Atheists, have you ever suffered and discrimination or prejudice as a result of your atheism?

Answer 1

Every single day at Yahoo! Answers.

Edit: I know Jim.I gave you a thumbs-up. I love you, babe.

Answer 2

I live in Charleston, SC, where there's a church on every street corner. For the most part, my friends at school don't mind that I'm an Atheist once they get to know me, but if it come up when we first meet, I can tell that it kinda creeps them out. I wouldn't say that I'm really discriminated against by anyone who's known me for any length of time, but strangers definitely don't like that about me. I've had friends, teachers, and other people try to convert me, but they give up when they see how "pious" I am in my Atheism, and I usually make friends with them.

Answer 3

LOL @ atheists complaining of discrimation hehe. Lets not all be daft. The typical atheist is the one who goes all out against a religion (usually someone from a christian family who likes to show his open mindedness by bashing his own religion) with all guns firing and expect the wee tolerant christians to suck it all in. Well, be honest, at least to yourselves. Deep down you really WANT to make a scene don't ya? You want people to retaliate so that you can invent some poor excuse that 'ohh us poor souls are soo discriminated nowadays :( ' The only atheists that can speak are the ones that live in the US, where Christainity is so fierce that they carry it on like an obsession. Therfore i must say that the only one i believe is the lady above who was harassed by her new neighbors. But then again, those are the americans for you, taking everything to heart, so i say, is it indeed the religion that is to blame?? Did you ever hear of an Arabian Atheist? A japanese atheist? If they DO exist, which i'm sure they do, they keep silent instead of aiming to insult other people, because being spiritualistic or not after all depends on your choice and lifestyle.
I myself am a Christian. I am not gonna say that i'm proud of it, cz after all, what difference does it make to the rest of you? I do not go to church i do not burn women to the stake accusing them of witchcraft and i do not go out in public with the I love Jesus pin badges. Yet i believe what i believe and thats final. I have friends from all over the world, some religious, other spiritual, and other non believers. Do you think that we bother having religious crusades everytime we hit the bars together? No, cz THAT my friends, is religious freedom. I dont care how many people are going to insult me after I send forth this message, but guess what? I don't care, not cz I'm a loving christian holding the bible, but i'm mark, who believes what he believes, and doesnt mind all walks of life. In fact, if you're all up for it, I'll meet you all at the pub for a pint. Last atheist there's buying hehehe (joking)

Answer 4

Absolutely. In fact, I choose not to share it unless it comes up. I actually just moved to a small town in Kentucky on the edge of the bible belt. I had a little old lady come by as a part of the Community Welcome Wagon. She was giving me some free coupons and talking to me about the area, when churches came up.

She looked at me and asked, "I assume you and your husband are going to be attending a church right?"

I said, "No maam. I'm atheist, and my husband is Agnostic."

She looked me dead in the eyes, and said the following, "heaven have mercy on your soul and your daughter. I can't believe that you young people today don't care about your children at all. You need to raise her in a Christian home, or she will end up in hell with you."

I promptly removed her from my house with my "welcome kit" attached to her butt. But for the next three weeks, I received phone calls RELENTLESSLY from her and her congregation. I had to call the police for harassment after an 11pm call, where someone called me a Evil Whore and my daughter a Child of the Devil.

Yeah, I think that says it all.

Answer 5

I have been treated differently by people after they found out that I was a Humanist, but generally, after they've had time to get to know me, they find out that I don't have horns and a tail and actually have values they can understand. Nothing has ever happened that I feel is worth complaining about, and that's a tribute to my co-workers--considering that I'm the only one in my office who is not a Baptist.

Answer 6

I experience prejudice daily on this site, and have experienced it at work since "coming out" as well.

Its really quite frightening when an educated attorney says to you "I wont try to change the way you think - but boy do I sure feel sorry for you!"

My response was "Thats okay - I feel sorry for you too..."

Answer 7

It's very strange. I always have to watch what I say and walk on egg shells when it comes to my inlaws' and my parents' faith. They go on and on about their beliefs as if they were 100% reality and if I ever offer anything that contradicts them, I'm the bad guy and I don't 'respect their religion'(!!). I've seen the dangers of fundamentalism and how they want to make our society a theocracy -- very nice and well-intentioned people but religon makes them into dogmatic zombies when it comes to their brainwashed beliefs. It's scary.

Answer 8

We get attacked daily on here just for being atheist. In everyday life its never been a problem at all. In the UK its of no great importance.

Answer 9

Yep, all the time...not just on Yahoo! Answers. I'm not even very outspoken about it. People treat me differently after they find out that I'm an atheist.

Answer 10

Well... yes.
It doesn't really bother me THAT much.
I'm also quite used to it in the real world.
Aren't the religious supposed to be "tolerant"?




And Erica H.. Oh WOW. Hon, that's horrible! I cannot believe that woman would even have the NERVE to do that. Because that's SUCH a Christian thing to do. I can't even believe that.!!

Answer 11

just watch the questions and answers on here, and you will see the worst religious bigots on the face of the earth. However, try running for office if you don't have any religious affiliation.