Atheism is dangerous
I am very rarely surprised by religion anymore.
I don’t know what you have against God, but some of us don’t have much against him. We look forward to him and his blessings. And it’s really a tragedy — it’s tragic — when a person who is engaged in anything related to God, they want to fight. They want to fight prayer in school.
I’m trying to understand the philosophy that you want to spread in the state of Illinois. This is the Land of Lincoln. This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where people believe in protecting their children.… What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous, it’s dangerous–
It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! Now you will go to court to fight kids to have the opportunity to be quiet for a minute. But damn if you’ll go to [court] to fight for them to keep guns out of their hands. I am fed up! Get out of that seat!
You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.
That was a rant by Illinois Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) to atheist activist Rob Sherman, as he was testifying in the Illinois legislature over a bill that would provide state money to a Baptist church.
Atheists are not very well liked or trusted in the United States. A study conducted in 2006 showed that atheists were the least trusted minority group in America, thought less of than gays, Muslims, and recent immigrants. I’m not sure exactly why, but I can guess. It could be because many religious people grow up so completely surrounded by their religious beliefs, that the concept of atheism is completely alien to them. Or it could be because atheism is a more assertive symbol that their beliefs are not really facts (other religions notwithstanding, as they can be justified as “other portrayals of God”). Or it could be simply because of prejudices inherited from their parents.
I have heard from multiple atheists that the easiest way to become an atheist is to read the Bible and study religion. Maybe fundamentalists are so wary of atheists out of a knee-jerk reaction against anything that dares to contradict their religion’s absolute truth.
I know of people who don’t use the term “atheist” to describe themselves due to the negative connotations. That makes me sad.
Wow, this story went around the blogosphere like wildfire. Of course, it is extremely egregious and considered by the mainstream to “not be a big deal”… what can I say, common sense isn’t so common.
I’ve heard this story from three or four websites so far. I hope someone is paying attention. I hope people in Illinois vote more wisely next time.
I don’t consider myself an atheist just because it…sounds too…absolute. So yeah, I suppose that could be considered the result of negative connotations. ;p
Sane is also an absolute. However absolutes are possible in the real world- thanks to logic.
I felt the same way for a long time, Nic, and I didn’t start to consistently use the term “atheist” until just a few years ago. What clinched it for me was an essay written by Douglas Adams (in the compilation book Salmon of Doubt) where he writes that religion seems to get a logical pass where basically nothing else does, and there’s no rational reason to treat religious beliefs any differently than any other statement - meaning, if there’s no facts/evidence supporting the statement, it must be rejected. It just suddenly clicked for me, and an atheist I have been ever since. I have no reason to believe in any god or higher power, and so I don’t (which is not to say that I am absolutely asserting that no god exists).
Um….While I agree with the seperation of church and state, and would be against the bill, I myself am a Christian, and so find this mildly offensive. I mean, yes it is belief and faith, but isn’t atheism a belief as well? I mean if you can neither prove nor disprove then saying either way is asserting a belief.
Atheists percieved as untrustworthy? I actually find that hard to believe. However, I can see where that is coming from. I mean, most people in the world believe in a higher power of some kind and a moral code that goes along with it, so atheists, who believe in no higher power, are also thought to have no moral code, or to at least be less likely to follow one. While this certainly isn’t the case, I can see how it could be percieved as such.
On the whole prayer in school. freedom of religion. Kids get to take knives to school over it. Why can’t there just be a quite time where, if the kids want to, they can pray, and those that don’t can go get a colouring book from the teacher or something to that effect? And I mean, if one religion isn’t allowed to be expressed in school, then none should be allowed.
I’ve probably missed the entire point of this article, but I feel my discourse was meaningful and at least useful to me.
Me again, I said mildly offensive. I don’t find the response offensive. I find the man speaking offensive. He seems to have a very…provocative manner.
Though re-reading, fundamentalist seems to be used in a negative connotation here as well by the reply.
those called fundamentalist are not that, they have all this dogma added on and have claimed fundamentalism as their’s. When, fundamentalism should be, at least the Christian variety that is being referred to, what is only in the scriptures.
Again, this post may not be meaningful to some, but it was useful to me.
I’d be in favor of giving kids quiet time to do whatever they want. As long as prayer isn’t enforced.
“Sane is also an absolute. However absolutes are possible in the real world- thanks to logic.”
There are very few things in the world I’d consider “absolute.” Being “sane” definitely isn’t one of them.