Do you think that there is a double standard in the way people refer to Christians and the way Athiests or Agnostics are referred to?
For example there was a thread where someone used the term "bible-beaters." To be honest I can't even come up with a term that is common for Athiests/Agnostics. Is that acceptable? Should it be?
There are plenty of terms, and I am not trying to pick on the person that said it, but I just don't understand how it is acceptable to use that language.
Just wondering what you think.

It seems as though now a days it is acceptable to be the minority. Meaning that there seems to be a loud minority of people who do not believe in God who say I do not want to hear religion as an answer, or in school, or in town or anywhere else in the world. So America has been giving them want they want instead of saying how the majority feels. JMO of course ;)

Do you think that there is a double standard in the way people refer to Christians and the way Athiests or Agnostics are referred to?
For example there was a thread where someone used the term "bible-beaters." To be honest I can't even come up with a term that is common for Athiests/Agnostics. Is that acceptable? Should it be?
There are plenty of terms, and I am not trying to pick on the person that said it, but I just don't understand how it is acceptable to use that language.
Just wondering what you think.


athiests and agnostics are different first of all, so its like comparing Judaism and christianity....both abraham religions, yet different. Athiests tend to be called 'satanists, devil worshipers, faithless(in a not so nice way), and evil.' Agnostics get a similar rap. I wouldn't call it a double standard persay, ive had more people try to get me to go to church and believe in their ideas of God, rather than people trying to get me NOT to ya know? interesting post.

athiests and agnostics are different first of all, so its like comparing Judaism and christianity....both abraham religions, yet different. Athiests tend to be called 'satanists, devil worshipers, faithless(in a not so nice way), and evil.' Agnostics get a similar rap. I wouldn't call it a double standard persay, ive had more people try to get me to go to church and believe in their ideas of God, rather than people trying to get me NOT to ya know? interesting post.

I guess, I am just feeling like people absolutely know that it isn't okay to call them those names(satanists, devil worshippers, and the like) and it isn't! However, I feel that people don't understand that it really isn't okay to use rude terms to refer to Christians either.

athiests and agnostics are different first of all, so its like comparing Judaism and christianity....both abraham religions, yet different. Athiests tend to be called 'satanists, devil worshipers, faithless(in a not so nice way), and evil.' Agnostics get a similar rap. I wouldn't call it a double standard persay, ive had more people try to get me to go to church and believe in their ideas of God, rather than people trying to get me NOT to ya know? interesting post.


I don't think there is a double standard. I think the above is true. not everyone realizes the stigma that comes with being atheist or agnostic.

athiests and agnostics are different first of all, so its like comparing Judaism and christianity....both abraham religions, yet different. Athiests tend to be called 'satanists, devil worshipers, faithless(in a not so nice way), and evil.' Agnostics get a similar rap. I wouldn't call it a double standard persay, ive had more people try to get me to go to church and believe in their ideas of God, rather than people trying to get me NOT to ya know? interesting post.


:yes

I don't think there is a double standard. I think the above is true. not everyone realizes the stigma that comes with being atheist or agnostic.

ITA

I don't think there is a double standard. I think the above is true. not everyone realizes the stigma that comes with being atheist or agnostic.

I agree, I also feels that goes for any religion that is not Christianity. (speaking of stigma)

I don't think that when someone uses the term "bible thumper" they are refering to all Christians, just a certain group of them that fall into a specific behavior. My wife and I refer to one of her sisters and her freinds as bible thumpers, not because they are Christians, but because of they way they behave in furtherance of their beliefs. We are certainly not referring to all Christians. If they behaved the same way and were jewish, muslim or pagan, we would still call them bible thumpers.
No matter how much of a majority or minority a religion, it is wrong to insult someone or their religion, just because of their beliefs.

I don't think that when someone uses the term "bible thumper" they are refering to all Christians, just a certain group of them that fall into a specific behavior. My wife and I refer to one of her sisters and her freinds as bible thumpers, not because they are Christians, but because of they way they behave in furtherance of their beliefs. We are certainly not referring to all Christians. If they behaved the same way and were jewish, muslim or pagan, we would still call them bible thumpers.
No matter how much of a majority or minority a religion, it is wrong to insult someone or their religion, just because of their beliefs.

