Will Atheists become the new Communists?

[MineralMan]

When I was in high school, back in the early 1960s, McCarthyism was still holding sway in this country. A favorite teacher of mine, who taught Spanish and French in my high school, found himself accused of being a Communist by someone. An anonymous accusation was sent to the local school board. There was a serious danger that he might lose his job.

A public hearing was held by the school board, to hear "public input." I attended, as a 16-year-old junior in that high school, and took my turn, speaking to the board. I talked about the teacher and how patient he was with his young French and Spanish language students, and how I had never hear him say even a single word about politics in the classroom. He was a teacher of foreign languages, and did an excellent job, I told the board.

By then, I knew that the accusation was anonymous, so I ended my time before the board talking about the massive unfairness of such anonymous claims. I said, "For all anyone knows, that accusation came from someone who got a poor grade in this teacher's class. How such an accusation could even be taken seriously is beyond me."

Then I sat down. I was the first, but not the last, to point out the stupidity of even considering such an accusation. Others took up that argument after I spoke. The teacher kept his job, and his students continued to benefit from his patient, expert teaching.

Will accusations of atheism be the next thing we have to defend our teachers from? Is that the next thing we'll see? If so, I will, once again, stand up and speak out. We may need many more to speak out if the Dominionist Christians get their way in this nation. I hope we will be backed up by progressive Christians, too, if that begins to occur.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I think it's always been that way, albeit dormant recently.

My father saw a book on my shelf, simply captioned "Atheism" and he screamed at me and called me a Communist 30 years ago.

I guess that he forgot that I'm an atheist (and Communist) because about 10 years later, my father's focus was on my brother who had converted to Islam. My/Our father was 10 more irate and was convinced that I was going to convert as well. I languidly responded I didn't think that was going to happen. Why not, countered my father. I had to remind my father that I was an atheist and there was no God. My/Our father broke out in a stupid grin and exclaimed "That's wonderful!" He really did.

Epilogue: Dad loved us all equally. That's why we all were disinherited when he died.

[Farmer-Rick]

56. Yeah, it was really bad in the reign of W.

It's actually gotten a little better (very little) today. I think it is thanks to the brave atheist who have written books and done documentaries. And the freedom from religion foundation has helped a lot.

But also the anti Atheists have gotten more vocal and insulting.

[ollie10]

2. Will accusations of atheism be the next thing we have to defend our teachers from?

no. people today don't seem to care that much. The biggest issue among most Christians is staying awake during the sermons and what kind of hotdish will be served at the next event

[MineralMan]

4. I think you could be very, very wrong.

The path the Republican Party is on leads that way. Ignore the Fundamentalists and Dominionists at your own peril. If you're not on their side, you will be the enemy if they gain power.

Can you not see them at work, even now?

[ollie10]

8. unlike you, I go to church

I can't remember anyone EVER making a fuss about atheists at church now that you mention it. It is pretty much a non event. People are concerned about how the ladies dress, what color the teen ager colored her hair, why the sermon was too long....stuff like that. Talk to most in the congregation they pretty much are bored with the whole idea of atheism. Besides, the younger generation is not as interested in religion. The only place I hear about atheists being killed, tortured, mutilated, brainwashed, and tormented is right here on DU. It is very entertaining! I enjoy every minute of it. The fundies have this hell fire and brim stone to scare their flock....here the boogie man is religion and how it is out to get you....better watch out, people are watching and listening!!!!

[MineralMan]

10. Yes, I know. You go to church.

You go to A church. There are other churches in other places. There are religious movements you may never have experienced or know much about. Perhaps you should look into that. In fact, I highly recommend doing that.

[ollie10]

13. it's a figure of speech

Actually I go to mass. And, you don't have to preach to me, I know there are lots and lots of religious movements.

[MineralMan]

15. Whatever you say, then. You're probably not the audience I am addressing.

With that, I'm out of this subthread. I don't see continuing as a useful way to spend my time.

[ollie10]

16. See ya later!

I gotta go too....time to round up some atheists for a lynching!

Geez....forgot to add.....sarcasm

[guillaumeb]

22. We know which audience you are addressing.

Really, we do.

[MineralMan]

50. Who are "we," guillaume?

What do you think "we" know, I wonder?

