# Discrimination against Atheists in the US. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 4, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915 "2003-12-04T11:33:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Coin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Coin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/61 "2003-12-05T23:54:19Z")
> [@](#): > > atheist > \A"the\*ist, n. [Gr. ? without god; 'a priv. + ? god: cf. F. ath['e]iste.] 1. One who disbelieves or denies the existence of a God, or supreme intelligent Being. > > 1. A godless person. [Obs.] > > Syn: Infidel; unbeliever. Taken from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. > [@](#): > > Atheists deny the existence of a creator, a primecause, a mathematical process, or anything, that could somehow make something. No, atheists do not believe in the existence of God. Individual atheists may or may not believe in some kind of creative force or prime cause, and I’m pretty sure nearly all of us believe in math. > [@](#): > > The act of discriminating is not hating, discrimination against beliefs that impede the achivement of a worthwhile existence is a most commendable act and should be encouraged by all. How does atheism interfere with a worthwhile existence, unless “worthwhile” is defined as “faith-centered”? > [@](#): > > And why, you ask, are atheists self centered? God only knows, but it is obvious that they are. Why, I ask you, do they preach and pitch their non-message of first cause and creation to all who will listen and condemn those who don’t agree. _blinks_ I’m confused here. I’ve never said that there was no first cause, though I’m an infidel to the core. Only that I see no reason to believe or suspect that it bore any resemblance to any god that any religion has ever posited. > [@](#): > > I think that their social developement has somehow gone awry and so they think that if they admit to the possibility of a deity, even an symbolic one, their reign on earth might end and they would then be forsed to come down to the community of man and become mortal. I admit, here and now, to not only the possibility, but the existence of symbolic deities. No real ones, though. And how do you figure we reign? In what alternate universe has the U.S. (the world’s most powerful country) ever had a chance in hell of having an openly atheist President, or more than a handful of atheist members of Congress? The Western world is run by Christians, which doesn’t bother me at all as long as we still have separation of church and state in America. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/62 "2003-12-06T00:29:44Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Milum \* > \*\*\*\* Revtim_\* > > :)\_\_ Oh do they now, **Revtim** , say… perhaps those quantun dummies told you how they did it and you can tell all the atheists here how its done. > > Then maybe our atheists here will make you and them quantum theorists their official gods and then they can stop being bitter, unhappy, self-centered atheists.\_\_ 🙂 \*\* 1. They don’t do it; it happens all around us. 2. It shows that your “something from nothing” logic is incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/63 "2003-12-06T00:45:12Z")
**Millum** how can you say that people cannot conceve of something coming from nothing or having no creator, and yet yourself conceiving of a God that was neither made nor created. Atheists are not the only ones to believe that it is impossible for something to come from nothing. That is a belief heald by people in general. Physicists and other philosophers whether atheist or theist (such as myself) are learning that the belief that something cannot come from nothing is in fact not allways correct. It can be observed through careful experiment that on a very small scale somethings are coming from nothing all the time, everywhere. I think most atheists would beleive that the stuff that exists came into being through a process, or otherwise has never not existed. Just that the process of creation does not necessitate the existance of a concious being to make that process occur. ---
**Author:** ![Milum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Milum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milum)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/64 "2003-12-06T03:39:38Z")
Gee whiz! Will you guys listen to yourselves. Semantics, boys, semantics. We are talking about hypothetical intangibles. Geez! Think a bit and examine your terms. I know that you boys are better thinkers than the weak contiguousnesses of your wordings. Damnation! I just realized that you all don’t even realize that you are not atheists. Wow! ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/65 "2003-12-06T08:17:57Z")
**Milum** , I don’t know what caused the universe to exist. I don’t know if I, or the rest of humanity, will ever know for sure. (Though we might, someday. Who knows?) But the thing is…what_ever_ is the cause of existence, I sincerely doubt that it was a _supernatural creature._ Much less a middle-eastern deity named Yahweh. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/66 "2003-12-06T09:16:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milum \* > Damnation! I just realized that you all don’t even realize that you are not atheists. Wow! Christians are people who [sell everything they own and give the proceeds to the poor](http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Luke+18%3A22&NIV_version=yes&language=english), [renounce their own families](http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=LUKE+14:26&language=english&version=NIV&showfn=on&showxref=on) [and everything they hold dear](http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=matt+10%3A37-39&NIV_version=yes&language=english), and [take no thought of food, shelter, or clothing](http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=matt+6%3A25-34&NIV_version=yes&language=english). I, who am not a Christian, and never have been a Christian, and was raised by atheists, have this definition of “Christian”, which is the correct definition, and the so-called “Christians” who say otherwise are wrong. Anyone who hasn’t done all of these things isn’t a Christian; if