Do you feel persecuted by any present-day religions?

[DoubtingStephen]

Are you of the opinion that any present day religions persecute you, try to harm you, or lobby against your civil rights?

If yes to the above, how does this affect you in your day to day life?

 

[Dogdoctor]

Yeah I am persecuted by the Eastramanian Holly Rollers. Specifically the Saint Mattress Church and Reverend Pillow. Every morning they conspire to keep me from waking up. Just kidding . This is an important topic but I don't feel persecuted. Do you?

 

[thaiboxerken]

Christians. They have stopped me from marrying other men. And no, I'm not homosexual, but I'd like the option regardless.

 

[Ragutis]

I don't feel persecuted or harmed really, and my civil rights ATM are in no worse shape than any other lower middle class straight white guy. Other demographics are having a much harder time then little ol' agnostic/atheist me.

However, the fundies are gaining power and I see Dominionism to one extent or another very possibly becoming a serious factor in American politics in the not so distant future. People are already showing that their personal religious convictions are much more important factors in deciding who to vote for than the overall good of the nation. How close to their Christian Nation will they get? How bad will it be for the rest of us? How will they act towards secular nations or those of a different faith? Who knows, but the scale goes from about the same as now all the way to nucular armageddon in an attempt to trigger the Rapture.

I don't quite see a Heinlein-ian Nehemiah Scudder theocracy happening soon, but "If this goes on" I'll pick myself a nice secular European country to move to and lament what happened to the founding fathers' grand experiment.

 

[Complexity]

Yes, most of them.

They insist on trying to impose their views on others by using governments as clubs.

I'm gay and live in the United States. Nuff said.

 

[username]

Are you of the opinion that any present day religions persecute you, try to harm you, or lobby against your civil rights?

If yes to the above, how does this affect you in your day to day life?

Well, living in the US there is only one religion that has any political weight and that is xianity. It isn't that there aren't other religions out there whose adherants would like to control my mind and body, it is simply that where I live there are none other than xianity that have any political power.

This is not to bash xians, I know many that I really like and are quality folk. This is only to say that at the national political level there are xians trying to prevent science being taught by public schools to my kids, do away with civil liberties in the name of 'holiness', codify predjudice against folks who don't regard penis-vagina as the ultimate combo as well as folks who choose to intoxicate themselves with something other than alcohol and other nonsense.

How is my life affected by this? Honestly, it isn't as I don't look to xianity or government for permission on how to live my life and I am intelligent (I hope) enough to know how to exist under the radar in the ways I choose to ignore both.

One day I may need to become a rocket launcher carrying 'terrorist' in order to live free, for now I just choose to ignore the religionists and government and am able to get away with it.

 

[DoubtingStephen]

Yes, most of them.

They insist on trying to impose their views on others by using governments as clubs.

I'm gay and live in the United States. Nuff said.

Indeed! I'm in the very same situation. I have a husband, but persons claiming to represent the dominant religion in my country are constantly trying to prevent us from obtaining the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.

Individual people that I know who are afflicted with religious beliefs are quite often very pleasant, but as a movement Christianity in America has become spiteful, combative, and very unpleasant.

I wonder if many non-gay Americans feel threatened yet?

 

[Starrman]

On a daily basis I hear talk of god, prayer, miracles, angels and other religous stuff. But any attempt to talk of them skeptically with believers is treated as not only a social sin, but as an indication that I am immorral or less of a person than the faithful. What does it say of the strength of religion's argument that those who support it are so afraid and angry to openly discuss it?

 

[Lisa Simpson]

I wonder if many non-gay Americans feel threatened yet?

Hmmm...yes and no. My way of life isn't terribly threatened, since I'm straight. However, I fear the religious right is gaining power.

I do not volunteer the information that I am an atheist. If someone asks, I will usually respond that I am a Buddhist, since most Christians don't know that Buddhism, as a religion, is without gods. I don't wear my FSM t-shirt, nor my Apathetic Agnostic t-shirt to the elementary school where I work. I don't want any kiddies' parents to complain that the noon-duty supervisor lady is leading the little darlings astray.

When my oldest son declared himself to be an atheist (he was in the seventh grade at the time) I told him to be careful who he said that to. He's probably not in much physical danger, since he's 6'2", but I worry that one of his teachers may hold it against him.

It probably doesn't help that we live in Orange County, CA--the righthand most notch in the Bible belt.

 

[slingblade]

Individual people that I know who are afflicted with religious beliefs are quite often very pleasant, but as a movement Christianity in America has become spiteful, combative, and very unpleasant.

I wonder if many non-gay Americans feel threatened yet?

I am concerned, and my concern increases every year.
I used to be a thumping fundie, so I have personal experience with that mindset and many of its forms and manifestations. I'm now an atheist, and I do worry about how the fundamentalist agenda seems to garner more and more attention as years pass. For instance, the Intelligent Design discourse worries me, in that it's gotten enough attention to warrant the intervention of the court. Being a teacher in training, I have a personal connection to the issue.

Also, my sig line is a constant statement of my concern; it bugs me just that much.

 

[DoubtingStephen]

When my oldest son declared himself to be an atheist (he was in the seventh grade at the time) I told him to be careful who he said that to. He's probably not in much physical danger, since he's 6'2", but I worry that one of his teachers may hold it against him.

It probably doesn't help that we live in Orange County, CA--the righthand most notch in the Bible belt.

