Why, as a matter of fact I AM an atheist!
Posted by: Donna
So the National Republican Congressional Committee tweeted this yesterday:
Not that I would put it past the mensches of the NRCC to tweet the same thing had a Muslim organization endorsed a Democratic candidate, but if they did it would be recognized for what it was: The implicit suggestion that there’s something wrong with being Muslim and that being endorsed by a Muslim group is a bad thing. It would, correctly, be interpreted as religious bigotry.
I have no idea what religious affiliations Kyrsten Sinema or Vernon Parker hold and I don’t care. This isn’t about them or the CD9 race. Nor do I wish to engage in a criticism of religion or an argument defending atheism. I’m definitely not going to discuss recent global events fueled by religious zealotry. What I’m tired of is the rank intolerance routinely exhibited toward me and my fellow atheists in this country, simply for who we are. When I say I am an atheist (which I am) the only thing you can conclude from that is that I don’t believe in a deity. It tells you absolutely nothing about my emotional makeup, character, ethics, loyalty to my country, etc., period. Likewise, I don’t know anything important about you as a person if you happen to believe in a deity. It’s your business, not mine. If you keep it offa me, we are good. Which is not to say that I don’t think you should express your religious or spiritual beliefs in public. Not saying that at all. Go for it. Strut your stuff on the public square. Just know that I get to be on the public square too. I should get to proclaim my atheism in public without fear of social or economic reprisals. It should be no different than anyone else announcing that they are Catholic, Mormon, Jewish, or Muslim.
Atheists are the single most reviled group of people in the country, according to numerous surveys. Austin Cline, who writes for about.com on atheism, has a good theory on why that might be:
Although people may say that they consider atheists inferior because atheists don’t believe that civil law should be defined according to some group’s conception of what their god wants, I don’t think that’s the whole story. There are too many religious theists who also want civil law to be secular rather than religious. Instead, I think that a much better case can be made for the idea that atheists are being scapegoated the same way that Catholics and Jews once were: they are treated as social outsiders who create “moral and social disorder.”
Atheists can’t both be lower-class drug users or prostitutes and upper-class elitists and materialists. Instead, atheists are being saddled with the “sins” of American society generally. They are “a symbolic figure” that represent religious theists’ “fears about … trends in American life.” Some of those fears involve “lower class” crimes like drug use; other fears involve “upper class” crimes like greed and elitism. Atheists are thus a “symbolic representation of one who rejects the basis for moral solidarity and cultural membership in American society altogether.”
A lot of that is because most Americans don’t know, or don’t realize they know, any atheists. That needs to change. Many atheists do have valid reasons to fear going public but I am fortunate not to have any. I’m comfortable being open about my atheism to my loved ones and associates. So I feel that obliges me to be open in the public. The more of us come out, the more people will understand that atheists are legitimate members of society, whether you agree with us or not. And then more atheists will be free to come out. Which will be awesome because no one should have to hide who they are because of other people’s disapproval or misunderstanding.
I’ve never made an issue of this on this blog before but I’m saying it now: I’m atheist. And proud of it!
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Donna I’m with you. My wife and I are atheists, although sometimes she believes she has a little angel on her shoulder protecting her but I try to give her a break on that one.
I was brought up as a Methodist and started thinking for myself at around the age of 14 (my “age of reason”) I got into nature and the natural laws of the universe and eventually came around to being agnostic and eventually an Atheist. I would bet if Thomas Payne were alive today he would be an Atheist and not a Deist.
I could go on about my reasons for being an Atheist but that would offend almost everyone. Suffice to say there are no religious children, only religious adults.
You are not alone!
I am an atheist too. I am neither proud nor ashamed of that fact however; I do take pride in being true to myself. I am proud of others, like you Donna, for being honest about your truth in the face of intense social pressure to conform to mainstream Americanized Christianity. It is especially difficult for children, as religious pushers know that the curse of ‘hell and damnation’ are best impressed on an impressionable mind.
“When I say I am an atheist (which I am) the only thing you can conclude from that is that I don’t believe in a deity. It tells you absolutely nothing about my emotional makeup, character, ethics, loyalty to my country, etc., period.” I love that :)
Donna, I have no problem with atheists until they start complaining about nativity scenes at Christmas, the pledge of allegiance where it states “one nation under God” and the fact that our money says “in God we trust.”
If you don’t believe in a God fine but don’t try and change things for us that do.
I just omit the “under God” part when I say the Pledge. I hope you don’t have a problem with that, Mike.
Donna, what did you think about the Democrat platform committee taking out the word God and Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and then having to put it back in?
Could it be they didn’t want to tick off all the Christians and Jews in this country?
Mike, I’m real glad that you don’t have a problem with atheists – until they start complaining about the insanely overt religiosity that pervades every second of existence in this country. How big of you.
That’s the same as saying, “I’m ok with [ANY RELIGION EVER THAT ISN'T CHRISTIANITY] until they display a shred of behavior that reminds me of their non-Christianity.”
Get over it. Atheists don’t affect your life in any way, and you pissing about hearing about their opinions is just bizarre, childish, and oddly insecure-sounding.
Thanks!
Ha! Y’all are blasphemers in the eyes of CEILING CAT!
Oh cut all the philosophical civilogical stuff. Atheists scare the crap out of Christianists because a part of them fears the answer to the question “What if Atheists are right?”.
As a mostly Pagan I’m not sure where we stand on the hatred scale. I do know the response is usually a blank look while they check to see if I have a third hand growing out of my forehead.
If I give a brief synopsis of my belief, I usally get a heartwarming sneer.
No dears, I do not pray to Disneyland five times a day.
Rather amusing to see the arrogance of Christianists who think their way is so special. Sorry kids, Hinduism, which is technically paganism, has been around a lotttt longer than your religion. Longer than Judaism. That Bible studies in school thing? Might get a bit uncomfortable when they start comparing the stories of Christ with Zorastrian and Mithraic legends. (The Apostle Paul, who never met Jesus, started his career as an enforcer for Mithros whupping up on Christians)
Religion and belief or lack of is a personal thing. Accept what you believe or don’t believe as what is personally right and respect others theirs. As time has shown what is so stridently thought of as the one true way is often a chapter in the history books. Egyptians worshipped Ra and others for about four thousand years. Not so much now.
I think when you use “Democrat” instead of “Democratic” to modify a noun it reveals that you are either a complete ignoramus or making a poor attempt at insulting me.
Donna, I was talking about the Democrat Party. It’s not the Democratic Party.
Looks like you got your answer, Diva.
Trouble is, she may also be connected to organized crime. In fact, it’s very likely so. Could care less about her sex life or her religion. By contrast, having been a big whig in setting up an ASU conference on behalf of Lynne Stewart,
http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=17670
Ms. Sinema is responsible for providing evidence she cut off any relationship to that defendant more than two years ago. All reasonable persons do that. To see how foul Ms. Sinema’s associate is, read the Judgment against her here:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Flynnestewart.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F07%2FLynne-Stewart-2nd-Cir-Opinion-6-28-12.pdf
None should want an associate of that person in Congress.