In these modern times of acceptance and tolerance in America, minority groups of all kinds are experiencing fewer instances of abuse due to their minority status. This trend is a positive result of general open-mindedness embraced by the thinking public. The LGBT community is becoming accepted and gaining legal matrimonial rights, ethnic minorities are increasingly viewed without prejudice, and there are women in the current presidential race. Just a few decades ago none of these things would have been possible or even foreseeable. There are isolated incidences of intolerances that seem to contradict this trend; but, they are not representative of the state of society overall which brings me to my question...
Why are atheists so vilified in this country? Why, in a society where people are finally learning to understand others that are different from themselves, are people with no religious belief treated so poorly? Stranger still, they are treated more poorly than people with differing religious beliefs!
What brings this to my attention was a comment on a post I recently saw on facebook...
![[Image: IGWT.jpg]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=i253.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh75%2Fmofoya%2FIGWT.jpg)
If the word 'atheist' in this comment were replaced with gay, christian, woman, muslim, black, etc... The thread would explode with disapproving comments. Instead, nothing. (The second comment to the above was unrelated and irrelevant.) Just a lone, insensitive comment, made about a minority simply for not holding the belief of the majority. Thank you for your acceptance and tolerance.
So, to AF members atheist or not, what say you about this persistent intolerance in America? What about similar conditions in other parts of our world?
Why are atheists so vilified in this country? Why, in a society where people are finally learning to understand others that are different from themselves, are people with no religious belief treated so poorly? Stranger still, they are treated more poorly than people with differing religious beliefs!
What brings this to my attention was a comment on a post I recently saw on facebook...
If the word 'atheist' in this comment were replaced with gay, christian, woman, muslim, black, etc... The thread would explode with disapproving comments. Instead, nothing. (The second comment to the above was unrelated and irrelevant.) Just a lone, insensitive comment, made about a minority simply for not holding the belief of the majority. Thank you for your acceptance and tolerance.
So, to AF members atheist or not, what say you about this persistent intolerance in America? What about similar conditions in other parts of our world?
