Are Atheists treated fairly?

[science_is_my_god]

There seemed to be an unwritten code or rule that to become president of the US, you have to be a Christian, or at least you got to mention God, or even Jesus, in some of your speeches.

I am very doubtful that Americans would vote for an atheist to be president, regardless if he has the dedication, intelligence and the American-know-how. If don't say something like "God blesses America", then you get the boot.

Take George Bush Junior, for example. Dumb as doorknob, but because he is a Christian who loved guns, he get a lot of votes from that alone.

I 100% agree. You know, I just can't believe how stupid most of my fellow Americans can be to not see how we are a nation of hypocrasy; Isn't the "American Dream" supposed to be "Anyone can achieve anything if they work hard?" If Barack Obama was exactly the same except for being a Christian, he wouldn't be in office right now. I thought it was rediculous when the tabloids were all like "Oooooh look at Obama, he might be a big, scary Muslim in disguise." Man, was I the only U.S. citizen that thought: "So what if he's Muslim? America's supposed to have equality for all." People that think America is supposed to be a Christian nation must not see the hypocrasy in it; everyone that simple-minded does't derseve to even walk on American soil. But whatever, I live in a nation where it's OK to cower behind the Bible and never look at real, intelligable facts. Hmph. Just look at the Bush administration...

 

[Storm]

Man, was I the only U.S. citizen that thought: "So what if he's Muslim? America's supposed to have equality for all."

Of course not.

 

[science_is_my_god]

Of course not.

I know, Storm, I know. I'm just going on one of my rants. You do realize however that it sure SEEMED like it. I was probably in like a 10% minority...

 

[Storm]

I was just ****** off at the whole thing. The smear campaign, the bigotry of using that as a smear in the first place, the inherent racism....

I dunno, living in Portland, I seen to have a different experience than a lot of our American posters. Everyone I knew was as disgusted as I was.

 

[science_is_my_god]

I was just ****** off at the whole thing. The smear campaign, the bigotry of using that as a smear in the first place, the inherent racism....

I dunno, living in Portland, I seen to have a different experience than a lot of our American posters. Everyone I knew was as disgusted as I was.

Lol, lucky you, Storm. I live in Iowa. Most of us around here have an I.Q. of about 55-60, illiterate, and can't count to 10. We're kinda like Texans, except we're too behind the times to even know what guns are. That's why we carry pitchforks.

 

[gnostic]

I think it had to old Cold War stigma. Americans would naturally assume (back then) that if you were atheists, then you must be also communists. And that stigma still stick today.

Christians didn't invent democracy (or even republic for that matter). The polytheistic pagan Greeka did.

And if you really looked at Jesus and his companions from the political ideals, the Christian in Jesus' time seemed to resemble more like communists than democrats.

(I am not talking about Stalinist or Lenin communism; with communism it is "shared resources" and community.)

 

[brittanyalmberg]

Treated fairly by whom?

I personally am a believer in Christ. For this, I believe I have been treated unfairly by many as well. For example, it's automatically assumed that I'm close-minded and conservative. It's assumed that I couldn't possibly be friendly with people who don't believe what I believe, and that I am more than willing to shove my beliefs down everyone's throat. It's assumed that I think anyone who does not believe what I believe is inferior to me. It's assumed that I'm uneducated and unwilling to hear opinions from others. None of this is true.

I have several friends that are atheists, and several people whom I do not consider friends consider themselves Christians.

I don't think anyone is treated fairly. I have no doubt that you, and other atheists, are treated as inferior by people claiming to be Christians. I, personally, do not consider lack of belief as a deal breaker for a friendship with me. How I treat others has nothing to do with their religious convictions (or lack thereof), and everything to do with what kind of people they are. I do not, under any circumstance, believe that only Christians can be good people.

Just my opinion, of course.​

 

[Mr Manson]

Religion....

The biggest separation of Men.

My dogs live happy without it.

 

[EverChanging]

It depends on who it is. I've been treated very unfairly by some people because of my atheism and disbelief in most Christian doctrines, but other people have been okay with me, even Christians.

 

[Buttons*]

Lol, lucky you, Storm. I live in Iowa. Most of us around here have an I.Q. of about 55-60, illiterate, and can't count to 10. We're kinda like Texans, except we're too behind the times to even know what guns are. That's why we carry pitchforks.

