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Appalling Discrimination against atheist?

What do you think of the laws banning atheist from some offices?

  • Total voters
    97
longview said:
And yet you defend your non acceptance with passion, kind of like a religious person would if their faith was questioned.
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No if there is any hint of "passion" it is just to clear up any misconceptions. I may perhaps be outspoken about being misrepresented and having positions I do not take unduly glommed upon me, but this does not mean the position itself is based on passion, My disbelief in god just is, there is no emotion involved in my not believing. It is not something I have control over, it is just an underlying part of who I am - my non belief just is.

There is however emotion involved when people assign false attributes to me. regardless of what they are. So I am just clearing the air and your misconceptions although you do seem quite wedded to them, false or not.

Passion does not equal religion either btw. I am passionate about marine invertebrates. so I suppose that is a religion as well?
 
Just to answer the original thread title, no business should discriminate against anyone for their beliefs regardless of what those beliefs are. However I don't think the federal government should have any right to tell someone who they can or cannot hire.
 
marduc said:
Atheism is a form of religion?? That is absolute deluded misinformed propaganda based rubbish.

Just because I do not accept any religion, and the claims they make does not mean that my nonacceptance itself is a religion. It is quite simply disbelief. I disbelieve in alien visitations and ghosts as well, does this mean that in your eyes they are religions too?
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Then there are those like myself, who neither believe nor disbelieve.
 
The Mark said:
Then there are those like myself, who neither believe nor disbelieve.
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Agnostic. I think a little introspection would determine that most of us have a streak of agnosticism, despite our declared belief that there is/is not a god. How can anyone know for sure?
 
So who SHOULD be allowed to discriminate against atheists?
 
Let's not pretend that athiests don't discriminate against people who believe in God. I don't care if someone doesn't believe in God, but they could not represent me. Keep in mind that I WAS an athiest for 20 years. But not any more. I don't think that athiests are bad people, bu believing that in the end you will have to answer to a higher power for your actions adds a level of accountability for someone who will have that much power.
 
tech30528 said:
Let's not pretend that athiests don't discriminate against people who believe in God. I don't care if someone doesn't believe in God, but they could not represent me. Keep in mind that I WAS an athiest for 20 years. But not any more. I don't think that athiests are bad people, bu believing that in the end you will have to answer to a higher power for your actions adds a level of accountability for someone who will have that much power.
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I have to wonder though, how many career politicians actually believe in a higher power....whatever facade they use to get votes...
 
AGENT J said:
Now I’m not an atheist myself and I know many atheists that do believe in religion just don’t think anybody has it right but discrimination is discrimination and it amazed me that these things below are actually in state constitutions. I just learned this in another thread.
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."[81]

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.”[82]

Mississippi:
"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state."[83]

North Carolina:
"The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God."[84]

South Carolina:
"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution."[85]

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."[86]

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."[87]

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."[88]

Discrimination against atheists - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That’s appalling to me and the purest form of bigotry and discrimination IMO. SO I’m curious where you stand.
I’d love to see someone try to enforce this so it can be defeated and destroyed like it should, wonder if there are any recent cases of it.

What do you think of the laws banning atheist from some offices?

I’m against it
it violates the constitution and should be removed
it’s discrimination
it’s bigotry
it’s disgusting
I support this
it does NOT violate the constitution and should stand
it’s NOT discrimination
it’s NOT bigotry
it’s righteousness
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When were these laws enacted?
 
Mason66 said:
When were these laws enacted?
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who knows didnt look that up probably before the land of time and i doubt anybody would ever try to enforce them but if they did they would get destoryed
 
AGENT J said:
who knows didnt look that up probably before the land of time and i doubt anybody would ever try to enforce them but if they did they would get destoryed
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Then why did you title the OP like you did?

It is not appalling discrimination if it is not happening. We don't know if it ever did happen.
 
Mason66 said:
Then why did you title the OP like you did?

It is not appalling discrimination if it is not happening. We don't know if it ever did happen.
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well thats your subjective opinion and nothing else but yes i find it appalling that they even exist and so do many others :shrug: you are free to disagree and have a different opinion but thats all it is
 
I believe that is wrong. I believe that it is not constitutional and should be repealed. However, I do not find this to be discrimination. I can see where my brothers mess up on this, but not because of discrimination. If you believe in God, you most likely will not vote for anyone who is an atheist as you do not believe they are doing God's will. In some positions, such as being a president, very few would vote for an atheist because most Christians want to be ruled by someone going to God for guidance, not their own small minds.

What these people don't realize is that they get to vote in order to keep atheists out of these positions. This isn't discrimination as it is not unjust or prejudice, but it is not constitutional either.
 
AGENT J said:
well thats your subjective opinion and nothing else but yes i find it appalling that they even exist and so do many others :shrug: you are free to disagree and have a different opinion but thats all it is
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How is it my opinion that the discrimination is not happening?

You titled it "appalling discrimination against atheist(s)" not that the laws exist but that atheists are being discriminated against which they are not.
 
Mason66 said:
Do you mean too recently?

I would bet the laws were passed in the early part of the 1900s.

Things have changed since then.
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and that was to recently. thank goodness things are changing
 
Mason66 said:
1.)How is it my opinion that the discrimination is not happening?

2.)You titled it "appalling discrimination against atheist(s)" not that the laws exist but that atheists are being discriminated against which they are not.
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1.) didnt say that i said its only your opinion that its not appalling

as for discrimination now that you asked that would also be your opinion to unless you factually know it never happened? but again thats not what i was saying

2.) 100% correct i did title it that and the fact they they even exist is appalling and it is discriminating top have such laws
 
AGENT J said:
1.) didnt say that i said its only your opinion that its not appalling

as for discrimination now that you asked that would also be your opinion to unless you factually know it never happened? but again thats not what i was saying

2.) 100% correct i did title it that and the fact they they even exist is appalling and it is discriminating top have such laws
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Where did I say it was not appalling? I said it was not happening. Something has to happen for it to be appalling.

Are you only stuck on these old laws or are you upset about all the other laws from other centuries that are still on the books?
 
Mason66 said:
1.)Where did I say it was not appalling?
2.) I said it was not happening.
3.)Something has to happen for it to be appalling.
4.) Are you only stuck on these old laws or are you upset about all the other laws from other centuries that are still on the books?
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1.)then you have no problem with what i said then, thanks
2.) which we dont know and which doesnt matter to the title i chose and the way i and many others feel
3.) nope it does not, the law existing is appalling alone
4.) well if you read the thread other insane laws were talked about too

this thread was about these laws in particular because somebody said they existed, i did not believe them so i investigated by myself and when i found out they did i post these appalling laws.
 
Phil_Osophy said:
What about fraternal organizations??
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Well, no employer anyway. You forgot to mention churches. They discriminate on the basis of religion all the time. But then, few non Catholics actually want to join the Catholic church without becoming Catholics anyway.
 
I wonder how many atheists have held offices in the afore mentioned States? If theist politicians are known to tell lies to the populace, surely their atheist brethren are also capable of deceit.
 
Phil_Osophy said:
So who SHOULD be allowed to discriminate against atheists?
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Religious institutions who have as a goal the establishment of a religious belief. Kind of like, why does steel workers of America not have any plumbers as its members? Well... their goal is to push for the benefits of steel workers, not plumbers. Again, the Catholic Church is allowed to discriminate against Muslims in its churches. I can't for the life of me see why it would be required to defend the rights of anything other than Catholics.
 
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