[Mariana]

76. Gil and his horde of groupies, it must be.

Numerous personal messages, you know. Praise and requests for more. The show must go on.

[MineralMan]

77. How many people are needed to make up a "horde?"

And why do they whisper in the shadows and not speak out for themselves? Let the "we" come into the light and speak directly, rather than through an intermediary who speaks for them? Perhaps they cannot speak. I don't know.

Those are my questions.

[ollie10]

78. It might be possible that there are quite a few liberal Christians (like myself)

who, unlike me, see how slanted discussions here usually are to attack religion per se, as opposed to any specific issues, and are hesitant to join into the fray. Some may be afraid to hurt the feelings of friends. Or others might simply see the discussions as pointless because they always seem to go to the idea that religion is the cause of all our problems, from war to racism to homophobia to the difficulty of getting the last bit of toothpaste out of a tube. just a suggestion.

It's called dialogue.

If you want more liberal Christians to participate, it might help to be less disrespectful towards them/their beliefs, and more welcoming to what they have to say.

[Mariana]

34. If you live in a place like, say, New York City

it may seem that way. In parts of Alabama or Oklahoma, for example, it can be a very different story indeed.

[ollie10]

39. I have lived in the South for the past 30 years

I have no boogie men out to get athiests to report!!!!

Before that in the Midwest. Not many boogie men there either. Although my memory is fading in my old age

[Act_of_Reparation]

80. Well, you certainly have a lot of experience with atheism.

[ollie10]

81. I can't wait to hear your answer.....

...as in what cultural stereotype you are going to relate.....

what did you mean by that?

[Act_of_Reparation]

87. I can't for someone to diagram that sentence...

...so I can find out what you're actually trying to ask.

[ollie10]

90. too busy diagramng to listen, huh?

[Act_of_Reparation]

91. Oh, is this a radio program?

I didn't know. I'll remove my headphones forthwith and listen very closely.

And here I was, reading like a sucker. Isn't teh internetz wonderful?

[ollie10]

92. why don't we agree not to talk to each other?

there is no purpose

[Act_of_Reparation]

94. Or you could use the ignore function.

This isn't international diplomacy. You don't need a bilateral agreement to rid yourself of my pestering presence.

[ollie10]

95. You are making this too complicated

There is simply little reason we should talk to each other.

So we can agree to disagree, and you wouldn't want to continue this...would you?

[Eko]

43. Maybe so.

"Marrying an atheist is far more controversial. Nearly half of the public, 49 percent, would be upset if a family member married "someone who doesn't believe in God." Discomfort with atheists joining the family far outpaces levels for gun owners (19 percent), someone without a college degree (14 percent), a different race (11 percent), or someone born and raised outside the United States (7 percent)." https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/06/12/its-okay-to-marry-a-republican-or-democrat-just-not-an-atheist/?utm_term=.57d77db57c7b

[ollie10]

45. Gasp!!!

Wow!!

People marry people like themselves!! Gasp!!!

[Eko]

46. Gasp! Maybe you should read something before you comment! Gasp!

Last edited Thu Mar 8, 2018, 12:23 AM - Edit history (1)

"would be upset if a family member married "someone who doesn't believe in God."
Here, I did everything humanly possible to get you to see the relevant part. Maybe if you turned off the condescending attitude you could read.

[ollie10]

47. Oh the world would end if someone got upset!

The sky is falling! Run for your lives!

[Eko]

48. Who got upset?

[ollie10]

49. what was your point?

Last edited Thu Mar 8, 2018, 03:07 PM - Edit history (1)

And....didn't you read your own post?

[Eko]

86. The point was that

"people today don't seem to care that much." which you said is dis-proven. The who got upset was a question, the answer was family member which takes this claim "People marry people like themselves!! " down. Keep gasping.

[ollie10]

89. i will

[Eko]

96. Of course you will.

Im not saying you are a

but you sure are acting like a

[ollie10]

97. Nice picture!

[NeoGreen]

98. I dunno...

...I think I see a pattern here:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1218273951#post383

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1218273951#post385

oh and...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1218273951#post393

What do you think?

