Catholic League President Says Atheists and Secularists are ‘Unhappy’ and ‘Die Earlier’

[AlbertCat]

Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League, sees persecution of Christians everywhere — even in the fact that American Atheists, a group defending separation of church and state holds its annual convention on Good Friday. But on Thursday he made one of his most outrageous claims when he told Newsmax host Steve Malzberg that he believes atheists are insane and in need of therapy.

“They believe that freedom is license to do whatever they want,” he said. “They don’t want to be told anything, which is why they die prematurely, they’re unhappy — that’s why we have a disproportionate number of agnostics and atheists in the asylum. All of this is true.”

Neither medical scientists nor social scientists can find any study that shows that religious people are healthier or happier than non-religious people, it is a factor that is almost impossible to quantify.

Donahue went on to claim that the words “thou shalt not” come to us from “our Jewish friends” although they are English words in no way connected to the Hebrew language, and that atheists, agnostics and secularists do not like those words because it interferes with their desires.

(snip)

Watch his remarks in the video below from Right Wing Watch.

******************

http://aattp.org/catholic-league-president-says-atheists-and-secularists-are-unhappy-and-die-earlier-video/


Poor poor put upon Christians....again! (He doesn't sound too happy) Smug insulting jerk expounding about something of which he knows nothing .... as usual.

[bvf]

1. He'll probably sell a lot of books.

This whole atheism thing sounds like something that needs to be addressed by someone with his head up his ass, and pronto.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. I call bullshit on this. Like most who make sweeping statements like this, he

probably pulled this "fact" out of his ass.

[AlbertCat]

3. probably pulled this "fact" out of his ass.

probably ?

PROBABLY???????

[enki23]

4. He's sort-of right.

But of course he's a fatty-brained moron who wouldn't understand how (or why) to properly interpret data if a non-Catholic's life depended on it.

Studies have found that:
1) People who *attend church regularly* live longer.
Interpretation: (I'll leave it as a reader excercise to work out some alternate causalities from that one).
2) People in highly religious places seem to enjoy some benefit if they are members of the dominant religion *if* the place isn't an African hellhole. So, U.S. Christians seem to live a little longer, but the same isn't true in Denmark.
Interpretation: These fucking Christians are killing us.

[AlbertCat]

5. People who *attend church regularly* live longer.

Interpretation:God wants to keep them as far away from him as long as possible....because they're dreadful.

[Arugula Latte]

6. ...said the constantly angry nutjob.

[Cartoonist]

7. Did I read that correctly?

he believes atheists are insane and in need of therapy.
-
You mean we're DELUDED?

“They believe that freedom is license to do whatever they want,”
-
Well, duh!

[AlbertCat]

8. “They believe that freedom is license to do whatever they want,”

I thought those were Libertarians.

[Curmudgeoness]

9. He offered to pay for therapy for atheists.

We should all take him up on that. He will be broke in no time.

Free therapy----I'd take it if it ruined him.

[AtheistCrusader]

10. Imagine that. People who have imaginary friends are full of shit.

Why I never...

[onager]

11. Probable source of his "facts."

A 2002 study by The Barna Group, which seems to be used all over the place to prove atheists are unhappy. Sometimes this source is attributed, sometimes not. But its findings and "facts" often pop up when someone has an axe to grind about atheists.

Howevah...some "studies" from The Barna Group need to be taken with a grain of salt bigger than Mrs. Lot. Founder George Barna is an Evangelical Xian himself.

Here's the mission statement of his organization:

The Barna Group, Ltd. (which includes its research division, The Barna Research Group) is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization that conducts primary research on a wide range of issues and products, produces resources pertaining to cultural change, leadership and spiritual development, and facilitates the healthy spiritual growth of leaders, children, families and Christian ministries. Located in Ventura, California, Barna has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.

Here's some of what the study actually said, with a link to the full report:

Atheists and Agnostics

Although they are slightly less than 8% of the American adult population, atheists and agnostics possess self-perceptions that clearly stand out from those of citizens who maintain some definable faith preference. The non-faith segment placed highest among the five niches in claiming to be stressed out (42%), concerned about the future (68%) and lonely (14%). They were the least likely to be satisfied with their life (68%) and to be concerned about America's moral state (60%).

Consistent with the public's image of atheists and agnostics, they were the segment most likely to describe themselves as being politically liberal (32%) and were the group least likely to describe themselves as being conservative (4%) or as having traditional or family-oriented values (71%).

Faith Affects People's Self-Image

According to the director of the research project, the findings suggest that one's faith flavor and self-image have some correlations. "The more deeply committed a person is to evangelical Christianity, the more at ease they report being with their life circumstances," explained George Barna, Directing Leader of the Barna Research Group. "On the other hand, individuals who are indifferent or hostile to all faith systems are notably less relaxed and fulfilled with life. There are various gradations between these two poles, of course, but it does appear that people's faith flavor - that is, their faith of choice and their degree of commitment to that faith - has a substantial affect on how they view themselves. And the data suggest that the more deeply committed to Christianity a person is, the more likely they are to experience greater self-confidence, peace, and fulfillment."

https://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/80-peoples-faith-flavor-influences-how-they-see-themselves#.VIYB9dIU914

[AlbertCat]

12. the more deeply committed to Christianity a person is, the more likely they are to experience

" greater self-confidence,"

egotists

"peace, and fulfillment."

clueless to the suffering and dreadful things around them.

Like they're in a "faith bubble"...right?



What about Hindus or Muslims.... or followers of Shinto?


See? In a big opaque Christian bubble....

Just my interp.

I suppose life IS just hunky dory if you think you're "chosen" and there's a big invisible parent looking out for you all the time and you aren't really gonna die. And I suppose life is a little harder when you're constantly being told by respected institutions that you need to get your life straight all the time and are gonna be punished eternally .... even when you yourself know it's a fairy tale. Have they studied how disappointment in huge swaths of people who should know better affects one's life?