Friday, August 26, 2011

Greater expectations

I tend to come down more harshly on atheists for the very simple reason that they are the ones who profess objectivity, rationality, and intellect. As such, subjective self-deception, hypocrisy, and skewing the facts should not play any part in their arguments, as these are exactly what they condemn of the religious. Here are a few of the worst examples.

1. Freedom of speech double standard.

Atheists tout their First Amendment right of expressing their world view, especially when being confronted about being overly angry (as addressed in my last post). Conversely they think that this right should somehow not apply to people expressing their religious world view in public, and even in private with their own children as audience.

2. Confusing anti-religion for atheism.

A very many atheists seem to be more opposed to religious people than merely the notion of theism itself. What they argue against are behaviors and social situations that are not reliant solely upon theism.

3. Treating all religions as Abrahamic.

Granted, Abrahamic religions are prevalent in societies that are tolerant enough for atheists to be outspoken, but these do not entail the totality of theism. Or perhaps it is more precise to say that Abrahamic religions are prevalent in societies which are generally more sectarian, and conducive to such extreme social divisions.  Anyway, theism, not Christianity, is what atheism is definitively against.

4. Appealing to the Constitution.

Somehow atheists have convinced themselves that the Constitution provides for a "freedom from religion", even though it is nowhere implied. What is interpreted as intended, rather than explicitly stated, is the separation of church and state. While this does mean that government cannot enforce a state religion, this does not mean that religion should be stricken from public and political discourse.

People cannot be reasonably expected to keep their opinion from informing their voting or social agenda, and the Constitution guarantees the rights to do so.

The First Amendment ensures the freedoms of speech, religious expression and practice, and access to the government. There is no "freedom from religion" without restricting some or all of these rights in a select and biased quarter. A segment of society that is the majority even.

The Fourteenth Amendment ensures these rights cannot be usurped by individual states.

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