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LINK New report finds nonreligious people face stigma and discrimination

I don't let very many people at work know that I'm a non believer. I firmly believe that it would not go over well.

HippieChick58 9 May 5
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25 comments

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13

Not me .Never, due to the fact I do not feel it is necessary to tell people about this unimportant aspect of myself .It is a small part of who I am ,so why the heck should I tell anyone .Its none of their business anyway.Some people on this site place to much importance on their non belief .It causes them to loose Jobs ,marriages, relationships etc .Some of these members recently wished death from coronavirus to religious individuals on a recent post .This is not normal .I call this nonbeliever obsessive disorder.

I like the term .It is befitting to a good many here.LOL

12

The only ones that get discriminated against are the ones that do not have the common sense to know when and to who to tell this about themselves.Is this any different than religious individuals going around and telling people about their religious beliefs .I do not want to hear them and they do not want to hear me .

@richiegtt Who said common sense is a prerequisite for being non religious.

So much for observing the "love they neighbor as thyself" clause in the Bible ... We all know they are hypocrites...

@phoenixone1 Many people on this site hate religious people,so they are also hypocritical .An individual who replied to this post mentioned that some of the members comments stated that religious individuals deserved to get the coronavirus on a recent post .In the over two years on this site as an agnostic I have continually noticed the bile and hate aimed at religious individuals .

@richiegtt and therein lies the crux of the matter. The empowerment of people to express their negative feelings towards their fellow mankind has been put on the table for all to partake. Social media has given voices that would not be normally heard an amplifier that cannot be ignored. The crazies are now emboldened to take shots not only verbally but physically. Division is now not just embraced but encouraged...and encouraged by what is unfortunately the most powerful individual on the planet and we can only watch as spectators as our country is torn apart. We can only hope that a change for the better will come soon before it is too late to turn back. Social unrest has become the new normal that if left unchecked will fester and eventually explode into a full blown war. I am not the smartest peanut in the bag but not the dumbest either but I can feel the tension building beyond escape velocity real fast. Once we cross that bridge there is no turning back.

@WW11grandpa I whole heartedly agree with you grandpa, there are indeed some hateful close minded foul mouthed misfits and outcasts on this site, but there are some open minded empathetic members as well .Take the good with the bad is my advice

@Emanuele That’s for sure

12

How do atheists feel about people that brag about, and tell everyone they ARE religious .They do not look favorably upon this do they .Well it is the same thing when people open their big mouths and yap about being NON religious .If they did not do this they would not face discrimination.I have never even been close to being discriminated against.I do not feel compelled to tell anyone I am agnostic .This is no big accomplishment on my part or anything to be proud of .It takes no effort to be born with common sense .

Exactly!

11

I think it depends a lot on where you live. I remember when I first came on this site I thought I was reading a lot of BS because here in the Northeast people mind their own business about religion. I even posted about it. But I have sadly learned a lot since then...you all should Move if you can!

In the UK nobody really gives a toss any more. The general feeling is that Christians are mostly harmless dimwits.

If we move, they win ~

@Seeker3CO Not if my alternative had been ..New York City. Nope, handing over the heart or hinterlands to the best organized band of fanatics is no win..

7

No!? Tell me it’s not true!

@creative51 well, no!

@creative51 I hate Frosted Flakes, maybe Mueslix

@creative51 Well, yeah, but I’m agnostic. Fuzzy is part of the package.

@Gatovicolo there is just No pleasing some people.......

@AnneWimsey Oh, there is a way of pleasing people, cereal just isn’t it.

7

I didn't read the article, but my response to the headline is "no shit!" lol

I didn't realize it until I came on this site and someone asked, but I think I was essentially pushed out of one job over this. Oh, and probably also my liberal views.

Yep. Myself also. I worked for a Protestant bishop. And white supremacist.

@creative51 I'm a democratic socialist agnostic, thank you very much! 😛

5

...like I need a Report 😕

Varn Level 8 May 6, 2020
5

Fortunately, I live in Philly and this almost never comes up. In 15+ years here, I've only had a conversation about it twice. Once, the guy was a nominal Catholic, and was interested in a friendly, curious sort of way. He was genuinely interested and not at all judgmental. The second time, it was a cigar shop buddy whose reaction was more disbelief. I get that in some situations its best to avoid the topic to avoid prejudice. I once lived in South Carolina for a year and the pressure to conform was much more overt.

