The hostile reactions from some Christians to recent atheist books has been "explained" by the idea that atheists have been so aggressive, intolerant, and unreasonable that they are only getting what they deserve. The fact that this hostility already existed is deemed irrelevant, as is the fact that religious believers and proponents of various political causes have behaved with the same or more aggressiveness. What are the chances that similar hostility provoked by very mild, non-aggressive behavior will be taken into account? I won’t hold my breath — apologists for anti-atheist bigotry aren't friends of atheists in the first place.
Darwin Finch writes about the reactions of Christians to the FFRF billboard which said "Imagine No Religion":
This kind of thing, to me, always reeks of how fine-haired the religious trigger in America is. A single billboard goes up with a perfectly reasonable, unforceful, philosophical question, and the trigger goes off: Kegerreis Outdoor Advertising posts a spiteful "Why Do Atheists Hate America?" sign. It's almost like people with religious tendencies harbor some kind of spring-loaded hatred against atheists and atheism, and it sits inside them coiled up, ready to burst out upon the slightest excuse.
I wonder if there is something to the theory that Christians (and other religious folks) are just looking for excuses to spew their hatred of atheism and agnosticism? Have you seen the Dane Cook standup routine where he portrays atheists as universally asinine, and the audience goes crazy? The spring-loaded trigger against atheism just needs a little push and BOOM it ignites. All they need is a little excuse... a little reason... a little imaginary rationality to set off their inner prejudices. In this case, Kegerreis took the opportunity to bash atheists under the guise of responding to a previous sign and to protect their company's identity. Almost any story in the media involving atheism has a similar flavor: religious zealots taking the words and actions of atheists and using them to rationalize their gunpowder approach to social bigotry.
The scary part: How can we measure the limits of this dynamite? As atheism, freethinking, and secular humanity become more popular in America (it seems inevitable), will the firepower of religious reaction gear up with each social advance made? How far will theists go to show us their rights are being trampled, despite obvious evidence to the contrary? What will happen when Christians become the minority in American, and must no longer look for the occasional excuse to hate atheists, but can simply refer to statistics to rationalize a continuous napalm of hatred? How loud the explosion? How large the mushroom cloud?
How long before American theists literally become bombs for their beliefs?
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Are there many examples where a minority was the target of such hatred and bigotry, but not of violence? Perhaps, but I can only think of cases where violence eventually occurred. In fact, atheists in America have endured violence in isolated cases as well. The chances of a pogrom may not be realistic — at least not so long as Christian Nationalists don't hold power — but in certain areas a person has to be careful if they are going to be outspoken atheists who challenge traditional Christian privileges.
No surprise really. It’s similar to the upset in power experienced by many men following women’s suffrage. The reaction is no different.
Theists have gotten a free pass for how long now? I can imagine that they truly think that being unseated from unquestioned privilege means that everything they’ve heard about atheists or an atheist dominated country (OMG STALIN) will happen.
And it’s not. Look at Western Europe.
They are scared, and for good reason. Good riddance to the bad rubbish of theism.
I keep waiting for some theist to accuse atheists of something theists themselves are not also guilty of. Wouldn’t _that_ be novelty?
Inside every relgious zealot, there must be a doubter waiting to break out. How else can one account for the endless anger, over nonconformity?
I think some wannabe theocrats have mistaken dystopian literature like The Handmaid’s Tale and most Philip Dick novels as instruction manuals.
Maybe progressive secularists ought to stop writing such handy how-tos.
In times of crisis, when people are hungry, the opportunistic will blame the most despised as the root of “our” problems. That being said the state of our economy is looking gloomy. There was a good article on Market Watch today that detailed the very seriously weak and broadly based financial problems of our national and international structures. I think that there will be some very hungry people and a lot of them in the relatively near future.
Rational thought is not a characteristic found in the famished.
i’m testing to see if i’ve been banned of if there is a problem posting here from work.
“Why Do Atheists Hate America?”
I suppose it must be for the same reasons that everybody else hates America too?
Just a guess.