“A Vision to Protect Those Persecuted for Non-Religion”
That’s the subtitle for an article in the Atlantic.
It starts:
Lubna Yaseen was a student in Baghdad when death threats forced her into exile. Her crime was to think the unthinkable and question the unquestionable—to state, openly, that she was an atheist.
Um…
No.
Her crime was to state, openly, that she was a Non-Muslim.
Nice try, though!
She would face the same persecution for stating, openly, that she was:
- Christian
- Jewish
- Buddhist
- Hindu
- Feminist
- Homosexual
- or a graffiti artist specializing in Mohammed’s face.
The “crime” has nothing to do with “non-belief”.
Get a grip, atheists.
You’re not the only ones being persecuted.
…implicit prejudice against atheists is still prevalent in ostensibly secular Western countries, making it difficult to raise the necessary diplomatic support there for people like Yaseen.
Implicit prejudice?
What is that?
If you mean, “believing atheism is a useless, stupid, worldview”…
…then, yes. That prejudice is implied.
But only because secularism really IS useless and stupid.
I can prove it using only text from your article!
Yaseen would still be at risk if it weren’t for the actions of Secular Rescue, which helped her escape to California, where she is waiting for her asylum claim to be approved. The initiative…is run by the Center For Inquiry, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that aims to promote secular values, such as scientific rationality and freedom of speech, with the support of Richard Dawkins and other prominent atheists.
Secular Rescue is based in the United States.
The United States was founded on the idea that people are “endowed by their creator” with the right to life and pursuit of happiness.
These rights are not endowed by science
or biology
or the laws of physics…
…but by the Creator.
There is no “scientific rationality” that says Yaseen should be rescued from Islamic persecution.
There is no “scientific rationality” that says oppression is evil.
There is nothing scientific in the idea of “freedom of speech”.
Secular Rescue is founded on religious ideas.
And that’s why atheism is stupid.
Sharia Law doesn’t persecute “non-belief”.
Sharia Law persecutes EVERY non-Muslim belief.
And science can’t rescue anyone from the horrors.
69 Responses
Oh, we all understand the point, and this is why Ron posted the list.
The problem is you think you were making another point, and yet you don’t even understand why it is you thought you were trying to make it. In fact all you did was show, once again, just how rather silly you are.
Take your meds.
Implicit prejudice:
Arkansas
Article 19, section 1: “No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court.”
Maryland
Article 37: “That no religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God; nor shall the Legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath prescribed by this Constitution.”
Mississippi
Article 14, section 265: “No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this State.”
North Carolina
Article VI, section 8: “The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.”
Pennsylvania
Article 1, section 4: “No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth.”
Note: Pennsylvania differs from the other states in that it says believers cannot be disqualified from holding office for his or her religious sentiments, but that is not extended to atheists.
South Carolina
Article XVII, section 4: “No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution.”
Tennessee
Article IX, section 2: “No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishment, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state.”
Note: Ministers are also barred from holding office, because they “ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their functions; therefore, no minister of the Gospel, or priest of any denomination whatever, shall be eligible to a seat in either House of the Legislature,” according to article IX, section 1.
Texas
Article 1, section 4: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being.”
Source
I didn’t see any death threats here, Ron. Being ineligible for public office is a sissified concept of persecution.
If you want to be a councilman, just lie about being an atheist. Politicians do it all the time.
Nonthelss, it’s still an implicit prejudice — one that informs atheists they must remain silent about their lack of beliefs in order to avoid social and political suicide in a world dominated by theists.
Yep. Sucks to be you.
In actual fact it simply demonstrates the level of insecurity in your own beliefs that you have to legislate against non-belief.
Oddly enough, reading Ron’s list I didn’t notice any prohibition against a Hindu or Muslim holding office just as long as they believe in some sort of supreme being, right?
I am trying to imagine a fully garbed Muslim woman as the head of a state such as Texas!
I could imagine you and your erstwhile sidekick would be apoplectic.
Now there’s an idea for a few cheap laughs for your next gig, John.
Give all those fundamentalists in your audience an infarction!
Ron’s list has NOTHING to do with my point.
You can’t grasp this. Just take your meds and get some sleep.
It’s after 1:00am where Ark lives…
Maybe he needs an extra dose. 🙂
He STILL has no idea what the article is about.
And it doesn’t matter anyway. He’s going to say the same things even if I posted a homebrew recipe.
JB: “Add yeast to warm water and let sit for ten minutes.”
Ark: “You’re not even funny, John! I laugh all the time about how not funny you are.”
JB: “Add sugar and malt…”
Ark: “How’s your crazy dad?!?!? I’m just asking because I care…”
Lol.
“I asked how your dad’s doing you prick!! Why won’t you answer me?!!”
“Jesus, Exodus, your daughter, Moses, Jesus again…”
Update:
Apparently it’s possible the Atheist in the story was actually persecuted for beliefs about cooking or sports, rather than being targeted for her Atheism.