5

Well, was it not so for ever so many centuries that the Churches PERSECUTED Non-religious/Non-Believers just as we are?
I often think that we are singularly fortunate that they, the Religidiots,can no longer, legally, burst through our doors, seize us, chain us up and drag us away to tortured, humiliated and then executed as they did to, literally, thousands who came before us.
Though I also have no doubts that, given half a chance, the Religidiots ,( Evangelidiots in particular) would NOT hesitate for one single moment to re-create the utter Atrocities that were committed against us in the past.
But the louder we speak as ONE voice, the more we shall be heard and the lesser the chance of such Atrocities being re-born.

4

Meh.

When people start throwing out religious talk, I let them know I don't believe in it. If they don't feel obligated to keep their religion private, I don't feel obligated to keep atheism private. Maybe they'll shut up around me once they know.

3

Being retired it's a non issue. Tho when I was working it really never came up. Bigger issue was a woman working in a male dominated job; off-set camera operator, platemaker and lithographer. That said, I must have exhibited some non-belief as I once had a supervisor get in my face wanting to know if I believed in God. Totally had the feeling if I said no I'd be burned at the stake as a witch. I did say,"Well where (as I gestured with my hands in an all inclusive manner) do you think this all comes from?" 🙂 It was a union shop so the fear of getting canned for something like that was less than in a non----union shop.

3

I can almost accept that some people believe what is written in the bible but it is so well known that Mormonism was invented by a convicted conman, why do they fall for it. Almost as ridiculous as scientology

The only difference is the Bible was assembled so long ago, there's not much way to disprove some of the claims. To me it's as ridiculous as the Book Of Mormon.

3

I notice certain religious teachers at my school float comments to gauge your reaction to see if you are one of "them" or not. A teacher next door (to my classroom) said she couldn't find some papers her students turned in, and casually floated, "If you are a man of faith, maybe you could pray that I find them." She didn't even look at me as she said this, continuing to look for the papers, but I knew exactly what she was doing. I said nothing, so I'm placed in the category of either an atheist, or a weird flavor of religion that she need not pursue. (She later found them in the bottom of her backpack. I guess that's how god works. You forget where you put something, and then finding them later right where you put them means god found them for you with magic.)

2

New report: Earth is round. Things that touch water get wet.

Duh.

SCal Level 7 May 7, 2020
2

It all depends in what country this is in. The US who professes itself to be democratic and full of freedom is not, especially when it comes to religion.

2

That's one of the ways the religion has stayed around so long. Constant self reinforcement. They control the information flow. How else could something so preposterous been accepted so long?

2

Either it never comes up, is no big deal, OR I just avoid the whole thing by intentional vagueness or outright lying.
Works great.
(I tell my mother, a devout Catholic, OF COURSE I believe in God. The truth is, as an agnostic I have no clue but think it's possible. Sort of. In a way.
Why upset her and open up THAT can of worms?)
In general, Catholics either don't care, find it an interesting subject, or at most give me a quizzical look...how odd to even TALK about it!
Catholics are NOT Evangelicals, are more live and let live. See, since I WAS baptized (at five days old) I guess I'm covered no matter WHAT!
Me? I could care less, since I don't know WHAT I think!
Some may think I'm cowardly for not 'standing up for' my 'beliefs,' but I really truly don't HAVE any beliefs, so I don't take the subject seriously.

2

More common in the bible belt

I live in Georgia. Was christian for 30 years. Finally woke up but i'm not gonna tell anyone because i know the consequences of it.

2

Well I just tell them I'm atheist..They don't like it, to bad their lose not mine..

2

It has always been like that especially in extremely religious society. Mubarak Bala president of Nigerian Humanist Society is currently in jail for blasphemy

2

I pretty much keep it to myself, as well.

2

So what else is new?

1

Braised baby shanks are my FAVORITE! I tell'm 'if you're not interested, then it just means more for me'. 😛🍴🧂

1

You're missing all the fun.🥳👀

0

I can't ask anyone to be like me and I'm no idealist. But I say I'm an agnostic Atheist when I'm asked, and trust me I've always said it in places you don't want to be! But to be honest you can't complain about discrimination and its endurance when you choose to accept it! No need for a revolution or violence cause luckily a Freethinker is the opposite of that but making a stand of who you are is you RIGHT and is the only (for you now painful) solution to Stop this, for now and for later!

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