Moderator Margee Posted August 3, 2011 Moderator Share Posted August 3, 2011 There isn't a lot of good news that is being published for us people here at EX -c. out there in the world. How does it really feel to you, to belong to a 'minority' group? It's like we're dammed ! I have not yet found a real positive article on being a 'non -believer. I came across this strange study that explores Americans' increasing acceptance of religious diversity as long as it does not extend to those who don’t believe in a God. From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, blacks, gays and lesbians and all other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry. Even though atheists are few in number, not formally organized and relatively hard to publicly identify , (I love that!!) they are seen as a threat to the American way of life by a large portion of the American public. Today’s atheists play the role that Catholics, Jews and communists have played in the past.......they offer a symbolic moral boundary to membership in American society. “It seems most Americans believe that diversity is fine, as long as every one shares a common ‘core’ of values that make them trustworthy— and in America, that ‘core’ has historically been religious,” Many of the study’s respondents associated atheism with an array of moral indiscretions ranging from criminal behavior to rampant materialism and cultural elitism. “The findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good.” I did not realize when I lost my faith that I would belong to a minority group that was so disliked and hated!! How do you guys handle it? If we are 'found out' , will we be thrown in jail, whipped, sold, gassed, burned at the stake or killed on site like other minority groups in the world ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I've always felt myself a minority of one, an individual. I don't understand what I'm supposed to feel here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingLife Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Margee, most of us here were of the extreme devout kind that took our faith seriously. These polls mean squat as most marginal xians we would have seen back then as no different to unbelievers and these polls contain many such people. Folk are pretty much secular and most seldom attend church. These types are not the ones you will find signing up here but more the ones who once were woos in their own right and started to question for whatever reason. For the rest, I doubt they give two shits about their proclaimed faith. If all these so called xians were on the internet forums, there would not be enough time in the day to read all the posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galien Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 People love to lash out at what they don't understand. Christianity gives them something to give their life meaning and I suspect the thought that there are people who don't believe what they do threatens that meaning on a level so deep it scares the living shit out of them. This morning a friend on facebook declared his intention to abstain from fornication. I put my money's worth in and within a half hour I was "inviting him to sin" (well I wasn't but having already sampled his wares I probably should have) trying to drag him out of the church because of my own abuse, projecting and ultimately evil and being led by satan. At no point did any of these people consider he has already lost a marriage and has limited access to his kids because of the depth of his obsession with things christian. He is a friend who I don't want to see hurt further, but no, all that matters is his adherence to the rules that make his christian friends comfortable. I am glad Margee that I never have to belong to the christian majority again if this is the way they carry on. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to live in america given the prevaling christian sentiment. Let's hope that reason prevails and that people learn how to live and let live. As I always say christians seem to always miss the directive from jesus that said learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart. Bible also says perfect love casts out fear, but I have never met a more fearful group of people than christians. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insaneloner Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Oddly, this doesn't really bother me all that much, because I never felt like I belonged in the xtian "community" anyway. I'm much happier staying well away from that shit. And as for their opinions of atheists in general...yes they're wrong, but these opinions are most likely coming from fundies and the like. Why should I care what they think? It's not as if I'm looking to be friends with them. Life is short and it's not worth it to waste time caring about these idiots. I'd much rather spend my time caring about people who I actually like. Like my super-awesome friends! lol 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yalta Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 You know, it's the young who are becoming more and more non-religious, so these polls will become a thing of the past as the peons die out and we (I'm 30, my younger brother's 23, my cousin's 21) replace them. Yeah, there will be older people who will become more accepting as family members admit to being non-religious, and there will also be those whose views will never change, as changing them is too scary. Really, the thing that drives long-lasting change is new generations who disagree with their parents. And their parents' views have to either change, or the parents will grow old and die anyway. It sounds harsh, but I think it's true. