Does the media promote atheism?

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I voted “somewhat”. I think the media promotes moral relativism more than anything. I’m not sure if it’s “atheism”, per se, but more of a “feel good mentality” where a “higher being” or “god” is accepted in so far as the end goal is to attain some relative degree of happiness in this world. I’m not sure if that’s leaning toward atheism…or more toward Buddhism.
 
I wouldn’t say it promotes atheism. It promotes postmodern thinking and moral relativism, but those aren’t quite atheism. It promotes people to be so accepting that they won’t call anyone else’s beliefs false. I hear “everyone has their own truth,” or “religions should coexist,” a lot, but not “God doesn’t exist.”
 
Depends the station. They are all very individualistic, whatever the case.
 
The media en masse promotes what people en masse like:

sloth, vice, anti-intellectualism, me first individualism, easy answers, mass entertainment.

Sometimes it’s atheistic, sometimes it looks like Christianity: but truth be told I think most media types are too intellectually and morally lazy to promote any philosophical or spiritual way of life.
 
TrixieMcGee said:
I wouldn’t say it promotes atheism. It promotes postmodern thinking and moral relativism, but those aren’t quite atheism. It promotes people to be so accepting that they won’t call anyone else’s beliefs false. I hear “everyone has their own truth,” or “religions should coexist,” a lot, but not “God doesn’t exist.”
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:hmmm:Yes, I think so too.
Peace, Carlan
 
TrixieMcGee said:
I wouldn’t say it promotes atheism. It promotes postmodern thinking and moral relativism, but those aren’t quite atheism. It promotes people to be so accepting that they won’t call anyone else’s beliefs false. I hear “everyone has their own truth,” or “religions should coexist,” a lot, but not “God doesn’t exist.”
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I agree with Trixie. That’s the philosophy I see mostly commonly represented.
 
Not particularly.

The media in general, when you remove certain outlets that are quite forward about the viewpoints they are championing, tends to promote a spectrum of views that range from Classical Liberalism to Postmodernism.

Its what many religious people would deem to be “secular.”

The confusion starts when people start associating secular = atheism.

You can step into any internet forum that caters to what you might call the “militant” atheist crowd - they are just as unhappy about the prevading secular culture precisely because it promotes a value system that upturns the apple cart on them just as much as it does on you folks.
 
From what Ive read, seen, and heard I would say that the medias fixation on the vices listed in the above posts, especially moral relativism, indirectly tend to promote atheism more than theism.
Certainly from the little TV I`ve seen lately the idea of atheism is held in some respect but any religiousness is looked down upon.

I did a quick and dirty search and found this:
**Mainstream Media Promoting Atheism **
In this video they are referring to a Media Research Centre study.
 
I don’t think the media promotes true philosophical atheism a la Christopher Hitchens. Atheist heroes in entertainment are fairly rare. When they do arise, like in the Golden Compass, they can be so aggressively atheist that many, including some atheists, are turned off by them. Instead, what I see are people and shows that ignore spirituality totally and act like it doesn’t exist.

When spirituality IS addressed, it is usually in the following ways:
  • Disparagingly, especially if the topic is a major, organized religion
  • As a side issue, something that adds to the story but that doesn’t matter much
  • As a minor quirk that some people have, especially if the character is a known eccentric
Like I said, it’s not genuine atheism, but you could say it trends towards faith not being taken seriously, which then indirectly promotes lack of belief.
 
DobryKatarzyna said:
I don’t think the media promotes true philosophical atheism a la Christopher Hitchens. Atheist heroes in entertainment are fairly rare. When they do arise, like in the Golden Compass, they can be so aggressively atheist that many, including some atheists, are turned off by them. Instead, what I see are people and shows that ignore spirituality totally and act like it doesn’t exist.

When spirituality IS addressed, it is usually in the following ways:
  • Disparagingly, especially if the topic is a major, organized religion
  • As a side issue, something that adds to the story but that doesn’t matter much
  • As a minor quirk that some people have, especially if the character is a known eccentric
Like I said, it’s not genuine atheism, but you could say it trends towards faith not being taken seriously, which then indirectly promotes lack of belief.
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I tend to agree with you, and the very few exceptions to your analysis there may be prove the general rule.
 
Well, that answer might depend on the type of media you’re following, but most of what I’ve seen is far, far cry from chants of “There is no god.” Actually, I think some of the reactions in the poll are to non-religious or even anti-religious trends promoted in media that are percieved as atheism rather than atheism itself.
 
ahs said:
I voted “somewhat”. I think the media promotes moral relativism more than anything. I’m not sure if it’s “atheism”, per se, but more of a “feel good mentality” where a “higher being” or “god” is accepted in so far as the end goal is to attain some relative degree of happiness in this world. I’m not sure if that’s leaning toward atheism…or more toward Buddhism.
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I would say, more the “religion of humanity,” which believes in something more akin to George Lucas’s “THE FORCE,” than the God of the Bible.
 
triumphguy said:
The media en masse promotes what people en masse like:

sloth, vice, anti-intellectualism, me first individualism, easy answers, mass entertainment.

Sometimes it’s atheistic, sometimes it looks like Christianity: but truth be told I think most media types are too intellectually and morally lazy to promote any philosophical or spiritual way of life.
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Fair point. If there’s one god all entertainment recognises, it’s the money trail.
 
I wouldn’t say they do actively promote it. Whatever they promote, it isn’t healthy Christian living. I think it’s fair to say they actively promote secularism which isn’t exactly the same as atheism, although they probably are kin.
 
DobryKatarzyna said:
When spirituality IS addressed, it is usually in the following ways:
  • Disparagingly, especially if the topic is a major, organized religion
  • As a side issue, something that adds to the story but that doesn’t matter much
  • As a minor quirk that some people have, especially if the character is a known eccentric
Like I said, it’s not genuine atheism, but you could say it trends towards faith not being taken seriously, which then indirectly promotes lack of belief.
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I’d argue otherwise. Or rather i’d specify - when the Spirituality in question is under the Abrahamic Banner so to speak.

The Dharmic religions get a much better PR job than Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.

Much of this has to do with a level of cultural sensitivity - most Westerners do not genuinely understand how those particular cultures operate.

I personally think its a matter of “familiarity breeds contempt” since the shoe is on the other foot when you end up covering your faiths in regions of the world where you are not the majority party so to speak.

An exception of course needs to be made for Islam due to the events of the last decade.
 
TheAtheist said:
Not particularly.

The media in general, when you remove certain outlets that are quite forward about the viewpoints they are championing, tends to promote a spectrum of views that range from Classical Liberalism to Postmodernism.

Its what many religious people would deem to be “secular.”

The confusion starts when people start associating secular = atheism.

You can step into any internet forum that caters to what you might call the “militant” atheist crowd - they are just as unhappy about the prevading secular culture precisely because it promotes a value system that upturns the apple cart on them just as much as it does on you folks.
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Thank you, TheAtheist!

The obfuscation starts when people associate ‘secular’ with “no religion”.
90ish% of this world believes in God/s therefore no media (or nation) has the authority to call themselves secular.
I just read that there are 3ish% atheists in the USA but citizens believe the number to be 25%. This demonstrates that their perception has been whitewashed; most probably by “the media”.

Peace be with you, TheAthiest.
Simon.
 
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