My reasoning concerning atheism is found here, It's long but I would like to see opinions.
I view myself as a baptist and an anarchist and live in two atheist household. My anarchist views are aimed at following a direct understanding of the Bible, thus, I espouse class struggle, anti-racism, anti-imperialism, LGBT rights, gender equality and religious law. I attend a baptist church, and since it is in the Northeast, it is pretty tame compared to southern ones, it is viewed as one of the more progressive Baptist conferences. I honestly despise the Catholic establishment for its many obvious problems, yet I do like Catholicism as I respect the other 2 monotheistic religions.
Now no more about me, now to the actual issues at hand:
I would like to start with the list of things that make you angry about religion:
-Discrimination on atheists
Many claim to be angered by the discrimination that atheists face, I would like to say that I am sorry for that discrimination, but that I think that many different groups face far worse. I want to say this: the majority of atheists are white, male, middle class, educated people. This is objectively true as you can see from this source:
http://atheistscholar.org/AtheistPsycho ... phics.aspx
My point is this in showing this: The oppression that atheists face is far less than literally any other oppressed minority. This could be for three reasons: 1. atheists are too few in number, 2. atheists are privileged enough to be safe or 3. atheists are not that hated. I have not found one example of atheists being killed for their views in developed countries within the last 70 years, if there are, show me. On the other hand, oppression of women (as you illustrate in your talk) get their genitals mutilated and get stoned to death. Blacks get lynched and shoved into subhuman living conditions with little chance provided of getting out of them. Working class people have to have multiple jobs to stay clothed, fed and housed. Muslims get murdered and arrested for their religion. Political radicals get jailed or killed. The discrimination that atheists face is not too great compared to others and if you are honest, you will see this. The complaints that atheists and Christians have in countries in the Middle East are real, yet, those were not mentioned very much. I would say that within the last century, there have been many more martyrdoms of Christians in the world than of atheists (solely due to population, maybe.) If you want sources for any of my points, I can easily get them. I know that this is silly of me, as a white, middle-class male to be telling others how atheists are privileged with the same privileges as I have, but I am doing so all the same. Atheists may seem like victims, something that honestly, they are not. I would like to continue to point out the problem with the logic by pointing out the lack of atheist charities. What do atheists actually do to solve the problems of poverty or racism? It was Baptists who spearheaded the Civil Rights movement and Christians are dying of Ebola in Africa, they got exposed to it trying to help people with it. The Catholic church is one of the largest charities in the world.
Point being, the complaint that atheists are oppressed is stupid and false. Many people are far more oppressed, yet, the people trying to fix this are overwhelmingly religious. Religious people are statistically poorer than atheists. Atheists are statistically more male than religious people. Atheists are statistically whiter than religious people. Religious people statistically do more charity than atheists.
-Sexual/gender inequality caused by religion
First off, this is a stupid claim because one is simply lumping all religions together. (obvious issue with your statement throughout) Secondly, sexual and gender oppression essentially span over all times in history and across all peoples. Beyond this, in our newly secular society, more oppressive, offensive and demeaning depictions of women are propping up. Pornography, video games, television, music, celebrity culture as a whole and our current mainstream and especially youth culture as a whole is demeaning towards women and often violently depicts them in submissive roles. I will give an example of the ones I know:
-Pornography: I do not view pornography so I do not know, however, it is well known that it depicts women in submissive roles.
-Video games: Grand theft Auto is filled with violence towards women, especially prostitutes.
-Television: Shows increasingly depict violent sex acts, often involving incest. (Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire)
-Music: Gangsta rap is filled with the use of the word “bitch” used to put women down and paints them as accessories very often, female artists themselves often seem to be submissive.
-Celebrity/mainstream/youth culture: Ditto
Point being, in secular society, women are still mistreated, simply differently than in religious societies. Christian scriptures, the ones I know best as a Christian, do not view women’s roles as accessories to men, what our culture does, but instead, at worst as people who should be helped and protected by men, something I do not like, but it is true.
What else is true is that religions have a variety of stances on this issue.