[Eko]

99. Its possible for sure.

Rug's last post was on May 27 2017 and ollie10 became a member on June 19 2017. That's just conjecture though, what is for sure is the condescending attitude, the inability to process information that goes against what they have said or to admit that it did, the dishonest portrayal of peoples positions and the inability to have anything even remotely resembling a conversation here on DU. They are obviously not here to have a positive impact on DU but to sow chaos. Would someone who was FFR'd do that and maybe with multiple names at the same time? Of course.

[NeoGreen]

100. I do not believe...

...rug = ollie10.

But, the behavior we have been witnessing is very much like the POE Mariana alluded to in her post.

[Eko]

102. Maybe, maybe not.

I don't have any way to ascertain if so, I only made an observation. As to POE, do you think ollie is just being sincere or a parody?

[NeoGreen]

103. I can't say what I truely...

...think.

Other than Ollie10 has been incoherent and is indecipherable.

Whether it is intentional or not, I have no idea, but the effect has been definitely disrupting.

I most certainly agree with your "I'm not saying you are a ...", "but you are acting like a ... "

[Farmer-Rick]

60. Well, I wish you would tell that to people around here.

There was a lady kneeling and praying on the sidewalk in town. When someone came up to her and tried to help her up, she screamed at them and called them a godless atheist. The guy backed off and let her act the fool. She finally gave up because when I came out of the office, she was gone.

Then out front of the main gate to a local college a guy was preaching and screaming insults about atheists and abortions. He had a small crowd looking at him. I walked around him and he hurdled rude comments at the back of my head. Though how he knew I was an atheist I will never know.

Then there are the never ending bumper stickers about how abortion is murder, gays are bad, evolution is a fantasy, creationism is good, and God made Trump president. That last one I just saw today.

[ollie10]

79. My bumper sticker says coexist....

I'm sure that drives the anti-religion folks crazy!

[Farmer-Rick]

83. Really?

Because the people around here think that bumper sticker is very ahm, how to put it, Not religious. Not atheist so much but that Christians should not allow other religions to be tolerated, put up with or coexist. Around here Southern Baptists in particular, don't approve of that bumper sticker.

I've considered putting it on my car along with a rainbow flag and a NOW sticker. My better half says I'm just trying to start an argument.

[ollie10]

84. It's a great sticker

I have had it on my car for several years (in the South). Never been a problem. Actually, to tell the truth, most people don't know what it means, but I have not had a single bad reaction, and more than a few pleasant ones.

Heck, it is a VERY religious sticker. SEVERAL religions are represented!

[Mariana]

85. Most people where you live dont know

what “coexist” means? Or do you mean they are unfamiliar with the symbols that represent religions other than their own?

[ollie10]

93. i get a lot of questions what the sticker means

So I assume they don't know. When I explain most say they like it. Others smile.

It may be true that many people understand it and don't mention it.

I dunno. Point is, in my neck of the woods, it goes over pretty well.

Thanks for sharing.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Nobody but fundamentalists gives a damn about atheists.

And the total number of people who identify as fundamentalist Christians is dwindling - in fact, the number of people who identify as religious at all has been decreasing, mainly because younger people are losing interest in organized religion. https://www.religionnews.com/2017/09/06/embargoed-christian-america-dwindling-including-white-evangelicals-study-shows/

So I wouldn't worry too much about atheist persecution; you aren't going to be burned at the stake, or even have a burning bag of dog poop left on your steps. The fundies are having enough trouble keeping their own membership from disappearing.

[MineralMan]

6. See, I think you're wrong about that.

If I didn't, I wouldn't have posted what I did. The number of people who were red-baiters was also small. I remember. I cannot forget. I will not forget.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. But look at the chart. Their numbers are decreasing rapidly.

Younger people aren't much interested in religion and the old ones are dying off. I'm not saying we shouldn't maintain all efforts to keep religion out of government - obviously, that's essential - but one of the main reasons behind the red scare of the '50s and '60s was the genuine threat posed by the post-WWII USSR, especially after it acquired nuclear weapons, and legitimate concerns about the USSR's bellicosity enabled demagogues like McCarthy to magnify the threat for political gain. In those days Communists, or people believed to be Communists, scared people because the USSR actually was scary, and nothing benefits and magnifies a demagogue more than fear.