they say otherwise they are liars, or at best deceiving themselves with semantic quibbles. ---
**Author:** ![IWLN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5ac83/32.png) [@IWLN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IWLN)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/67 "2003-12-06T10:48:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > \*\*Christians are people who [sell everything they own and give the proceeds to the poor](http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Luke+18%3A22&NIV_version=yes&language=english), [renounce their own families](http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=LUKE+14:26&language=english&version=NIV&showfn=on&showxref=on) [and everything they hold dear](http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=matt+10%3A37-39&NIV_version=yes&language=english), and [take no thought of food, shelter, or clothing](http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=matt+6%3A25-34&NIV_version=yes&language=english). I, who am not a Christian, and never have been a Christian, and was raised by atheists, have this definition of “Christian”, which is the correct definition, and the so-called “Christians” who say otherwise are wrong. Anyone who hasn’t done all of these things isn’t a Christian; if they say otherwise they are liars, or at best deceiving themselves with semantic quibbles. \*\* I’m pretty sure I could dispute this, but I’m going to wait until **Milum** sells his computer and gives the money to the poor and then it won’t matter anymore.🙂 Milum is kidding, right? Anytime now he’s going to yell psych and you’ll all go out for a beer? I really just had a question if anyone knows the answer. Is the religion of a politician, public record? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/68 "2003-12-06T13:38:37Z")
Why is anyone arguing with this **Milum**? What is there to argue? His posts in this thread contain not one whit more than non sequiturs, unsupported (and unsupportable) assertions and ad hominem attacks. I’m embarrassed to watch. ---
**Author:** ![IWLN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5ac83/32.png) [@IWLN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IWLN)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/69 "2003-12-06T14:27:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Unwashed \* > \*\*Why is anyone arguing with this **Milum**? What is there to argue? His posts in this thread contain not one whit more than non sequiturs, unsupported (and unsupportable) assertions and ad hominem attacks. > > I’m embarrassed to watch. \*\* I’m actually surprised at how decent you “unpleasant atheists” have been to him so far.:)Do they have some kind of “different” religion in Alabama? I haven’t figured out what he is yet.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/70 "2003-12-06T15:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Unwashed \* > \*\*Why is anyone arguing with this **Milum**? What is there to argue? His posts in this thread contain not one whit more than non sequiturs, unsupported (and unsupportable) assertions and ad hominem attacks. > > I’m embarrassed to watch. \*\* Yeah, I see now how futile the attempt was, after that last post of his. I’ll stop now. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/71 "2003-12-06T17:59:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milum \* > \*\*And why, you ask, are atheists self centered? God only knows. . . \*\* . . . One can only assume that the irony here has gone right over **Milum** ’s head . . .I, by the way, do not feel “discriminated against” as an atheist in the U.S. Marginalized and disdained, sure, but not really discriminated against. ---
**Author:** ![Milum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Milum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milum)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/72 "2003-12-06T18:18:55Z")
\*\* As it is written\_\_\_\_\_\_\_()\*\* Goodbye Revtim, goodbye Great Unwashed. 🙂 \*\* The Truth of the good shall turn aside the lies of the wicked.\*\* **\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_() \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_** ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/73 "2003-12-06T20:03:19Z")
Auuughhh! The _Yellow Parentheses!!!_ ( **Eve** bursts into slames and vanishes in a pile of ashes) ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/74 "2003-12-06T20:08:07Z")
What in the world is a “slame”? ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/75 "2003-12-06T20:15:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Governor Quinn \* > \*\*What in the world is a “slame”? \*\* A slanted flame? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![IWLN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5ac83/32.png) [@IWLN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IWLN)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/76 "2003-12-06T20:56:35Z")
**Milum** - **GOD** told me to give you this message and he wanted you to know you’re really embarrassing him. **Proverbs 18 1 An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment. 2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions.** This has confirmed the theory that I’ve held for many years. There are (2) Gods. The one that Milum and GWB worship and the one that I believe in. “Slame” on you Milum.:o ---
**Author:** ![Milum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Milum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milum)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/77 "2003-12-07T00:53:51Z")
**IWLM** > [@](#): > > Milum - GOD told me to give you this message and he wanted you to know you’re really embarrassing him. If so **IWLM** , GOD is mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![IWLN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5ac83/32.png) [@IWLN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IWLN)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915/78 "2003-12-07T01:28:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Milum \* > If so **IWLM** , GOD is mistaken. Cite?:dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimination-against-atheists-in-the-us/216915.md?page=3)