One thing that has always bothered me is Atheists trying to get things changed. Some say we are trying to push our religion on them when we display religious items in public.
I highly, highly disagree. When someone puts a cross in their store window, are they saying "YOUR RELIGION IS WRONG" or are they simply saying "I am Christian." The same goes for all other public places.
When an Atheist forces the public to take down these signs, they are pushing their religion onto others. They are making others support Atheism by not allowing them to display things from their own religion.
I also think they are highly biased toward Christianity. I know there are thousands of other religions out there who dress differently in public, who wear special clothes, including Muslims. I have never heard of an Atheist trying to get a muslim person to change their clothing because the muslim person is trying to force their religion on the Atheist. So why is it different for chrisitanity?
Everyone should just let other people have their religions, and display them however they like, within reason. If they do not directly show that another's religion is wrong, then leave it alone. When you don't, you are taking away that person's freedom of religion.
DISCLAIMER: This DOES NOT apply to all Atheists, nor Atheism in general. Just the specific Atheists who are constantly trying to get others to comply with their standards. Atheists, please don't visciously attack, though constructive criticism is okay. I did not mean for this to be an attack on Atheism.
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I agree very much with this. *thumbs up* I've always hated when people try to push their views on me. A lot of people use their "freedom of...[insert right here]" to attack other people. Expressing your beliefs/opinions is different from attacking other people's beliefs/opinions. Everyone should respect one another and value another's opinion, even if you think it's wrong.
I think this post should be taken under consideration for all Progressive-U users, since I see a lot of posts on here that are blatant attacks.
you are right! here here to 1st amendment rights! :-)
it is also awful that we all have to break through our prejudgements about other people. whenever it comes out that, "oh, i'm a/n (insert your religion here)", people start to get defensive. if we listened and sought empathy, i'm sure many of our fears would be disuaded, and we could graciously accept our differences.
blessings.
You say that atheism is bias towards christianity, I agree. It seems as though atheism is the exact opposite of christianity, and therefore some atheists feel the need to refute christian beliefs.
-Amanda-
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You know, when other people want to put up their religious symbols alongside the Christian symbols, it's not the atheists who throw a fit...
~C
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Well you said Atheists focus on Christianity, yet I feel like some Christians focus on, well... anything that isn't Christianity.
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
Christians focus on anything that isn't Christianity. That's everything else....so how can there be a focus?
It is a focus on non-Christians.
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
I see your point. But, that is different than what Atheists do. Christians focus on non-christians....that's everyone they aren't. But Atheists focus on one specific group of people who aren't like them....do you see the difference?
Yes, I see the difference. The Atheists aren't focused on publicly by many other groups, and they are mainly focused on by Christians so therefore they focus on the Christians.
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
But you just said that Christians focus on anyone not Christian....that's more than just Atheists....so which is it?
I am sorry I just got a little confused... I said Christians focus on all non-Christians yes, but they are one of the main groups that publicly focus on Atheists. So yes they focus on all non- Christians but my point was that Atheists focus on Christians because Christians focus on them publicly, as well as many other non-Christian groups. Is that still confusing? Or is that clearer?
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
Yes, that is more clear. But I do think there is a difference in the way they treat each other. There was a guy on the radio who said he went to a Christian convention, and that there was an atheist convention in the same building. He noticed that the Christians were very polite and considerate of the atheists. The atheists were rude toward the Christians. In my opinion, that says it all.
There will always be differences in the way people treat each other due to religion, but I don't believe that says it all. Plus, I think the guy who was on the radio was a little bias, considering he was at the Christian convention. Nothing will ever say it all.
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
I don't have a reply for that, except that you're right, my word choice was off. I think this section of the discussion is out of steam. Also, search atheist christian convention on the internet. See what you come up with. I'm going to try it too.
Well, thank you I think? :]
But I will, I am interested to find out more about it.
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
Maybe it's just me. I don't see what the big deal is about not being able to have religious items (crosses, Ten commandments, etc.) displayed in public buildings, and I certainly don't feel my right to practice Christianity is taken away because of it. It really doesn't affect my ability to be Christian. I certainly have better things to focus my time and energy on than making sure my school has the 10 Commandments on display, or that store employees are greeting me with "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays."
Perhaps the reason no one bothers Muslim and Jewish people for wearing certain articles of clothing is because wearing those articles of clothing is a part of their religion. Displaying religious symbols in public buildings is not a part of the Christian religion.
Perhaps the reason people feel that displaying crosses in public places is pushing the Christian faith onto others is because of the amount of protest that occurs if someone says it has to be taken down or, as mvenus929 stated, if some other religion (oh, let's say Wicca) wanted to display a symbol of their faith, as well. It's perfectly fine to display a cross, but it's ok to turn around and be offended and protest if someone wants to display a pentagram as well? I don't think so.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
"Perhaps the reason no one bothers Muslim and Jewish people for wearing certain articles of clothing is because wearing those articles of clothing is a part of their religion."
That isn't true, they are harassed on a daily basis because of that.
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
you're right. I should have worded that better to go along with the original post's statement:
I have never heard of an Atheist trying to get a muslim person to change their clothing because the muslim person is trying to force their religion on the Atheist.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
Okay, good. I didn't really think you thought that, from what I have previously read. :]
Après la pluie le beau temps. ♥
I suppose that all of this depends on what you mean when you say "in public." If you put a cross in a store window (assuming that you own the store), you probably won't get a lot of flak from the local atheists about it. Granted, they may let you know that they're taking their business elsewhere, but hey...that's just capitalism in action. Of course, a storefront isn't really "public." Stores are privately owned enterprises that can do pretty much as they please when it comes to hanging religious symbols in their windows.
But if by "in public" you mean putting religious displays on truly public land...land that is held in trust by the government, and whose maintenance is paid for by the funds of the public trust, well...that's another story entirely. Our Constitution forbids our government from enacting religious establishments, and placing a religious symbol in a courthouse, for example, is pretty plainly contrary to the First Amendment. The test here is a simple one. Our government is not permitted to treat any religion differently than any other.
As a christian, would you be comfortable if your local government displayed a scene that celebrated a Satanic Black Mass, and paid for it in part with YOUR taxes? If your answer is "no, that would not be okay," then you have just made the argument that we atheists use (very sucessfully in most cases) to combat the intrusion of christianity into the public square in this country.
As for the reason that christianity seems to get an undue focus from us in this country is, quite simply, because christianity is the dominant religion in the population at large. With roughly 80% of the population identifying themselves at least nominally as "christian," it logically follows that most of the infringements from religious sources will come from that direction. No other religious group in this county has the popular voting power to advance their religion so effectively into the public square.
I am an atheist. In fact, I am probably one of the most outspoken atheists you are likely to meet. But, I don't have any problem at all with you practicing your religion, even in public, so long as you do not attempt to force me (or anyone else) to participate in or pay for your celebrations against our will. THAT is what the First Amendment is supposed to protect. You practice your religion, I practice my religion (or lack thereof), and the government doesn't practice ANY religion at all.
TTFN,
percivale
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