I don't think the analogy to atheists vs. victims of McCarthyism holds up. The "threat" posed by atheists is entirely illusory. There is no genuine existential threat that the fundies can exaggerate as a basis for persecuting atheists. And atheists don't actually do anything. Forgive the mixed and completely inappropriate metaphor, but you really should climb down off that cross. I truly don't anticipate any organized effort by a noisy but rapidly-dwindling bunch of religious nuts to force you to stop doing, um, nothing.

[Mariana]

35. That's just not true. Here is one example of what may happen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Ahlquist

Jessica Ahlquist (born June 21, 1995) is an activist and public speaker who filed a lawsuit in 2012 against Cranston High School West, where she was a student, to remove a religious prayer from its auditorium. The suit, Ahlquist v. Cranston, was filed with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union, and was ultimately decided in Ahlquist's favor. During the lawsuit, Ahlquist received hate mail and was verbally attacked by her peers, media outlets, and online. She received death threats, and required police escorts to and from classes. On the day following the ruling, Rhode Island State Representative Peter G. Palumbo spoke on a local radio show and referred to Ahlquist as "an evil little thing"

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

36. I'm not saying individuals will never be harassed by somebody.

I just don't think there is or will be the same kind of concerted, organized effort to persecute atheists as a group that there was against Communists and people claimed to be Communists in the '50s and '60s. There will always be nutters who will go after individuals because they don't like something they do or say or believe in - that's why they're nutters. Social media makes it possible for any person with a bug up their butt to harass anybody for anything.

I also noticed that Ms. Alhlquist's life was not ruined by her harassers, unlike what happened to many victims of the red scare. She had many defenders, and she has gone on to win a number of awards.

[Mariana]

41. Ms. Ahlquist wasn't "harrassed by somebody".

She was a child, and her life was threatened seriously enough that she required police escort. Please don't minimize what was done to her, and how many people participated in it. The community as a whole turned on her. Some of the people who went after her were local and state leaders, including religious leaders. It was not just a few "nutters".

[Eliot Rosewater]

5. Yes, for a little while. I am annoyed that atheism isnt the majority position on DU

[MineralMan]

7. Frankly, it's unlikely ever to be a majority position.

Becoming an atheist is not as easy as following a religion.

[trotsky]

11. Religious indoctrination of children is the key variable in that equation.

If that stopped, it would be interesting to see how the numbers change.

[MineralMan]

14. True, but indoctrination continues in many places.

Sadly.

[ollie10]

19. don't they have hotdish where you come from?

I thought that was invented in Minnesota! Green bean hotdish. Yummy.

When do they have time to hunt down and indoctrinate atheists? How do they do it? Do they hook them up into a machine?

[guillaumeb]

21. This is part of the series that attempts to establish a meme.

And because your account differs from that meme, you must be mistaken. The alternative is that the original poster is mistaken.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

23. I don't think you understand memes

and how they are created or what purpose they serve.

And how they drive communication.

And how things work on a discussion board.

And a lot of things, really.

[guillaumeb]

26. Are you talking to yourself?

If so, it is good that you have started on the path.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

28. That's so clever

It's, like, right out of the 3rd grade playbook.

It's so good that you aren't still resorting to non-clever one-liners instead of actually having the dialogue you so desperately call for in here.

[guillaumeb]

30. I attempted to meet you at your level.

And succeeded.

[ollie10]

25. Thanks for the tip!

I really never understood what a meme was. At my age I may never know!

I do know that on another thread I was more or less serious. And I thought I was going to be burned at the stake! So I am going to try to have more fun this time. Call me irreverent.

[guillaumeb]

27. Well, there is the post about atheists being treated like Communists.

And there are others in that same vein. Another tip is to refrain from posting anything that is the least bit positive about religion or theists.

[ollie10]

31. I am starting to learn, slow learner that I am

the last couple of days I said something radical, or at least so it seemed. i said that we should respect the views of religious people and non-religious people alike. I didn't know how radical that was. All hell broke loose. It is obvious that here at DU you must refain from posting anything positive about religion, yes....but beyond that.....you cannot even say that you should respect viewpoints you disagree with! So I have learned my lesson. With people like that you can't really take them seriously. Better to have some fun. That's my plan now. Besides, I have to brush up on my indoctrination techniques.....you never know when there are non-believers out there! They are out to get us!!!! We must be always prepared or they will get inside our brains and that won't be pretty!