I agree with this. I take the term more literally, as in someone who will beat you with their bible! "Bible thumpers", in my view, describe people who push their religion on others. Although the term can be misleading, it bears no reference to a specific religion.

Bible Thumping was when people who took the Bible too literally would sit and open a random page, point to a random passage, and apply that to every situation. That's where the term came from. JSYK.

Anyway, I don't think there's a double standard. There's stigmas with every way of life out there. Humans are judgemental as a general rule.

Taken from a dictionary website:
'a Bible-basher (British & Australian, informal, mainly American, informal)
an insulting way of describing someone who tries very hard to persuade other people to believe in their religion. I have nothing against religion, but I hate Bible-bashers. '

I don't think that there is a doubel standard and I do agree with just about everuthing said here in this thread :yes

I will say though that words are thrown around WAY too much in todays society to hurt people.

I agree - you can't really say there's a double standard because EVERY religion (or lack thereof) has its stigmas. Everyone that believes anything will be persecuted by someone somewhere that believes something else. From a christian standpoint I don't think it's fair to judge non-believers or condemn them, calling them faithless and the like. Who are we to condemn ANYONE? :dunno

And there's my ramble for the day :lol

I agree - you can't really say there's a double standard because EVERY religion (or lack thereof) has its stigmas. Everyone that believes anything will be persecuted by someone somewhere that believes something else. From a christian standpoint I don't think it's fair to judge non-believers or condemn them, calling them faithless and the like. Who are we to condemn ANYONE? :dunno

And there's my ramble for the day :lol

To the red, bolded:

Except child molesters. :giggle

I agree - you can't really say there's a double standard because EVERY religion (or lack thereof) has its stigmas. Everyone that believes anything will be persecuted by someone somewhere that believes something else. From a christian standpoint I don't think it's fair to judge non-believers or condemn them, calling them faithless and the like. Who are we to condemn ANYONE? :dunno

And there's my ramble for the day :lol

Yeah, I agree.

Maybe we are just all sensitive to our own religion/non-religion being attacked.

I also agree that there is a difference between the radicals (bible-thumpers) and the mainstream, but it seems that it is acceptable to use the term to describe any Christian, and people don't bat an eyelash.

It seems as though now a days it is acceptable to be the minority. Meaning that there seems to be a loud minority of people who do not believe in God who say I do not want to hear religion as an answer, or in school, or in town or anywhere else in the world. So America has been giving them want they want instead of saying how the majority feels. JMO of course ;)

i agree

I hear immoral alot for atheists. That bothers me. I feel that a lot of Christians are judgemental and that they do not follow their teachings.

I agree - you can't really say there's a double standard because EVERY religion (or lack thereof) has its stigmas. Everyone that believes anything will be persecuted by someone somewhere that believes something else. From a christian standpoint I don't think it's fair to judge non-believers or condemn them, calling them faithless and the like. Who are we to condemn ANYONE? :dunno

And there's my ramble for the day :lol

ITA.
and it saddens my heart that Chrisitans have gotten such a bad name.

As a Christian, I personally feel that sometimes it seems that people are considerate of most beliefs, lifestyles, etc. except Christians. Over the years it has become expected of society to be more and more tolerant of most beliefs but somehow there is less tolerance of Christianity. That is MY perception and my own personal experience. Others will have a different experience that may result in a different perception or opinion, and I'm okay with that.

As for any stigma regarding atheists and agnostics, I have never heard the references used in the other post. I was taught that an atheist didn't believe in God or didn't have a belief in any kind of higher power etc., and an agnostic wasn't sure if there was a God, or higher power. Personally, I believe there is another group of "God haters" that I would consider a completely separate group. Again, this is from my personal exposure and not necessarily fact.

I don't think there is a double standard. I think the above is true. not everyone realizes the stigma that comes with being atheist or agnostic.

I agree. I'm an Atheist, and I'll just leave it at that.

