Atheists Identified as America’s Most Distrusted Minority

[SoylentGreen]

My only point in the post you responded to was answering a couple of questions asked of me by another party.

Then it wasn't about the indignation you felt at some atheists giving silly reasons for atheism just like theists do about theism, as pertaining to your first post here.

[Kakumei]

The list goes on and on all very recent. You can just Google it. The only thing I can relate this to was when Hitler Burned the Books. He was saying " No, I am not allowing this". Jack this is a Regime but with out a name. Open your eyes man... Peace...

I agree. And hey there was this old saying... "You dont have to destroy a people to destroy a culture, just destroy all of there Literature."

[Jack]

The difference being that no one is advocating burning Bibles or banning them across the board. Those of us who respect the secularity of public education object to attempts by primarily Christian groups to insert their beliefs into the curriculum where it isn't appropriate. The religious are encouraged to teach their beliefs at home or in their churches, where such things are appropriate.

Using extreme examples of unrelated incidents only serve to stir up ignorant hysteria over actions that are not being taken or endorsed. Christians in the U.S. are the majority. Claiming discrimination and persecution is disingenuous and an insult to those groups who truly are discriminated against and suffer persecution, often at the hands of those same Christians and their beliefs.

[Kakumei]

The difference being that no one is advocating burning Bibles or banning them across the board. Those of us who respect the secularity of public education object to attempts by primarily Christian groups to insert their beliefs into the curriculum where it isn't appropriate. The religious are encouraged to teach their beliefs at home or in their churches, where such things are appropriate.

True but it always feels closer and closer to some sort of religious attack. I forgot which movie it was but it went from "pg" to "pg-13" because it had prayer in it! LMAO! Or some random weirdo who all of the sudden decided that it was wrong to have God in the pledge of allegence. Neither thing I am worried about becoming a pre cursor to Bible burning. It is upsetting when im told to put my Bible away and never bring it back to school when I only brought it for some light reading. First my Book of Mormon and now my Bible. Next they wont let me read my Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. Wanna bet? Lmao.

[Jack]

Or some random weirdo who all of the sudden decided that it was wrong to have God in the pledge of allegence.

As a matter of fact, in the original version of the pledge, there was no mention of any deity. It was only in 1954 that the phrase "under god" was added to appease the anti-communist faction of the country.

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian socialist, and the cousin of socialist utopian novelist Edward Bellamy (1850-1898). Bellamy's original "Pledge of Allegiance" was published in the September 8th issue of the popular children's magazine The Youth's Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's discovery of America. The event was conceived by James B. Upham, a marketer for the magazine, in a campaign to sell American flags and American nationalism to public schools.[2][3]
Bellamy's original Pledge read, "I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all."

In 1923 the National Flag Conference called for the words "my Flag " to be changed to "the Flag of the United States ". The reason given was to ensure that immigrants knew to which flag reference was being made. The words "of America " were added a year later. The U.S. Congress officially recognized the Pledge as the official national pledge on June 22, 1942.


Students pledging to the flag in with the Bellamy salute.
In 1940 the Supreme Court, in deciding the case of Minersville School District v. Gobitis, ruled that students in public schools could be compelled to swear the Pledge, even Jehovah's Witnesses like the Gobitases, who considered the flag salute to be idolatry. In the wake of this ruling, there was a rash of mob violence and intimidation against Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1943 the Supreme Court reversed its decision, ruling in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that "compulsory unification of opinion" violated the First Amendment.[4]
Swearing of the pledge is accompanied by a salute. An early version of the salute, adopted in 1892, was known as the Bellamy salute. It ended with the arm outstretched and the palm upwards. It eventually evolved to palm downward. Because of the similarity between the Bellamy salute and the Nazi salute, President Franklin D. Roosevelt instituted the hand-over-the-heart gesture as the salute to be rendered by civilians during the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem in the United States, instead of the Bellamy salute. This was done when Congress officially adopted the Flag Code on June 22, 1942. [5]

Pledge of Allegiance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has an interesting history.

[Kakumei]

Hm... I should definitly look into it. But you do agree with me on its pretty riddiculous to attack every little thing though right? THats how i feel about it anyway.

[Primum non nocere]

Hm... I should definitly look into it. But you do agree with me on its pretty riddiculous to attack every little thing though right? THats how i feel about it anyway.

That isn't a little thing... its pledging ALLEGENCE to our country. Some of this "distrust" I imagine that been indoctrined in people is made by this constant message that being American and being religious (preferably Christian) is the same thing.

Despite this not being the case the line continued to erode overtime, be it the National Day of Prayer, the pledge, Christmas being a federal holiday, or our motto "In God we Trust", which also has an interesting history...

In God We Trust - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is another thing that baffles me, which is religion and nationalism. Were told GOD is on our side, and that America is somehow seperated from the rest of world because of it, that we have to take care of our own before others.

[Primum non nocere]

Voters will choose canidates based on their faith alone (granted that MANY voters don't know anything about politics), Bush told us it was GOD's will that we were to be in Iraq. It really just gets the people riled up doesn't it?

Isn't it ironic that those we are at war with also believe that their fighting the good fight? That God is on THEIR side? I'm sure they thought as much after 9/11, after we'd been residing in their territory and bombing their cities for so long. God sure showed us didn't he?

[Compugasm]

I still don't understand how swearing a pledge makes one allegiant (sp). Swearing allegiance confers the right to change allegiance at any time. So why do we go through all the pomp and ceremony, just to say that I reserve the right to change my mind?

[minorwork]

True but it always feels closer and closer to some sort of religious attack. I forgot which movie it was but it went from "pg" to "pg-13" because it had prayer in it! LMAO! Or some random weirdo who all of the sudden decided that it was wrong to have God in the pledge of allegiance. Neither thing I am worried about becoming a pre cursor to Bible burning. It is upsetting when I'm told to put my Bible away and never bring it back to school when I only brought it for some light reading. First my Book of Mormon and now my Bible. Next they wont let me read my Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. Wanna bet? Lmao.

The litigious climate here in the U.S. has led to a lot of over reactions.

[samsara15]

I still don't understand how swearing a pledge makes one allegiant (sp). Swearing allegiance confers the right to change allegiance at any time. So why do we go through all the pomp and ceremony, just to say that I reserve the right to change my mind?

So there is no point.

Some people like public demonstrations of unity, even where there clearly is none.

[Darebirth]

[QUOTE=Affluence;643903]I blame the taking God out of the public school system- Also happened in the last Decade... True?[QUOTE]

I was born in a Catholic home to Catholic parents who sent me to a Cathlic grade school and high school. In our Catholic school, one period of everyday is dedicated to the study of theological concepts and god and how we should all beleive and worship in him etc. etc. We have masses before and after all major events (holidays, summer break, deaths in the staff or student body, etc.). Crosses are in almost every classroom.

A lot (not most, but at least 20) of my good high school friends are atheists. I am an atheist as well. Please tell me where you get your statistics.