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chosendarkness Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Americans must hate Buddhists then, they don't believe in God. I think the reason people disllike atheists so much is this is a Christian country and Atheism is Christianity's nemesis here. It used to be 'new age' back in the 80's now it's Atheism. I think that study must be kind of old though, it seems like there are a lot more atheists now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted August 3, 2011 Author Moderator Share Posted August 3, 2011 She says here that atheists are hated more than any minority!! This 'fight' sounds awful!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SillyString Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 “The findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good.” I did not realize when I lost my faith that I would belong to a minority group that was so disliked and hated!! How do you guys handle it? If we are 'found out', will we be thrown in jail, whipped, sold, gassed, burned at the stake or killed on site like other minority groups in the world ?? I think there are many people who are atheists and choose not to share it - many kindhearted and caring people who are concerned with the common good. I've read articles that say atheism is on the rise recently, so I don't think we will be a minority forever. I think this is a good reason for more of us to come out of the closet. We need to work to change this image that atheists are horrible people. Of course, there are good atheists and bad atheists, just like with any other group, but I see most atheists as having more morality than Christians. It seems that many people in the younger generation are leaving their parent's religions, so I'm hopeful that things will change in the future. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted August 3, 2011 Author Moderator Share Posted August 3, 2011 “The findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good.” I did not realize when I lost my faith that I would belong to a minority group that was so disliked and hated!! How do you guys handle it? If we are 'found out', will we be thrown in jail, whipped, sold, gassed, burned at the stake or killed on site like other minority groups in the world ?? I think there are many people who are atheists and choose not to share it - many kindhearted and caring people who are concerned with the common good. I've read articles that say atheism is on the rise recently, so I don't think we will be a minority forever. I think this is a good reason for more of us to come out of the closet. We need to work to change this image that atheists are horrible people. Of course, there are good atheists and bad atheists, just like with any other group, but I see most atheists as having more morality than Christians. It seems that many people in the younger generation are leaving their parent's religions, so I'm hopeful that things will change in the future. Beth! This is an awesome point!! We do need to come out of the closet!!!! Oh god, I'm startin' to shake!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SillyString Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Here's a video for you Margee, from back in 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLqmmPm6jnM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Atheists are not the growing minority, Christianity is. More people are leaving Christianity than any other religious group. Muslims are gaining converts, Christians are losing their members to Islam. Muslims outnumber Christians in Chicago alone. Detroit is one of the fastest growing Muslim cities next to Chicago. Christians have always lied, padded their numbers to make themselves look like a religious explosion of faith, they are slowly dwindling in numbers. It is very noticeable among the Southern Baptists who have split their convention due to plays for power between leaders. One half is a growing liberal majority that is more accepting of homosexuals and the other half are hard lined conservatives who suck up whatever the GOP throws their way. Divisions of other denominations, even among Catholics, is proof that memberships are on the decline. The church feels threatened which is why other denominations such as Westboro Baptist Church are allowed to spew their homophobic anger at anyone they choose. The church gets money and others who suck off their tits also get a bone to chew on. The more hatred the church spews the more it proves its power is dwindling. This hatred is voiced in Congress. they get elected off the donations of the church. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest religious political organization in the country. And, perhaps the wealthiest. Because more and more members are leaving the church, the church calls them atheists, whether they are or not. Atheism is growing in numbers around the country as more and more churches become divided over gay marriages and legalization of marijuana, of all things. The church is a club of pathetic hateful losers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScifiChick Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Back when i was a Christian, I thought I was in a persecuted minority and it was us against them. When I left, I was watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which a character named Riley realized he's actually working for the bad guys when he thought he had been working for the good guys. I could relate to that. Now, I don't much care for labels. And if someone is stupid enough to hate me because I'm not in their little group, that's their problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScifiChick Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Double post demon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VacuumFlux Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Back when i was a Christian, I thought I was in a persecuted minority and it was us against them. Yep. Listening to my parents, I can see where I got it from. They listen to people like Limbaugh and Beck and The Bible Answer Man for their view of the world. And it's always about an Us vs. Them fight. "Them" even includes the liberal christians who aren't hard-line GOP. And they believe all of this while simultaneously believing