As a Christian, I personally feel that sometimes it seems that people are considerate of most beliefs, lifestyles, etc. except Christians. Over the years it has become expected of society to be more and more tolerant of most beliefs but somehow there is less tolerance of Christianity. That is MY perception and my own personal experience. Others will have a different experience that may result in a different perception or opinion, and I'm okay with that.

As for any stigma regarding atheists and agnostics, I have never heard the references used in the other post. I was taught that an atheist didn't believe in God or didn't have a belief in any kind of higher power etc., and an agnostic wasn't sure if there was a God, or higher power. Personally, I believe there is another group of "God haters" that I would consider a completely separate group. Again, this is from my personal exposure and not necessarily fact.


I totally agree. I am more curious as to why a person might be an Atheist or Agnostic, but I don't condem them for that belief.

I have been Christian. I was for 23 years of my life. I have also been Atheist now for the last 6 years of my life. I gotta say, in this country of a vast majority of Christians, it is MUCH harder being an Atheist. I never knew how hard it was until I started telling people and getting the token assumptions and name calling. I have been called all kinds of things; from evil, to immoral, to a heathen, to a Satan worshiper (which baffles me since you kinda have to believe in God to believe in Satan, but whatever). I have been treated like I am mentally retarded and that must be why I am Atheist... I am just too stupid to understand religion so that is why I don't believe in it. It has been assumed that I must have no morals, no values, and want the world to be a crack den full of bestiality and abortion because I am atheist. :rolleyes

Just like you feel that people find it too acceptable to call Christians "bible thumpers", I feel that it is too acceptable to call Atheists "heathens". I think the perception changes when you are actually one of the group being ridiculed. The main difference I have noticed in my experience is the value each opposing view is given by the other side of the coin. The reaction to the movie The Golden Compass is a perfect example. When Narnia came out was there a big Atheist uprising telling people not to go see it? What about when Passion of the Christ came out? There wasn't a public Atheist announcement made warning people not to take their children to these movies riddled with religious messages and symbolism. But when The Golden Compass comes out, all of the sudden a large fraction of the religious community unites against the movie and the author because he is Atheist, and made very unfair and untrue assumptions about the movie. When in truth, the movie is against "false prophets" JUST LIKE religion is. If a well known and respected Christian author came out with the same material, it wouldn't have gotten the same reaction. It feels like religion, and Christians more specifically since that is the majority religion in this country, expect other people to acknowledge and accept their philosophies as valid and important, but they are very quick to label anything Atheist or Agnostic as evil, harmful, or insignificant. Just the mere existence of Atheism is seen as a personal insult to a Christians beliefs while Christians expect Christianity to be seen as something to learn from and revere even if you don't agree with it. Why can't the same attitude be taken with Atheist ideals and products created by Atheist people? Is there nothing for Christians to learn from Atheists? Only the other way around?

As for Christians feeling like they are the ones being discriminated against, on a personal level, maybe you are by some people. Individual discrimination ALWAYS occurs. We are human. We can be jackasses from time to time. :P But on a social level, that is hardly the case. The government deciding that prayer should not be allowed in school as an organized practice is not discrimination. Taking away your right to pray personally is discrimination. A company wanting it's employees to greet the customers with Happy Holidays is not discriminating against anyone or some kind of personal insult to Christians. A company refusing to hire people who are Christian is discrimination.

Just my opinion on the subject. I am not attacking anyone or their beliefs. Just saying what my experiences have been in my own life. I have known some good and some bad people of ALL beliefs systems, and no one person is a true representation of an entire value system. I am speaking strictly in generalities. ;)

I have been Christian. I was for 23 years of my life. I have also been Atheist now for the last 6 years of my life. I gotta say, in this country of a vast majority of Christians, it is MUCH harder than being an Atheist. I never knew how hard it was until I started telling people and getting the token assumptions and name calling. I have been called all kinds of things; from evil, to immoral, to a heathen, to a Satan worshiper (which baffles me since you kinda have to believe in God to believe in Satan, but whatever). I have been treated like I am mentally retarded and that must be why I am Atheist... I am just too stupid to understand religion so that is why I don't believe in it. It has been assumed that I must have no morals, no values, and want the world to be a crack deny full of bestiality and abortion because I am atheist. :rolleyes

