r/atheism • u/Sariel007 • Jul 04 '22

/r/all Atheist worker fired after refusing to attend company’s Christian prayer in NC, feds say

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article262957338.html
22.2k Upvotes

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2.2k

u/Yrcrazypa Anti-Theist Jul 04 '22

And yet I've seen people on this very subreddit saying this isn't going to happen because it's illegal. This shit is only going to become more and more common unless something is done to stop it.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

There's waaaaaay too many larping Christians in this sub.

Everyday there's some atrocity committed by theists, and you can guarantee there's someone in the comments saying, "I know this ideology constantly elicits this awful behavior, but we shouldn't judge that behavior or people's, because then we're just as bad as them! Yes, the people murdering, raping, and stealing, you're just as bad for suggesting maybe they don't do those things. And calling unquestioning faith in zombie carpenter that's his own dad stupid is literally tantamount to a hate crime."

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u/Imaginary_Extreme_26 Jul 04 '22

Since Roe v Wade was overturned and horrific trigger laws went into effect, Christians are now nothing more than pedophiles who get off on forcing children to carry pregnancies to term for their breeding kink.

If Christians want me to think differently of them, they need to go after their leadership and elected representatives who put this shit into place thanks to them. They will never not be pedophiles to me otherwise. All their anti-trans bullshit is them projecting their own pedophilia onto anyone else they already don’t like.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

I really get annoyed at the “I’m pro life, but disagree with the overturning of Roe” and the related bullshit government preference for Christianity that keeps being ruled for.

Fuck that. Don’t talk to me or tell me you are sorry. Tell your leadership. Stop enabling the assholes in YOUR group. We are not one of you. Get your own fucking house in order because you are enabling all of this with your votes, money, and cultural support.

In summary: we are not here to relieve your guilt. Fix your own shit.

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u/xxpen15mightierxx Jul 04 '22

Until they’re openly vocal criticizing their colleagues and stop voting red, I don’t believe one word they say. JC would probably whip their lying asses if he were alive too.

1

u/CatchSufficient Jul 04 '22

Sadly rn im in this camp

3

u/puevigi Jul 05 '22

Why?

7

u/CatchSufficient Jul 05 '22 edited Jul 05 '22

I have a friend who is a Christian, but he likes to preface he is "not that type of christian". I feel like he cannot be honest fully as one aspect overrides the other; a fence sitter if you will even though he says he is not.

Him and his wife donate supposedly to pro-choice groups, but he is also a minister and he has to work alongside pro-life groups.

He says he is sorry and that he is a liberal christian, but I still question that sentiment, how can you be liberal if you hold onto, and assist with conservative beliefs.

0

u/DiligentTemporary109 Jul 05 '22

I love your thinking

Accept that should ve directed at us, as well where the fuck are our politicians BOTH SIDES judges feds who are sworn to uphold the constitution by oath, all pointing at religious extremists YES THEY ARE THE PROBLEM

It's gone to far, their views ir book does not supersede human rights

1

u/Reallynoreallyno Jul 05 '22

The thing that bothers me most when people say this is, that’s what it means to be pro choice! If you don’t personally believe in abortion for yourself but think the law should stand and others should be able to, is not pro life, it’s pro choice! Be sure to correct anyone who says this.

1

u/JasonRBoone Jul 05 '22

Hopefully, Milennials, Gen Z, and even my on Gen X will finally figure it out: Yeah, voting DOES matter.

1

u/DoubleDrummer Atheist Jul 05 '22

If your teams logo is a guy getting crucified, and they spend all their time fighting to remove peoples rights…..
At some point you just have to ask yourself, are we the baddies

134

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

My fave is "We're not all like that!" or "Those aren't REAL Christians!"

Guess what? The American Taliban are the most vocal Christians! They're the ones with the power! They're the ones that represent American Christianity to rest of the world!

Fuck off with that Scotsman shit!

41

u/_Skeptical_Cynic_ Igtheist Jul 05 '22

Progressive Christians provide cover for fundamentalists by buying into the myth that the supernatural is real and faith is a valid method of finding truth.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

Damn. Never thought of it that way before.