I think all the Atheists whining about “intellectual freedom” (and passing out pamphlets) should be informed about this! The whole scandal may just be a culinary dispute!
Lol!
FALSE!
It is about NON-belief! She is being persecuted for what she doesn’t believe about cooking, sports or whatever.
Just like atheists in Western societies are always getting death threats for not believing in stuff. Why can’t you see this?
You mean like not believing it’s okay to kill “infidels”? They might get death threats from Muslims for that!
… For not being a Muslim…
… I feel like I’ve seen that point made somewhere?
Now you’re going to turn my own logic back on me? Not fair!
I just think we should take this opportunity to agree with the Atheists, since they’ve all-but-admitted they are part of a religious group, now being targeted by Muslims (like ALL non-Muslim religious groups).
SHE WAS PASSING OUT PAMPHLETS and witnessing on Facebook! Sounds like Ray Comfort! Lol!
See, JB? When you get caught out in a lie …. again … you go all mental.
From the article:
Growing up in Hillah, a city in central Iraq, she developed an independent mind at a young age. “My mother is an atheist intellectual person, and she brought up me and my siblings to think for ourselves and to be open to anything,”
Hmm …. see the word? Atheist.
and …
She started handing out leaflets on Mutanabbi Street, the heart of Baghdad’s intellectual life, and wrote about her atheist beliefs on Facebook.
Yeah, I reckon this qualifies as considering oneself an atheist.
Which is not quite the same as being a non-Muslim. But I’m sure you’ll manage to find a semantic argument in there somewhere to justify your disingenious post.
You usually do …It must be the Christian in you, I guess?
Atheist=Non-Muslim
Take your meds.
Side note: her “Atheist Beliefs” is an interesting way to say it… We’d be accused of misrepresenting Atheism if we used that phrase. Lol.
I wonder what was in the pamphlets she distributed? Probably just blank pages…
LOL
Great point! It’s astonishing that “a void” can even produce blank pages!
“We don’t have group beliefs! We don’t have any unifying characteristics except DIS-belief!”
A little while later…
“We’re being persecuted for our beliefs!!!”
Lol! It’s sad the way they twist themselves up.
And they just keep on talking!
Their stupid worldview is in ashes and they just…keep…talking…
I love it. 🙂
Now he’s ranting at Wally about hell.
Trying so desperately to make a point. Trying to cause some damage.
Beating us over the head with a void…
My favorite thing lately is to just tell him I’m done talking when I get tired of playing with him, and then waiting to see how many more comments he shouts at my back, trying to get me to pay attention again. 🙂
Well, John, they will go to any lengths to actually avoid answering a question or dealing with a dilemma they have no answer for right?
Correct.
The idea that atheism is Non-Muslim shouldn’t even pose a dilemma for the poor guy. He’s clearly off his meds today.
Much like the evidence for your god then, Amanda.
Amazing! Who’d have thought there would be something in common?
Those of us who have been calling Atheism a religion the WHOLE TIME aren’t surprised at all. We have much in common, Ark.
Yes, there is no evidence of gods in either atheism or theism.
Are you coming around I wonder,Amanda?
Nobody was talking about evidence for God, Ark. Are you hearing voices?
We’re talking about the religious persecution being suffered by you poor Atheists. You want to be pitied as if Muslims haven’t been attacking EVERYONE who believes differently from them for centuries…
But, since you’re incapable of staying on topic, this is the point where I check out and let you say the first thing that pops in your manic head. (And, probably the second or third thing that pops in there, too. Because let’s be honest, you can’t stand being ignored and will leave several comments trying to lure someone to talk with you again.)
I’m done! 🙂
*Smile*
Do ever follow your old man around the atheist blogs?
He’s almost everywhere !
Do you coach him?
Atheist is non-belief in gods, including your god.Very simple and straightforward.
Non-Muslim = Christian, or Jewish, or Hindu, belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or belief in Quetzalcoatl.
But as I mentioned, you will now try to use a semantic argument to cover you blunder.
Was she approached by any Christian organisation by the way to help her out of her predicament?
That’s not what the article says which YOU QUOTED.
It says she shared her Atheist Beliefs on Facebook. I wonder what those were…
Hahaha!
No, I don’t actually wonder. I’ve heard the sermons from you Atheists a million times. I know exactly what she was preaching.
I hope JZ shows up and tells us that Buddhists are atheists which proves spirituality doesn’t require spirits. That will really be awkward for us!
I have no idea what her atheist beliefs are. Maybe they are beliefs about cooking, or rock climbing or Manchester United or the freedom she now has to rush out and sin to her hearts content.
You stalk people on Facebook, who not hunt her down and ask her yourself?
“Non-Muslim = Christian, or Jewish, or Hindu, belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or belief in Quetzalcoatl.
…you will now try to use a semantic argument to cover you blunder.”
LOL!
Re-read the article, genius. I made that EXACT point!
Take your meds. You’ve lost your mind.
As the son of someone who has serious mental health issues and a daughter who was once in a similar boat,( and may still be to some extent) you are really pushing your luck suggesting I have lost my mind!
