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‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
#1
‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
By Sikivu Hutchingson

Quote:In some black communities it’s akin to donning a white sheet and a Confederate flag. In others, it’s ostensibly tolerated yet whispered about, branded culturally incorrect and bad form, if not outright sacrilege.

For black atheists like myself, proclaiming one’s non-belief amidst genial wishes to “have a blessed day” is never easy in the seemingly innocuous context of casual chit chat between black folk.
Yet, according to The New York Times, a small but growing segment of the American population, galvanized by the hyper-evangelical climate of the Republican Pleistocene, have begun organizing nationwide and becoming more vocal about their atheism.

The full article is here:
http://www.lawattstimes.com/opinion/opin...eists.html

Sikivu Hutchinson is the editor of http://www.blackfemlens.org and a commentator for KPFK 90.7 FM
Best regards,
Leo van Miert
Horsepower is how hard you hit the wall --Torque is how far you take the wall with you
Pastafarian
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#2
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
You know all I can actually think at this point is, "Do I give a shit?"

I mean, sure, coming out is something we applaud atheists for but why the fuck does it matter what colour they are?

Kyu
Angry Atheism
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#3
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
Well I particularly find the black religiosity interesting as it is actually very dominant in the black african american community while it is actually the religion of the former slave owners.

To me it is more surprising black people are not more atheistic.
Best regards,
Leo van Miert
Horsepower is how hard you hit the wall --Torque is how far you take the wall with you
Pastafarian
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#4
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
(May 30, 2009 at 10:16 am)leo-rcc Wrote: By Sikivu Hutchingson

Quote:In some communities it’s akin to donning a white sheet and a Confederate flag. In others, it’s ostensibly tolerated yet whispered about, branded culturally incorrect and bad form, if not outright sacrilege.

For atheists like myself, proclaiming one’s non-belief amidst genial wishes to “have a blessed day” is never easy in the seemingly innocuous context of casual chit chat between black folk.
Yet, according to The New York Times, a small but growing segment of the American population, galvanized by the hyper-evangelical climate of the Republican Pleistocene, have begun organizing nationwide and becoming more vocal about their atheism.

The full article is here:
http://www.lawattstimes.com/opinion/opin...eists.html

Sikivu Hutchinson is the editor of http://www.blackfemlens.org and a commentator for KPFK 90.7 FM


I fixed that for you.

Did you notice the exclusion of the word 'black' made no differance in the point of the post? I think you included a racial designation unnessasarily. I can't help but wonder why. If you think communities of black folk are inherently more religious than communities of white/asian/latino/other folk then you obviously don't get out much.
side note: I don't know about other parts of the US but here in Texas there are still churches supported and funded by public tax dollars and no, they are not predominately black/asian/white/latino/other.
I used to tell a lot of religious jokes. Not any more, I'm a registered sects offender.
---------------
...the least christian thing a person can do is to become a christian. ~Chuck
---------------
NO MA'AM
[Image: attemptingtogiveadamnc.gif]
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#5
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
Why do you go around "fixing" quotes of other people? I quoted straight from the article. It is even in a quote block so reader would recognize it as a quote. I don't go around changing Dawkins' quotes on this forum am I?
(May 31, 2009 at 11:10 am)Dotard Wrote: Did you notice the exclusion of the word 'black' made no differance in the point of the post? I think you included a racial designation unnessasarily. I can't help but wonder why.


Because that is what Sikivu Hutchingson wrote and it appears to me that you read more into that than she does. Why is that? And she is of a very different opinion than you on religiosity of black people in the US than you are.
Best regards,
Leo van Miert
Horsepower is how hard you hit the wall --Torque is how far you take the wall with you
Pastafarian
Reply
#6
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
Parts of the US have a separate and recognisable black culture.

One of the first writers to recognise this with any attempt at objectivity was Swedish sociologist Ulf Hannerz in "Soulside" (1969) a study of US black ghetto culture.

The issue is not just about religiosity,but how dissent and differences are seen dealt with with.

The Huxtables are not really representative of black Americans. Eddy Murphy is probably closer for many.
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#7
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
Yeah and guess what? In parts of the U.S. there is a separate and reconizable asian culture. In parts of the U.S. there is a separate and reconizable latino culture. In parts of the U.S. there is a separate and reconizable aryian (<-sp?)culture. In parts of the U.S. there is a separate and reconizable 'other' culture.

Does this mean all black folk are part of this reconizable culture? All asians are part of that reconizable culture? Does it mean all white folks are neo-nazi (there is a separate and reconizable culture of white folk who are) racists? No it don't. I 'fixed' that quote because it was unnessasary and racist to label black folks as more inherently religious than other races of man.

The attitudes black folks have against other members of their race who reject religion and the ideas of God(s) are the same attitudes shown to any person of any race who reject the same.

The article you referance I label ignorant racist poo-poo. It was akin to discussing the cultural ostracization of mexicans who are not eating beans and tortillas.
I used to tell a lot of religious jokes. Not any more, I'm a registered sects offender.
---------------
...the least christian thing a person can do is to become a christian. ~Chuck
---------------
NO MA'AM
[Image: attemptingtogiveadamnc.gif]
Reply
#8
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
No Dotard, you do not "fix" quotes because you don't like how she wrote it or do not agree with what she wrote. Furthermore, you question why I quoted the text like that as if this is my opinion.

You disagree, fine, we can discuss that, but you will not put words in my mouth.
Best regards,
Leo van Miert
Horsepower is how hard you hit the wall --Torque is how far you take the wall with you
Pastafarian
Reply
#9
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
(May 31, 2009 at 11:10 am)Dotard Wrote: Did you notice the exclusion of the word 'black' made no differance in the point of the post?
Actually, it did.

The post was written by a black woman, about black atheists. If you remove the word "black" then she is talking about atheists in general, not black atheists. This was not her argument. She was arguing that in black communities, coming out as an atheist is considered more "incorrect" than in other communities.
Dotard Wrote:The article you referance I label ignorant racist poo-poo. It was akin to discussing the cultural ostracization of mexicans who are not eating beans and tortillas.
What??? A black woman talking about black people is racist? She mentions white people once in her article, referring to he religious whites that used the bible to condone slavery. This is a fact, not an opinion. I hardly see how that can be construed as racist...

Since when did it become racist to talk about the differences between people of different races? Racism is discrimination, it doesn't ban people from talking about their cultures.
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#10
RE: ‘Out of the Closet’ — Black Atheists
Yes. It's not racist to point out a black person is black, or a white person is white.

It is racist to say that there's something "bad" about being black because you are black or white because you are white.

People do not choose how they are born. But they are who they are and simply pointing out that a black person is black or a white person is white is not remotely racist.

As you say Adrian...it's not racist to talk about differences between people of different races.

EvF
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