Good question. Where is this place where Chrisitians relentlessly try to convert you? The occasional Jehovah's Witness may be an annoyance - but hardly any cause for outrage. There are non-Christian theocratic nations that are far more rigorous in their doctrines.
http://undergod.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000082 I could go on and on, but I think we all know that separation of church and state is a hot-button topic, and is very much an issue in this country.
I'll try to avoid saying, "God Damn it" the next time I bump my knee into the couch. Don't want you to feel religious pressure.
You can say "God Damn it" all you want. Just don't propose a law that says I have to say "God Damn it". :grin:
Can't speak for everyone, but I'd say in general it's the whole "Christian Nation" argument that gets under our skin more than any one person's prosthelytizing. If only I had a dollar for every time I heard a Christian say "90% of Americans believe in God...", as if that gives them some kind of license to skirt issues of separation of church and state. The secular community gets a lot of crap for opposing things that may in fact be unlawful/unconstitutional, but at the same time seem trivial (like the Seven in Heaven street sign in NYC). Problem is, if we let those things slide then we'll have no precedence for opposing the bigger issues.
This I understand, as a political concept/construct, but many here give the impression that they're under some daily fire and brimstone verbal assault from modern day crusaders. Bull****. I've been non-religious most of my 50+ years and can count on one hand where my state of non-belief was an issue to anyone, other than my mother and Sister Margaret Mary.
Why do you think that? To me, it's like saying that if I don't oppose Barack Obama hosting the Mavericks at the White House and congratulating them for winning a championship, that I can't oppose him making a law forcing me to go to Mavericks games in a Dirk Nowitzki jersey.
Does "Merry Christmas" or "Eid Saeed" offend you? Has anyone personally experienced oppression for being an atheist?
I don't mind when individuals, or even businesses say Merry Christmas - probably because it never really had strong religious connotations within my family. However if it's a government sanctioned message we're talking about, I think it should clearly be Happy Holidays. As for oppression, I've had my share of experiences. One time I was playing in a basketball league and one of my teammates asked if I wanted to go to church with him that weekend. I declined, and he asked if I believed in god. Of course I said no, and he literally said "You serious? I can't play basketball with you anymore". That's the last time he ever spoke to me. I also had a girlfriend, who I had known for almost 3 years by the time the subject of my disbelief came up, and when I told her she suddenly looked at me like I was some kind of whack job. She would bring it up (negatively) anytime there was an opportunity, such as watching a movie with exorcisms in it. Again, this is someone who shared a most intimate relationship with me in every other way, yet the fact that I was an atheist suddenly changed her view of me, and not for the better. Then of course there's my mom, who thinks I'm going to hell and gives me guilt trips about it anytime my atheism comes up (which I try to avoid for that very reason). Speaking of avoiding, the head honcho where I work is a very religious, and very radical (not necessarily related) and I fear he would get rid of me if he found out I'm not a believer. I'd have to say I'm implicitly oppressed on a daily basis. Explicitly? Every now and again.
None of the explicit things that you mentioned are oppression. They might be idiots doing idiotic things, but they aren't oppressive at all.
Perhaps not individually, but the whole of the Christian community works together (through acts similar to those I shared) to oppress those with a dissenting opinion.
It's not at all the same. One is a ceremonial gesture that rotates every year and has no legal authority, the other isn't. Our courts are greatly influenced by legal precedent. Establishing a legal precedent for integration of any religious doctrine into the govt is a recipe for disaster. From a legal standpoint, it opens the door to a world of problems.
Tim Minchiin on the power of prayer: <iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/umnV-o_Tvx4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
My favorite part of any thread is where people in Group A tell the people in Group B why the people in Group B choose to be in Group B. Good times.
Not sure what to do. Move to California? It's the (white) Christians here who are scorned. I do think that you have to respect an individual's freedom of speech and opinion. Perhaps you should disassociate from yourself from the religious zealots. I still think that to equate your personal experiences with "oppression" makes light if the plights of those in other societies.
I'm sure they may feel scorned, but seeing as how the vast majority of white Americans (and indeed, Californians) are Christians, I would wager the scorn isn't nearly as prevalent as they perceive. Once again, I think this is Christians being somewhat intolerant of dissenting viewpoints. You do realize that there are types of oppression other than political oppression, right? Cultural oppression can be just as damaging to communities, and in the case of Christianity, can be quite subtle and "innocent" in appearance. But make no mistake: when people say things like "This is a Christian nation", what they're really saying is "You aren't part of this country if you aren't Christian". That's oppression.
