Poll: Should Atheists Just Shut Up...

[par4dcourse]

Austin Cline writes a great article this week. http://atheism.about.com/b/2008/02/28/dail...-christians.htm

[florduh]

That is indeed a great article. Damn, wish I could write like that.

 

- Chris

[The-Captain]

Thus far a resounding "Hell No!" from atheists.

[R. S. Martin]

Here's the reply that, with more than 700 responses, stands at 87% at the moment:

 

Not at all - Christians deserves no special privileges or deference over any other belief systems.[1]

 

A nurse by name Annie commented about having problems with the wording of the poll. She further states:

 

There are times when people with specific beliefs do need to be accommodated in those beliefs. For example, when people are dealing with significant health problems and ask to have someone pray with them, as a nurse, I certainly do stand with them, hold their hands, pat a shoulder, lend my presence and pray with them if I know the words to their prayer of choice. It doesn’t make me a believer or a religious advocate - it makes me a therapeutic tool to help them relax, relieve physiological stressors and encourage psychological ease. It doesn’t ask me to change my beliefs or negate my beliefs, either.[2]

 

I agree. I would do that, too, if I were in her place. However, I would try to do the same for any other religion, too. The key words, as I see it, are the bolded ones: Christians deserves no special privileges or deference over any other belief systems.

 

[1]The poll answer was taken from here.

 

[2]To find the comment by Annie, go to the same link. Then click on the link for comments at the bottom of the article. The comments page has no url.