If an atheist becomes a vampire, would he be immune to holy water or the crucifix?

I do suppose it would depend. If it was the usual turns into a bat, wooden steaks, garlic and holy relic weaken him vampire that most think of, I could see them being unaffected by the usual religious symbols if they believed they held no power over them.

The real question is if a vampire atheist is immune to a sun god’s well, sunlight.

I doubt it. Assuming they have to obey the same rules I don’t see why they should be immune to these things. You watched to much Blade ^^

The traditional vampire myth is a product of a culture steeped in Eastern European medieaval Catholicism so it’s natural that it would include such things as holy water and crucifixes as a protection against vampires. I’m sure that if there are vampire myths from other cultures there would be different methods of protection.

I guess it’s more dependent on the beliefs of the human trying to defend themself against the vampire, rather than the faith of the vampire. An atheist being attacked by a vampire might find that the holy water and crucifix don’t work because he/she would have no faith in their power.

Yes, in a weird way. Any religious icon works on a vampire as long as someone believes in it.

A truly atheist vampire would be able to pick up a cross, and it would do no damage. If a believer was present, it would cause him damage, infused by that psychic power.

Aren’t atheists already vampires? Sorry, I couldn’t resist. =)

I gotta say that an atheist vampire would be vulnerable to the same things any other vampire would.
Holy Water and Crucifixes are blessed, and incorruptable due to the power of God. It isn’t some religious belief that gives them this ablity.
If you were a pastafarian, you couldn’t defeat a vampire by throwing spagetti at him.

@digitalimpression I think vampires are agnostics.

@filmfann go ahead pick on us agnostics, knowing we will spend a long, long time trying to decide on an appropriate response.

@filmfann You’re probably right. But they wouldn’t make very good vampires.. not being able to decide which victim to chase and all… indecision isn’t very scary in a vampire. =)

This question is like the story of an ostrich that sees a lion charging at him and sticks his head in a hole to try to hide.

If there is a God then you can’t hide from Him by choosing not to believe in Him.

Maybe there are different breeds of vampires that conform to the already established human genomes and religions..? I say it’s possible, but I doubt religion would be as much a factor as race.

No because despite himself he would have a strong interest in the blood of Christ.

Yes, we are.

Wouldn’t matter, just blow their fucking brains out & have done with it.

That depends. Is it a vampire, or a glowing, emo kid that feeds on drama?

If an atheist can turn into a vampire, it probably means that said existing mythos would use God as a default for it to happen. In this case, I’d have to reason that holy objects would work against an atheist vampire.

Supposing he were a vegetarian vampire?

@bea2345 Then he could feast on Beetroots, cherries and strawberries.

This is all just fantasy talk so you can decide on whatever you want. I think vampires were made up by cultures that liked Christianity so they didn’t really think about atheists cause they didn’t think such people existed. They’d probably use the cross and the holy water on atheists as well. My aunt does, on me.

Since “True Blood” I use their model of what “real vampers” are. I don’t think the cross or holy water thing is real. It’s wood stakes or wooden bullets and silver that will do them in. And leaving them in the open sunlight too long. I don’t recall anything about their religious beliefs but I just assumed they were godless creatures from the start, maybe not.

If we told you, we’d have to kill you.

I don’t think it has to do with holy water, crucifix or any other religious artifact.. I think it has to do with arrogance.. The absolute conviction that what they are is something less than human and the sprinkling of holy water is no different that spitting in one’s face and the crucifix is similar to pointing a finger in one’s face.. This would enrage anyone and eventually cause them to want to leave. There, how’s that scenario..?

@Simone_De_Beauvoir The vampire myth is older than Christianity by centuries.
Granted though, the image we have of them most certainly comes from the Christian vampire image, and is the most popular one, so now I’m wondering if perhaps that actually was a way to deny atheism. Other than sticking em on fire, I mean.

