Michael Nugent: Atheism Is Global

[onager]

Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland with a good reminder that yes, Virginia, there is atheism outside One Nation Under Jesus.

Even I get annoyed that we American atheists can sometimes behave sort of like the medieval Catholic Church; i.e., we're the center of the universe.

This may be sort of like walking into a movie halfway thru. Nugent is having an ongoing discussion here, but you can read his previous posts to see where it all started, if interested.

http://www.michaelnugent.com/2014/09/19/the-atheist-movement-is-global-it-is-not-defined-by-the-mostly-american-deep-rifts-disagreements/

[Warpy]

1. The first outspoken atheist I knew was a Palestinian Arab

I went to high school with. His outspokenness made him as popular as zits in that sea of southern Baptists in that high school. Poor bastard.

I never had the luxury of thinking the US was the world leader in atheism. It might be the world leader in crackpot religion, but not atheism.

[mr blur]

2. Question for you all -

Do you think that not only do the average fundie/Christian Americans presume that everybody else the nation feels the same as they do and that the odd atheist is just mad or evil?
And by extension, do you think they think that everywhere else in the world is the same? Or does it not matter because we're not Americans anyway and can't be expected to believe the right things?

[Warren Stupidity]

4. Europe, China, and Japan are noticeably non-religious

with China and Japan leading the way in people who will select "atheist" in polling data. In Europe 40% of France selects "do not believe in god".

The US is a shithole of religious idiocy. We may be doomed because of it. Despite the claims by some over in that other group, reactionary religiosity remains the dominant mode in this country.

[LiberalAndProud]

6. First question: no

I think the average fundie/Christian American feels lonely in their righteousness. Some Baptists think speaking in tongues is "of the devil" so there goes the Assembly of God connection. I'd offer more examples, but suffice it to say that a good part of the Christian contingent thinks the greater part of the world is damned.

[Arugula Latte]

7. I do think that most Christians in general (even mild go-to-church-for-Xmas types)

assume that pretty much everyone is Christian or at least believes in the Judeo-Christian god, in the sense that that is the default position. However, I also am starting to think that the Internet is opening a lot of eyes to the extent of the non-belief/disbelief in this country.

[onager]

8. I'll give these a try...

Do you think that not only do the average fundie/Christian Americans presume that everybody else the nation feels the same as they do and that the odd atheist is just mad or evil?

For the most part, yes. Though necessarily that's a really broad generalization.

Not sure I'm a good sample because in everyday life, I get two widely divergent views of this. I live in Los Angeles, one of the most secular cities in the USA. But was raised in the Deep South, and when I go back there it's Jesus 24/7.

But yes, if we could find that mythical "average" American, I think they would say "everybody believes in something" and that something should be a Guy In The Sky. They'd probably add "no atheists in foxholes" and all the other annoying cliches we hear so often.

And by extension, do you think they think that everywhere else in the world is the same? Or does it not matter because we're not Americans anyway and can't be expected to believe the right things?

Yes, they think most of you non-Merkins are atheist Commies. Except for the French, who are atheist cheese-eating socialist surrender monkeys.

More seriously - many of them think the rest of the world just needs more Xian missionaries to help them find Jebus. The preacher at my mother's church collected donations for a "mission trip" to London, so watch yourself. Cue "Night of the Living Dead" - "They're coming for you, Barbara!"

Once when I was back in the South on vacation from Egypt, a real Church Lady asked about religion there. I told her Egypt was 95% Muslim. She then informed me that Muslims don't believe in God. What she meant, I guess, was they don't believe in the right god.

That's another thing - the American South is largely Protestant. Where I grew up, Catholics and Jews were about as common as Martians. So if people haven't gone out of their way to learn about other religions, they only know what they hear from their own preacher, Sunday School teacher, etc.
This information is usually...lacking. To put it mildly.

In fairness, back in the South I do have Xian friends who aren't the walking cliches I describe here. One of the most religious women I know back there is also one of the most tolerant.

[mr blur]

9. a "mission trip" to London?

What can they think they're going to find there?! Tribes of unsaved heathens dressed in animal masks and dancing round a burning wicker man?

[LiberalAndProud]

10. Google Mission to London

and then be afraid. Be very afraid.

[mr blur]

11. Wow. Just wow!

Or should I say, FUCK!

I thought we threw the religious loonies out hundreds of years ago - now we're letting them back in?

[LiberalAndProud]

13. Just for kicks I googled Mission to Paris,

which happens to be the name of a best selling book, so one must scroll down to find that the French aren't safe either.

http://www.gofundme.com/2uue0s

[onager]

14. You probably know the old American joke about that...

"The British Empire sent its religious fanatics to America and its criminals to Australia.

How did Australia manage to get first choice?"

Equal Time old joke, obviously not applicable to us atheists...

"Heaven is a place where the cooks are French, the police are British, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and it's run by the Swiss.

Hell is a place where the cooks are British, the police are German, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss and it's run by the Italians."

[onager]

12. You're right! What an...interesting search...

I always figured "short term mission trip to London" = vacation. I'm pretty sure that's what the preacher at my mother's church had in mind. (BTW, he got fired before he raised the money for that London trip. But he had already soaked the church for some other free "mission trips.&quot

This is one of the strangest I found - "Jesus Film Mission." Sounds like they're going to London, but targeting people from the Middle East "escaping the blistering heat of their summer."

WTF? They do know most of those people are Muslims, don't they?

Come with us to London to reach out to some of the hardest to reach people in the world.

An incredibly effective, low-key, way to help influential people from the Middle East hear about Christ's love. London is the main tourist destination for many visitors from the Middle East as they escape the blazing heat of their summer. We will be involved in distribution of the JESUS film and New Testament and developing friendships. Come share the love of Christ and have a great time doing it. You will also have time to view biblical artifacts on our private tour of the British Museum and see London in your free time.

I can just imagine this crowd in the British Museum. "Biblical artifacts only, please. No, we won't be visiting your Darwin Centre..."

[awoke_in_2003]

15. Never been to a soccer match, huh?

[mr blur]

16. Actually, you're right. Unusually, perhaps for an Englishman,

I've never been to a soccer match.

I did watch a bit of one, once, on TV. Couldn't see the point of it. "Twenty two millionaires ruining a lawn."

[Lordquinton]

3. I recall trashing a thread in the other room

that talked about how racist atheism was and based it solely around a contrived argument about a specific time in american history, ignoring that pretty much every religion has laws about apostasy.

[LiberalAndProud]

5. And here I was thinking it was imported from GB.