http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28616115 In America atheists are seen as less trustworthy than rapists?
Not having an imaginary friend is worse than kiddie diddling, and clit-mutilation! Way to go with your priorities, America!!
Seriously, a cross country road trip with the likes of Dan and Rick would be a trip for the ages. Heck let's throw Dicky in there too, he's probably never left Maine.
Dan, I live on the edge of the Bible Belt, is it it's own culture, yeah. But is it anything like the hyperbolic nonsense that was in that article? Please. There are atheists, there are deists that don't care for religion, there are people that just don't give a fuck. We ridiculed you once for posting stuff from the Gotham Gazette, you've done it again. What am I saying, it's all true Dan. What they didn't say was that the Churches are the only safe havens from the marauding rape gangs.
I dunno, I think a true atheist shouldn't care at all about religion to the point of not even wanting to talk about it.
Even in the Bible Belt, athiests aren't getting stoned. There are stigmas, but here in California, no one gives a fuck.
The existence of organized atheism in the US is a curious thing. It's sad that atheists here need that because they face so much stigma and a lack of social and familial support. Parents are probably more accepting of gay children than atheist ones.
Be that as it may, the OP's article is unnecessary hyperbole, at least in it's headline. Not every American Christian is an atheist hater. That said, I do encourage people to go and check out the movie "God's Not Dead", if they want nonetheless to see social persecution active in America towards non-Christians.
Sure, no stonings, but in America as a whole, atheists are seen as less trustworthy than muslims and scientologists, and you know how Americans feel about muslims and scientologists. http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistbigotryprejudice/a/AtheistSurveys.htm http://www.gallup.com/poll/155285/atheists-muslims-bias-presidential-candidates.aspx Asshattery need not rise to the level of stonings to be of concern.
Like anything, there are atheists and there are militant atheists. Just because a minority is a minority does not mean they should the same view and do not have an unsavoury element amongst them.
Is that an achievement if they are still being socially denigrated? Well, we're no longer stoning "niggers", but we still think they're second class.....think about it Anna, you are better than that.
In addition to the militant atheists, you also have the militant misogynistic atheists. In some ways, organized atheism in the US is a haven for Men's Rights Activists and their ilk--a way to organize without organizing around what really binds them together. (This may sound like it's out of left field. I've done a lot of reading on atheist groups in the US. There's a disturbing strain of sexism in them, given that they are made up primarily of men who need someone to blame for their sense of victimization, and while religion takes the forefront, women get their share of the blame, too.)
MRAs are Randroids in sheep's clothing, and RadFems are over-privileged white upper middle class Starbucks sucking keyboard commies. Both groups are equally insufferable, and totally deserve each other.
And this is essentially why, despite liking organized atheism (read: "the skeptic community") in concept, I have absolutely no use for it in reality.
"Organized atheism". See, if the Catholics excommunicate you, you can't be Catholic anymore. If "the atheist community", kicks me out, I'm not forced to pick a God at the God store. I'm still fucking atheist.
Atheists supporting one another: a good idea, on paper. Atheists getting together to be shitbags to everyone who doesn't agree with them: a craptacular reality.
My point is that we've come a long way. Many people are moving away from churches as it is because of the hypocrisy in them, so it's only a matter of time before people say "meh" to being atjiest like many are "meh" about gay marriage. I'm not unsympathetic to their plight. My family would go apeshit if I shared my thoughts on religion and the way they use it as a crutch in life, but I've faced more discrimination for being black and a woman than for anything involving religion.
Yeah, I'd say the poll misses quite a bit, because most atheists don't bother to strongly identify with any belief system (or lack of one). The 2% are the radicals, but there are plenty of others who are just as likely to claim agnosticism whether or not they have any belief that a deity is possible.
I haven't read that article, but it came out that I'm an atheist (I was asked straight out, not gonna lie about it) and I'm pretty much a pariah here. Almost no one will talk to me, and when I go outside, anyone else outside just stares at me. When my daughter declared her non-belief (kids are dumb, she should have done the equivalent of rubbing blue mud in her navel) she was mercilessly abused. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. The teachers and principle did nothing. Far from it. One more or less encouraged it. So while we're not getting stoned in the town square, it ain't fun.
