When Will Anti-Atheism Be Viewed as Bigotry?

[Audie]

?

Changing demographics in the USA, white
majority will end in 20-30 years or so, they say.

 

[Skwim]

Sure, it must have been my fault

Are you implying that it couldn't have been your fault?

.

 

[Sunstone]

So why would they bother to do so unless you gave them a reason? Most people simply don't confront others without reason. If you've been mocked and had your intelligence questioned by some atheists who look down on you, you must have given them reason to, justified or not. Might want to review the circumstances and keep in mind that every bushel has a bad apple or two.

.

This is 2018, Skwim, and you're out of date. You see it on this forum all the time -- someone gets condemned for no real reason at all. I don't suppose it stops with this forum either.

 

[Mox]

WE who become the majority will, you know, have
brown eyes and black hair.

You will have eyes skin and hair of all colours in the future, with genetic engineering and capitalism working together. Mine are green, lots of people would pay good money to have green eyes, without using contacts.

 

[David1967]

Changing demographics in the USA, white
majority will end in 20-30 years or so, they say.

Gotcha. But my kids have brown hair and eyes. Me, brown hair and blue eyes.

 

[Altfish]

Indeed, quite the opposite, I wouldn't mention devout religious beliefs at any job interview.

And if I was interviewing you; I wouldn't even mention religion. BUT if you started mentioning your devout beliefs, it wouldn't impress me.

 

[Altfish]

Totally agree with your post here, with just one small quip.

I would argue that while almost half or more than half of Brits are now irreligious (depending on the polling data you rely upon), the number of convinced atheists remains considerably smaller. A 2017 Gallop poll showed that 13%, roughly 1 in 8 of the UK adult population, are ‘convinced atheists‘ (4); while a further 53%, more than 1 in 2 adults, are non-religious.

Most Brits spend little-to-no time thinking about religion at all, whereas atheists are folks who do think about it and have made a conscientious decision to reject belief in any deities or in supramundane beliefs that cannot be tested or falsified by evidence/experiment.

A range of superstitious beliefs, outside of any religious context, are still adhered to by large sections of the UK population as well according to the data. According to another survey from last year, 1 in every 6 British adults believes Friday the 13th is a risk of bad luck for them. That's not far from the percentage of atheists.

The study also found around half of Brits are 'superstitious' and a similar number believe luck - both good and bad - has an impact on their lives. 7 in 10 wouldn’t risk walking under a ladder for fear of bringing bad luck and two thirds have even ‘touched wood’ to ward off any future mishaps. And that isn't counting the people who believe in ghosts, star signs, mediums and a host of other things.

Gregory Tatton-Brown from Casumo.com, which commissioned the research, said: "Even in modern times, with the power of science and technology at our backs, and less mystery in the world than ever before, it’s hard to shake the feeling that invisible forces hold some sway over our lives."

So, while we hold up much better than the U.S., it would be a mistake to conclude that we are a nation of enlightened rationalists (as the nonsense of Brexit has unfortunately proved). And if Love Island is anything to go by....

OK, yes, I agree, calling one self an atheist is a 'big' step...maybe I should have used the phrase non-believers.

 

[Mox]

Changing demographics in the USA, white
majority will end in 20-30 years or so, they say.

From my point of view, as someone who thinks unfettered gene flow is extremely important for the health of a people in any nation, cool.

 

[Skwim]

This is 2018, Skwim, and you're out of date. You see it on this forum all the time -- someone gets condemned for no real reason at all. I don't suppose it stops with this forum either.

No real reason at all? Really? Boy, from all the posts I've read, reason has been the top motivator for condemnation, as well as critique, judgement, opinion, review, appraisal, appreciation, evaluation, and praise.

..

 

[Skwim]

And if I was interviewing you; I wouldn't even mention religion. BUT if you started mentioning your devout beliefs, it wouldn't impress me.

Although, it might raise suspicions in mine.

.

 

[PureX]

Hmm, pretty vague. Care to exemplificate it with a
few examples?

Definition of bigotry
plural bigotries
1: obstinate or intolerant devotion to one's own opinions and prejudices ...

The key here being that it refers to an irrational and blinding bias toward our own ideology, at the expense (dismissal) of everyone else's. Bigotry is a form of intellectual selfishness: of falsely inflated self-righteousness that asserts and maintains itself by blindly and irrationally negating the righteousness of anyone that won't accept and accede to it. Thus, it is a predatory concept of reality that fuels itself by destroying others.

Bigotry is an inherently destructive ideology masquerading as righteousness. And it's exactly this phony righteousness that our media, our politicians, and our wealthy overlords are pandering to 24-7, and that many of us are buying into like petulant fools.

Example: the Rush Limbaugh radio show (and the many varied versions of it in the media), selling commercial air time by peddling and pandering to the phony self-righteousness of a whole underclass of American bigots. Feeding their ignorance, prejudice, and need to pass the blame for the sake of fame and money has become very big business in this country. And a very effective way to win elections by generating racial, sexual, religious, ethnic, and other forms of bigotry, and aiming it all at your political opponents.

 

[PureX]

What do you mean 'these days?" I don't see that this has changed any. Humans have been doing precisely this for millenia. Theists, atheists, scientists with conflicting hypotheses, politicians with conflicting ideas about how governments should work,

There's nothing new here.

It has become the tail that now wags the dog. The intensity level has increased exponentially.

 

[Audie]

Definition of bigotry
plural bigotries
1: obstinate or intolerant devotion to one's own opinions and prejudices ...

