Other than causing unnecessary conflict and division by failing to support and daring to criticize those who wish to create a theocracy, probably everything. This Just In:
Monash University Professor Gary Bouma says people without a specific faith are fuelling sectarian conflict and cause division in society.
“Conflict comes up when groups vilify, deny the right to build the mosques,” he told the Studies of Religion in Focus conference in Sydney today.
“Or when the ‘nones’ – those who are anti-theist – [say] ‘You’re stupid’, that religious voices should be driven out of the public policy area, that religion shouldn’t be in schools, etc.
“That is conflict, and that is highly divisive in this society.”
Professor Bouma says a growth in religious diversity in recent years has created problems for Australian schools.
He says schools have to work out to how to encourage respectful engagement between students and teachers of various religions.
“Schools have a whole variety of competing loyalties within the teachers and within the students,” he said.
“It can sometimes go to conflict if there’s a viewpoint that some don’t want expressed.
“But how is it that you accommodate the diversity? How is it that you develop respectful engagement between diverse groups?”
Yup, those atheists sure are trouble. First they take away your rights by supporting your rights above the religious beliefs of the supernaturally informed righteous believers and then they dare stand by their convictions. How pathetic.
Don’t atheists know that “respectful engagement” means keeping one’s mouth closed and remaining silent when secular rights are undermined and religious folk implement their beliefs in the public domain using public funds? Can’t they see that by respecting what’s true over respecting unjustified supernatural claims, daring to suggest that the rights of all need to be respected equally, these poor misguided non believers are solely responsible for creating the ensuing conflict and division? I mean, really; what’s wrong with atheists?
tildeb
Questionable Motives 
Does this mean I can start stoning virgins?
Comment by misunderstoodranter — March 6, 2010 @ 9:53 am |
Assuming that these virgins are properly accused of causing offense to god, then the way to support rights, reduce conflict, and respect diversity is to say and do nothing untoward those devout men who wish to organize and carry out the appropriate god-sanctioned punishment. That would be a very practical demonstration of what some people continue to believe is called “respectful engagement” by atheists. As for participating, I think you need to know the secret handshake.
Comment by tildeb — March 6, 2010 @ 12:59 pm |
Those athiests they are such trouble makers… always flying planes into buildings, stoning virgins, shooting priests… happens all the time 😉
Actions speak louder than words.
Comment by misunderstoodranter — March 6, 2010 @ 9:11 pm |
Wow – intellectual stuff here guys! Good job…..NOT
Comment by 4amzgkids — March 12, 2010 @ 9:34 pm |
i thought it hit just the right tone of sarcasm offered first by the original article.
Comment by tildeb — March 13, 2010 @ 12:50 am |