[guillaumeb]

32. I would call you a very quick learner.

At times, I post things about religion titled good news and bad news.

Generally the posts titled good news receive the most criticism and attack. It could be a coincidence.

[ollie10]

38. Some people are happiest when they are whining

[guillaumeb]

40. Some prefer an atmosphere that is toxic to others.

[ollie10]

42. A lot of that going around on the internet

In real life, people tend to be fine. Although you have to wonder about whether internet toxic people have a life

[guillaumeb]

44. I feel that a lot of what we see on the Internet and in places like this

is venting. And I understand that need to vent and relieve anger.

[Cartoonist]

53. Dueling quotes

In the same post.

I said that we should respect the views of religious people and non-religious people alike.
. . .
With people like that you can't really take them seriously.

Hypocrisy, it's what the H in Jesus H. Christ stands for.

[ollie10]

54. Nothing like trying to take out of context.

What I was clearly saying was that with people who cannot respect the views of others it is hard to take them seriously.

Just to make it more clear...a person who does not respect the views of others....be they religious people, blacks, women, gays or whomever....what we are talking about is pre-conceived notions or prejudices. As such, they are not to be taken seriously.

Put another way, you don't have to be an anti-theist to be a non-theist. You don't have to trash religion. When you do, you aren't much different from a racist, bigot, misogynist or homophobe. Actually, you are not much different from a Christian attacking atheism. Just another chapter in a crappy book, flip sides of the same coin

[Cartoonist]

55. Guess who doesn't take you seriously?

So, by your same argument, I should be respectful to the KKK and the Republican Party.

Those of us without theist glasses on see a lot of hate, oppression, and ignorance in religion. Should we remain silent?

[ollie10]

61. I don't expect you to take me seriously. I am not anti-religion so orthodoxy requires you to diss me

I believe we should respect non-theists. I believe we should respect religions. And, yes, we have a two party system and we should respect each other's political beliefs. In all these cases, you don't have to AGREE with the other, but you respect them. So Republicans should be respected, Democrats should be respected....you lose that respect for each other's views, then our society just gets tribalised and that ain't good.

As to the KKK, my views of them coincide with the ACLU. But as for what they believe....I don't agree with their racism, anti-catholicism, etc. Hey, the anti-religious folks here have more agreement with the KKK than I do, they share their opposition to catholicism!

I oppose the KKK for the similar reasons I oppose racists, misogynists, bigots, homophobes and anti-religion bigots---their lack of respect for the rights and beliefs of others and, of course, their violence.

[Cartoonist]

65. Me too, brother

I oppose the KKK for the similar reasons I oppose racists, misogynists, bigots, homophobes and anti-religion bigots---their lack of respect for the rights and beliefs of others and, of course, their violence.

_
Those are the exact same reasons I oppose religion.

[ollie10]

67. So you are guilty of over-generalization

Not all religious people are racists, misogynists, bigots, homophobes. In fact very few are.

I go to mass at a catholic parish. We have various social groups there....for example retirees, 60s, divorcees, gays. I am proud to be a member of a congregation that encourages and values and welcomes ALL people. I suppose in your mind you would be surprised that a catholic church would be so welcoming .... of gays or divorcees....etc.

There are churches all across the nation that are welcoming gays, at least in some fashion.

So to callously infer that all religions are homophobes.....well that is simply not true.

Same with the other forms of hatred you claim to be the reason you are against religion (in its entirety).

I don't know why I even bother to say this. If you haven't learned that many religious people are liberals, and that there is a broad diversity of religious experience,....well, go ahead and paint us all with one big broad brush....we're a bunch of misogynists, racists, and homophobes, right? Just remember that painting entire groups in one broad brush is part of what prejudice is....much like saying all blacks like fried chicken and watermelon.

[Cartoonist]

68. How nice

I'm sure their dead victims don't mind. But you raise another question of mine. It's similar to asking why people still support Trump, especially evangelicals.

How can people still support religion, knowing its past and seeing its oppression every day?

[ollie10]

69. I dunno.....how can people still support America, knowing its past and seeing its oppression?

Last edited Thu Mar 8, 2018, 02:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Sarcasm

Fact is, there is also a lot of good that religion does. It has inspired many great people, for example the ReverendMartin Luther King Jr and many others.

