What do atheists mean when they speak of "people trying to shove their beliefs down their throats"?

Question

There is no circumstance under U.S. law for compulsory religious practices. And please don't dredge up school prayer or teaching creationism; those issues were resolved by the Supreme Court more than a quarter of century ago. I cannot help but suspect a paranoid construct here. I am also struck by the graphic imagery involved and the lack of any concrete examples. Who is doing this? How are they doing it? Where? Can anyone provide an incident? As far as proselytizing,we all all free to do that. Secular organizations do it: Greenpeace,Amnesty International,etc. Religious organizations enjoy the same right. So do atheists,for that matter. What is this terminology in reference to,if anything? The phrase certainly gets thrown around a lot,always devoid of concrete examples. Opinions? Explanations? I would genuinely like to know. Is it just something atheists like to say? Kind of a ritual?

These are not examples; we have separation of church and state. Religious organizations may proselytize as much as secular organizations. I've never had anyone at my door but i have been approached by Mormons. I've also been approached by anti-war activists with petitions. They are exercising the same right. Are you suggesting we abolish separation of church and state so religious organizations may be prohibited from exercising the same rights as others?

Having blocks on foul-mouthed aggressive atheists is justified but apparently ineffective since they are manifestly able to surmount the block. I block anyone who is rude. Read Article 2. I'm able to express myself courteously. Is this purely a Christian virtue? Apparently so.

Answer 1

To justify hatred and victimizing,you must play the victim. Secularism is clearly favored by Big Brother. The feds hate Christianity. All the power is on the atheist side; so they have to play the victim. They aren't. They are extraordinarily vehement and aggressive in promting their beliefs - and they have the federal government behind them.

Answer 2

I'm not necessarily an atheist, but I do know that I get very tired of people telling me that I'm going to hell simply because I'm not certain what I believe in at this point in my life. I think it's unfair for people to "preach" to me when I didnt ask for it. I enjoy having informative debates with friends and people around me about religion but I get seriously turned off when they start in on the fact that their religion is the only way and that there is no room for questioning it. I think it's worse when someone tells me their religion is the absolute religion and it's the one they know the least about. I think people should educate themselves about other religions and be able to take someone else's point of view into consideration as only a point of view and not a personal attack on their religion. In my experience, christians are the worst at this. Many can tell you exactly where a passage is located in the Bible, but most cannot come up with a meaning for it. Also, many choose to take the Bible literally in only the passages that fit for them. It's very hypocritical, and it's a dangerous way to live your life. I wish I could talk to someone about religion that didnt try to "sell" me on converting and instead let me make my own decisions.

That's just my opinion. I can't give you concrete facts or examples for other people but I think I have an idea of where some people can get irritated by others telling them they are wrong all the time. Because honestly, how does anyone really know. Faith is a great thing and the only thing, but if someone else doesnt have the same faith that you do, it doesnt necessarily mean they are wrong.

Good luck with your quest for knowledge...good question!
MB

Answer 3

Despite any court decisions - Creationist are still trying to push Creationism into the public schools. And the use of ID as the Creator is just an attempt to hide the name of the god of the new testament.

Also, I see the possibilities of stem cell research being hindered because of religious worries. For clumps of cells that have already been collected and will be thrown away anyway.

Also, I have never had anybody except a Christian (of one denomination or another) knock on my door or corner me in a shopping mall or even at Disneyland. I acknowledge that it is their right to do but I still have the right to consider it "shoving". Much as you would if a gay person did it.

how's that ?

Answer 4

Grendel, you must live in a cave.

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/evolution.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6470259/
http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/11/08/evolution.debate.ap/
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2005-11-08-kansas-science-standards_x.htm
http://atheism.about.com/od/harrypotter/a/censorship.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/04/23/harry.potter.ap/index.html

I could do this all day. The Christian right has never been shy about butting into the lives of non-believers or attempting to legislate secular institutions. Of course things are better now than they were 400 years ago. At least the zealots quit burning people alive for not basking in the blood of the sacred lamb.

As for your "right to proselytize", didn't your parents teach you any manners? Asking people what religion they are or aren't then telling them they're wrong is bad manners plain and simple. Sure. It's your right to do so, just don't act surprised or indignant (like you're foolishly doing now) when your unwilling antagonist tells you to stick it.

You get what you give. If you act rude and disrespectful expect the same in return.

And you really think your "question" was presented courteously??? Wow...

Answer 5

True story:
I've had members of a local church approach me in my driveway, as I was leaving my home. They stopped me and began to literally assault me by asking whether I had accepted Jesus, did I want to go to hell, didn't I know my soul wasn't right with God???
These were people whom until that moment, I had never had more than cursory contact with. They were uninvited, and my home was at that point a place with a baby, a cat and a dog. All very white bread, normal formal.
That's merely one instance, there's been more.

So I would say that would qualify as "shoving a belief system down my throat" although I also use that term to describe proselytizers, so you have me there.

Answer 6

This is a 2005 action. The Supreme Court ruled, and all sort of assaults on education continue.

Answer 7

I saw a young girl held down by adults and forced to accept Jesus. They told her she had demons inside of her and would not release her. So she screamed. They saw this as proof of demonic possession. They locked her in room and claimed that the demons would not come out unless she accepted Jesus and asked Jesus to remove these demons from her body.

If given the freedom to do so, many Christians would do things just like this. It is a fundamentalist mindset that their way is the ONLY way and people MUST accept it or else. If they have no legal power or authority, the "or else" is simply "or else you will burn in hell for all eternity." However, if given the freedom to take action (such as I saw in this case), many Christians can and will force their religion upon people who do not want it and disagree. They are constantly trying to wedge their beliefs into every area of our society, including public schools and our laws. If we do not constantly combat their efforts, they can and will have their way... a violent and forceful approach.

Not ALL Christians are this way, but some are and will always be. It is one of the drawbacks to fundamentalism. This aspect of human nature will pop up in any fundamentalist group, be it religious or not.

Answer 8

"And please don't dredge up school prayer or teaching creationism; those issues were resolved by the Supreme Court more than a quarter of century ago."

And yet Christians are STILL crying around about it to this day and would LOVE nothing more than to reverse those decisions.

But yeah, it still goes on - from Bill O'Reilly screetching about "War on Christmas" because stores want to include every religion and say "Happy Holiday" (gasp!) to the Christian right making insane statements about Gay Marriage (are goats and children next? PLEASE!), abortion rights, right to die, etc, etc, etc.

But don't let me get the facts in your way...

Answer 9

Christian friends of mine always try to get me to come back to church, my grandma always asking my mom and I what church we are going to. I think the most common example would be when people get into debates with people about religion, then both parties are guilty of trying to "Shove their beliefs down the other person's throat"
That and people coming door to door, or the guilt you feel if you DON'T convert if you do happen to walk into a church one day...
You're right though, it doesn't happen very often. But Gay Marriage is still illegal, even though not everyone in America is Christian, and now some Abortion rights are being limited, even though, again, not everyone agrees...

Answer 10

I'm a Christian and even I know that the U.S. is a Chrsitian Nation. An entire party that openly admits to following religious code in politics! Talk about shoving religion down throats? That's all the Republican party does!
Also, brush up on your history; school prayer is a large issue again.