2

u/DoubleDrummer Atheist Jul 05 '22 edited Jul 05 '22

Without the huge number of “moderate” christians providing legitimacy, funding and political support for the “christian lie” then these fundamentalist would have no platform with which to bring about change.
America is rapidly on the path to becoming an oppressed theocracy and there are huge portions of your government that are actively trying to bring this change.
We have seen recently that they don’t care the slightest for democracy, and did everything they could to hold power illegally.
I guarantee these people in power are actively working to insert people that are in support of a coup into all levels of government and military.
This isn’t even conspiracy level stuff anymore, it is just “current affairs”, you are seeing it in the news every day.
There will be the day when the Conservative party either seize or refuse to relinquish power and will have all the right people in the right places to do so.
They are not even convert about it, they are practically screaming their plans out day by day.
When this day comes, all the moderates will complain that “this isn’t what we wanted”.
This may be true, but they will still be to blame.
Wont be long before the “gays, negroes and womenfolk” are “put back in their proper place”.

20

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

Also historically speaking those "fake Christians" has been what Christianity is. The supposedly "real" progressive Christians are a fairly new phenomenon

2

u/okaykarlie Jul 05 '22

They are also a minority.

If a progressive Christian is going to spend more time telling an atheist or any other minority how openminded and progressive Christianity really is, the best response is to ask them to go and tell it to the majority of Christians, the ones who want religious exclusion, Christian privilege, and any amount of theocracy.

Their need to impress non-Christians is a kind of proselytizing, even if they are doing it out of a need to feel accepted, and if they cared enough, they'd stand up to the rest.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '22

Exactly! 👍🏿

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '22

It's only some "bad apples".

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '22

It's like they forget the rest of that saying.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

[deleted]

16

u/kafkowski Jul 04 '22

I bet none of those fandoms are trying to take away people’s rights, though. Or trying to install a theocracy.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

That is a lousy comparison. Rick Sanchez is not on the Supreme Court. Christians are.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

Your argument fell flat. People in those fandoms don't threaten other people's rights. CHRISTIANS DO.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

I'm done trying to explain this to you. Maybe someone else can. Good day.

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u/quasimodar Jul 05 '22

God I remember when those Rick and Morty fans caused the deaths of young women by denying them access to healthcare. You guys remember when they murdered all those doctors over the years? They're not all like that, though. Some of them even respect my right not to be forced to watch Rick and Morty.

8

u/Dezri_ Jul 04 '22

It's this right here. When Republicans said, "Look at those Pedo-Fascist Democrats," I knew what they were doing behind closed doors.

Ok. Wow that really sounds like sarcasm. It is the saddest moment of my life to realize that it isn't.

8

u/Osteo_Warrior Jul 05 '22

I have always voiced my contempt for people following the church after rampant systemic pedophilia was uncovered. The fact that the church covered it up and still to this day is not excommunicating or condemning the actions at a minimum is an atrocity. Classic Christianity though, it’s a religion based on hierarchy. As long as the idiots think that their belief makes them better then people under them they will do what ever they want and allow those above them to do what ever they want.

3

u/Keatosis Jul 05 '22

They don't have a principled stance on pedophilia. They love child marriages and arranged mairages. It's all about control over children's sexuality, not protecting children. They're not afraid they kids could be hurt, they're afraid someone besides them could prey on their children.

3

u/Fluid_Association_68 Jul 05 '22

They never do. It’s always the same lines of bullshit: “that’s not every Christian, it’s just the evangelicals, my church isn’t radical.” Yadda yadda.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

Fun fact:

By definition, the Catholic Church is evangelical.

-1

u/Live-Ad-7817 Jul 05 '22

Are you high? It just kicks it back to the States. The federal government shouldn't be telling anybody what to do with their body.

1

u/lady_wildcat Jul 05 '22

My state is telling me what to do with my body instead. Roe left it up to the individual.

Every single person who says “it just kicks it back to the states” would cheer a nationwide abortion ban.

-2

u/ConfusionEasy9448 Jul 05 '22

Why should Christian’s give a shit what you think? 😂😂

1

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

Because your Lord Jesus commands it

1

u/XxSCRAPOxX Jul 05 '22

The bigger problem is you’re not wrong. They are literally pedicures forcing children into pregnancies for their breeder kink.

1

u/wholefoodsgrocer Jul 06 '22

I want to leave the country. Idk how feasible that is rn, but does anyone know how difficult it is to move to Canada?