that we are a christian nation. I think they used to believe that christianity was going liberal so they just weren't many True Believers left; lately they seem to be getting more of a Tea Party concept that True Believers are actually pretty numerous, just being ignored (or intentionally silenced) by the evil anti-christian government. But growing up in church and christian school I never once met an "other". College was quite a shock. I guess I live in a liberal enough area and have enough liberal friends that I know a lot of atheists. My friend accept me as I am. Just the subculture I grew up in never will. I've also been reading a few atheist blogs that talk about current events, separation of church and state lawsuits, atheist billboards, and atheist conferences that it's easy to see that even if I'm in a minority, it's not that small of one. It's also vocal and growing. So that gives me hope. Doesn't help much with me dealing with my family, but it does give me a lot of hope for the future and the comfort of knowing that there is a community that will accept me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser01 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Back when i was a Christian, I thought I was in a persecuted minority and it was us against them. Yep. Listening to my parents, I can see where I got it from. They listen to people like Limbaugh and Beck and The Bible Answer Man for their view of the world. And it's always about an Us vs. Them fight. "Them" even includes the liberal christians who aren't hard-line GOP. And they believe all of this while simultaneously believing that we are a christian nation. I think they used to believe that christianity was going liberal so they just weren't many True Believers left; lately they seem to be getting more of a Tea Party concept that True Believers are actually pretty numerous, just being ignored (or intentionally silenced) by the evil anti-christian government. But growing up in church and christian school I never once met an "other". College was quite a shock. I guess I live in a liberal enough area and have enough liberal friends that I know a lot of atheists. My friend accept me as I am. Just the subculture I grew up in never will. I've also been reading a few atheist blogs that talk about current events, separation of church and state lawsuits, atheist billboards, and atheist conferences that it's easy to see that even if I'm in a minority, it's not that small of one. It's also vocal and growing. So that gives me hope. Doesn't help much with me dealing with my family, but it does give me a lot of hope for the future and the comfort of knowing that there is a community that will accept me. it makes christians feel good to belive the world is out to get them, it makes them feel like their the underdog resistance that they saw in some movie somwhere. it makes them feel like they have a purpose. and this ideology can be very dangorus becuase the whole world is not out to get them but they still belive "them" is a enemy. when they create the word "them" and the word "us" it creates a powder keg for tyrany and thats how wars, genocides, infanticides, rascism and general conflict hapens. but they belive their justified to judge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser01 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 She says here that atheists are hated more than any minority!! This 'fight' sounds awful!! haha marge this was great. at least there is hope for stephen russle XD but seriously this is absurd it amazes me the kind of atheist they manifacture that arnt real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chosendarkness Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Back when i was a Christian, I thought I was in a persecuted minority and it was us against them. When I left, I was watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which a character named Riley realized he's actually working for the bad guys when he thought he had been working for the good guys. I could relate to that. Now, I don't much care for labels. And if someone is stupid enough to hate me because I'm not in their little group, that's their problem. That's a good example of how religion is part of the imagination. Christians think they're the minority when in reality they have the largest religion in the world, something like 2 billion people. Yet they imagine themselves as a minority. That's pretty stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlphaToOmega Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Atheists are not the growing minority, Christianity is. More people are leaving Christianity than any other religious group. Muslims are gaining converts, Christians are losing their members to Islam. Muslims outnumber Christians in Chicago alone. Detroit is one of the fastest growing Muslim cities next to Chicago. Christians have always lied, padded their numbers to make themselves look like a religious explosion of faith, they are slowly dwindling in numbers. It is very noticeable among the Southern Baptists who have split their convention due to plays for power between leaders. One half is a growing liberal majority that is more accepting of homosexuals and the other half are hard lined conservatives who suck up whatever the GOP throws their way. Divisions of other denominations, even among Catholics, is proof that memberships are on the decline. The church feels threatened which is why other denominations such as Westboro Baptist Church are allowed to spew their homophobic anger at anyone they choose. The church gets money and others who suck off their tits also get a bone to chew on. The more hatred the church spews the more it proves its power is dwindling. This hatred is voiced in Congress. they get elected off the donations of the church. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest religious political organization in the country. And, perhaps the wealthiest. Because more and more members are leaving the church, the church calls them atheists, whether they are or not. Atheism is growing in numbers around the country as more and more churches become divided over gay marriages and legalization of marijuana, of all things. The church is a club of pathetic hateful losers. Last I checked Muslims also greatly exaggerate their numbers. One of the tricks they do is add any new people coming in but ignore the fact that a lot are leaving. As a result they have claims way higher than the actual numbers. There was a site I was at that was basically ex-muslims. Some of the shit that went on there makes stories of ex-christians seem very subdued. People getting killed for leaving the faith, beaten for attempting to think etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrotherJosh Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 You know, it's the young who are becoming more and more non-religious, so these polls will become a thing of the past as the peons die out and we (I'm 30, my younger brother's 23, my cousin's 21) replace them. Yeah, there will be older people who will become more accepting as family members admit to being non-religious, and there will also be those whose views will never change, as changing them is too scary. Really, the thing that drives long-lasting change is new generations who disagree with their parents. And their parents' views have to either change, or the parents will grow old and die anyway. It sounds harsh, but I think it's true. An excellent point and one my friend and I were discussing a few days ago...I think as Generation X and Y start to supplant the Baby Boomers and the older generations there will be a tempering of these harsh opinions towards the gay community, non-religious, atheists, other religions etc...I can't remember the exact poll numbers but there is a recognized crisis among churches about the flood of younger people leaving. My sister is significantly younger than me (she was a surprise) but just thinking about the technology and information she is growing up with is astounding. Using a cell phone and Nintendo DS was second nature by the time she was six. She also spends a ton of time on Wikipedia and watching National Geographic specials online which is just a testament to the power of the Internet. I remember the influence programs like Bill Nye had on me and my critical thinking so it's encouraging to see younger generations having that amount of information right at their fingertips. On top of that younger generations even including myself, so Gen X - the millennials, are growing up seeing the gay community become more and more accepted to the point where gay couples are featured on TV and movies in a positive light which will fuel further acceptance by the mainstream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandermac Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 When I first started to de-convert I was pretty vocal about it. But living where I do I've learned when to shut up. I've lost jobs and had problems with my son's school because of our non belief. I have to pick and choose what I want to take a stand on. I suspect there are few more like me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted August 4, 2011 Super Moderator Share Posted August 4, 2011 There was a site I was at that was basically ex-muslims. Some of the shit that went on there makes stories of ex-christians seem very subdued.People getting killed for leaving the faith, beaten for attempting to think etc. Right wing lies. Islam is a religion of peace. The politically correct Americans have told me so. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noggy Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Last I checked Muslims also greatly exaggerate their numbers. One of the tricks they do is add any new people coming in but ignore the fact that a lot are leaving. As a result they have claims way higher than the actual numbers. There was a site I was at that was basically ex-muslims. Some of the shit that went on there makes stories of ex-christians seem very subdued. People getting killed for leaving the faith, beaten for attempting to think etc. The muslim religion is a disgrace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stamps1962 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I'm an agnostic. My son whom is 15 is an avowed athiest. I have told him to keep those views very private, even to the point of going along as much as he can with fibs, etc when asked, even if it's nobody's business what he believes. I have just seen too many cases of hate and prejudice by otherwise fine people who cannot cope with what they view as a rejection of a facade they've spent their lives constructing. I worry that his beliefs will impede his abilty to find a job, etc. Many years ago i was actually asked in a job interview if I believed in God. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted August 4, 2011 Author Moderator Share Posted August 4, 2011 I'm an agnostic. My son whom is 15 is an avowed athiest. I have told him to keep those views very private, even to the point of going along as much as he can with fibs, etc when asked, even if it's nobody's business what he believes. I have just seen too many cases of hate and prejudice by otherwise fine people who cannot cope with what they view as a rejection of a facade they've spent their lives constructing. I worry that his beliefs will impede his abilty to find a job, etc. Many years ago i was actually asked in a job interview if I believed in God. This is exactly the point of my topic Stamps. ''Atheists are listed as below Muslims, recent immigrants, blacks, gays and lesbians and all other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” As much as things are changing - we still have to live in the NOW, 2011! As I said - I did not realize when I innocently lost my faith, (because of rational) I would belong to a group in the world that was so hated. If only there was a god I could believe in..................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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