The key here being that it refers to an irrational and blinding bias toward our own ideology, at the expense (dismissal) of everyone else's. Bigotry is a form of intellectual selfishness: of falsely inflated self-righteousness that asserts and maintains itself by blindly and irrationally negating the righteousness of anyone that won't accept and accede to it. Thus, it is a predatory concept of reality that fuels itself by destroying others.

Bigotry is an inherently destructive ideology masquerading as righteousness. And it's exactly this phony righteousness that our media, our politicians, and our wealthy overlords are pandering to 24-7, and that many of us are buying into like petulant fools.

Example: the Rush Limbaugh radio show (and the many varied versions of it in the media), selling commercial air time by peddling and pandering to the phony self-righteousness of a whole underclass of American bigots. Feeding their ignorance, prejudice, and need to pass the blame for the sake of fame and money has become very big business in this country. And a very effective way to win elections by generating racial, sexual, religious, ethnic, and other forms of bigotry, and aiming it all at your political opponents.

I did not need a lesson on what bigotry is.

Your earlier post was so vague, I dont know if you've
illustrated it or not.

Your attitude toward the Limbaugh audience passes
all the criteria you set out in your definition / discussion
re bigotry.

 

[CruzNichaphor]

When Will Anti-Atheism Be Viewed as Bigotry?

Well written article on anti-atheism as "acceptable" bigotry.

Comments?

In my experience, atheism has never been viewed as acceptable bigotry except in some weird news presentations I've seen in the USA media regarding the issue.

I'm sure many middle eastern cultures are significantly more vicious regarding the issue than US culture too.

The idea that atheism or atheists are somehow unacceptable in any context has been met with as much shun as racism or any other form of discrimination when I've seen it present itself in front of me (which has been extremely rare; like once or twice in my life). Both times were from staunch US Christians who seemed way out of their cultural depth on the issue.

So, yeah - maybe anti-atheism is an acceptable bigotry, but from what I've seen, it's only been an American/Middle Eastern thing; maybe this in and of itself serves as an interesting talking point.

 

[MonkeyFire]

You have to be passive to atheist because opposition is in their nature.

 

[dianaiad]

It has become the tail that now wags the dog. The intensity level has increased exponentially.

nahhh.

The only difference is that we know about all the people who do it. Before the great communication explosion, we only knew about the people around us, and we could fondly hope that somewhere ELSE this wasn't happening.

But people are people everywhere.

...and when you go back into history, you will find that bigotry involved considerably more than stated opinion. Shoot, if you don't think that bigotry hasn't been around for a very, very long time, and religious bigotry, especially, hasn't been around (and by religious bigotry I'm including bigotry towards, and by, atheists) as long as humans have, do, please, look at the Jews. Look at the Catholics, and the Protestants, and everybody else. Look at what they all have done to each other, depending on who has the power.

I find it rather difficult to get all upset because someone says they don't like my belief system.

Now when they start shooting at me, THEN I'll get excited. Or when some governor makes the people of my belief system legal prey...as in, it's perfectly legal to shoot one of us on sight...then I'll get excited.

Something short of that, though?

Not so much. That's what missionaries are for. Go out and convert 'em.

 

[Audie]

You have to be passive to atheist because opposition is in their nature.

You are like, satirizing a bigot, right?

 

[PureX]

In my experience, atheism has never been viewed as acceptable bigotry except in some weird news presentations I've seen in the USA media regarding the issue.

I'm sure many middle eastern cultures are significantly more vicious regarding the issue than US culture too.

The idea that atheism or atheists are somehow unacceptable in any context has been met with as much shun as racism or any other form of discrimination when I've seen it present itself in front of me (which has been extremely rare; like once or twice in my life). Both times were from staunch US Christians who seemed way out of their cultural depth on the issue.

So, yeah - maybe anti-atheism is an acceptable bigotry, but from what I've seen, it's only been an American/Middle Eastern thing; maybe this in and of itself serves as an interesting talking point.

All bigotry is acceptable to the bigots. In fact, they don't even see it as bigotry, as it's just the 'righteous truth', to them. And to everyone else: that is those who can see it as bigotry, I don't think it's being "accepted" so much as it's just being tolerated as part of the human condition.

 

[CruzNichaphor]

All bigotry is acceptable to the bigots. In fact, they don't even see it as bigotry, as it's just the 'righteous truth', to them. And to everyone else: that is those who can see it as bigotry, I don't think it's being "accepted" so much as it's just being tolerated as part of the human condition.

What you seem to be describing is some segment of society that doesn't even know what bigotry is; probably to the extent that they've never even considered the word before.

Fair comment, but I don't see what that has to do with my post you quoted.

 

[EverChanging]

It goes both ways. I can't tell you how many times I've been mocked and had my intelligence questioned by some atheists who look down on me because in their opinion, if I believe in the existence of God I must be missing a few screws.
I also know other atheists who are wonderful and kind so this is in no way a critic to all atheists. Actually, some of my closest friends are atheists.
It's the same with believers. Some are polite and respectful and others are complete morons who are incapable of making a positive contribution to society.

Yes, I think it does go both ways, and as a non-realist religious person and an agnostic atheist I am inclined to see both sides. There is plenty of anti-atheist bigotry, sure, but I see a lot of bigotry towards religious people too with statements like "all religion is evil" or statements that religious people must somehow be less intelligent. I have heard these kinds of statements online and in person.

It is so foolish to lump all religion together as evil. There are so many ways to be religious, not just fundamentalists or proselytizers. Some religious practices merely involve private practices in the home and in daily life that others are not even aware of. Much of my religious practice is self-created and purely private. How is that evil? How is that harming anyone?