Oi! Them's fightin' words!

 

[Enoch07]

I treat people how they treat me. I start off with a basic respect for everyone. If you get lippy with me I get lippy back hehe. If your calm and cordial with me I am the same way back. That goes for everyone regardless race/religion/whatever.

 

[JMorris]

i live in texas, and got beaten up in high school for being openly agnostic (tho they didnt know what that meant) so i have a very dim view of christians based on personal experience. i think i may have been 1 of only a handful of people in texas that didnt have any problem with Obama's middle name, or his background, or Reverend Wright.

 

[EverChanging]

I am also in Texas and had peers constantly condemning me to hell or snearing "atheist" at me, even though at the time I wasn't an atheist. One of my family members even believed I was possessed by the devil, might still believe it. I don't have a high opinion of most Texans I know, even though I am one.

 

[JMorris]

I am also in Texas and had peers constantly condemning me to hell or snearing "atheist" at me, even though at the time I wasn't an atheist. One of my family members even believed I was possessed by the devil, might still believe it. I don't have a high opinion of most Texans I know, even though I am one.

my aunt once told me "if you dont believe in something, then you'll fall for anything" i told her "well, it seems you've already fallen for someting?" she read those Left Behind books to give you an idea of what she was like.
of course it didnt make any sense when i thought about it, just because i didnt believe in religion, didnt mean i didnt believe in anything

 

[genypher]

living in the south, i think there is a stigma if you are an "out of the closet" atheist/agnostic. there is an ignorance that is always at the ready to pounce on you. for instance, an atheist friend of mine works for a very vocal christian (i don't like to throw around the "F" word, but that shoe would fit him well). recently, the boss had to fire an employee and they were discussing th reasons why she was to be fired. many of them were legitimate, but the boss threw in "...and she didn't believe in jesus." THAT is what am talking about. so yes, there is a lack of fairness to some degree, which i believe stems from a lack of understanding.

 

[EverChanging]

my aunt once told me "if you dont believe in something, then you'll fall for anything" i told her "well, it seems you've already fallen for someting?" she read those Left Behind books to give you an idea of what she was like.
of course it didnt make any sense when i thought about it, just because i didnt believe in religion, didnt mean i didnt believe in anything

When my relative who thinks I'm possessed was watching the Passion of the Christ, I didn't look during the really graphic parts, and she started screaming, "LOOK, YOU BIG BABY!"

She made statements like, "It will always be true, no matter how many people try to disprove it, no matter what!" I have to wonder why it is so horribly sinful to be skeptical, especially when she or other people say that other countries' practices are stupid and believe the most insane things. We question the truth of statements all the time, yet when religion speaks, we are often told to not question even though the beliefs are coming from a culture from thousands of years ago when most people still believed the world is flat.

 

[JMorris]

im not even sure what is so important about the crucification of jesus. lots of people were crucified and tortured by the romans, and we dont worship them. id say Spartacus was a pretty cool guy, why isnt there Spartacusism?

 

[Buttons*]

i live in texas, and got beaten up in high school for being openly agnostic (tho they didnt know what that meant) so i have a very dim view of christians based on personal experience. i think i may have been 1 of only a handful of people in texas that didnt have any problem with Obama's middle name, or his background, or Reverend Wright.

Funny, because I went to a religious highschool and even though I was not Christian, no one ever beat me up. They resorted to hushed resentment instead.

 

[JMorris]

Funny, because I went to a religious highschool and even though I was not Christian, no one ever beat me up. They resorted to hushed resentment instead.

are you implying that im lying about that? i didnt just grow up in texas, but RURAL texas, the town i grew up in had only 2000 or so people. how would you expect an openly non-christian to fair in that sort of situation?

 

[Cordoba]

Obviously i'm not one to jump into a pulpit and shout, "There is no God". This is because i respect all religions and beliefs. I wish people would do the same for us!

I don't think you can generalize on either side

Some atheists are courteous, others are not

Some believers are courteous vis-a-vis atheists, others are not

When some people start to mock others, that's when bad feelings enter the equation

That's why at the end of the day the best approach to dialogue between people of different faiths is a dialogue based on respect, and to acknowledge the rights of others to have different views and opinions

(For you is your religion, and for me is my my religion) (The Qur'an, 109:6)