A question for learned athiests...

Hello,

I have a question. I have read that on many athiesitic sites and such about a poll of some sorts being taken, and it saying that more people discriminate againest athiests than they would homosexuals?

This is a question I've been meaning to ask, but has always slipped away from me, I suppose...

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I don't think thats true. But both are discriminated against by religious groups. How wrong you all are

 

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Personally I only go for gay athiests, you interested Thor?


sheesh my posts are bordering on deletable tonight, need to lay off the caffeine/sugar at work.

 

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In Canada at least it is very wrong. The only time I see an atheist 'discriminated' against is when you run into the odd small-town person who goes "you don't believe in god? what the hell kind of a person are you?". Gays on the other hand still suffer greatly as youth.

 

Ach. They can be gay if they want. It's just strange and foreign to me, which induces the usual feeling of threat built inside human brains.

 

What you might be referring to is a Gallup poll that has been periodically conducted in the US since the '30s.

The question: "If your party nominated a generally well- qualified person for president who happened to be a 'X' would you vote for that person?"
<center><font face="Verdana,arial,Times,Times New Roman" size="1">
<table border="1" bgcolor="#dddddd" width="50%"><tr bgcolor="#9f9fff"><td width="20%"><b>Factor</b></td><td width="20%"><b>1937</b></td><td width="20%"><b>1959</b></td><td width="20%"><b>1978</b></td><td width="20%"><b>1999</b></td></tr><tr><td width="20%">Atheist</td><td width="20%">Not asked</td><td width="20%">22%</td><td width="20%">40%</td><td width="20%">49%</td></tr><tr><td width="20%">Baptist</td><td width="20%">Not asked</td><td width="20%">94</td><td width="20%">Not asked</td><td width="20%">94</td></tr><tr><td width="20%">Black</td><td width="20%">37</td><td width="20%">49</td><td width="20%">77</td><td width="20%">95</td></tr><tr><td width="20%">Catholic</td><td width="20%">60</td><td width="20%">70</td><td width="20%">91</td><td width="20%">94</td></tr><tr><td width="20%">Homosexual</td><td width="20%">Not asked</td><td width="20%">Not asked</td><td width="20%">26</td><td width="20%">59</td></tr><tr><td width="20%">Jewish</td><td width="20%">46</td><td width="20%">72</td><td width="20%">82</td><td width="20%">92</td></tr><tr><td width="20%">Mormon</td><td width="20%">Not asked</td><td width="20%">Not asked</td><td width="20%">&nbsp;</td><td width="20%">99</td></tr><tr><td width="20%">Woman</td><td width="20%">33</td><td width="20%">57</td><td width="20%">76</td><td width="20%">92</td></tr></table></font></center>

Thiefed from <a href="http://www.religioustolerance.org/amer_intol.htm">Religious Tolerance</a>

<blockquote>Atheism isn't something you wear on your sleeve. Unless you tell somebody you're an atheist, nobody will ever know.</blockquote>

Actually there are a few ways to detect atheists. They have no reflection in mirrors(and possibly badly done hair). Or they might smell faintly of brimstone. Oh, and water makes them melt.

 

*Pats forehead*

Hmmm, I'm feeling kind of horny right now.

I suspect that discrimination against gays is generally worse. It's more obvious to be seen making out with your girlfriend than it is to mention offhand that you don't believe in God(s).

 

I can't speak for everyone, and half of this is purely hypothetical (seeing as I'm not gay.)

But!

Predjudice against Atheists, if directed towards me, (as an atheist) would not entirely bother me. Were I perhaps homosexual, an insult towards this would affect me. I can't imagine someone drawing conclusions as to the unnatural state of Atheism, whereas I'd expect an insult at homosexuality, race etc. would hit a nerve.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that there might be a higher degree of predjudice against Atheists, but does it really have the same value and affect? Plus... I've never felt comfortable with statistics.

 

I think its obvious there is widespread discrimination against atheists. Why do you think so many athiests are 'in the closet' to a certain degree?

Maybe its where I live but anytime I tell someone my beliefs, they give me a look that I would expect if I told them I eat puppies for breakfast. Kinda of a confused, unbelieving, disgust look.

However, while possibly more widespread, the dicrimination itself is not as severe as against homosexuals. As sublime alluded to, homosexual are physical attacked and ridiculed from an early age. People are afraid of homosexuals. I think its getting better though...

 

I don't see a lot of discrimination against atheists. But maybe it's just the east coast. There certainly is a lot of heavy duty gaybashing here.

 

I see alot of discrimination against Atheists where I come from (lots aginst myself). In a religious studies class, a poll was taken about what religion you are. It didn't have atheism or anything similar, so I complained. From then on, everyone, but my friends, were out to get me. They wanted my blood.
Now, if I told them I was gay (I'm not), you would have seen my decapitated head inside a church

 

Some dumb southern state where everyone is sanctimoniously "religious" and they clutch bibles and cry out the glory of some weird god they beleive in. I could never stomach that.

 

The poll is about electing an atheist. Don't read more into than that.

If an atheist doesn't believe in (and fear) a higher power that defines "right" and "wrong", then why should they be trusted to do what's right for the people that elected them? Or at least that's my theory about why atheists would rate so low on that poll.

 

I think that it belief in God provides a basis for morality that is familar and visible to people. Atheists don't have a specific set of values, so voters can not "see" their moral source. A christian has "christian" values; when a person says he/she is christian we have a means by which we can know their values and predict their actions. Atheists believe (or don't believe) on thing. Who the hell knows what their other values are?

 

Well, if they're atheistic, certainly no one in Hell.

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Atheists are not descriminated against as youths although gays are. Now later on in life gays are accepted and atheists (once found to be one) somehow lose respect from their peers and society. The general population in this world seems to be pathetically mindless.

 

from the people i know, and where i live, in my little town... we have all relegious types, athiests of course being one of them. as from peers, i never saw any real descrimiation against them... at all..... although the only one i knew personally blew his head off a few moths ago because he parents foced him to be jehovas witness, and a load of toher reasons...... as for being gay at a young age, the boyfriend of a male friend of mine was beat to daeth over it. i find descrimitation against homosexuals much stronger than against athiests. If the common christain is at work, and learns that a friend/co-worker is an athiest, depending on how relegious they are, they may take note, but not say anything and continue on, or they may talk to them and give their opinion, and usually conitnue on..... however if it were a homosexual, not an athiest in the same situation.. usually the person will just turn away and disconnect.

 

I've been discriminated against for my lack of religious beliefs.

Last time I was pulled over for speeding away from a bank robbery/multiple homicide, the cops put the cuffs on me and started asking questions, and after a while one of the cops said "You'd better start praying boy!" I replied "Dude, I'm an atheist." Then they started in on me with pepperspray, batons, and zappers.

Once I was kicking the crap out of this little old lady, and she said "God forgives you sonny!" I replied "I don't believe in God, madam." And she spat at me! How rude is that?

Anyway, those are only two of many such events. It happens all the time here. People can be so cruel...