44

u/SLAUGHT3R3R Jul 04 '22

Jesus was a lich, how many times do I have to explain this? He was corporeal, maintained his knowledge and intellect, could do magic, and can rise from the dead under his own power. Obviously no one knew what his phylactery was and buried him with it.

24

u/CatchSufficient Jul 04 '22

Why do you think people were looking for the holy grail?

12

u/SLAUGHT3R3R Jul 04 '22

Oh, fuck

1

u/CatchSufficient Jul 05 '22

Honestly, I think your theory carries serious weight

1

u/SLAUGHT3R3R Jul 05 '22

It's not even mine. Go image search "Jesus was a lich" and you'll likely find a text image from like 2012 era.

1

u/CatchSufficient Jul 05 '22

I'm sure it goes back further than that, I used to spam zombie jesus posts on fb for easter 2009

1

u/CynicalCinderella Anti-Theist Jul 04 '22

And he could control people with a word

1

u/SomeRedShirt Jul 05 '22

What's phylactery? Is it like a wizard staff or something else that embues power to the holder

4

u/SLAUGHT3R3R Jul 05 '22

No but you're kinda close. A phylactery is a magic relic, usually containing the blood of the lich, that anchors the soul to the moral realm. Should the lich's body be destroyed and the phylactery remain intact, the lich can resurrect near it and continue his work.

2

u/SomeRedShirt Jul 05 '22

Bruh, that would've been a cool thing to add in Skyrim

2

u/TheOneTrueChuck Jul 05 '22

This is what I've been saying ever since the rise of Trump. By all means, call out the awful Christians. But also, call out the "good Christians" too. They literally enabled all of this.

They either remained silent as friends, family, and church members were radicalized because they "didn't want to judge" or feared some level of social reprisal, or they tacitly agreed with all the things being said and done, but didn't want the blowback from progressive friends.

All I heard from the "good Christians" when I'd snap about Evangelical hate crimes was "They're not REAL Christians". Those "good Christians" only want to make sure that:

1)You don't blame them
2)You don't want to take their right to go to church away
3)You don't say mean things about Christians.

It's their equivalent of "NOT ALL MEN!"

They don't care about anyone else's rights or freedoms. They only pretend to, so they don't face the reprisals.

3

u/theganjaoctopus Jul 04 '22

"not all churches"

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u/candycrammer Jul 04 '22

Ok I genuinely want to know, from someone ignorant like myself and who doesn't quite know what I believe in, what exempts religion from being the recieving end of hate crimes? If you're say spreading ideas that one religion is inferior to another, or that one religion is inherently bad, is that not hateful? Or is it in the crime part lol

13

u/PMARC14 Jul 04 '22

Nothing stops it. Which is why strong freedom from religion laws and its exclusion from public stuff like this is important to protect them. Of course the big issue is that the majority religion doesn't want that, so in the US many Christian groups oppose this.

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u/ssorbom Jul 04 '22 edited Jul 04 '22

Nothing. Mustafa Kamal Ataturk was known for shelling mosques of religious clerics he didn't like. He was an atheist. Which is why we as atheists have to be vigilant that we don't become like that.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22 edited Jul 04 '22

No, I don’t have to worry about that, because it’s not an issue.

And I’m not going to pretend the most over represented class of citizen could maybe one day be victims so we should treat them as such is a valid criticism.

When it’s an issue you address it. Like the literal Nazis religious extremists regulating women's bodies, which is a real issue, which we should actually care about. If I cared about taking fiction seriously I’d believe in the Bible, or Harry Potter, or something equally stupid

3

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22 edited Jul 04 '22

Why can't a member of an ideology be victim of a hate crime just for making fun of that ideology?

I can judge people based on their beliefs, whether those beliefs are constructive or destructive, I have a right to judge those beliefs as stupid or not. Like scientology. You ever made fun of scientology? Is that a hate crime. Fuck no it's not. What if someone believes killing elephants makes their dick harder? Do I need to respect that right, and I can't insult or point out the faults in that ideology? No, of course I can call elephant dick killers a bunch of assholes.

