On a Non-Theist in the House (title borrowed from Allyn Gibson)
Allyn Gibson posts some interesting thoughts regarding Pete Stark’s “coming out of the closet” with his “nontheism”.
I’ve been an atheist (or nontheist - the latest term for “I don’t believe in God”) ever since I can remember - I don’t now nor have I ever had any need for that sort of dogma in my life and beliefs. If I were going to have some sort of “deitic belief” it would no doubt be either the goddess-oriented version, or polytheism, either of which makes more sense to me than the “old white guy patriarchal” dogma that’s foisted on everyone.
I think the most interesting, if apalling thing Allyn posts is this quote from the LA Times:
In a Gallup poll last month, 53% of respondents said they would not vote for an otherwise well-qualified atheist — far more than wouldn’t vote for a homosexual (43%), a 72-year-old (42%), someone married for the third time (30%), a Mormon (24%) or a woman (11%).
Here we go again….
03/18/07, 11:46 AM |
The statistics are damned appalling. American society has some severe hang-ups where atheists are concerned. Americans don’t want to vote for one, Americans don’t want their children marrying one. The flap over John Edwards’ campaign bloggers came down to their atheism being something of a liability because it became an avenue for oppo-research and a way to drown out Edwards’ message.
Maybe I should just pack up and move to Europe; atheists are treated better there…
Discrimination against atheists is real but largely undocumented. I had a job interview tank because of my atheism. (On the flip-side, I had an applicant tell me he couldn’t work for me because I was an atheist. At the end of the interview I told him he could ask me anything he wanted, and he asked me about my political and religious beliefs. I was honest, and he passed on the job because of that.) There was a lawsuit (in New Jersey, I think) over housing discrimination because of atheism. What makes atheistic discrimination so easy and so prevalent is that atheists aren’t especially identifiable as we lack any of the social apparatus that other groups have. Also, things like race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation–these things aren’t choices, and the perception is that atheism is a choice. (There are people for whom atheism is a choice. Then there are people like me for whom it wasn’t a choice or a decision, it’s just how I am. Just as I have homosexual friends for whom their sexual orientation is how they are. It’s just how it is.)
As I said on my blog, Stark needs to be applauded for coming forward. It’s baby steps, but it takes baby steps to start the momentum moving toward eliminating society’s discrimination and negative attitudes toward nontheists.
03/18/07, 12:58 PM |
“(There are people for whom atheism is a choice. Then there are people like me for whom it wasn’t a choice or a decision, it’s just how I am. Just as I have homosexual friends for whom their sexual orientation is how they are. It’s just how it is.)”
Exactly. I guess we could start coloring our faces green or something….
This is all part and parcel of the whole problematic background of theism in this country. So WHAT if the “founding fathers” thought there was a male and patriarchal diety? They were running FROM religious persecution - but they set us up for it in their own right.
Religion needs to be out of not only politics, it needs to be out of big business. Churches need to be taxed just like any other corporation is - does ANYONE who’s not “devout” believe the Mormon Church isn’t a corporation and shouldn’t be taxed as same?
And finally, religion should stay at home or in its own houses of worship. I don’t want to hear prayer of any sort at any group meeting. And I don’t want to see the word God on our money. And I definitely do NOT want the Pledge of Allegiance to use the words “under God”.
Don’t even get me started on the Bible in court or the 10 Commandments on courtroom walls. [Oh, the commandments themselves are fine as long as they simply address “how to maintain a good life”…. it’s the rest of the baggage….]
03/18/07, 12:59 PM |
Well, when the Idiot in the Oval Orifice mandates giving fed grant plums to religion based “help” groups (remember the Fema Katrina stuff that happened? People having to pray to receive their food?) and puts judges and justices into the system based on their beliefs, and keeps thumping his bible and telling everyone that his decisions are right because God whispered them into his ear, what do you expect?
I don’t share your belief (or lack of it) but that doesn’t stop me from being upset with this whole megillah of other people telling YOU or ME what we should believe, and discriminating against us when we don’t. I may believe in a higher power but I do NOT think any organized religion is “the answer”, and in fact see organized religions as the greatest destabilizing factor in our current society as well as in those of the past. And I’ve suffered from a similar discrimination when asked to which church I belong and answered, “None.” so don’t think this discrimination centers on nonbelievers. It really centers on anyone who thinks differently in that regard.
I’m very much thinking that Religion is the great untalked about reason (besides oil) for why the Idiot got us into a war in Iraq. He sees himself as some Crusader bringing God (or, more correctly HIS version of God.) to the Heathens. Spare us all.