An atheist in Congress? Say it ain't so!Follow

I don't recommend it.


I'll tell you that once, I met a guy who believed in the Pantheon of Roman dieties. I was flabbergasted, but I asked him how he discovered them, where he worshipped, etc. and whether or not he had a particular devotion. Turns out he was a devotee of Apollo. I got home and laughed with my family about it, but I suppose he'll die thinking that way. I wondered at how he could believe it, of course. I don't deny anyone the right to think of me the same way (not that I could), but prejudice doesn't become racism until it's overt, and me actively trying to undermine his belief system simply because it rung false to me would have been crossing a line of intolerance that I try not to cross.

Prejudice denotes the individual beliefs and stereotypes a person holds, based on generic perceptions of a culture or race. Racism is when these beliefs are acted upon to denigrate,limit or cancel out the actions and/or lifestyle of the targeted group. I can think someone that's black is stupid and can't hold a job, but unless I say "Hey, ignorant darkie I won't hire you", I'm being covertly prejudiced, not overtly racist.

So said my Violence and Gender Professor, who published on the subject. Others may have different understandings of the terms, but we kept it uniform for purposes of discussion, so that's how I'm using it.

Oh, and because you requested it:
Prejuicio denota las creencias individuales y estereotipos que lleva un individuo, basado en su percepción general de una cultura o raza. El racismo ocurre cuando estas creencias se vuelven actos, los cuales son usados para denigrar, limitar, o cancelar los actos y/o modo de vida del grupo objetivo. Yo puedo pensar que un moreno es inútil, y que no puede llevar una carrera, pero al menos que yo diga 'Oye mulato ignorante, no te voy a contratar', estoy empleando un prejuicio encumierto, y no un racismo abierto.



Edited, Mar 14th 2007 12:25pm by Atomicflea

If that's what I'm using to exemplify, yes, but the concept is the same, no matter the intolerance. Racism, classism, homophobia, etc. I can think what I like, but when I cross the line to making my personal perception the unwritten law regardless to someone else's belief, it's crossing a line. I was illustrating my thought process for ya there. In two languages!

I don't think believing it is necessarily a problem, although certainly it's good hygiene to question one's assumptions.

I don't think saying it is necessarily a problem, either. Respectful debate can be bracingly refreshing.

I do think codifying one's prejudices (beliefs) becomes problematic, though.

It's more harmful to the target, I think, because really, if you think a particular way but don't make it my problem, I don't care.

Than doing nothing at all, sure. Than not speaking about it, but silently acting on it, not so much.

This thread reminded me that I had to call our priest and reschedule our meeting this Saturday. Thanks!

Flea, it's next weekend now -- probably. Father Peter will call us later about it.

I'm too lazy to generate a joke, but 'Father Peter'?

Padre Pedro at the 1pm Spanish mass!

I've heard plenty of negative statements about religion. Since, by in large, these deal with removable flaws in said religions, I don't take that as an attempt to convert me to total absence of religion. Any more then pointing out the flaws in different cars is an argument for not owning one, entirely.

I can conceive of people who dislike cars, as an entity. Not, say, the emissions which the garden variety in my neck of the woods produce, but simply a wheeled vehicle with automatic propulsion.

So here we have Smash. He's perfect for the assylum. He's just not terribly representative of the people I run into in daily life.

I just asked him, and you're right.

I've known plenty of people who didn't believe in God but who didn't give me shit. I'm referring to the atheists who hear me mention Lent and leap upon me with their top twenty-five reasons why religion is for idiots. Or those who are convinced that every ill ever done in the history of mankind had religion as its root cause and will go on for hours explaining about how faith in God is evil.

Certainly not every atheist is like that just as most Christians shrug if you say "Oh, I don't believe in that." But I put all the preaching fanatics into the same box, be they for or against religion.

I feel compelled to note, that in my experience, atheists that are "evangelical" are usually new atheists. Sometimes they're compensating for the vast change in their thinking, or still have issues with their former beliefs/church/etc. Most of that will wear off over time, but that effect isn't limited to converting to atheism.
I knew a girl in college who converted to judaism and would get extremely upset about the Holocaust. I always kinda thought, "Girl, you've only been a jew for a year, you aren't even ethnically jewish, you have blonde hair and blue eyes.... settle down," but I always let her have her moment.

Could be. Most of my experiences with this sort of thing were in university. So it could have been younger people throwing off the oppressive shackles of faith and being very vocal about it or a bunch of pseduo-intellectualism or simply that I knew a wider range of people back then than I know now working a 9-5. Regardless, there was quite a bit of it."You're not even Jewish, Walter! You're fucking Polish Catholic!"