tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720312218941349902.post1828899998639828319..comments2023-11-02T12:20:28.033+00:00Comments on plenty more fish: so. many. tabs.Robert Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12347761587707437261noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720312218941349902.post-18654192283562156542012-02-17T10:53:47.115+00:002012-02-17T10:53:47.115+00:00Sorry I'm so slow to reply to this. Thank you ...Sorry I'm so slow to reply to this. Thank you - it's really interesting. It's sort of what I thought must be the case.<br /><br />I really don't like recent nonsense from religious people here in the UK about 'totalitarian' atheists. This seems utterly, utterly wrong.Robert Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12347761587707437261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4720312218941349902.post-9412333000587424332012-02-14T13:29:11.411+00:002012-02-14T13:29:11.411+00:00In terms of American atheists, I think that articl...In terms of American atheists, I think that article is perhaps true in letter but not necessarily in spirit. I grew up in Texas, and there were no prayers at school. I was taught evolution. It seems like the author has cherry-picked some anecdotes in order to create an interesting story. He even says, "Still, I found that even some New Yorkers, Bostonians and Washingtonians didn’t think there was much problem with being an atheist in their country. Until, that is, I told them a few stories." So, a significant portion of his sample didn't agree with his thesis until he started telling them horror stories? The way he dismisses those opinions I find really grating - as if he's decided that New York and Washington don't count as <i>real America</i>.<br /><br />That's a problem that happens a lot, when anyone is talking about this country. There are very few things that the country as a whole agrees on, and so in order to make statements about What America Is Like, you have to handwave away a lot of people whose experiences don't agree with your thesis.<br /><br />Basically, I'm not saying the things in the article don't happen. The problem with elected officials having to pretend to be religious is a real one. But in the day to day life of the country, I'm not convinced the situation is as dramatic as the article makes it out to be.Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10670821931207187870noreply@blogger.com