U.N. told atheists face discrimination around globe

You #### communist heathen, you had best sound off that you love the Virgin Mary, or I'm gonna stomp your guts out! Now.. You DO love the Virgin Mary, don't ya?



GENEVA (Reuters) - Atheists, humanists and freethinkers face widespread discrimination around the world with expression of their views criminalized and subject in some countries to capital punishment, the United Nations was told on Monday. In a document for consideration by the world body's Human Rights Council, a global organization linking people who reject religion said atheism was banned by law in a number of states where people were forced to officially adopt a faith. "Extensive discrimination by governments against atheists, humanists and the non-religious occurs worldwide," declared the grouping, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) which has some 120 member bodies in 45 countries.

ca.news.yahoo.com...

It's no longer I WANT TO BELIEVE
According to the collective religious world I HAVE to believe.

more:
In Afghanistan, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan "atheists can face the death penalty on the grounds of their belief" although this was in violation of U.N. human rights accords, the IHEU said. Further, in several others legal measures "effectively criminalize atheism (and) the expression and manifestation of atheist beliefs" or lead to systematic discrimination against freethinkers, the document declared.

reply to post by canucks555

N.B. All the states named in that article are Muslim.

reply to post by DISRAELI


Yes.. Though the history books will show us that Christianity (until very recently) was forced upon the peoples of the earth as well and in many ways still is. Many were killed because of both (all) these religions. It's why I and many others stay away from religion. Religion has helped, but also has hurt A LOT of people!
(extreme understatement!)

I think religion is a symbol of mans arrogance. But that's just me


-The constitutions of these seven US states ban atheists from holding public office:

Arkansas: "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: "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: "No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state."
North Carolina: "The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God."
South Carolina: "No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution.
Tennessee: "No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state."
Texas: "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." An eighth state constitution discriminates against atheists by affording special protection to theists only.
Pennsylvania: "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."

Discrimination against atheists in the United States occurs in legal, personal, social, and professional contexts. Some American atheists compare their situation to the discrimination faced by ethnic minorities, LGBT communities, and women

In the United States, six state constitutions officially include religious tests that would effectively prevent atheists from holding public office, and in some cases being a juror/witness, though these have not generally been enforced since the early nineteenth century.[40][41][42] The U.S. Constitution allows for an affirmation instead of an oath in order to accommodate atheists and others in court or seeking to hold public office.[40][43] In 1961, the United States Supreme Court explicitly overturned the Maryland provision in the Torcaso v. Watkins decision, holding that laws requiring "a belief in the existence of God" in order to hold public office violated freedom of religion provided for by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.[40][44][45] This decision is generally understood to also apply to witness oaths.[46]

en.wikipedia.org...

Prominent atheists and atheist groups have said that discrimination against atheists is illustrated by a statement reportedly made by George H. W. Bush during a public press conference just after announcing his candidacy for the presidency in 1987.[33][72][73][74] When asked by journalist Robert Sherman about the equal citizenship and patriotism of American atheists, Sherman reported that Bush answered,
"No, I don't know that atheists should be regarded as citizens, nor should they be regarded as patriotic. This is one nation under God

Interesting points raised OP, so much for seperation of church and state. It stands to reason that governmental systems would prefer religious folk over people who think for themselves.

Same crap the world over.
I have no problem with anyone needing someone to tell them how to live if they are too stupid unwilling or lazy to think for themselves,
I just get sick of them needing to tell me.

Religion is the true evil in the world. Sorry to any religious people on ats,but I truly believe the world would be better if the church just admitted it was a cult that caught on better than the rest and grew to the level where it could control the sheep and lie about other religions while taking there traditions..example the 25th Dec was a pagan holiday.

“Some beliefs are so dangerous that it may be ethical to kill people for believing them”

Sam Harris, The End of Faith, pp.52-53.

I guess that the Muslims are just subscribing to the published tenets of one of the "Four Horsemen of the New Atheists."

reply to post by adjensen


That is one man's opinion. Unlike the sheep-like "group think" of Christianity, there is no official single book for atheism. Atheism is just the lack of belief in a god - anything beyond that is something personal.

Honestly, I'd like to see what athiests do about their information that they have recieved from a source they trust.
Imo ATS would have to be percieved as a predominantly Athiest site for you to feel so comfortable telling the rest of us that Christians have been forced into their beliefs, talking about them as if they aren't here or aren't worth speaking directly to.
I can't imagine that you'd go into a church and tell believers directly that they were forced into it, since you would not even do so here, what gives?