That’s why we make sure that we are invited inside your home to deny you power with you crosses, garlic, and whatnot. And us lord vamps don’t mind sunlight, besides a tan makes us harder to spot. :P

Vampires, pfft. Amateurs.

hmmm and atheist vampire… now that would be interesting!!
I guess garlic and a steak to the heart should still work, they have nothing to do with religion

I don’t think a “steak” to the heart would do much more than attract hungry dogs…

@Symbeline Oh I know – but the use of crosses and holy water as weapons against them was due to Christianity.

Now, this is a troubling question.

On the one hand, I want to say no, because otherwise all a vampire would have to do to gain immunity is to declare himself or herself without Christian faith. (And I don’t see vampires as big churchgoers anyway, so that doesn’t seem like much of a stretch.) Saved by atheism! There’s an intriguing concept awaiting a screenplay.

Furthermore, I’d have to say no if I want to think that those symbols and substances have any power at all. If any vampire is immune, aren’t all vampires immune? After all, vampire lore and legends in some form are older than Christianity and are also known across many cultures. If the efficacy of the symbols depends on subscribing to the faith they represent, then they are very weak. I thought part of the idea of this convention was to affirm the supremacy of Christianity over all that is on, above, and below the earth—something that the Church never shied away from, even if it isn’t considered politically correct today.

But on the other hand, it surely narrows the definition of a vampire to say that it must be subject to the traditions of any one faith. Vampires must transcend conventional faith, or where is their power to terrify? Clearly they do not subscribe to the tenets of a civilized religion or the morals of decent society. Their very otherness, being so far outside the rules, is what grants them both their terrible powers and their fascination.

One could surmise that any vampire can be subdued by any consecrated object of any faith, but that would be stacking the odds pretty deeply against them, especially when it comes to nature religions that see all creation as sacred, not to say extremely confusing to moviegoers. We would quickly run out of vampires to destroy if everything in nature could melt them down. And then where would the Dracula franchise be?

On the whole I think the wisest course is to display your crucifix if you have one, but be ready with a wooden stake and mallet just in case they didn’t get the memo.

@Jeruba Saved by atheism! There’s an intriguing concept awaiting a screenplay.

I’d pay to see that. XD

I love that post. I personally think that vampires have such strict rules against them, because they’re so powerful. So you need some type of nearly infallible weapon against them. Then again, in stories and movies, barely does it ever go outside the Christian spectrum, (even if it’s not set in a Christian society or world, still borrows the concept) so I’m unsure of how that would apply to vampires from different sets of beliefs.
You raise a damn fine point, but would vampires be anything awesome if it wasn’t for all the symbolism around them, which in turn conjures all the simple rules? I mean traditional and classical vampires.

I haven’t researched any on who invented the concept of the vampire. Assuming it has been created within the context of evil as defined in Christian terms, hence the fear of the Cross; then I would logically surmise that an atheist vampire would be immune to its influence. He might laugh it off or mock it. Not out of hatred of God but merely disbelief.

Yet, not believing in the existence of a God doesn’t mean this God doesn’t exist. But what happens when this atheist gets confronted with the Cross and does not flinch? Does this prove there is no God or merely that his disbelief eliminates one of several ways of destroying him, which of course, makes him more powerful?

And what if he does flinch, snarling in pain? At this point, I would be under the impression that this atheist vampire would be forced to reflect upon his non-believer stance. But not in front of a mirror, I’m sure.

I like this one better: If a God-fearing zombie ate an atheist’s brain would there actually be any thing there to eat?

I know, I’m terrible.

@Mantralantis Yes you are. No lurve for you! Lol.

@mazingerz88 – Yep. I suppose its a good thing I’m not always trying to get some prideful lurve when all I’m trying to be is an honest flutherer gathering some useful information and fun. Hint: I’d rather be me and not someone else.

Well, that would be one way to finally find out, once and for all, if god exists. Now we just have to find an athiest vampire!