I find this hard to believe because atheists always say they care about tolerance, equality, acceptance, inclusiveness and civil rights...

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/gods-truth-believers-are-nicer-20110908-1jzrl.html

Religion is always a very highly debated subject. However since the debate about immigrants (particularly the boat people), has been raging around the forum, I have found that, in my Town, it is the Christian people to whom I have spoken, who deplore the very idea of taking people from other cultures where the religion is different to Christianity. Their negative comments have made be feel ashamed to be an Australian, sadly there is no welcoming party for these newly arrived people insofar as these Christians I have alluded to are concerned.
Mostly I think that the fear over rides their rationale, thanks to the scare campaigns offered up by some political parties.
In Australia, it has been noted that many Australian children have been abused by their so-called Guardians in Institutions such as orphanages and Christian Schools and Colleges. It would seem that the Pope has prayed for wayward Priests, asking God to forgive them for their Sins, whereby in fact the "sins" were a crime in every sense of the word.
One only has to look at the Evangelists in the Bible belt of America to know that some have had illicit affairs with both males and females. Unfortunately some of the money raking evangelists hide behind religion for protection of their bad behaviour. Religion is a personal thing. Once groups form, it then becomes unstable, whereby families are divided because one member doesn't agree with what is being so-called taught by the Church leader.
A good, but very Controversial article, thanks for the link.
NSB

I wonder if he has done a study on religious businesses and how nice they are compared to their openly profit hungry counterparts.

Was the study done on the religious meaning Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus? Richer or poorer? In groups?

It’s like watching umm.. ACA last night? Thing about speed cameras and how there are more cameras now but the road toll numbers remain the same. I wanted to know if there are twice as many cars on the road now but they didn’t mention it while trying to prove the cameras aren't working or I think that was what they were saying.

Noisy got me wondering what stats would show if we had the numbers of children abused by the religious compared to non-believers over the years.

Me too, TRUTHNOW78.

>>I find this hard to believe because atheists always say they care about tolerance, equality, acceptance, inclusiveness and civil rights...<<

So I'll just wait awhile, and suspend judgment until I find the time to look behind the scenes at the data these two authors are using.

I might be exhibiting a little less cynicism if one of the two had been atheist, instead of both having been bound up with religion in one form or another all their lives. Putnam as a Methodist-turned-Jew, and Campbell as the Mormon son of a Catholic-mother-turned-Mormon and Protestant-father-turned-Mormon (phew!).

The SMH correspondent, Simon Smart, is also not exactly a disinterested party, being a director of the Centre for Public Christianity.

From the book's reviews, too, there is a lot of "how can this be?" incredulity.

Jane Eisner, in the Jewish Daily, raised an eyebrow at Putnam and Campbell's conclusion that "...Jews are the most popular religious group, a finding that, no doubt, will be greeted by some Jews with surprise and skepticism."

So I know that it is not just you and I, TRUTHNOW78, who "find this hard to believe..."

Thanks Pericles

You saved me from having to do a background check.

Why didn't the Christian authors of this study just start with religion in general?

How about comparing the "niceness" of Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Scientologists with Christians. Oh the penny has dropped, because atheists have no religion they must be less "nice".

Less nice than people who would stone women for being raped, less nice than denying equal rights to gays, less nice than celibate priests 'caring' for little children, less nice than forcing women to term if pregnant, less nice than George Pell?

Can't wait for those "nice" Christian posters like Philo et al to give we mere atheists the benefit of their "niceness".

How about Pastor Mike Stahl, he is so leery of atheists that he believes we should be registered like sex offenders or like paedophile priests SHOULD be.

>>>>>>>> Brothers and Sisters , I have been seriously considering forming a ( Christian ) grassroots type of organization to be named “The Christian National Registry of Atheists” or something similar . I mean , think about it . There are already National Registrys for convicted sex offenders , ex-convicts , terrorist cells , hate groups like the KKK , skinheads , radical Islamists , etc..

This type of “National Registry” would merely be for information purposes . To inform the public of KNOWN ( i.e., self-admitted) atheists . For example , let’s say you live in Colorado Springs , Colorado , you could simply scroll down ( from the I-Net site /Blog ) I would have , to the State of Colorado , and then when you see “Colorado Springs” , you will see the names of all the self-admitted atheist(s) who live there ( e.g., if an atheist’s name happened to be “Phil Small” ) . The individual’s physical address , and other known personal information would NOT be disclosed ( though , perhaps a photo could be ).<<<<<<<<<<


http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2011/08/30/pastor-wants-national-registry-for-atheists/

It is sad that in this day and age, with science that suggests that a big pair of hands didn't reach out into the ether and make Adam & Eve etc, I personally am not Christian, although dragged along to Church every Sunday was an absolute pain to me. It is biologically impossible to have a Virgin birth by any stretch of imagination, but then again religion should be personal rather than influenced by some mis-guided person(s).
I am not surprised that a lot of people are turning away from the Churches, I just find it incredible that people really believe in the Chinese whispers aka the Bible. I find that the non-christian members of our little town are the volunteers, the helpers and the kindly type.
Cheers NSB