You are prone to over-generalization. Religions don't oppress people, people oppress people. Some times they say they do it in the name of their god, but truth be told their religion doesn't support what they are doing. Take for example Islam. There are some people, who have a similar thought process as yours, who blame 911 on Islam. They say it is Islam's fault the planes flew into the towers. And these folks were/are wanting to restrict the rights of Muslims. In reality, Islam is not so much violent....it was the FANATICISM of the terrorists that motivated them.

If you go to some of the right wing discussion sites, people are STILL anti-muslim. And they will use some of the same arguments against (this) religion as I see right here on DU against (all) religion. Same themes, same words, same over-generalizations. Except there they focus on their anti-Islam feelings and most of what I see here use the same words for their anti-religion or anti-Christian views. Striking similiarities to the right wing thought process right here.....

Now you are free to over-generalize and think that all religion is by definition racist, misogynist, homophobe....but you are being deluded. Actually you are being silly. But, just as muslims could have lost their freedom because of your style of thinking.....so your kind of thinking can be harmful to other religious people too.

I don't know why evangelicals support Trump, although not all do. Trump is pretty much everything that religion teaches NOT to be. I suspect that some of the evangelical leaders "sold their soul" to Trump because they thought he would do things for their political gain. If they had adhered stronger to their religion, they might have held Trump and themselves to a higher standard.

[Cartoonist]

70. I criticize America

I do not support Trump or the GOP.

[ollie10]

71. I criticize America too, out of love for my country, which happens to be America

And I do not support President Shithole or the GOP.

[Cartoonist]

72. But

But you're not OK with me criticizing religion or its leaders.

[ollie10]

73. I am quite OK with you speaking your mind

But nowhere is it written I have to agree with you if you make over-generalizations against religion in general. I would also not find it OK if you were spouting out anti-gay diatribe or anti-black diatribe. But that's just me. If you want to think like the right wingers who are anti-muslim and think religion is the cause of violence and mayhem. etc.....well, count me out. I am allergic to right wing authoritarian thought processes

[ollie10]

33. Hey....I liked that Martin Luther King Jr guy.....too bad he was a damned Christian!

[MineralMan]

59. I'm afraid I do not see the relevance in your question.

What does hotdish have to do with my post?

[ollie10]

62. you are what you eat

[MineralMan]

63. OK. Never mind.

Uff da! (We say that here a lot.)

[ollie10]

64. yubetcha!

[Mariana]

37. It's never going to stop.

The best we can do is continue to fight all attempts to involve the government in such indoctrination.

[rurallib]

20. this is true

[samnsara]

9. 'A' is no longer a Scarlet letter. I proudly wear mine.

[MineralMan]

12. Yes. In some places and in some environments, that's

not very risky at all. But, we live where we live and have the associations we have. This country is not homogeneous. Keep your guard up, please.

[AtheistCrusader]

66. Ok, everyone move to Washington.

We've got Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, a small arm of SpaceX, we got Paccar, Nike is over in Portland, not too far, we got jobs jobs jobs, and one of the most progressive populations in the country (King County).

Come. On. Down.

[opiate69]

88. Dude, stop giving away our secrets!

No, serously people, stay away from Washington.. it rains like, every single day, and if you stray off of I-5, you'll be eaten by Sasquatch!

[Cuthbert Allgood]

17. As a high school teacher, I think it is going to get better, not worse.

Of course, there is the J-curve concept where it may get really bad along the way, but the Millennials and the Gen Z's are ridiculously open to atheists. It's actually very heartwarming to see. For all the shit they get from society, they are a really good couple generations that accept people for who they are.

[ollie10]

24. I agree

Especially the Gen Z's. They simply don't care about things like being gay, atheist, etc. for the most part. And attendance is down in churches, for that matter.

[guillaumeb]

29. North Korea and China are atheist countries.

Both threat theists badly.

Are you saying that atheists are intolerant? If so, I disagree. Certain people are intolerant. Some are theists, some are non-theists, but neither position suggests intolerance as a feature.

[Act_of_Reparation]

58. Misleading.

First, it is worth pointing out that 70% of Chinese practice folk religion in some form another. Typically, it is Taoism. Second, the North Korean Juche ideology deifies the North Korean head of state, making it something of a quasi-religion.