My essential point is this:
Militant atheists make blanket claims about religion, especially that religion is elitist, while at the same time, atheists are proven to mainly be white, middle class males. Atheists are the backbone of the radical left, however, many are very reactionary and I would argue that religion has more grassroots working class support.
Now no more about me, now to the actual issues at hand:
I would like to start with the list of things that make you angry about religion:
-Discrimination on atheists
Many claim to be angered by the discrimination that atheists face, I would like to say that I am sorry for that discrimination, but that I think that many different groups face far worse. I want to say this: the majority of atheists are white, male, middle class, educated people. This is objectively true as you can see from this source:
http://atheistscholar.org/AtheistPsycho ... phics.aspx
My point is this in showing this: The oppression that atheists face is far less than literally any other oppressed minority. This could be for three reasons: 1. atheists are too few in number, 2. atheists are privileged enough to be safe or 3. atheists are not that hated. I have not found one example of atheists being killed for their views in developed countries within the last 70 years, if there are, show me. On the other hand, oppression of women (as you illustrate in your talk) get their genitals mutilated and get stoned to death. Blacks get lynched and shoved into subhuman living conditions with little chance provided of getting out of them. Working class people have to have multiple jobs to stay clothed, fed and housed. Muslims get murdered and arrested for their religion. Political radicals get jailed or killed. The discrimination that atheists face is not too great compared to others and if you are honest, you will see this. The complaints that atheists and Christians have in countries in the Middle East are real, yet, those were not mentioned very much. I would say that within the last century, there have been many more martyrdoms of Christians in the world than of atheists (solely due to population, maybe.) If you want sources for any of my points, I can easily get them. I know that this is silly of me, as a white, middle-class male to be telling others how atheists are privileged with the same privileges as I have, but I am doing so all the same. Atheists may seem like victims, something that honestly, they are not. I would like to continue to point out the problem with the logic by pointing out the lack of atheist charities. What do atheists actually do to solve the problems of poverty or racism? It was Baptists who spearheaded the Civil Rights movement and Christians are dying of Ebola in Africa, they got exposed to it trying to help people with it. The Catholic church is one of the largest charities in the world.
Point being, the complaint that atheists are oppressed is stupid and false. Many people are far more oppressed, yet, the people trying to fix this are overwhelmingly religious. Religious people are statistically poorer than atheists. Atheists are statistically more male than religious people. Atheists are statistically whiter than religious people. Religious people statistically do more charity than atheists.
-Sexual/gender inequality caused by religion
First off, this is a stupid claim because one is simply lumping all religions together. (obvious issue with your statement throughout) Secondly, sexual and gender oppression essentially span over all times in history and across all peoples. Beyond this, in our newly secular society, more oppressive, offensive and demeaning depictions of women are propping up. Pornography, video games, television, music, celebrity culture as a whole and our current mainstream and especially youth culture as a whole is demeaning towards women and often violently depicts them in submissive roles. I will give an example of the ones I know:
-Pornography: I do not view pornography so I do not know, however, it is well known that it depicts women in submissive roles.
-Video games: Grand theft Auto is filled with violence towards women, especially prostitutes.
-Television: Shows increasingly depict violent sex acts, often involving incest. (Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire)
-Music: Gangsta rap is filled with the use of the word “bitch” used to put women down and paints them as accessories very often, female artists themselves often seem to be submissive.
-Celebrity/mainstream/youth culture: Ditto
Point being, in secular society, women are still mistreated, simply differently than in religious societies. Christian scriptures, the ones I know best as a Christian, do not view women’s roles as accessories to men, what our culture does, but instead, at worst as people who should be helped and protected by men, something I do not like, but it is true.
What else is true is that religions have a variety of stances on this issue.
My essential point is this:
Militant atheists make blanket claims about religion, especially that religion is elitist, while at the same time, atheists are proven to mainly be white, middle class males. Atheists are the backbone of the radical left, however, many are very reactionary and I would argue that religion has more grassroots working class support.
My view on religion is different, I think that religion is helpful to people and that the bad that people claim it does would be done either way, with or without religion, if there was not religion, something else would be used to keep society the way that it is.
Is atheism/religion a force for good or for bad in society?
I think that this could be interesting conversation if we keep on topic.