Just like you feel that people find it too acceptable to call Christians "bible thumpers", I feel that it is too acceptable to call Atheists "heathens". I think the perception changes when you are actually one of the group being ridiculed. The main difference I have noticed in my experience is the value each opposing view is given by the other side of the coin. The reaction to the movie The Golden Compass is a perfect example. When Narnia came out was there a big Atheist uprising telling people not to go see it? What about when Passion of the Christ came out? There wasn't a public Atheist announcement made warning people not to take their children to these movies riddled with religious messages and symbolism. But when The Golden Compass comes out, all of the sudden a large fraction of the religious community unites against the movie and the author because he is Atheist, and made very unfair and untrue assumptions about the movie. When in truth, the movie is against "false prophets" JUST LIKE religion is. If a well known and respected Christian author came out with the same material, it wouldn't have gotten the same reaction. It feels like religion, and Christians more specifically since that is the majority religion in this country, expect other people to acknowledge and accept their philosophies as valid and important, but they are very quick to label anything Atheist or Agnostic as evil, harmful, or insignificant. Just the mere existence of Atheism is seen as a personal insult to a Christians beliefs while Christians expect Christianity to be seen as something to learn from and revere even if you don't agree with it. Why can't the same attitude be taken with Atheist ideals and products created by Atheist people? Is there nothing for Christians to learn from Atheists? Only the other way around?

As for Christians feeling like they are the ones being discriminated against, on a personal level, maybe you are by some people. Individual discrimination ALWAYS occurs. We are human. We can be jackasses from time to time. :P But on a social level, that is hardly the case. The government deciding that prayer should not be allowed in school as an organized practice is not discrimination. Taking away your right to pray personally is discrimination. A company wanting it's employees to greet the customers with Happy Holidays is not discriminating against anyone or some kind of personal insult to Christians. A company refusing to hire people who are Christian is discrimination.

Just my opinion on the subject. I am not attacking anyone or their beliefs. Just saying what my experiences have been in my own life. I have known some good and some bad people of ALL beliefs systems, and no one person is a true representation of an entire value system. I am speaking strictly in generalities. ;)

DING DING DING! Church and state, church and state.

I don't know, I just feel that atheism is right for me at this point, because I don't want to go to one source for my entire belief system. What I believe in, evolution and such, is studied, documented, constantly asking to be disproved, for the betterment of society and human understanding.

I have been Christian. I was for 23 years of my life. I have also been Atheist now for the last 6 years of my life. I gotta say, in this country of a vast majority of Christians, it is MUCH harder than being an Atheist. I never knew how hard it was until I started telling people and getting the token assumptions and name calling. I have been called all kinds of things; from evil, to immoral, to a heathen, to a Satan worshiper (which baffles me since you kinda have to believe in God to believe in Satan, but whatever). I have been treated like I am mentally retarded and that must be why I am Atheist... I am just too stupid to understand religion so that is why I don't believe in it. It has been assumed that I must have no morals, no values, and want the world to be a crack den full of bestiality and abortion because I am atheist. :rolleyes

Just like you feel that people find it too acceptable to call Christians "bible thumpers", I feel that it is too acceptable to call Atheists "heathens". I think the perception changes when you are actually one of the group being ridiculed. The main difference I have noticed in my experience is the value each opposing view is given by the other side of the coin. The reaction to the movie The Golden Compass is a perfect example. When Narnia came out was there a big Atheist uprising telling people not to go see it? What about when Passion of the Christ came out? There wasn't a public Atheist announcement made warning people not to take their children to these movies riddled with religious messages and symbolism. But when The Golden Compass comes out, all of the sudden a large fraction of the religious community unites against the movie and the author because he is Atheist, and made very unfair and untrue assumptions about the movie. When in truth, the movie is against "false prophets" JUST LIKE religion is. If a well known and respected Christian author came out with the same material, it wouldn't have gotten the same reaction. It feels like religion, and Christians more specifically since that is the majority religion in this country, expect other people to acknowledge and accept their philosophies as valid and important, but they are very quick to label anything Atheist or Agnostic as evil, harmful, or insignificant. Just the mere existence of Atheism is seen as a personal insult to a Christians beliefs while Christians expect Christianity to be seen as something to learn from and revere even if you don't agree with it. Why can't the same attitude be taken with Atheist ideals and products created by Atheist people? Is there nothing for Christians to learn from Atheists? Only the other way around?

