everyone (else) seems to be hating on atheists

[Aiza]

Is the ages past where people have been butchered for not believing in a particular God not enough? Just because the inquisitions ended doesn't mean you get to act like they never happened.

I am not. But the Inquisition targeted mainly Jewish converts and Protestants (heretics). Not atheists. Atheism back then didn't even mean what we meant it today, so the two people I could find accused of "atheism" back then were a non-Trinitarian Christian and a pantheist. (Similarly, in much earlier times, an "atheist" was one who didn't respect the government of the state--so many early Christians were charged with "atheism". Interesting how language evolves over time). Also makes it very weird when some atheists try to throw the Inquisition in the face of Protestants, when Protestants were the primary victims.

Atheists did not endure any period of violence like those of African descent. Over a million African people were killed directly and/or enslaved, vs. atheists who experienced what, exactly? Trying to compare it to the persecutions of those of "African descent" is what is insulting.

Atheists are one of the least violent minorities, thats a fact.

Really? Atheists perpetuated the vast majority of anti-religious persecutions of recent history. Irreligious are also statistically more aggressive (see studies posted prior), and irreligious youth in particular are more likely to get into fights and carry weaponry. I mean, I don't think this justifies anti-atheist attitudes, but that's a weird "fact" you just gave there.

if he responds to the threat then he is assaulted. Thats facts.

Is it? Because incidents of anti-atheist motivated assault are tiny. You just got through saying that people can be persecuted in non-violent ways (which is fair), and then you try to bring in stuff like assault or the persecution of black folk and compare that to "anti-atheist discrimination".

An "atheist kid", really? Tell me, did you tell anyone you were an atheist? I sincerely doubt it. What changed your mind about evidence being a better alternative to faith? What age were you when you abandoned relying on your faculties to discern reality?

Well yes, most of my friends all knew I was atheist, and many of my family (not my mother though and I am glad for that).

Also nothing changed my mind about evidence, I don't think the word "Faith" means what you think it does.

It's nice that you denounce them. It'd be nicer if you didn't perpetuate them.

Pointing out that atheists have perpetuated the majority of anti-religious persecutions of the last few centuries isn't really news to anyone who paid attention in history class. I only mention it as a factor which contributes to anti-atheism, sort of like how 9-11 contributed to a spike in Islamophobia.

Although Hitler did brag about stamping out the atheist movement in Germany, he didn't find too many to execute.

He didn't find "too many"? I didn't know he executed any at all, at least not for being atheist.

You're not being murdered, so suck it up! Really?

I said no such thing. But it would be nice to show some historical awareness and tact when discussing this issue, because religious people actually are murdered. It would be like if I made a thread called "Jews are hating on Gentiles",complaining about how a full half of Jews are slightly uncomfortable with marrying a Gentile, when meanwhile ignoring the entire historical context in which Gentiles have actively persecuted and yes, killed Jews en masse in living memory. You know?

Especially when atheists are trying to say they are the "most loathed group". Oh geez.

What do you think they will do to you if you tell them?

Who knows? At worst, no more than some shocked or nasty comments and maybe even a degree of social alienation.

One of the ways in which anti-atheist prejudice is demonstrated is lumping us all together and holding us accountable for the actions of atheists we have nothing in common with. It's properly ludicrous to try to hold Christians accountable for the offerings of human hearts by the Aztecs, but holding humanists responsible for communist pogroms is somehow fair game.

Who is holding you responsible for that? But the fact is that it does bleed over and color your opinion of the label "atheism". I don't know about Aztec hearts, but I've seen plenty of atheists try to hold all Christians accountable for the Inquisition.

They're atheists, it counts as killing by atheists, although the characteristics of the victims seem to mostly have been 'perceived threat to the regime' rather than 'Christian identified, put them in a camp!'.

Except religion itself was classified as a "threat to the regime", so I'm not sure the difference here is as great as you make it out to be.
[quote']
If only Stalin had been a Catholic communist, he would have been much nicer? Can you hear yourself?[/quote]
We've had Christian communists before actually, and they never killed anyone. That being said, Stalin himself may not have been "nicer" but he also would not be killing and persecuting religious people, get it? Maybe he would have persecuted atheists or something.

We certainly shouldn't, if you would cite the post of anyone here saying people commit atrocities 'because of theism' I'll be happy to give them what-for for saying stupid things.

Um, the very person that post was in reply to said that people committed atrocities simply because of "belief in God". And that is really silly.

The biggest culprit was totalitarianism.

Not all totalitarian governments persecuted religious people. All anti-theist (or 'state atheist') governments have.

I won't argue that. How about the study that shows atheists and rapists are equally trusted?

Which study? The only study I know of is the laughable one which asked people that if their car was damaged in an accident and the suspect left the scene, was it more likely to be a "rapist teacher" or an "atheist teacher"?

And I am sorry but I don't think I can take that study's methodology seriously at all, other than people think atheists are more likely to damage cars than rapists.