Seriously, you should check up on the hereditary thing, JB
And she stated she was an atheist.
Please be so kind as to indicate where in the article is the term non-Muslim used.
LOLOLOLOLOL!
Never mind, Douglas.
You’re not getting it.
Go take pictures of bugs.
You should retract your blog post immediately. The Atheist being persecuted was actually targeted for her COOKING beliefs…
Hahahahaha!
Yes. I’ve been “caught in a lie” because I claimed atheism is also Non-muslim.
Thank God for Ark’s drug-addled brain keeping me honest!
… Doing exactly what I PREDICTED he would do…
😂😂😂
Oblivious to all of it.
Whatever he’s paying his psych doctor is too much.
@Amanda.
Seems you are not quite as ”done” as you said.
It is utterly fascinating watching the dynamic repartee between you and daddy.
Have you ever watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?
You should, you would definitely feel a connection.
“And science can’t rescue anyone from the horrors.”
Well, as usual your god cannot do any better, so what’s the problem?
The fact that you actually made that statement is the problem.
Very true, my god- or idol of (bad ) choice- if you will, can’t permanently relieve my struggles- but God can. Not knowing the difference between a “god” and God is a huge problem for many people. And putting that knowledge to use in your own personal life is the main struggle of all people.
If she is just random, misdirected bits of goo, what’s the point of rescue anyway? What happens…happens right? No meaning or purpose, so who cares?
And like your non-christian kids, she is destined to spend eternity burning in Hell. Tsk … tsk
That must make you so proud to be a Christian. After all, they have been warned, right?
And yet, at the same time you must wonder sometimes what you did wrong as a father?
Do you ever wonder if you will have the opportunity to look down from your lofty perch behind the Pearly gates to see your non-Christian kids writhing in agony among the flames, Wally?
Now there’s a thought to dream about on a cold winter night.
You seem especially agitated today, Douglas.
Better call your specialist and update your prescription. Take some more “normal” pills.
Agitated?
Good grief!
Your are ever the source of a bottomless pit of ridiculous remarks.
You converted to fundamental Christianity from a background of goodness knows what variety of sin(sic) you were involved in, and part of a family with a history of mental health issues.
How on earth would you even recognise what normal looked like?
LOL, Ark….as is typical you have no actual answer to the question posed and NOTHING to offer besides personal attacks. Nonetheless I am cowed by your intellectual prowess. NOT!!
I don’t understand Ark’s particular breed of ignorance but I do admire his unswerving dedication to it.
He is quite dedicated isn’t he?
Are you also unable to recognise that at no point in the entire article JB referenced was the term ”non-Muslim” used.
Or did you simply not bother to read the link John provided, Jasmine?
Ark needs to see the word “Non-Muslim” in the article because he is not capable of performing the simplest logical exercises.
After the word “Non-Muslim”, the article must say, “Atheists are Non-Muslims”. He would agree with the statement until I use it. At that point, he would attack me for spewing nonsense.
Except that the words “Non-Muslim”, do not appear anywhere in the entire linked article.
And when your disingenuous nonsense is pointed out to you … yet again .. you are forced to jump through so many semantic hoops just to try to save face.
Why not simply acknowledge you made a cock-up and edit the post?
Or do you believe such an action would diminish your credibility even further?
Be the way, are you able to offer a sound, logical reason why we need Christianity?
I appreciate the help, Doug!
@Jasmine – See what I mean?
There really is something beautiful in the way some consciousnesses can take the simplest point and create complete confusion out of it. It’s quite a gift. Face it, Ark won’t ever acknowledge truth in anything we say unless we say it exactly the way he thinks we should say it, and that Rubix cube will never be solved because ultimately, he doesn’t want it to be solved. No combination of words will work to answer a question one doesn’t want to hear the answer to.
“No combination of words will work to answer a question one doesn’t want answered.”
This is the issue exactly. I love genuine questions. But that’s not what he has! The closest I’ve gotten Ark to honesty was admitting he “doesn’t have a problem with Deism.” But then he won’t answer why he’s not a Deist… (And round and round and round we go.)
How’s your grandpa?
Er … exactly what question did you ask?
Are you referring to your ”who cares” remark at the end of your initial comment?
I could set a clock by you, Ark. That’s always one of your knee jerk answers to any question.
What question?
If you are too stupid to know what the question is, then you are too stupid to answer it, so what is the point?
Now, go away and let grown ups talk.
If you are unable to make a coherent statement then why bother to compound just how silly you are by lying and say that you asked a question?
Really Ark? You scramble like a complete madman in response to ANY question directed at you, and you have the nerve to say another is being incoherent? Ba ha ha ha ha ha ha!!
You KNOW the answer. You can’t say it because is proves your world view is stupid and full of it.
Any way, it’s back to beating on my toes with a hammer now, which is of much more use that the 60 seconds of my life I just wasted on you.
A better “Secular Rescue” would from the ideas that atheist’s hold.