Why Aren't Atheists A Protected Group Like Muslims?

Your knowledge of Iraq is so shallow, I am LMFAO!

 

Stormountainman, Iraq may have officially full rights and government protection for atheists (I'm not sure though, doesn't look like it) but what does that matter if they are not enforced? It is better and safer to be an atheist and be vocal about that in the USA any day than in Iraq.

 

There are black people on TV in the US. That doesn't say much.

 

People tend to be much more reluctant to attack or ostracize Muslims than atheists, for example with children in school.

 

Actually that depends on which state you are in at the time. That Muslim kid in Dallas got treated like a terrorist for bringing an alarm clock to school...to show his teacher.

 

Remember, Iraq has laws on the books. These laws offer a bunch of civil rights, and lesser privilages. At this point in history, their government might be having a tough time in enforcing the laws of Iraq in areas where ISIS has taken control. It is my understanding that Iraq's military has just about wiped out ISIS, in all areas but Mosul. ISIS is not from Iraq. It is made up of fighters from France, UK, Belgium, Chechenia, and others. So, just because ISIS has some other rules which they force on the locals without local consent, it does not follow that Iraq's laws are the same as ISIS. It is a fact that Iraq was secular and offered lots of none Islamic freedoms. For example, in Iraq you had five beer breweries, and several whiskey and Ouzo factories. Iraq was full of clubs and bars where you could drink, in total violation of Islamic law. Iraq had several hotels with restaurants where you could step into the restaurant and order bacon with your eggs, or pork chops for supper, or a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch. In Iraq a woman could drive a car anywhere. In the Nissor square massacre, there was a Christian woman killed by the Americans. She was driving her personal car as a freelance taxi to make some extra cash for her family. So in Iraq a woman could even have her own taxi business. Also, in Baghdad there are areas of town that have lots of book sellers and coffee shops where educated people get together and have all sorts of dialog, similar to Amsterdam. Secular Iraq was and still is completely different from Saudi Arabia which is very rigged and religious. The secular people of Iraq always do what they want, no matter what Muslim Saudi Arabia thinks.

 

There is a black person in the Oval Office in the U.S Does that say much?

 

I don't like the term islamaphobia. It makes out that people are scared and frightened of them when the actual truth is, peopl just don't like 'em.

 

I just read and pondered on the title of your thread. Muslims have no law giving them special specific legal protection. The civil rights laws are generic, saying only that discrimination is against the law when it is dished out based on someone's religion, ethnicity, national origin, or color. I don't know if the lack of religion would be regarded by a court as a reason for religious discrimination.

 

Okiefreak, I didn't mean it doesn't say much that there are black people on TV in the US, much less a black person in the Oval Office. I just meant there's still racial tension just like there's still rank atheo-phobia despite Dawkins's show.

 

Again, I don't mean legal bare bones. Please see my example in the OP.

 

Like Obama you mean?

Thing is, race is a different issue than the one you raised. What I was saying is that the fact Dawkins gets his own show is indicative of the way atheism is regarded in Britain. Hardly anyone gets worked up about it.There's virtually no religious TV shows here any more, and many documentaries that present a world view of scientific materialism. Probably very different from America where you have a lot more religious nuts.

I don't think atheists require any special legal protection. It's almost unheard of for there to be any issues that might give rise to such a need.

 

Hey BlackBill, any thought on why the UK ranks lower than the USA and do you recognize this conclusion as a UK citizen or is it suprising?

 

It's a surprise to me. But my picture of the way things are in the US is probably skewed as I've never been there and so I rely on media. Given that a lot of Americans seem to get a false or distorted view of the situation here also based on media it's hard to say for sure.
It does seem to me though that in America, there's a lot more of a political dimension to religion. Every candidate has to do the God bit. Here, it's hardly ever mentioned, and if a politician tries to bring it in, they don't get taken very seriously - like Cameron who used to give us Easter and Christmas messages.

A Texan once told me that in his part of Texas if you don't go to church on Sunday you might loose your job. Never encountered anything resembling that here.

I can't think of any situation off hand where an atheist might get discriminated against. Not saying it doesn't exist, just that I've never come across any examples I can think of. Maybe a Catholic school might discriminate if they want Catholic teachers - that sort of thing is about the only instance I can conceive of where discrimination might happen.
Perhaps the statistics are not that reliable (often the case).

 

I am just thinking about the whole idea of "protected groups" and are they really protected....I mean who says " I won't beat that Muslim with a bat because I will get a 25% longer jail sentence"?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAGP0p5S0bY

 

Speaking of the UK, it's a trade off. At least there's less tolerance for PC behavior vis a vis Muslims in the US.

For example, three Muslim girls beat up a white British girl in front of a night club, while yelling "beat the white slag."

She ended up with injuries, bald spots, and PTSD, which caused her to lose her job as a social worker.

In court, the Muslim girls made the case that they weren't used to drinking alcohol because they're Muslim and it's against their religion.

They were acquitted.

 

The way Muslims get treated is a different issue from atheists.

Look who's on the money

 

Do you have a link to a news report about this case? I ask because as I understand it, one only gets acquitted when found not guilty, and I'm pretty certain that unfamiliarity with alcohol or being a Muslim don't normally give a person any defence from assault charges in the UK. So it would be interesting to know the details of this case.

 

Atheism isn't a religion. I'm an atheist. I was an agnostic for a while but eventually realized that was silly and just a transitional phase. Maybe I'll find God again, but so far, the only times I've found God, I was on psychedelic drugs.

I believe in life, empathy, compassion, and ethics, and doing my best to make the world a little different, and a better place every day. I don't need religion to be a wonderful person, all I need is my humanity.

Each one of us changes the world everyday, just by what we do, our actions, and interactions with others. What we say, feel, think; these things affect others and their feelings and behavior. And some small thing you say or do may inspire someone else to do or say something, and in this way we each change the world every single day, which means we are changing the future.

The butterfly effect: the world tomorrow would not be the same if you didn't exist today.

In this way, we truly are immortal

~Peace and Love~ <3