# Why do athiest's opinions matter more than religious people's opinions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 9, 2005, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870 "2005-01-09T08:31:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/81 "2005-01-10T04:34:37Z")
> [@prisoner6655321](#): > > See? Again with the intolerance. How is it intolerant to support the right of a store owner to play whatever music he wants. If you don’t like it, go to another store. Now, if there’s something in this store that’s life and death for you to get and somehow the presence of non-Christian music makes it impossible for you to get it, that’d be another matter. But somehow, I don’t see that as the case. Tell me, should there be a Jesus Approved ™ list of songs from which people should be allowed to choose for the workplace? If the storeowner refused service to Christians, I’d be right alongside you complaining. But playing secular music (which you seem to think preaches atheism) is hardly an affront against Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/82 "2005-01-10T04:36:38Z")
> [@prisoner6655321](#): > > See? Again with the intolerance. I’m being repressed! ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/83 "2005-01-10T04:39:31Z")
> [@prisoner6655321](#): > > Well, that was as specific response to one person’s argument. It was a hijack actually. The OP isn’t about the difference between or the definitions of “atheist” music or anti-Christian music. It’s about two people being offended by different kinds of music. One type of music happened to be Christian, so the offense prompted the “opposite”, music that was known to be “offensive” to some Christians.So a song with the chorus “Holy is the Lord, God Almighty,” doesn’t encourage God worship? Okay, dodge dodge dodge. I’ll ask it directly: Do you believe that all non-religious music is anti-religious? ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/84 "2005-01-10T04:43:38Z")
Not speaking for **prisoner** , but I do believe I used to feel the same way he does. I belonged to a non-denominational church that spoke in tongues and encouraged a literalist interpretation of the bible. For us, anything that wasn’t explicitly FOR God, was then considered AGAINST Him. That included, of course, music, movies, businesses that held a secular stance and obviously, any issues that spoke from what we perceived to be an anti-Christian stance. Which sadly, was just about anything. Needless to say, back in high school, when I carried my bible every single day and nary a profane word passed my lips, I kept a quasi-journal of all the ‘bad’ music out there. You’d be surprise to know what some folks would qualify under that heading. If anyone wonders why, please refer to this scripture: “_You are either with God or you are against God._” – Matthew 12:30 So, I saw oppression and possible evil everywhere. Because the devil is truly out to steal your soul. And I do not say that facetiously. And though I’m not the OP, I was very, very devout back in the day. I may help clear up any misconceptions or answer questions they might have. I’d be glad to shed some light on leading a similar life (if **prisoner** doesn’t mind and if you do, just say the world… I’ll step out even if I’ve already replied a time or two). Fire away if need be. ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/85 "2005-01-10T04:57:38Z")
Matthew 12: 29 - 30: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light. So where’d your quote come from? ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/86 "2005-01-10T05:00:43Z")
Um, apparently off an unreptable website. I kept typing in the quote various ways because I couldn’t remember it verbatim and I had several Google results with the same hit. I don’t even know if I could re-create it. And it probably doesn’t matter, if I must have really mangled it that badly. Mea culpa. Perhaps I should take my shoddy ‘expertise’ on my past elsewhere. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/87 "2005-01-10T05:02:19Z")
Your Bible quote sounds like something that kind, love man Paul would say. (Please note my sarcasm) Perhaps add Paul as a modifier to your search? ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/88 "2005-01-10T05:05:58Z")
> [@spectrum](#): > > Okay, dodge dodge dodge. I’ll ask it directly: > > Do you believe that all non-religious music is anti-religious? I would posit that it’s not. Secular, perhaps, but not anti-religious. I’m currently listening to “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones. It doesn’t seem to have any religious or theological themes to it. It seems to be pretty secular to me, but not anti-religious by any means. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/89 "2005-01-10T05:06:32Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > My point **prisoner66double5321** is that if a family can’t display a cross on a public road, then some other family can’t display a star of David either or any other religious icon… It’s about separation of church and state. And further I sincerely believe(ex-Christian here) that some Christians think they know the absolute truth and the whole country needs to come around to their way of thinking. That’s where I see the intolerance. I’m not saying that many Christians are intolerant. And I’m not advocating it. I’m saying that the intolerance pendulm swings both ways. We need to STOP the intolerance pendulum. Hey! You smecking me eemya? Pony me, 6655321 is me plicket. You don’t itty to the Staja without mortizing your plicket. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/90 "2005-01-10T05:06:45Z")
> [@spectrum](#): > > Your Bible quote sounds like something that kind, love man Paul would say. (Please note my sarcasm) > > Perhaps add Paul as a modifier to your search? Ah, thank you **spectrum**! I wasn’t thinking of my favorite misogynist when I was looking about. I’ll try adding him this go 'round. ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/91 "2005-01-10T05:10:16Z")