Yes I agree with you that ats could be perceived as an atheist site but you cannot deny that there
are a lot of pro god threads aswell. I think that everyone has a right to there opinion and beliefs
that is why I said sorry to any religious people on ats, but what I said was MY opinion. Yes I would consider myself an atheist.I do not believe in god or an afterlife.and would not attack anyone for there beliefs...but I have had strong believers argue with me in an aggressive way that I was wrong. In my experience it is hard to have a normal debate with strong believers. I'm sorry I'm getting off topic abit from this, my main problem is not with the people but with the governing parties that use religion for profit/war and personal gain. And forgive me if I offended by calling followers sheep. I'm geussing there's prob a thread on this all ready so sorry again

And sorry but I have had the discussion about the church "forcing" religion on children with a priest. I will admit it was outside the church. But in all fairness he agreed with some of my points and me with his. Discussion and reasonable debate is key. No one took it to heart

I happy because i know religion is losing its grip slowly on people lives. i can be sure free thinking would triumph in the future. I can see it in kids now a days.

Like Dalai Lama said, If science proves there is no god then the religion have to adapt. Well if not, it will perish. There is so many people sitting on border, so many people hide the fact that they don;t believe in god because it would make them stand out in front of families and friends, hopefully there will be time when those people can say their true feeling without ostracized.

My mom was religions, she almost kicked me out of house for question about god when i was 15. She even told me not to tell that i don;t believe in god to her sisters or any other relatives. My dad on the other hand, did not follow #. He cooks meat whenever he wants and told me not to listen what others say but just see where your mind leads to.. by the way he said that when he was drunk too lol.

i still remember it but he doesn't.

Originally posted by luvthetruth
Yes I agree with you that ats could be perceived as an atheist site but you cannot deny that there
are a lot of pro god threads aswell. I think that everyone has a right to there opinion and beliefs
that is why I said sorry to any religious people on ats, but what I said was MY opinion. Yes I would consider myself an atheist.I do not believe in god or an afterlife.and would not attack anyone for there beliefs...but I have had strong believers argue with me in an aggressive way that I was wrong. In my experience it is hard to have a normal debate with strong believers. I'm sorry I'm getting off topic abit from this, my main problem is not with the people but with the governing parties that use religion for profit/war and personal gain. And forgive me if I offended by calling followers sheep. I'm geussing there's prob a thread on this all ready so sorry again

I'm glad that you are against people who use religion for those purposes, there is a lot to discuss when it comes to life/afterlife that may need to be meditated upon and is therefore difficult to discuss with people who have not thought the things we ourselves have, but it's worth a try I suppose.
I don't come across very many people who will openly admit that they do not believe in an afterlife, so I thought I would ask your thoughts on my posts here which I, unfortunately have not been able to get a single response from ANY athiests as of yet, I'd be honored of you would be the first.
ATS members have ignored this for quite some time now.

reply to post by Wonders


I don't come across very many people who will openly admit that they do not believe in an afterlife, so I thought I would ask your thoughts on my posts here which I, unfortunately have not been able to get a single response from ANY athiests as of yet

I will answer!! About the afterlife..


Ask yourself: What was I doing one hundred, one thousand, one million years ago.
You've (we) have been dead already, since the beginning of time.

We've been dead (or a part of the universe) longer, far longer than we have been alive.

Basically...(imo) The afterlife is us becoming one with the heavens, if that makes it easier for you to comprehend.

No worries, death doesn't hurt, I remember that much

That's not shallow or un-imaginative (imo) It's actually spectacular.

This seems to be an atheist rant thread. I can't really comment much because I believe in god but not religion. Others can believe in what they want though, it doesn't bother me. The UN comment is right though, atheists aren't liked by most religions because they are against belief in any god, which includes theirs. The UN is not going to get in the middle of this so it is just warning Atheists to beware.

reply to post by rickymouse


This seems to be an atheist rant thread.

It'll go this way and that (or nowhere at all) but it's not supposed to be a rant, it's a news story .Hopefully people don't start implying that it's something that it's not.

Originally posted by canucks555
reply to post by Wonders

 

I don't come across very many people who will openly admit that they do not believe in an afterlife, so I thought I would ask your thoughts on my posts here which I, unfortunately have not been able to get a single response from ANY athiests as of yet

I will answer!! About the afterlife..


Ask yourself: What was I doing one hundred, one thousand, one million years ago.
You've (we) have been dead already, since the beginning of time.

We've been dead (or a part of the universe) longer, far longer than we have been alive.

Basically...(imo) The afterlife is us becoming one with the heavens, if that makes it easier for you to comprehend.

No worries, death doesn't hurt, I remember that much

That's not shallow or un-imaginative (imo) It's actually spectacular.

Well, that's not scientific either.
What is your conclusion for the human race then? Is this your precious way of telling others that they are insignificant?

reply to post by Wonders


Is this your precious way of telling others that they are insignificant?

That sounds negative...(the insignificant thing) - like you put a negative spin on my answer to your question. Sorry if I mistook your reply...
Date will be here soon, fresh Steel Head on the barbie...mmm
-I will get back to this.
Thanks for replying.