Atheists: Have you ever been oppressed or discriminated against for your beliefs?

Question

Examples? I'm just asking because you're always claiming how pervasive and oppressive it is.

For those who say those who disagree with you at Y/A, I think that you are overly pampered and sensitive. I'm talking about something more concrete.

Answer 1

I am every day. If I were to come out and admit I am an athiest, I would probably go out of business because most of my clients are Catholics and I live in a heavily Catholic area. They like me and some know I am not "very religious" but to come right out a let people know would be professional suicide.

Answer 2

You mean 'lack of'. I had a boss who was a complete religious whacko who wanted to gather us together to pray every day.

"I'm just asking because you're always claiming how pervasive and oppressive it is." Please point to where I said that. You can't so I didn't so your generalization falls apart.

Sorry by atheists are hard to generalize about because there is no 'group' or 'organization' or leader. It's no more organized than non-sports fans.

Oh by the way religion is pretty darned pervasive . Now you can point to where I said that part. As far as oppressed it would be pretty hard to find anyone at least in the US who is 'oppressed' for their beliefs. There is a lot of preferential and deferential treatment and privileges given to religions specifically Christians. I would say any Christian in the US claiming to be oppressed is pretty comical.

Answer 3

Yes, ma'am I have been. I got kicked out of the church my mother liked so much simply because they all found out that I wasn't Christian. I'd put an article in the school newspaper about religious beliefs. I was in high school at the time. Anyways, I didn't know the church subscribed to it, and everybody there saw it. My mother worked there too, and she almost lost her job. Instead of firing her for it, they just told her I couldn't come back ever again.

Okay, after reading that, I just realized something. I left out the most important part. The guy I had a huge crush on went to that church too, and the little bastard was so incensed when he read what I'd wrote that he wrote a very nasty letter to the editor about me, and sent me a very nasty email, and then decided to go on a crusade to ostracize me from society. It got so bad at my school that they wanted to suspend me for my own protection. Or rather that's what they said.

Answer 4

Atheism is not a belief, it is a lack of belief in gods. I live in Australia which is a tolerant society as far as religion goes. You can be whatever you like as long as you don't try to force it on others. We really are not bothered and have elected many atheists to parliament and have had quite a few atheist Prime Ministers and State Premiers. We are much happier with atheists than we are with fundamentalists of any religion and treat fundies - Christian, Jewish or Muslim - with great suspicion.

Answer 5

1) Christians constantly waking me up to preach to me.

2) Christian religion being constantly written into the laws, i.e., laws disallowing gender-blind marriage.

3) Being forced to listen to Christian stations at work, because I really need a job and can't complain, or I will get fired.

4) Being unable to adopt my cousin (and therefore provide better for him than with the guardianship I was able to get) because christianity won out when it came to civil rights and adoption.

5) People at work talk about being christian all the time without any consequence: I mention that I am an atheist, and I got moved across the room because a woman got offended by me "talking about my religion." Since that day, although my skills at work continue to improve, my grading on my work has gotten harsher and harsher.

6) I've been to several job interviews (especially before my current job) where people talk about Jesus, and when I do not respond warmly, they grow cold and cut the interview short.

7) Christians have been trying to teach my cousin (who I am supposed to be raising, since his christian parents have been extremely abusive and neglectful) their religion in his science class-religion thinly disguised as intelligent design. This also relates to point 8.

8) My tax dollars go to support Christian causes, sometimes directly, other times indirectly.

Answer 6

I stay interior the Buybull Belt and paintings with approximately 500 fruitcakes, what do you think of? I honestly have folders full of each and every thing from threatening e-mails to conversion letters to signs and indicators left with the aid of my paintings area. maximum of them won't consult with me (that's honestly a blessing because of the fact I honestly have no longer something to assert to such an ignorant lot besides). They consistently communicate in the back of my back and the seems, ooooh, the seems! effective! I honestly have threatened with getting restraining orders against a number of the aggressive persons and eagerly anticipate the day once I ought to do it so as that the concern of proseletyzing could be desperate legally as quickly as and for all

Answer 7

No, although there are cases of that happening -- you may recall a couple years ago, those two atheist parents in Oklahoma received death threats because their daughter stood out the US Pledge.

I've generally made it a point to live in the more enlightened parts of the country, although for reasons mostly unrelated to religion.

It certainly does happen though.

Answer 8

Just the normal "you're going to Hell" and always having people feel like they need to be defensive if you state a fact about their religion (like St. Francis, who was the closest to being a "true Christian" wasn't, because he cut a lady's hair, and that's against the rules of St. Paul).

I had an interesting feeling in my gut when people were using the term "atheist" as derogatory name calling against people who supported evolution during the Dover, PA trials, even though they were very Christian.

Answer 9

I've been fired from a job when it was discovered I was atheist.

But usually, people here in Mississippi become frightened when they find out. They are used to arguing over faith issues or Christianity vs. other religions. Meeting an atheist stumps them.

I don't go around with a chip on my shoulder. I do smirk a lot.

As for family, it's no problem, not even with my fundie brother in law. I just tell him to shut it or talk to someone who believes. Otherwise, we get on fine and have happy times.

Answer 10

I would say that you're talking about Christians here. Generally atheists say that we get religion crammed down our throat, are worried about believers voting their morality into law and people trying to teach "pseudo science" as science.

Edit: I would sue in a heartbeat if it ever affected my job.