The Religious Double Standard

My take of the religious double standard in American society - why's it's OK to believe in any religion, but say you're atheist, and that's a totally different story.

The song is the Sugababes' cover of "Shape" on their album Angels with Dirty Faces.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• atheist
• atheism
• double
• standard
• society
• religion
• acceptance
• closet
• morality
• openness
• Christianity

[Coquipirate]

I can totaly relate to this. I'm a closet athiest because I was a mormon missinary less than a year ago. All my friends whose life has changed because of the bullshit I taught... When people mention thier beliefs like that it's uncomfotable

[Alraera]

That's really interesting. I know some Mormon guys, and they describe their missions as two years of doing little else except studying scripture and talking to anyone who would listen about their faith. It doesn't seem like a time of much introspection (like what fostered my atheism), but at the same time it does seem like your beliefs would be challenged constantly, by talking to people who disagree with you. Did your mission experience lead to you to question your faith?

[Coquipirate]

Yes. I'd say learning more about the christian faith led me to doubt. I prayed to know like everyone else said they did, but answers never came. I'd hear stories about how other people "found God" and it's clear that they varied on fundemental principles of God's nature. The deathblow to my faith was when someone tried to convince us we were wrong and if we prayed we would know it. I still finished "honorably" and put on the mormon act for my family. I don't know how everyone will react to this.

[Alraera]

I don't know your circumstances, but I hope you are able to live in such a way that you feel happy and don't feel stifled or muzzled by having to continually pretend you're still in the faith.

[vore80]

You hit it right on the head. If you are not one of the big three, Christian, Jewish, or Muslim you are treated like crap. As a Pagan I face the same issues in the area where I live. When and if people find out I get called a Satan worshiper and they assume I kill animals and babies in sacrifice.

[Alraera]

I think we all face ungrounded assumptions based on our religious tendencies (among other things). However, being a believer in a common faith in the area often translates to those assumptions being positive, like you pointed out.

[marqann]

Come live in Europe..lots of atheist over here :-)

[warren52nz]

@Vagonbrei879 Yeah I find it a lot easier to believe SOMETHING started all this than that people know exactly what that something is. That's where Theism and Religion diverge. There's no doubt in my mind that all Theists are wrong about everything they think about their gods except possibly that it's responsible for the Big Bang and many religious people don't even believe in the Big Bang!!! Shocking!

I'm a bit worried about Australia's racist attitudes to be honest. On the news here yesterday.

[Vagonbrei879]

@warren52nz Australian PM is an atheist. I am very proud of that. Still I feel that many people in Australia are as ignorant about atheism as they are in Australia. Personally, I am a Christian but not a religious person. While I believe in God I don't subscribe to what most religious people believe. I tend to find that I have more in common with atheists and agnostics than most religious people. I never understood people not using their brains and at least trying to think logically.

[atheismisgreat1]

@gamertillman You missed the point of it. Maybe try to watch the video again before you get rude and insulting?

[atheismisgreat1]

It sucks some of us have to live like that." in the closet" I was there for a long time. I was afraid to let my friends know. I was afraid to let the religious family members know. But after a while. I didn't care. I knew it would start arguments and I knew I might lose some friends. If they didn't care enough about me to love me for who I am. Then they're not worth having me in their life.

[Thelizzardcat]

When someone sneezes, the atheist says "Hope you don't catch the black plague!"

[ChipArgyle]

Well Alraera, since you're in the closet, make sure you push all those homosexuals that are in there with you out of it first, because they have more acceptance in your society now than you do.

It's amazing that people hold onto Bronze Age superstitions like they do. Religions evilly use guilt and fear to keep seemingly rational people trapped in their silliness. If the concept of Hell hadn't been included in the Bible, Christianity would have faded centuries ago.

[warren52nz]

Luckily it's not like that in New Zealand. You're more likely to get rolling eyes if you say you're religious. And New Zealand was voted best country to live in last year and 2nd this year (Australia was #1 this time) in an international survey that assessed quality of life. Americans just don't seem to get it. Religion is an Iron Age concept.

[jamesjaw]

I always say 'salud'  when some one sneezes, it means 'health.'