# I Pit Those who Believe in a War on Religion **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 15, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923 "2012-02-15T14:50:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923/121 "2012-02-19T01:16:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I mean, there are people in this thread seriously arguing that never having been president means you are persecuted. Puh-lease. Are there? Who are they? More importantly, though, no one is crying and wailing “oh, we poor persecuted atheists”, whereas many prominent Christians _are_ crying and wailing about being persecuted. So it’s ironic that Christians both (a) are clearly by any measure far LESS persecuted/harassed/discriminated against than atheists, but (b) make a much bigger public fuss about it. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923/122 "2012-02-19T01:28:38Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The same logic that says that Christians aren’t persecuted says that atheists aren’t persecuted. You are not for fear of your life as an atheist. You are not in fear of losing your freedom as an atheist. > > Of course, you could be using persecution less than literally, but then you’d have to allow Christians to do the same thing. Saying that Christians aren’t persecuted when people treat them badly, but atheists are when they are treated badly just doesn’t make sense. > > Very, very few people in the U.S. are persecuted. Deal with it. Or make fun of a little kid for pointing out that you do the same shit you hate in others. > > I mean, there are people in this thread seriously arguing that never having been president means you are persecuted. Puh-lease. The people in this country that count Jesus as their homey are the ones in charge. To equate the atheist experience in America with the Christian experience is simply nonsense. [Atheists are the most distrusted group in the country.](http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422&page=1#.T0BLKsW0y5I). [Seriously](http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/11/30/religious-people-do-not-believe-in-atheists-study/). You don’t think that parcels out to countless small offenses every day? How many relationships have been destroyed by bigoted parents, how many jobs have been lost, promotions passed over, children disowned by people coming out as atheist? I don’t know the number, but I’d bet that it’s considerably higher than any pushback Christians get. And you don’t think that it’s not just a little shitty that atheism precludes you from national office? (With the exception of the one house member atheist from California.) Now, obviously, America doesn’t persecute atheists in the sense of pogroms, being an atheist isn’t as bad as being black before 1970, but it’s certainly worse than having Jesus as your co-pilot. Which makes it absurd to say that Christians are just as “persecuted” or whatever than atheists. Simply nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923/123 "2012-02-19T01:32:21Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Are there? Who are they? > > More importantly, though, no one is crying and wailing “oh, we poor persecuted atheists”, whereas many prominent Christians _are_ crying and wailing about being persecuted. So it’s ironic that Christians both (a) are clearly by any measure far LESS persecuted/harassed/discriminated against than atheists, but (b) make a much bigger public fuss about it. I think Big T means me. To clarify, I didn’t mean it’s a terrible burden to be an Atheist in America. Just that Christians are playing the game on easy. And them having the nerve to bitch while others are playing on hard is hella repugnant. ---
**Author:** ![FixMyIgnorance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7feea3/32.png) [@FixMyIgnorance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FixMyIgnorance)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923/124 "2012-02-19T01:33:40Z")
I think it’s a burden to be atheist in America. I have to bite my tongue so goddamned often because speaking out against nonsensical religious thought processes isn’t good for keeping friends and playing nice with colleagues. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923/125 "2012-02-20T16:21:59Z")
True “persecution” against atheists is not present. But there is a general disadvantage involved in being atheist which the figures on things like income equality won’t (and in fact can’t) represent. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923/126 "2012-02-20T21:58:37Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > True “persecution” against atheists is not present. . . . Well, it’s there, but at a pretty low level. For instance, at least in the past, some soldiers declaring “atheist” for the religion in the U.S. Army were made to work on Sundays, while religious soldiers were given time off for chapel. Not like being Jewish in Berlin in 1938… But it happens… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923/127 "2012-02-20T22:02:25Z")
I been to church, I’d rather work. Rather go fishing than either, but still… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-those-who-believe-in-a-war-on-religion/612923.md?page=6)