Pippy, allow me to clarify my points. If you are in fact a theist evangelical, that is, you teach religious ignorance to others, it is your agenda to dumb-down and control.
Of course, I have never met anyone who confessed to that agenda. They all claim as you do that they are trying to enlighten and promote freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a given that you are among them.
I am as aggressive as any atheist I have ever met. In fact, I know hundreds and not one is willing to deny a theist the right to believe and practice their faith. However, it is common to hear this accusation resonating among theists. Why?
1. If I dare to publicly call their teachings “bullshit”, am I trampling their rights? No! They are free to believe whatever they like.
2. If I dare to publicly object to them forcing me to sit through their religious observances at public events, am I trampling their rights? No! They can hold their religious observances in private.
3. If I dare publicly object to them forcing my children to join them in prayer in public schools, am I trampling their rights? No! They can pray in private.
4. If I dare publicly object to theists brainwashing my children with religious bullshit is public schools, am I trampling their rights? No! They can teach whatever they like in private institutions.
5. If I dare publicly object to them discriminating against people on the basis of religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc., am I trampling their rights? No! They can hate as much as they like. But they don't have the right to make their hate public policy!
6. If I dare publicly object to their many laws and ordinances restricting human rights, freedom, equality and/or social justice, am I trampling their rights? No! They can restrict themselves. They don’t have to restrict everyone else.
The fact is I have never advocated the repression of legitimate religious exercise in any manner whatsoever. But I will admit that I do not regard trampling the rights of others a legitimate religious exercise. If you think theists have that right then I can understand why you think I’m trampling the rights of theists.
Am I willing to let you believe whatever you want? Yes, I’ll fight to the death to protect your right to do so. But, I reserve the right to criticize your faith all the while. In no way does that deny you any right whatsoever.
As far as filing frivolous lawsuits is concerned… You might consider that they are intended to keep our government out of the business of promoting religion. I don’t think such lawsuits are frivolous at all. They are intended to keep this country free for both theists and non-theists as well. The day our government becomes an advocate of any religious position whatsoever, be it theist or atheist, we’re all screwed. I know many theists who agree. They worry the government might endorse a religion different than theirs. They have a valid worry.
If you think critically about it... "freedom of religion" is nothing more than "freedom from somebody elses religion."
And no! Atheists are not demanding the government promote atheism. We are demanding the government remain neutral. Big difference in these two agendas.
I know of no atheist that demands that any theist give up their belief. I certainly can’t say there are none in the whole world of six billion people. But I certainly think it’s reasonable to say they would be rare and they would be crazy to think they could get what they wanted.
Yes, I am an atheist who will do everything in his power to get you to think critically about what you believe. And I will do so in the hope that you will abandon dogma in favor of reason. But it would be stupid of me to demand anything. I can’t even demand that you read what I have to say. So, who is demanding?
Of course, I have never met anyone who confessed to that agenda. They all claim as you do that they are trying to enlighten and promote freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a given that you are among them.
I am as aggressive as any atheist I have ever met. In fact, I know hundreds and not one is willing to deny a theist the right to believe and practice their faith. However, it is common to hear this accusation resonating among theists. Why?
1. If I dare to publicly call their teachings “bullshit”, am I trampling their rights? No! They are free to believe whatever they like.
2. If I dare to publicly object to them forcing me to sit through their religious observances at public events, am I trampling their rights? No! They can hold their religious observances in private.
3. If I dare publicly object to them forcing my children to join them in prayer in public schools, am I trampling their rights? No! They can pray in private.
4. If I dare publicly object to theists brainwashing my children with religious bullshit is public schools, am I trampling their rights? No! They can teach whatever they like in private institutions.
5. If I dare publicly object to them discriminating against people on the basis of religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc., am I trampling their rights? No! They can hate as much as they like. But they don't have the right to make their hate public policy!
6. If I dare publicly object to their many laws and ordinances restricting human rights, freedom, equality and/or social justice, am I trampling their rights? No! They can restrict themselves. They don’t have to restrict everyone else.
The fact is I have never advocated the repression of legitimate religious exercise in any manner whatsoever. But I will admit that I do not regard trampling the rights of others a legitimate religious exercise. If you think theists have that right then I can understand why you think I’m trampling the rights of theists.
Am I willing to let you believe whatever you want? Yes, I’ll fight to the death to protect your right to do so. But, I reserve the right to criticize your faith all the while. In no way does that deny you any right whatsoever.
As far as filing frivolous lawsuits is concerned… You might consider that they are intended to keep our government out of the business of promoting religion. I don’t think such lawsuits are frivolous at all. They are intended to keep this country free for both theists and non-theists as well. The day our government becomes an advocate of any religious position whatsoever, be it theist or atheist, we’re all screwed. I know many theists who agree. They worry the government might endorse a religion different than theirs. They have a valid worry.
If you think critically about it... "freedom of religion" is nothing more than "freedom from somebody elses religion."
And no! Atheists are not demanding the government promote atheism. We are demanding the government remain neutral. Big difference in these two agendas.
I know of no atheist that demands that any theist give up their belief. I certainly can’t say there are none in the whole world of six billion people. But I certainly think it’s reasonable to say they would be rare and they would be crazy to think they could get what they wanted.
Yes, I am an atheist who will do everything in his power to get you to think critically about what you believe. And I will do so in the hope that you will abandon dogma in favor of reason. But it would be stupid of me to demand anything. I can’t even demand that you read what I have to say. So, who is demanding?