> [@spectrum](#): > > How is it intolerant to support the right of a store owner to play whatever music he wants. That, if that’s what happened, isn’t intolerant. But I stated many times the store owner didn’t care what music he played. He cared about what the customers wanted, or he said he did. The “wah” was aimed at my complaint of the intolerance double standard. As if I’m not allowed to complain about someone being intolerant towards me. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/92 "2005-01-10T05:16:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Hey! You smecking me eemya? Pony me, 6655321 is me plicket. You don’t itty to the Staja without mortizing your plicket. Appy Polly Loggies! ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/93 "2005-01-10T05:16:48Z")
ARGH! I give up. The only thing I can find now are paraphrased versions of sermons and links to the scripture about not being “unequally yoked.” I’m sure **prisoner** would be more adept at it anyway and all my opinions solely anecdotal at this point. Politely bowing out of thread. - - - - - But not without asking **Othersider** first… Are you following me or is it the other way around? 😛 Oooh, instead of Threadspotting, we have Threadtag! ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/94 "2005-01-10T05:56:44Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > I’m sure **prisoner** would be more adept at it anyway and all my opinions solely anecdotal at this point. Politely bowing out of thread. Awwww… Matthew 6:24 (NIV) No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. I suspect that this verse is one that extremists use. Of course it’s about serving God or Money, not music or life in general. And it’s a bit extreme. SERVING one or the other. Is listening to The Beatles serving, well, The Beatles and not serving God? I don’t know. BTW, I don’t think that I should have said music that doesn’t glorify God is athiestic. I should have said that it’s secular. ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/95 "2005-01-10T06:00:40Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > But not without asking **Othersider** first… Are you following me or is it the other way around? Meh, six of one, half a dozen of the other. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/96 "2005-01-10T06:21:26Z")
Hey you, **Othersider** , check your mail for your next instructions on that _Mission Impossible_. Just don’t let anyone know what we call it. Sorry **prisoner**. I promise that our co-opting your thread is over. Put the boxing gloves back on. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/97 "2005-01-10T06:39:12Z")
The OP makes no sense. Why is non-Christian music automatically “atheist?” The thread title whines about “atheist opinions” but no atheist opinions were described in the OP. Non-religious music is not “atheistic,” it’s just not religious. Most people hate Christian Rock because it sucks, because the lyrics are sanctimonious and insipid and because they don’t want to preached at, they want to be entertained. The OP did not explain why the “Christians” were offended by the non-Christian music. Was there profanity in the lyrics or something or is this just a brand of Christian that is offended by secular music just because its secular? If the latter is the case then the OP hads no legitimate complaint. There is a difference between not playing music which is overtly offensive and playing music which simply does not celebrate someone else’s magic sky pixie. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/98 "2005-01-10T06:46:05Z")
Y’all don’t mind me. I love my ability to be invisible. And it’s a rather high ranking status, too. Aren’t you all jealous? ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/99 "2005-01-10T07:22:49Z")
> [@Q.N. Jones](#): > > Sing it, sister. > > It’s not always the unreligious who win. When I worked the front desk at a hotel, we had to listen to country music Monday through Saturday (much of it with a religious bent). On Sunday, we had to listen to religious programming all day long. > > The manager claimed that was what the customers liked, and they’d complain otherwise, but he just so happened to be a religious guy who liked country music. Yes. You and I are the only ones on this thread who seem to see this for what it is. (Unless I missed a post somewhere, which is entirely possible, and if so, please accept my apologies.) I worked at a store where the majority wanted to play the current kiddie pop or Top 40 stuff. They would monopolize the radio. The boss was apparently with them, because she made every effort to prevent me (who liked Classical) or another lady (who liked Country) to have “our” turn at choosing the radio station. (Everyone else had a turn, except for us.) Country Fan Lady and I occasionally worked alone at nights, so then we’d be able to play Country or Classical. Only then. We felt like musical outcasts at work, but as such, we stuck together and respected each others’ musical choices. I daresay that many of the customers would have preferred some mellow Country or Classical to the constant kiddie pop, but hey, who cares what they preferred? The employees who had similar tastes to the boss trumped what anyone else wanted. That’s all this is about. People enforcing their own musical tastes on others. It’s been around for frickin’ _forever_. People will do this. This is not exclusive to Christian/atheist. In fact, I think the vast _minority_ of “radio wars” revolve around religion. More often, it’s Country vs. Rock, or Jazz vs. Easy Listening, or Pop vs. Classical, or Classical vs. Rap, and so forth and so on. That’s all it is. Y’all are trying to make far more of it than really is necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2005, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870/100 "2005-01-10T08:35:59Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > That’s all this is about. People enforcing their own musical tastes on others. Yeah well, if everybody liked the same music I did, we wouldn’t have this problem! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-athiests-opinions-matter-more-than-religious-peoples-opinions/283870.md?page=6)