But that's neither here nor there, because it is important to ask why North Korea and China oppress theists. Is it because China and North Korea are atheist, or is it because China and North Korea are totalitarian states that do not tolerate any competing ideas whatsoever?

Hint: It's because China and North Korea are totalitarian states that do not tolerate any competing ideas whatsoever.

So you can stop with the composition fallacies now.

[Bradshaw3]

51. The right wing has become such a cult I don't think they care about why they hate anymore

They just know they hate anyone who isn't part of their "tribe." Could be atheists, or liberal Christians, or gun control advocates, or whoever is on the other side of whatever position the Kochs have told the noise machine to get behind this day - even if it goes against something they say they believe.

I've watched people who call themselves tue believing Christian choose this tribe over their religion - all the while rationalizing positions they now take that would have been abhorrent to them two years ago so they can still call themselves Christian.

With the way things are going, would this tribe go after athesists? Sure they would. And lots of others too.

[MineralMan]

52. You have a good point. The Republican Party seems to be

presenting itself as the part of the Christian Right these days. And many appear to be treating it like their church. I find that troublesome, to say the least.

[Bradshaw3]

57. Yes "true believers" are often capable of horrible acts

I had to stop watching shows about the rise of Nazism because I found the parallels between it and now too troubling - magical thinking being used as a propaganda tool as one example. Not saying it will happen here (obviously democracy has a much stronger foothold then in pre-war Germany) but I don't think it's hyperbole to note the similarities.

[Heddi]

74. It's so telling in this thread how those in the position of privilege (religionists)

tell Atheists how we are not discriminated against. We're routinely subjected to hateful slurs on this website here, joked about being lynched above (hehehee. LYNCHING IS SO FUCKING FUNNY). There are states where Atheists being unable to hold public office is codified into law. But that's fine. I mean, THEY aren't affected by it, so therefore no one is. They are the majority, so it's okay.

Atheists, Agnostics, and other "heretics" are still routinely tortured and beheaded in countries around the world, but that's okay because hey! not in America!

And for the tired trope of North Korea being an atheistic country -- please do some reading on North Korea. North Korea is as Atheistic as America is. Just because North Koreans don't praise Jesus doesn't mean they're Atheistic. They're plenty religious -- they just happen to pray to the idea of Juche. I have read extensively regarding North Korea and anyone who has done even the slightest bit of research regarding North Korea would know that Kim Jung Il and Kim Il-Sung are seen as Gods to North Koreans. Mainstream religions aren't tolerated because they are competition to the Kims, and that goes for other totalitarian regimes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juche#Religious_features_of_Juche

Stalinist Russia wasn't Atheist because of a belief in no god -- there was a God named Stalin and he didn't need no competition with that Jesus dude. Arguing otherwise is such simplistic, 6th grade-level understanding of mind control of humans.

[Thyla]

75. From where I sit it is more the opposite...

Religious nuts are being viewed more and more as just that. Most people can see that what they preach is toxic and with no basis in reality. Their numbers are mostly in decline world wide and wont be calling the shots for much longer.

It needs to be said there is a distinction to be made between the the moderates and the more fundamental types and it would seem that in the US at least there is a far more vocal,and powerful religious community than there seems to be in other countries.
But even here people of religion demonise those fundamentalist views(mostly) and laugh at the stupid claims of a 3000 year old Earth. They even trust science and generally couldn't give a toss if someone was Atheist, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant or a Dudeist. Almost certainly nobody is worried about a teacher being an Atheist either here or at home because if that was the sort of thing they are worried about, well they have schools for that.

I do totally get that US demographics differ considerably than elsewhere so experience may differ.

[Mariana]

82. In the US

Many Christians are extremely reluctant to criticise other Christians, no matter how wacky their beliefs or how awful their behaviour. If they can’t figure out any reasonable way to minimize, deny, or ignore the crazy beliefs or the rotten behaviour, they simply declare that person is not really a Christian. Problem solved. All nutty and/or evil people are thus classified as non-Christians, and it’s OK to criticise them.

[shanny]

101. we've always been that.

in fact, that has always been a big talking point, i.e. "godless Communists."

(fwiw I class myself as an atheist 'coz what I "believe" doesn't fit with organized religions)