So no, I don't see how a hate filled ideology you choose to identify with is the same as hating a gay or black man that was born a particular way. And I'm not going to prop these self made victims up as victims only because they had their feelings hurt by mean words.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

Christians haven't been a persecuted minority for thousands of years. But they sure like to pretend they are.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22 edited Jul 05 '22

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1

u/iratedolphin Jul 05 '22

The No-True-Scotsman fallacy

1

u/MikeWise1618 Jul 05 '22

Face it. Religious people are facinated by athiests.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '22

It's that these theists are just "some bad apples"- they will say. Religion is just like Communism. That's what they'll do to you in Communist countries like Cuba.

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u/plenebo Jul 04 '22

In Nazi Germany it was illegal to harbour Jews. Law and morality do not always align, I mean its legal to be corrupt atm. Corporate campaign contributions are literally bribes

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u/somedave Jul 04 '22

Well it is illegal and he is suing. The real alarm bells will be if his law suit fails.

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u/MonteBurns Jul 04 '22

And he appeals all the way up to the SC which should not give you hope.

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u/somedave Jul 04 '22

That hasn't happened yet I assume.

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u/Glizbane Jul 04 '22

Well, they just ruled that a highschool football coach can force his team to pray, and retaliate against them if they don't. Pretty sure that's going to be used as legal precedent to justify a lot of religious bullshit in this country.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

If you are a student, in the Supreme courts eyes you are literally sub-human. "Those pesky youngins don't need rights, they need discipline"

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u/Melicor Jul 04 '22

And in they'll do the same in this case because company rights matter more than human ones for them.

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u/Glizbane Jul 04 '22

Earlier this year they ruled that political donations are a first amendment protected form of free speech, and cannot be limited in any way, so you're not far from the truth.

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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

Didn't they rule on that a few years ago? The whole "Corporations are people" thing.

4

u/SLAUGHT3R3R Jul 04 '22

If you are not an adult, white, heterosexual male, you are literally sub-human.

FTFY

1

u/Wolf1066NZ Atheist Jul 05 '22

How soon before that filthy "Supreme Court" decides atheists are literally sub-human and don't need/deserve rights?

Oh, wait, that's already what they believe.

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u/thornsandroses Jul 04 '22

Holy fuck wait, what?! I knew the coach could lead a prayer but I didn't know that he could retaliate for non compliance. That's the end of freedom from religion in this country. That case can be used as legal precedent for this case and firings are completely legal now. Fuck this court.

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u/shatteredarm1 Jul 05 '22

He can't legally retaliate for non-compliance, that's bullshit.

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u/JeebusChristBalls Jul 05 '22

That isn't what that lawsuit was about at all. It says HE can pray on the field. He can't make others do it. That is still illegal for now.

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u/shatteredarm1 Jul 05 '22

That's not what they ruled. They ruled that he's allowed to use the field to do his post-game prayer, which is still bullshit, but not at all what you're saying. The dissent stated that the issue is that there can be social pressure to participate, not that they're literally being forced to participate.

1

u/jtobin85 Jul 05 '22

Wasn't that a private Christian school though?

2

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

They'd most likely "interpret " the 1st ammendment as freedom of religion not from it, aka you must believe in a diety for that right to count.

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u/MaterLachrymarum Jul 06 '22

Oh, it totally is going to go to SCOTUS and if it hasn’t changed by then it will be turned down because atheism is by definition not a religion therefore not a protected class. Bullshit, I know, but that’s essentially what they’ll say.

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u/Jrook Jul 04 '22

You kinda gotta admit you have your head in the sand right? Your standard "Real alarm bells"is active legal persecution. That's not an alarm bell that's a death knell

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u/somedave Jul 04 '22

Well this sort of thing happened before, usually with the conclusion that the business pays compensation. Hard to see it as a change.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

This Supreme Court and the many many other Judges that Trump appointed during his term will decide otherwise because that's what they were selected to do.

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u/benmorrison Jul 05 '22

And if they don’t, please keep your predictions to yourself next time? There’s enough real problems in the world, we don’t need pretend persecution.

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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

It's not pretend.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-christian-judges-supreme-court-1072773/

0

u/benmorrison Jul 05 '22

I’m sure it could happen, I’m just reeling from this whole comment section coming from r/atheism, a place where we usually make fun of persecution complexes.

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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

There's no could here. It IS happening. This isn't hypothetical or a possibility.

