I also feel atheism threatens the strong religous power structure.If more athiests came out , I think the religous power structure would realize whay they are up against.
Hostile to atheists
by d 281 Replies latest members politics
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glenster
Some believers and non-believers are 'centric and intolerant about being in a
group, some aren't.
For some that are, see the 2nd batch of links down the page at the next link.
http://gtw6437.tripod.com/id58.html -
NewChapter
I am not hostile toward believers, however I don't have to respect their beliefs. In real life, I don't debate these things much, but what I find is that a believer cannot stand that I am an unbeliever. For instance, last week I met a guy that I was interested in. He didn't seem to be religious, and we seemed to have much in common. As a matter of fact, he too had been part of a high control religion (mormons) for some years. He understood that I was an atheist, and barely blinked.
Well a few days ago, he directs our conversation toward the bible. He insisted that he believed I was a spiritual person---INSIDE. WTF---now HE is defining ME cuz he can't grasp the concept that some people that don't believe are not simply angry at god, relgion or going through a hard time? He went on and f**king ON about the bible, and nothing I did could divert the conversation away from religion. I finally told him I had to let him go and haven't talked to him since.
What I find is not that I am intolerant of believers, but believers are intolerant of me. I was cool letting him believe as he wished, but he could not abide by my not believing. This is only a recent story. On the whole, believers think they have something special and better and feel the need to convince me of such. I rarely try to convince them of anything (the exception is here where we enter an agreement to discuss such things), but they are undeterred, wide-eyed, forceful, and any attempt to silence the preaching is met with a persecution complex.
I hang with very few believers. It's the only way I'm comfortable. I was a believer once, I know what it is like. Many have never been unbelievers and simply cannot accept how free and peaceful we really feel about these things.
NC
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cofty
In most of Europe there is no stigma connected with being openly atheist.
There is a need for American atheists to "come out" in a similar way the gay community did 30 years ago.
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tec
There is no stigma in Canada about being an atheist either. Most of us mind our own business. There are always e x ceptions of course.
Peace,
tammy
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NewChapter
There is growing sentiment to do just that here, Cofty. There seriously is a stigma though, and when we do dig in our heels and object to religious policy that encroaches on our rights to be nonbelivers, you'll find a loud outcry of 'persection'. It's so ridiculous at times, I think they've got to be joking. But they are not. They go freaking crazy.
Half of Americans don't believe in evolution. We still have Intellegent Design debates in the schools and the courts. Americans still think that any decline they see is due to the fact that schools don't sponser prayers anymore---although to hear them tell it, they aren't allowed to pray in schools anymore. untrue. Students can pray. The school just doesn't sponser prayers so that students have only two choices: participate, or make their exclusion noticable. And THAT's what the call persecution: not being allowed to force others to pray.
Here is how a recent presidential candidate (Santorum) was introduced---non-christians can just GET OUT of the US! Note the persecution complex. For the record, we can pray in public. BTW, Santorum clapped. He is a serious contender---probably won't win---but is really giving the other guy a run for his money.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgHR_jnFrvQ
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00DAD
It's be nice if there was no stigma attached to anyone's attempt to try and figure out this thing called life!
It's the zealots, fanatics and "True Believers" of any belief, philosophy, stripe or persuasion that mess things up!
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cofty
Christians are feeling persecuted here at the moment following a series of defeats in the courts.
Christian Bed & Breakfast owners were not allowed to discriminate against gay guests and employees were not given legal protection to flout BA uniform rules. Catholic adoption agencies were also stopped from discriminating against gay parents.
Poor oppressed souls, their reward will be great in heaven I'm sure.
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00DAD
Better living through governmental legislation!
Perhaps there was one thing that JWs taught that was correct: We humans seem incapable of governing ourselves.