(November 4, 2015 at 7:51 pm)drfuzzy Wrote: Ok, I just read through this thread again.
My two-cents worth: Although you have made some points that made me growl, Lek, you're still here. You're discussing and engaging with us. So kudos for that.
It really is hard to tell from post to post whether you want the US to be a "Christian nation", and hope for a theocracy. (A lot of xtians that I know pray daily for Jesus to come and rule the world for 1000 years, so that's what I expect to hear from xtians.) And yet, here, "tyranny of the majority" is not a good thing. But - ok - so - what's the difference between that and majority rule?
You list possible future persecution, such as not being able to wear a cross, to tell a friend you're a xtian, to preach on street corners, etc. Well, most atheists wouldn't restrict your rights except for one: don't try to convert us. That's it. So yeah, that street corner thing, maybe. But most street preachers are batshit crazy anyway. I have a street-preacher bingo game, where we sit, pass around tokens, and the board corners are for typical stuff they say, like "repent!", "you're going to hell", and stuff like that. It's a lot of fun and the preachers hate it when we cheer and yell "bingo!". But I digress . . .
I don't think Muslims are going to take over the US - they're too associated with extremism. I don't think the xtians need to fear, there is still separation of state and religion. Atheists are a generally peace-loving and studious bunch. We're all about respecting each other's rights because many of us still are not free to be openly atheist!
You see the power of the christian church to dictate moral behavior for most of the population diminishing. Well yes. This does not mean an increase in crime or lack of moral behavior - the Scandinavian countries have proven that quite conclusively. More than half of the population of most western european countries are atheist, and the christians still have all their freedoms. So I don't think you need to worry about having your rights taken away. Keep wearing your cross. Put up inspirational posters at work. I'm jealous, because I can't do that - I would be fired - my bosses are xtian.
Thanks for really reading my posts drfuzzy. To clear things up about my thoughts - what I want is for the US is to be a nation of christians. Since we won't ever be a 100% nation of christians, I want it to be a nation where everyone, regardless of religion or non-religion is given equal rights. It has never been that way, but that's what I want. I want everyone to live together in love and mutual respect. I know it's idealistic, but that's what I'm working for. We won't always agree. We'll even disagree vehemently, but we still can love and respect one another. I'm not tremblingly afraid of persecution, but I see it as a distinct possibility in any society, just as other groups have been persecuted.
