Persecution confusion:
The religious minded just don't get it, do they? They really, really don't see how they've been more than privileged here in the United States and now they're either pleading for tolerance or claiming persecution - eyes closed the whole while.
Non-religious people and people of religious beliefs not connected to Christianity are making our ways into the public arena. We're claiming our right to advertise publicly and to have our say over how society and the government ought to be. There's noting wrong with that - nothing! Yet it seems that every turn brings on vociferous objection from the Christian fundamentalist right and from some moderates, too.
Atheists complained from the outset that "In god We trust" on coin and currency and "under God" in the pledge were unrepresentative of our views. We fought then, through the single voice of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, that it was a mistake on the part of government to yield so much to Christianity. Well, we're still fighting, but now the tactics have changed a tad and it isn't only Madalyn speaking out.
Our organizations have been forming up and our memberships have been rising; as a result, the special treatment of favoritism for Christianity is feeling threatened. Suddenly they seek tolerance (or is it mercy)... just imagine... while we seek only a level playing field.
If churches are allowed to advertise their messages on billboards and buses, so are non-religionists. If religions can push their agendas to have prayer invocations at public meetings, prayer in schools and seek the teaching of ID/creationism in schools, atheists can protest and file court suits. The days of Easy Street Christianity are gone.
The non-religious have new strength. We aren't quite at parity with religion but we're getting there. And it isn't persecution or intolerance being felt by religionists - it's only fairness and equality. So what are the religions complaining about? They're complaining about their own PANIC...
The religious minded just don't get it, do they? They really, really don't see how they've been more than privileged here in the United States and now they're either pleading for tolerance or claiming persecution - eyes closed the whole while.
Atheists complained from the outset that "In god We trust" on coin and currency and "under God" in the pledge were unrepresentative of our views. We fought then, through the single voice of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, that it was a mistake on the part of government to yield so much to Christianity. Well, we're still fighting, but now the tactics have changed a tad and it isn't only Madalyn speaking out.
Our organizations have been forming up and our memberships have been rising; as a result, the special treatment of favoritism for Christianity is feeling threatened. Suddenly they seek tolerance (or is it mercy)... just imagine... while we seek only a level playing field.
If churches are allowed to advertise their messages on billboards and buses, so are non-religionists. If religions can push their agendas to have prayer invocations at public meetings, prayer in schools and seek the teaching of ID/creationism in schools, atheists can protest and file court suits. The days of Easy Street Christianity are gone.
The non-religious have new strength. We aren't quite at parity with religion but we're getting there. And it isn't persecution or intolerance being felt by religionists - it's only fairness and equality. So what are the religions complaining about? They're complaining about their own PANIC...
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