Comments on: Atheism as Civil Rights Issue?

By: Friendly Atheist » Atheism is a Civil Rights Issue

Friendly Atheist » Atheism is a Civil Rights Issue — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 01:06:14 +0000

[...] I wrote more thoroughly about this in a previous posting. [...]

By: Maria

Maria — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 06:30:16 +0000

One person has already said Nisbet would have a different view of atheist discrimination if he didn’t live in Washington, D.C.

That is true. We have people of so many different backgrounds here it’s really hard to stereotype anyone. I got quite a shock when I went down to the southeast. We do have fundies here, but they are in the minority, thank goodness.

By: Darryl

Darryl — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 03:20:24 +0000

All I can say is that the folks who claim atheist don’t need civil rights have never lived in The Southeastern part of the old US of A!!!

You probably have a point there. I’ve been ‘blessed’ to have lived in CA and AZ all my life. My sister lived in Louisiana and Virginia for a while, and she told me some unbelievable stories. I’m sure I would not be comfortable in the Southern States, beginning with Texas (my apologies to you remnant of truly good folk that abide therein).

By: anon

anon — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:50:18 +0000

What a bizarre thing – persecuting people because they refuse to embrace the absurd as ‘truth’. Is it insanity or stupidity, or some combination of both?

By: HoleyHands

HoleyHands — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:41:23 +0000

All I can say is that the folks who claim atheist don’t need civil rights have never lived in The Southeastern part of the old US of A!!!

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:10:56 +0000

I think they all make good points. No one can deny that there are many civil rights violations that happen to atheists. I agree that the biggest problem is an image problem, and that some consistent good PR would go very far to improve that.
When I can freely admit to the parents of my kids friends that I am a non believer, without fear of their reaction (and especially the kid’s reactions) then I’ll consider that PR a success. When people do not first assume that someone is a believer when they meet them, I’ll consider the PR a success. Atheism should be a complete non issue.

By: Siamang

Siamang — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:59:16 +0000

Heehe…. sorry, I was in a cranky mood this morning.

By: Maria

Maria — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:52:58 +0000

I don’t want to be popular. If I wanted to be popular I’d be a Christian.

I want not to be fucked with.

I agree

By: Anthony

Anthony — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:09:40 +0000

I think the "atheist" contribution to civil rights is that we have identified a root cause of most civil right violations.

By: Miko

Miko — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:14:48 +0000

Most importantly, whether it’s a Civil Rights issue or not is subordinate to whether we use the model of the Civil Rights movement to achieve our aims. We could use the model because it’s effective even if we didn’t see our particular complaints as Civil Rights issues.