How does atheism affect your sense of personal safety?

There has been some recent stir in the media lately.

Perhaps not against atheists in specific.

(Oh wait, except for the Fox News thing. That was pretty specific.)

 

 

Anyway, what have you heard? Who do you self-identify with? 

Do you feel like this is a rising trend or media sensationalism?

Does your day to day life seem affected in any way? 

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Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on July 31, 2011 at 9:40pm

Honestly I've felt as I've come more "blatant", for lack of a better word, with my atheism, t-shirts, car emblems etc...I've gotten many many more angry and disgusted looks. Especially with the t-shirts. Plain and simple, there is a huge number of christians in this nation out there who push hate towards atheists, Steve Harvey comes to mind, and if the media doesn't stand up for us, we need to push back. The more we make our presence felt, the more visible we are, the more we step on their fragile little hoax of a christian nation, then the more in danger we will all become. I'm ready.

Permalink Reply by Philip Jarrett on July 31, 2011 at 9:59pm

I'm from a Red State and I'm scared shitless.

The Tea Party is a hybrid of Eval/Fundies and Libertarianism.  These people have been stockpiling weapons for a war against the state since the Sixties when the Survivalist Movement branched off from the more intellectually elite forms of Libertarianism.  Libertarianism, or more precisely, anarcho-capitalism, is a form of anarchy and fascism.  Their intent is to bring down the government, this debt ceiling crisis is their opening salvo, and turn over the powers of the state to individual corporation.  Hence, fascism. In Nation Socialism the state took over the corporate world, in Libertarianism, the corporate world will take over the state.  Once this is accomplished, then police protection will be a commodity to be bought from companies by the wealthy.  This protection will be only for those who can afford it and will have no government control.  Not only that, the judicial system will be privatized.  These two factors will combine to produce a situation where being an atheist will be a crime punishable by incarceration in a privately owned prison from which release will be predicated on conversion.

Paranoia?  I've lived with these people all my life.  I know them.  Paranoia is unwarranted fear of unknown forces.

I'm not paranoid.  I'm scared.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Kairan Nierde on August 3, 2011 at 1:11am

I see the writing on the wall too; it's already well in the works.  If neo-cons, tea-party libertarians, and Dino's continue to successfully obstruct the very function of government, while instituting policies designed to tear it down, I'd say we're all fucked...but especially those consumers who aren't white, male, christian, and/or possessed of material wealth.  I don't believe there is a future for me in this America.

Permalink Reply by Dave Fischer on August 5, 2011 at 1:26am

As for Libertarians who object to the government intruding on the free exercise of their rights, I have a suggestion,  Move to Somalia where there is no government to interfere with the free exercise of your rights.  Send me a postcard.  Let me know how it works out.

Permalink Reply by Dale Headley on August 1, 2011 at 3:58am

   I don't really have a sense of danger from Christians.  Most of their enmity is directed against that man in the White House who they believe should be pickin' cotton under the whip instead of being all "uppity" thinking he is the equal of a white man.  Go to any tea party gathering, and you can see the Ku Klux Klan in their faces.  Many of them would gladly assassinate the President if they could.  Most chilling of all, they would feel the imprimatur of God in doing so, just like Eric Rudolph, and other Christian assassins.  

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Lester on August 1, 2011 at 1:17pm
I don't feel unsafe at all. I live in a place where almost everyone goes to church, but luckily they just do it to make themselves feel like better people than the ones that don't go. It's definitely more of a social thing than a religious thing around here. They're all fake as hell.
Permalink Reply by Skycomet the Fallen Angel on August 1, 2011 at 4:33pm
I'm not afraid of them. I won't give them power by refusing to be who I am
Permalink Reply by Tyler on August 4, 2011 at 2:45am

Never felt threatened, but then again I'm in the deep south so I know when its time to be proud and when its time to be smart. XD

Permalink Reply by Shanna on February 9, 2012 at 4:59pm
I dont put anything on my car. i jad a rainbow plate one time and someone spit on my windshield. (Raleigh, NC)
Permalink Reply by theres A on February 9, 2012 at 5:18pm

It's a good point. In Colorado there are so many xtian fish emblems on cars, I went and ordered an EVOLVE fish emblem and put it on the back of my minivan and I swear I could feel the hate just by the way some people would speed up to pass me and cut me off. So, I decided to swap it with a SCIENCE rocket. I thought everyone believes in science right? Still, I get rudely cut off and I wonder if it has something to do with them hating on the emblem or maybe it's just the minivan!  I'm thinking of removing the emblem and just blending in.

Permalink Reply by Geoff on February 9, 2012 at 10:56pm

It is an interesting dilemma.   You might want exercise your freedom of speech and expression to show solidarity with other non-believers,  or to show the religious that they don't have a monopoly on the conversation, or just to tweak their noses.   Any of those reasons might be appropriate depending on he situation and the audience.   The problem is, and the danger occurs,  because we really can't make generalizations about the other team.   Some may actually "turn the other cheek" and say live and let live.  I'm concerned with the mentally imbalanced that may see there little make believe world threatened.   Let's face facts.  They don't think about things very deeply, do they?  There are too many psychopaths running around out there.  While I still fancy myself as in good shape for a senior citizen,  my days of voluntarily taking on kids are over.  It is just too dangerous.   Watch yourselves especially while driving.  So, as an old guy,  my advice would be to be cognizant of your surroundings,  stay in shape and always have an escape route.     

Permalink Reply by Becca on February 9, 2012 at 11:43pm

First I have to ask... what FOX news thing? I don't have cable nor do I read articles from FOX news unless somebody is referencing something in an article of theirs.

On a daily basis in terms of personal safety I am more worried about being mugged, assaulted or hit by a car. I have never been threatened for talking about atheism or stating that I am an atheist. My car was almost keyed years ago because of the Darwin fish on it. I arrived at my car just in time to tell the kids to bugger off and leave my car alone. I try to be a little more aware of spouting my views loudly and openly when I am in small conservative towns especially when I am at a drinking establishment. I also tone it down at my tea party libertarian gun toting anti-intellectual relatives houses. They all know I'm atheist and surprisingly don't mind me coming around but its typically better for everyone if we leave religion and politics alone.

I think that atheism in the media is a result of more and more of us coming out. It's really annoying how we are portrayed at this point but I do like that we are making enough noise to get noticed. In my opinion being noticed is the first step in eventually be accepted members of society. Practically everything in mainstream media is sensationalism and I don't particularly pay attention to those sources.

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