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Just because one wrong isn't as horrible as another wrong doesn't mean the first wrong isn't, well, wrong. It's not about comparing which was the worse injustice - injustice is always injustice.
And since this kid had to move out of the state due to death threats and the fact he was disowned, then yea, I'd say he was brave to do the right thing. You personally may have better things to do, but there are plenty of people who want to see this kid suffer.
What?
I was referencing a direct comparison about 60s racism and what atheist face today..
I can't cry a river for Damon. That's the gamble he took.
The girl was an as-hole, too, okay? She served no purpose with her actions, either, other than to prove that she received the overwhelming local support. But you can bet that she's been in the hot-hate-seat herself with those outside the community.
Regardless, Damon perpetrated the whole fiasco, and he can say whatever he wants but I think he did it on purpose merely to shake things up in a bit of anarchy. Thing is, it backfired on him worse than he expected (his admission). So, at last update, he was headed off to Texas to be with the big boys. Maybe he'll 'suffer' less.
Last edited by SunJoaquin; 05-28-2011 at 03:14 PM..
I was referencing a direct comparison about 60s racism and what atheist face today..
If atheists come out to their neighbors in the south, what do you think happens? Death threats happen, people lose their jobs, people lose their apartments, etc.
When the polls say atheists are the most hated minority today, do you really think that is not serious?
If atheists come out to their neighbors in the south, what do you think happens? Death threats happen, people lose their jobs, people lose their apartments, etc.
When the polls say atheists are the most hated minority today, do you really think that is not serious?
I lived and grew up in the south...I even joined an atheist group that regularly met at locations and openly discussed their views.
I've honestly never experienced "discrimination" when I told others my beliefs...
I lived and grew up in the south...I even joined an atheist group that regularly met at locations and openly discussed their views.
I've honestly never experienced "discrimination" when I told others my beliefs...
My neighbors tried to convert my then 5 year old granddaughter at the school bus stop by having a prayer circle (she was not allowed to participate and they did back off). My dil's neighbor came up to her to tell her that the end times were coming and she was going to hell because she went to a Hindu temple rather than to a Christian Church (the neighbor was also Indian, btw, but Christian). It's not just atheists, but Hindus, Moslems, etc. It's just that atheists are *more* hated than the other groups. The largest atheist meetup group is actually here in Houston, but that does not mean that we don't experience discrimination.
The following persons shall be disqualified for office:
First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.
Second, with respect to any office that is filled by election by the people, any person who is not qualified to vote in an election for that office.
Third, any person who has been adjudged guilty of treason or any other felony against this State or the United States, or any person who has been adjudged guilty of a felony in another state that also would be a felony if it had been committed in this State, or any person who has been adjudged guilty of corruption or malpractice in any office, or any person who has been removed by impeachment from any office, and who has not been restored to the rights of citizenship in the manner prescribed by law.
Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas have constitutions that explicitly forbid atheists from holding state office. They are overridden by the Federal Constitution, but have only recently had any challenges.
Some judges consider atheism to be a sufficient reason for denying custody to a parent during custody hearings.
Many private organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America, deny membership solely on the basis of lack of god-belief. Some of these organizations also manage to receive public funding.
Atheists face many forms of employment discrimination, ranging from differential hiring practices to wrongful termination. A school district in Texas went so far as to refuse to do business with an atheist.
In addition to widespread anti-atheist bigotry in the U.S. military, there are reports of institutionalized discrimination designed to quash complaints made by atheists who dare to speak out.
A handful of states retain laws to prevent atheists from being permitted to hold public office in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution.
The mainstream media in the U.S. regularly excludes atheists, even from stories about atheism, while giving voice to religious believers.
Quote:
A survey of atheist and other freethought groups completed by Margaret Downey in 2000 reveled that the overwhelming majority of instances of discrimination against atheists are never reported.
Not even remotely similar to this situation. A funeral is a personal and private ceremony where religion has a place if the individual being interred desired such.
Of course, the most heinous funeral protesters are usually Christians like those of Westboro Baptist Church...
Private ceremony. Okay, I'll buy that to a certain extent.
But it doesn't matter to me "WHO" the protestors are. Christians or not, they'd all be at risk for a near-fatality if they crashed my son's funeral.
darn straight he stirred the pot... And he should have...
Christians don't get to ignore or bypass the law just because they don't agree with it.
I spent a whole year as a child with my desk out in the hallway because of a religion class in public school that was being taught. My parents got the ACLU involved and that was the last year I had my desk out in the hall way.
Thank G-d they did what they did. I hated being out in the hallway..
The was disobeying the law when they were going to have prayer at the graduation, although even if they were obeying the law, death threats and being disowned by family members because he got the school to not have prayer at the graduation just shows the fact that organized religion(particularly Christianity) divides people. A couple of the posters on here seem to completely ignore the fact that he got death threats and was disowned by his parents. If this were reversed and it was a christian getting death threats and being disowned by their parents then you would hear an outcry from people. It would get on the Today Show and Good Morning America. For some reason that seems to be completely ignored when it's an atheist. Instead, he just 'took a gamble' on it or he deserved what he got. Don't the believers that think that way see the ludicrous nonsense in what they're saying.
Damon lives in a highly Christian state, and he admitted to being one of the rare few Christians where he lives. So, in other words, HE decided to change what everyone else was comfortable with for his own self-serving needs. That would be like a Democrat removing all the Republican elections signs from his right-wing neighborhood, or vice-versa.
This is just like that situation in Utah several years ago, in a high school comprised of practically all Mormons, where a Jewish girl in choir decided to file a suit against the school because SHE didn't want to sing Christian songs for the Christmas holiday! Absolutely moronic.
Damon may be atheist but he's created his own private Hell for awhile. His parents did not support his actions, which have likely affected them, too, as citizens of their town.
I see no civil rights concern here. Just a kid full of hostility out to make a name for himself, and he did it, and now he is on his own as an adult. He'll have to deal with his ramifiications for awhile then move on and hopefully make a productive life.
No it is NOT absolutely moronic...... As the United States becomes multi-religious the Christian Majority will have to understand that there are laws on the books making it illegal to bring religion into the schools. It does not matter what the majority wants. It is the law that religion not come into public schools.
In my kids school they do NOT sing Christmas songs during the holiday at school. They do not have Christmas activities or decorate for Christmas. If they did I would have a problem with it and I would complain.
My parents were seen as trouble makers for going up against the school for teaching religion in the public school. But they did because they knew the law.
This boy was right in what he did..
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