| Atheism & Discrimination | |
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Getting ready to respond to the negative stereotypes and misconceptions that many people hold about atheists is a large project. I also consider it to be of vital importance. Here are some of the resources I've found to help me:
On the internet:
1) Study Resources:
The About.com site here holds much good information concerning the issues surrounding atheism and agnosticism. Another large collection of information is to be found at "The Secular Web" (also known as "The Internet Infidels").
2) Chat environments:
Messaging venues, like the Message Boards in About.com, many newsgroups in the Usenet, and various channels in IRC all provide valuable locations where one can gain some experience with combating the misconceptions people bring into those environments. Not only that, but they are good places to exchange ideas with other atheists. This is where I have spent much of my time, starting and developing relationships with like-minded people, sharing experiences and learning how others feel about some of the problems we all face.
In the real world:
3) Freethought groups:
Across the country, there are new groups and organizations being created to provide atheists and agnostics an opportunity to gather in "the real world." On high school and college campuses all over, there are chapters of the Campus Freethought Alliance. In most states you'll find chapters of American Atheists or the Freedom From Religion Foundation. In Texas, there are even a couple of groups that have formed "Churches of Freethought," which are formed much like Protestant churches, but their memberships and leaders are all free-thinkers. In all these groups, there is the opportunity not only to find people who have similar convictions about life, but they offer an opportunity to locate new friends and begin to develop a true social infrastructure.
4) Local public library:
Public libraries abound with useful material, once you know what to look for. Books on science, philosophy and religion can be found in abundance. If a particular branch doesn't have a book you are interested in, it can obtain a copy from other libraries. The environment in libraries is ideal for study, and access is free. If you wish to start a freethought group of your own, many libraries can provide meeting rooms for free or at a very low cost.
All this time spent in study and socializing is merely a matter of equipping ourselves
for the task of fighting the prejudices people have about atheists and atheism. But,
how can we go about actually carrying out this fight?
In my experience, it is always a waste of time to simply tell people their preconceptions are wrong. Instead, it's far more effective to show them that they're wrong. This is why it's vital to consider declaring one's atheism openly. While one "stays in the closet," others never dream that there's anyone around who doesn't share their world view. When people become aware that this isn't the case, the learning process can begin.
When I've "come out" in the places I work at, I've encountered much surprise and a fair amount of curiosity. Those who might have been hostile in years gone by feel constrained to avoid confrontation. I think this may be in part because of the work over the years by various civil rights and civil liberties activists.
In any case, I have felt the many eyes of my co-workers on me, and this has led me to consider myself as a sort of ambassador for atheism. I don't think I need to show that atheists are superior in any way, or that my life is happier than any other because I'm an atheist. I think it's more important to show people that I'm just like the rest of the crowd in all respects except religion.
There may be some who would question why I should care what other people think of me as an atheist. In one sense, it really isn't an issue. I'm secure in my feelings concerning religion. In a larger sense, however, I feel that the bounds set by the prejudice of believers form a wall which must come down if atheists as a group can ever hope to be accepted as normal members of our society in America. This is to me a good reason to make the effort.
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