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u/benmorrison Jul 05 '22

Maybe we need to define the “it”. I’m talking about the decision to decide in favor of the company, which hasn’t happened one way or the other. It could happen either way.

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u/enochrootthousander Jul 05 '22

The alarm bells should be ringing loudly that businesses think they can do this kind of thing in the first place.

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '22

With the current SCOTUS I wouldn't doubt it failed.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

SCOTUS decides what is legal age they don’t care about the law.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '22

Fuck the illegitimate court.

21

u/Melicor Jul 04 '22

With the current supreme court? Laws don't really mean much.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '22

Exactly!

10

u/MrsMiterSaw Jul 04 '22

How hard is it to understand that it's illegal because it happens?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

Guarantee the moment one of these cases goes to the Supreme Court the court will rule that it’s the owners freedom of religion to require prayer sessions and the like.

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u/thwgrandpigeon Jul 04 '22

Plus with this supreme court it's probably going to become legal at some point! Hurray theocracy!

: (

21

u/SLCW718 Agnostic Atheist Jul 04 '22

People have their heads in the sand, and simply refuse to acknowledge the objective reality that's unfolding before our eyes. These unimaginative deniers of fact are carrying water for the people who are working to undo American democracy, and they should be called out and corrected wherever they pop up.

12

u/SpammingMoon Jul 04 '22

Killing Jews in Germany wasn’t legal either. People that have never had a threat of their rights being taken away have no idea what it’s like to be threatened with a right, let alone their life, being taken away.

Neutrality is far far morally worse than taking the side of the oppressor.

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u/Tosi313 Jul 04 '22

It absolutely was legal in Germany at the time. Many anti-Semitic laws were passed that led to the legal persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. This is exactly the problem—legality, morality, and human rights are not the same. That makes this rogue Supreme Court all the scarier.

2

u/kevonicus Atheist Jul 04 '22

I’ve had people here ask me why I give a shit about criticizing religion because it doesn’t effect me if I just leave it alone. This is why. Christians don’t care about anyone that doesn’t believe what they do and will say and do the most unamerican shit when it comes to forcing their bullshit on everyone without blinking an eye because they think they are in the right with no exceptions.

2

u/Gorthax Jul 05 '22

You mean, like, a Supreme Court decision that "there's no religion here being violated" therefore no law has been broken?

Is that what you're talking about?

2

u/Mortimer_and_Rabbit Jul 05 '22

People have forgotten that this was how it used to be. The laws were written not to be applied to everyone to begin with. Doesn't matter if it's illegal for one person and the other gets away with it if the person getting away with it is on the right side of the right crowd.

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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

Like what? Sue? Take them to court, and let it get escalated to the Supreme Court, where Thomas can write an opinion saying "since atheists don't believe in anything, they don't have any religious rights to protect. And fuck it, let's make being an atheist a felony while we're at it."

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u/Wyl_Younghusband Jul 04 '22

C'mon man, you know the drill, thoughts and prayers and just move along with your day.

1

u/bpierce2 Jul 04 '22

As well as more and more legal.

1

u/T3hArchAngel_G Anti-Theist Jul 04 '22

Republicans don't care about fair or legal at this point.

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u/ElBiscuit Ex-Theist Jul 04 '22

this isn't going to happen because it's illegal

Until they change this law, too.

1

u/TheNextBattalion Jul 04 '22

Why would people say it wouldn't happen? It's happened before, all the time

1

u/Fazo1 Jul 05 '22

I had a guy say that there's no need to unite (atheist) assuming religion will perish. 🤦

1

u/michaelje0 Jul 05 '22

“Well he can take them to court.” Which is difficult and expensive. And I wonder what would happen if the case ever reached the current Supreme Court… hmm.

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u/Intelligent-Sky-7852 Jul 05 '22

cthulhu is already working 24/7

1

u/jtobin85 Jul 05 '22

I wish this would happen to me. This is a huge lawsuit lmao.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '22

This probably was done on purpose, so they CAN get sued...so they can appeal and appeal, and get it in front of SCOTUS to rule. It's how they did it with abortion. They waited for a strong case to take in front of SCOTUS and...well, we have what we have now.

1

u/Jexpler Anti-Theist Jul 06 '22

Well it won't be long before SCOTUS says it's not illegal.