According to some, I am an oppressed minority.
Funny, I don't feel oppressed.
I live in the 5th worst state to be an atheist in too. I feel less oppressed here than in the didn't-make-the-top-ten state of Iowa.
Wanna know something? Religion just doesn't come up most of the time. It's not an issue unless I make it an issue. I watched some of my gay friends go through this too. They were oppressed, just ask the national leadership about how bad it is. Except nothing kept happening to them until they kept demanding their oppression be acknowledged. Then the response was more along the lines of, "Stop with the drama, nobody cares you're gay."
So, stop with the drama, OK?
Let's talk about how religion is actually harming you. Been beat up by a gang of Christian zealots? Can you show me a police report if you say yes?
Anyone?
The prayers of the Christians do not harm me. It doesn't hurt me physically or financially to let them chat up their imaginary friend (to put it in a rude way).
What do I gain that I don't have if we shove open acceptance of atheism down their throats? Nothing. I garner some well earned resentment from them. I don't think we can feel all butt-hurt that Christians want to associate with other Christians.
Mentioned in the article is Christians don't want their daughters marrying atheists. What about the other way around? This is one I've watched. Atheist husband has a fucking snit at every family gathering with the inlaws because they're religious and insist upon a prayer before dinner. THEIR HOUSE THEIR RULES! I've heard the religious family members complain that they are never invited over to their daughter's house for such gatherings because of HIM. They've talked to me at length about how it's HIS attitude not theirs that's keeping them away, and they'd skip the prayer in his house, after all it is HIS house to set the rules in. These same religious people don't have a problem with me being an atheist either; in fact they wanted my opinion BECAUSE of my lack-o-faith.
Are you being shunned for being an atheist, or do they shun everyone making an ass of themselves?
Too fucking right! I've been told over and over again by a few atheist friends about how atheists in the Navy are being oppressed by the chaplain corps and fanatical officers. It might be happening at other commands, but certainly not at mine. Literally nobody has said a thing about my religious convictions (or lack thereof) and I've even got 'atheist' on my dogtags. There's too much vitriol and self-satisfaction from both extremes. The extremists on both ends have more in common with each other than the average individual: they're both raging assholes.
ReplyDeleteI may have let loose a little vitriol of my own there, but it's been bother me for a while now.