Congratulations for your obvious success in raising a child with critical thinking skills.

I'm pleased to say that neither of my surviving children suffer from religious ideas. I constantly stressed with them as youngsters that it was important to question authority.

My first born unfortunately decided to end his life when there was an unfortunate conjunction of his emotional difficulties and a particularly nasty Jeebus cult he had fallen in with.

 

[ceo_esq]

When my oldest son declared himself to be an atheist (he was in the seventh grade at the time) I told him to be careful who he said that to. He's probably not in much physical danger, since he's 6'2", but I worry that one of his teachers may hold it against him.

I think you are prudent to be concerned about the possibility that one of your son's teachers might hold his atheism against him.

However, my cursory research suggests a negligible known incidence of violent hate crimes directed at atheists in the United States, whereas it is certain that young men of your son's physique not infrequently fall victim to violent crimes perpetrated for other reasons. Accordingly, I find it interesting that you think your son is not in much physical danger specifically because he is 6'2", rather than for the more logically compelling reason that atheism is not the sort of thing known to place a person at undue risk of unlawful violence in this country.

 

[wunky]

It is not so much any particular religion it is the indoctrination that I find bothersome. Society not allowing individuals to determine for themselves in what and who they believe or do not believe.

 

[Dogdoctor]

Don't get upset at me for my thoughts but this is my non gay perspective on this and I don't mean to step on the toes of any gay people or offend anyone. The way I see it is marriage probably originated as a way to encourage/promote/reward reproduction and child care. OK you might disagree but this is what makes sense to me. Obviously gays aren't doing a lot of that. These days reproduction is no longer so necessary and perhaps it is time to reward couples who aren't reproducing and are doing something to control the ever expanding population. I don't really see the problem as a religious one although religion does seem to be a big stumbling block for gays. In my view it is a cultural problem which hides behind the facade of religion. So if you could remove religion there would still be a problem (societal prejudice)

 

[Darat]

Are you of the opinion that any present day religions persecute you, try to harm you, or lobby against your civil rights?

If yes to the above, how does this affect you in your day to day life?

Yes many Christian, Muslim and Sikh denominations. But the only ones that are ever in my face are the Christian groups.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

My first born unfortunately decided to end his life when there was an unfortunate conjunction of his emotional difficulties and a particularly nasty Jeebus cult he had fallen in with.

I am terribly sorry for your loss, DoubtingStephen.

I think you are prudent to be concerned about the possibility that one of your son's teachers might hold his atheism against him.

However, my cursory research suggests a negligible known incidence of violent hate crimes directed at atheists in the United States, whereas it is certain that young men of your son's physique not infrequently fall victim to violent crimes perpetrated for other reasons. Accordingly, I find it interesting that you think your son is not in much physical danger specifically because he is 6'2", rather than for the more logically compelling reason that atheism is not the sort of thing known to place a person at undue risk of unlawful violence in this country.

Obviously, it's not physical violence that I fear from his teachers, but prejudice in grading. The physical violence would be from overzealous classmates. My youngest son, who has not declared himself to be an atheist, but is very much a critical thinker, is quite small in stature. I worry more for his physical safety than Whyatica's.

 

[Ducky]

Christian Fundamentalism is pretty offensive and overbearing.

Just read Kurious Kathy's posts.

Or don't. I can sum it up here:

JEEBUS! HELLFIRE!


There you go. Multiply that by 9000 and you have a kurious kathy post.

Pretty obnoxious.

 

[Ducky]

Congratulations for your obvious success in raising a child with critical thinking skills.

I'm pleased to say that neither of my surviving children suffer from religious ideas. I constantly stressed with them as youngsters that it was important to question authority.

My first born unfortunately decided to end his life when there was an unfortunate conjunction of his emotional difficulties and a particularly nasty Jeebus cult he had fallen in with.

My father was a suicide, and you have my sympathies. Very sorry for such a loss to your family.

 

[kmortis]

I am concerned, and my concern increases every year.
I used to be a thumping fundie, so I have personal experience with that mindset and many of its forms and manifestations. I'm now an atheist, and I do worry about how the fundamentalist agenda seems to garner more and more attention as years pass. For instance, the Intelligent Design discourse worries me, in that it's gotten enough attention to warrant the intervention of the court. Being a teacher in training, I have a personal connection to the issue.

Also, my sig line is a constant statement of my concern; it bugs me just that much.

"Blah blah blah fish cakes" --TWoP??

But seriously, folks.
I'm with you here. The ID doesn't concern me all that much. It's been tried (in both senses of that word) before and failed. This time, there was a judge who supports ID turning it down, so i'm not all that concerned. But, I, too have been a fundie. The mindset is...different. They are on God's side, and they have a mandate that they WILL win.

But, on the other hand, we have won some other victories. The SCOTUS seems to be favoring the agnostic world view on most issues, so we got that going for us....I'm cautious, but not worried. Of course, as has been pointed out, I'm also not gay, so I don't directly see the crap you guys (and gals) go through.

 

[kmortis]

Christian Fundamentalism is pretty offensive and overbearing.

Just read Kurious Kathy's posts.

Or don't. I can sum it up here:

JEEBUS! HELLFIRE!


There you go. Multiply that by 9000 and you have a kurious kathy post.

Pretty obnoxious.

Hey, Fowl, you seem to be trying to say something here, but it's not quite clear...is there something troubling you?