As for Christians feeling like they are the ones being discriminated against, on a personal level, maybe you are by some people. Individual discrimination ALWAYS occurs. We are human. We can be jackasses from time to time. :P But on a social level, that is hardly the case. The government deciding that prayer should not be allowed in school as an organized practice is not discrimination. Taking away your right to pray personally is discrimination. A company wanting it's employees to greet the customers with Happy Holidays is not discriminating against anyone or some kind of personal insult to Christians. A company refusing to hire people who are Christian is discrimination.

Just my opinion on the subject. I am not attacking anyone or their beliefs. Just saying what my experiences have been in my own life. I have known some good and some bad people of ALL beliefs systems, and no one person is a true representation of an entire value system. I am speaking strictly in generalities. ;)

I could not agree more! I could go on for years on religion, those were my favorite courses....I love how u mention the necessity of the belief of god to believe in satan....very accurate. I could totally start a debate thread on the abraham religions (judaism/islam/christianity) right now if i wasn't SO damn tired....shockinly the islamic faith shows the most promise to accuracy!

Awesome post, Trina. You hit the nail on the head. (as usual :))

I have been Christian. I was for 23 years of my life. I have also been Atheist now for the last 6 years of my life. I gotta say, in this country of a vast majority of Christians, it is MUCH harder than being an Atheist. I never knew how hard it was until I started telling people and getting the token assumptions and name calling. I have been called all kinds of things; from evil, to immoral, to a heathen, to a Satan worshiper (which baffles me since you kinda have to believe in God to believe in Satan, but whatever). I have been treated like I am mentally retarded and that must be why I am Atheist... I am just too stupid to understand religion so that is why I don't believe in it. It has been assumed that I must have no morals, no values, and want the world to be a crack den full of bestiality and abortion because I am atheist. :rolleyes

Just like you feel that people find it too acceptable to call Christians "bible thumpers", I feel that it is too acceptable to call Atheists "heathens". I think the perception changes when you are actually one of the group being ridiculed. The main difference I have noticed in my experience is the value each opposing view is given by the other side of the coin. The reaction to the movie The Golden Compass is a perfect example. When Narnia came out was there a big Atheist uprising telling people not to go see it? What about when Passion of the Christ came out? There wasn't a public Atheist announcement made warning people not to take their children to these movies riddled with religious messages and symbolism. But when The Golden Compass comes out, all of the sudden a large fraction of the religious community unites against the movie and the author because he is Atheist, and made very unfair and untrue assumptions about the movie. When in truth, the movie is against "false prophets" JUST LIKE religion is. If a well known and respected Christian author came out with the same material, it wouldn't have gotten the same reaction. It feels like religion, and Christians more specifically since that is the majority religion in this country, expect other people to acknowledge and accept their philosophies as valid and important, but they are very quick to label anything Atheist or Agnostic as evil, harmful, or insignificant. Just the mere existence of Atheism is seen as a personal insult to a Christians beliefs while Christians expect Christianity to be seen as something to learn from and revere even if you don't agree with it. Why can't the same attitude be taken with Atheist ideals and products created by Atheist people? Is there nothing for Christians to learn from Atheists? Only the other way around?

As for Christians feeling like they are the ones being discriminated against, on a personal level, maybe you are by some people. Individual discrimination ALWAYS occurs. We are human. We can be jackasses from time to time. :P But on a social level, that is hardly the case. The government deciding that prayer should not be allowed in school as an organized practice is not discrimination. Taking away your right to pray personally is discrimination. A company wanting it's employees to greet the customers with Happy Holidays is not discriminating against anyone or some kind of personal insult to Christians. A company refusing to hire people who are Christian is discrimination.

