# Why do we have to put up with Religious People?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 7, 2020, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474 "2020-08-07T06:20:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 383

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**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-to-put-up-with-religious-people/917474/383 "2020-08-09T13:18:25Z")

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> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> The “atheistic people” are a very small minority that have no real social or political power to speak of…and do you know the difference between “punching up” and “punching down”?

I think that this is a rather dramatic exaggeration of the situation. Sure, true atheists might be a relatively small minority, but people who have a broadly secular worldview (including agnostics, etc.), and who don’t base their social and political decisions on religion, make up a significant portion of American society.

Also, while atheists might not constitute any sort of political bloc, in the way that some religious groups do, they are also not really marginalized or deprived of liberty and influence in our society in a way that justifies your statement about “punching up” and “punching down.”

I’ve already expressed my concern about some of the ways that religion influences certain aspects of our civic discourse and our civil society, but I don’t believe that this makes atheists any sort of endangered species or subjugated group.

> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> This is what I miss most about Thailand. There is a total absence of religious pushiness. Buddhists never try to force their beliefs on you. It is heaven.

Yeah, in Thailand, they leave the pressure tactics to the actual government. This is a country that gets 1/12 on the Freedom House score for its Electoral Process, 3/16 for Political Pluralism and Participation, 2/12 for functioning of government, 6/16 for Freedom of Expression and Belief, 5/12 for Associational and Organizational Rights, 5/16 for Rule of Law, and 10/16 for Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights.

Heaven indeed!

Interestingly, the equal-highest score in all of the sub-categories (3/4) was for the religious faith. To be honest, in terms of my freedom and well-being, I’ll take a few evangelicals pushing their religious beliefs over a systematic curtailment of political and civil liberties.

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