom he says are cheating the system, and that's why he believes that everyone ELSE is cheating the system. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a porn addiction. He doesn't believe in higher education, just military service to "teach respect and love of Country." He's a typical Southern life long Christian evangelical. Unfortunately, I saw more of his kind in my home town the last time that I visited. It's like a cancer that's spreading.

[cleanhippie]

3. I think that sentiment extends beyond just Evangelicals.

Study after study are showing that secular people are generally happier, have higher intelligence, have a higher moral standard, promote greater equality, etc, than their non-secular counterparts.

I'm not sure you can apply that to individuals or sub-sets of non-secular folks (there are plenty of intelligent and moral non-secular people), but as a demographic, non-secular people are the one's we should be looking up to as role models.

[truebluegreen]

4. I agree and I understand statistics bear that out (evangelicals less moral).

If I had more time today I'd look them up but I think it partly has to do with a repressive / twisted upbringing in sexual matters, and partly the "get-out-of-jail-free" card they play when begging for forgiveness. My personal take.

[Lorien]

5. Yep, exactly that!

n/t