Just my opinion on the subject. I am not attacking anyone or their beliefs. Just saying what my experiences have been in my own life. I have known some good and some bad people of ALL beliefs systems, and no one person is a true representation of an entire value system. I am speaking strictly in generalities. ;)

you hit it right on the head.

the way ive always seen it is the ones that get called "bible thumpers" and such is done out of retaliation.
im not athiest but i have been called things by the christian community that was mentioned above (heathen,devil worshiper,satanist,heretic etc)

which in turn has caused myself to use the term "bible beater" so i'll openly admit im guilty of it but only once ive been pushed in a corner :dunno

however its not just atheist,agnostics and the like that get called horrid things.
ive been to a few churches when i practiced the faith that also condemed people who were Muslim.

Some one who has read the bible, please remind me what the mark of Cain was.

Because, I thought his skin was turned black.

Which was a primary excuse for early Americans to use them as slaves, they were the inferior descendants of Cain.

Remember, it's not the word of "God".

It's the word of "God" through MAN.

And if you have been checking the posts lately, we have learned that men are: Assholes, LIARS, cheats, misogynists, cruel, fucked up rat bastards.

Which leads me to believe......

Remember, it's not the word of "God".

It's the word of "God" through MAN.

And if you have been checking the posts lately, we have learned that men are: Assholes, LIARS, cheats, misogynists, cruel, fucked up rat bastards.

Which leads me to believe......

haha, yep, you got it! haha well speaking of Cain, it was what Cain and able or something, the sons to adam and eve.... if they were the first people where did we all come from....cain and able must of slept with eve....meaning we are all products of....a mother....F----- oops! did i say that!

haha, yep, you got it! haha well speaking of Cain, it was what Cain and able or something, the sons to adam and eve.... if they were the first people where did we all come from....cain and able must of slept with eve....meaning we are all products of....a mother....F----- oops! did i say that!

HAHAHHAHAHAH. Not to mention the WHOLE world is only.....6,000 years old?


BULLSHIT!

HAHAHHAHAHAH. Not to mention the WHOLE world is only.....6,000 years old?


BULLSHIT!

I am agnostic, but I dont care what ANYONE is, i just dont wany anything pushed down my throat ya know? Its funny how Islam is actually the only religion that has a holy book (the Quaran) that is said to be written by God himself, and that actually has factual information in it like about how babies grow and develop inside of you etc., that they did not know then at ALL. It technically is the closest thing we have to 'gods word' in any of the 3 abraham religions....ok im gonna get attacked im pullin out! haha nitenite*

I am agnostic, but I dont care what ANYONE is, i just dont wany anything pushed down my throat ya know? Its funny how Islam is actually the only religion that has a holy book (the Quaran) that is said to be written by God himself, and that actually has factual information in it like about how babies grow and develop inside of you etc., that they did not know then at ALL. It technically is the closest thing we have to 'gods word' in any of the 3 abraham religions....ok im gonna get attacked im pullin out! haha nitenite*

SHHH!!! It was the ALIEMS!!

Just like with the pyramids!

*nods*

I think its a double standard when all those who are religious get screwed in things like religion or the word "God" in schools but that just means that the few that don't want it are getting preferential treatment

I think its a double standard when all those who are religious get screwed in things like religion or the word "God" in schools but that just means that the few that don't want it are getting preferential treatment

Separation of church and state. If the Constitution (First Amendment) still means anything, God (or Buddha or Allah for that matter) really don't belong in public schools.

It has nothing to do with screwing people over or giving others preferential treatment.

There's stigmas with any religion, race, thought, or opinion. I am Christian and have used the term "bible beaters". Is there a double standard? Depends on which side of heaven you are standing on :rofl

There's stigmas with any religion, race, thought, or opinion. I am Christian and have used the term "bible beaters". Is there a double standard? Depends on which side of heaven you are standing on :rofl

Yeah, I'm starting to think that is it. You are sensitive to it depending on which side of the coin you are on. It is just silly to believe it doesn't happen both ways I suppose.