Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe have signed on to a new campaign to end discrimination against atheists, agnostics and the nonreligious.
Openly Secular, a coalition of more than two dozen secular organizations, seeks to debunk misconceptions about secular people by encouraging nontheists to come forward and raise awareness for the 29 percent of Americans who identify as nonreligious.
In an Openly Secular campaign video posted Friday, Kluwe, who described himself as "cheerfully agnostic and openly secular," urged nonbelievers to advocate for their rights.
"It's important for secularists to be vocal about who they are ... in a truly functional society, in a stable society, everyone is afforded the same freedom to be who they are no matter what that is as long as it doesn't infringe upon the rights of other people to be who they are," Kluwe said. "If you want to enjoy your own beliefs, then you have to fight for everyone else's beliefs just as hard, because if you don't, someday you might be on the other side of that line and you're not going to be very happy when that day comes."
Is it weird that I want to say amen to that?
Personally I am in favor of anything that will de-stigmatize Atheists and allow people to understand that we are not attacking their religious beliefs. We simply do not want them shoved down our throats.
"If you want to enjoy your own beliefs, then you have to fight for everyone else's beliefs just as hard..."
ReplyDeleteYes. And that's why the Nazis get to parade down the street even though it is so offensive and goes against every fiber of my being.
Freedom is hard.
Because if anyone can be oppressed, then anyone can be oppressed.
I will fight for everyone's right to believe whatever they want to believe. I will not fight for their beliefs.
DeleteThis makes a lot of sense. Freedom of religion, IMO, means freedom from religion. Separation of church and state supports this position.
ReplyDeleteProselytizing for Christ seems to only work well on those who are open to the idea of the worth of of the red words of Jesus of the New Testament.
For those of us of the Christian persuasion, it works best if we treat others the way we want to be treated and that we love God and others as we love ourselves.
We have enough work to do working on ourselves and respecting the rights of others who believe and those who religiously believe otherwise and those who are non-believers.
Within just laws, free will matters as does one's right to choose what belief systems are important to living most peaceably with other human beings, like and unlike ourselves.
dowl
I proudly came out of the atheist closet a few years ago. Even though I had zero belief for many years, my early religious training had me thinking I'd burn in hell for even questioning or voicing my doubts. What a sense of freedom to finally admit I don't believe in a supernatural being in the sky :)
ReplyDeleteWhether or not I had religious beliefs of one sort or another, I would and will support this group 100%.
ReplyDeleteOur country guarantees that the rights of the minority must be protected by -- and protected from -- the majority.
Our Republic was created by men of different religions and no religion at all. Freedom of religion is a bedrock belief, as defined by our Constitution.
It's about time someone spoke up for us non-believers, I say! Now excuse me while I go sacrifice a goat in thanks to almighty Zeus for this Festivus miracle!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd if it isn't shoved down our throats by people like the Palins, they'll punch you in the throat.
ReplyDeleteWhat ever one's beliefs , the freedom to dare to express those
ReplyDeletebeliefs must be. I do like the ..."Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you. It is difficult sometimes."