The Golden Rule is to do to others as we would have them unto us, e.g. not to persecute others for their beliefs/convictions just like we ourselves don't want to be persecuted for ours. So, therefore, when Atheists know (or do they not know?) that 365 MN Christians are being persecuted in the world today, including in Atheist Countries like North Korea and Commie China, why aren't Atheists helping? Why aren't they doing everything possible to end said persecution, especially in light of the fact that almost all Atheists enjoy full freedoms and complete rights to say what they believe in Christian and Christian-Majority Countries today? Isn't that unfair/unreasonable? What can we do to help end this Genocide?
"More than 365m Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.
In Open Doors' World Watch List top 50 alone, 317m Christians face very high or extreme levels. Explore the country profiles to find information, stories and prayers for each of the countries, along with ways that you can stand with your persecuted church family in prayer and action. More about the World Watch List." https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/
"At a Glance:
1 in 7 Christians are persecuted worldwide.
1 in 5 Christians are persecuted in Africa.
2 in 5 Christians are persecuted in Asia.
Also, to be fair, although Atheist Countries like China and North Korea are persecuting Christians, the worst offender is none other than Islamism, with 30+ of the worst 50 Countries being Islamist Countries. I hope the world wakes up to this 21st Century Genocidal Holocaust and we take all steps to end it soon.
God Bless,
Xavier2024.
In my country, Christians are afforded every right and privilege possible, and even to some extent enjoy informal special status. This is particularly noticeable when Christian theocrats repeatedly try to enmesh their private beliefs with the State, which is public and is supposed to represent all citizens, not just Christians. For example, there was a big thing about not teaching evolution anymore because the fact of evolution offends some Christians' religious sensibilities (don't non-Christians get a say in what they can and can't learn?). There was also a big kerfuffle when we had a *gasp* Catholic president after a very lengthy run of Protestant presidents. Suffice it to say that a jewish or atheist presidential candidate would be met with more prejudice than a garden-variety Christian.
While there are countries, especially in Asia, where Christians truly are the victims of some level of discrimination, the same is definitely true for atheists, jews, buddhists, etc. Gay people arguably have it particularly rough, often from Christians and Muslims who simultaneously paint themselves as the victim for merely having to share air with gay people and call for discrimination or even violence against gay people. Suffice it to say that I'm not particularly sympathetic with those sorts of arguments and don't particularly like crybully tactics or with cynically trotting out some sort of persecution complex in order to claim grievance that must then be addressed with more power/privilege.
Ok, so let's compare. In Atheist-Majority North Korea, here is how life is for Christians: "What does persecution look like in North Korea? Being discovered to be a Christian in North Korea is effectively a death sentence. Either believers will be deported to labour camps as political criminals, where they face a life of hard labor which few survive, or they are killed on the spot. The same fate awaits family members. There are believed to be tens of thousands of Christians held in labor camps across the country." https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/north-korea/ This is real persecution of minorities.
Meanwhile, in your country, which I presume is America (pls correct me if I'm wrong), the majority of citizens are Christians: "In a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, 65% of adults in the United States identified themselves as Christians." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_United_States Unlike North Korea where Christians have no freedom, Atheists have full freedoms in America, for the most part. Now, this or that school may not teach Evolution, but that's not comparable to putting Christians in labor camps.
I make the same challenge to Muslim Friends: while, of course, this or that Christian can always live by Christ's Principles of Love for All better, Christians should be treated in Atheist/Muslim Countries at least as well as Atheists/Muslims are treated in Christian and Christian-Majority countries. That would be true love based on the ethic of reciprocity and would lead to lasting peace and harmony among peoples and nations.
God Bless.
Quote"Christians suffer "extreme levels of persecution" in the top 11 of the 50 nations. This ranges from being assaulted, raped, imprisoned or slaughtered on being identified as a Christian or attending (usually underground) churches.
Those nations and their respective rankings are: 1) North Korea, 2) Somalia, 3) Yemen, 4) Eritrea, 5) Libya, 6) Nigeria, 7) Pakistan, 8) Iran, 9) Afghanistan, 10) Sudan, 11) India.
Coming in at #1, the absolute worst nation is North Korea, "with the highest levels of persecution ever seen," says the report:
If discovered by the authorities, believers are either sent to labour camps as political prisoners where the conditions are atrocious, or killed on the spot—and their families will share their fate as well. Christians have absolutely no freedom.... A new 'anti-reactionary thought law' makes it amply clear that being a Christian or possessing a Bible is a serious crime and will be severely punished."
From: https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2023/02/08/the-never-ending-pandemic-360-million-christians-persecuted-worldwide/
Fuck this noise.
First of all, what makes you think none of us are helping? Because we don't have a charity specifically run by atheists?
Second, you're talking to one of the most oppressed religious groups in history. Any region where your religion is the majority, we have historically had to remain in hiding or else fucking die. Even today, living in Texas, I don't feel safe enough around Christians to be open about my atheism. How about you guys work on that before you expect to stick our necks our for you?
Third, when it comes to oppression based on religion, your religion is more often the aggressor than it is the victim. You guys even have a bloody history of killing yourselves for not being Christian enough for each other.
Fourth, when Christian charities provide relief, they often limit their scope to just other Christians, and maybe Jews if they're generous. You don't care about us, but you expect us to care about you?
Quote from: Xavier2024 on July 25, 2024, 11:02:39 AMOk, so let's compare. In Atheist-Majority North Korea
It pains me to need to tell you this, but North Korea essentially has a state religion where Kim Jong Un and his father are worshiped basically as if they were deities themselves. Such a place is not exactly a secular humanist utopia.
And yes, Christians are persecuted there. Everyone who doesn't follow the state religion is persecuted there. Obviously, the key takeaway is that an authoritarian form of government merged with state religion is not how you build a good society (hence me bringing up stirrings in that direction here), much less one that supports freedom of belief, as Western countries typically do.
QuoteChristians should be treated in Atheist/Muslim Countries at least as well as Atheists/Muslims are treated in Christian and Christian-Majority countries.
Atheism used to be a death sentence in many Christian-majority countries, just fyi. Obviously, we've come a long way, but it took a lot of work and serious risk by many people. Even today, there's still a lot of antipathy towards atheists in some Christian-majority areas. In the US, atheists and muslims are the most likely to targeted by hateful attitudes, often from Christians. In fact, it's Christians, not Jews or Muslims who are the main source of prejudice against atheists (https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2023/03/15/americans-feel-more-positive-than-negative-about-jews-mainline-protestants-catholics/), even as they decry their own persecution - sometimes for things as trivial as someone saying Happy Holidays or Starbucks changing their cups. Occasionally, this cynical strategy hits upon legitimate religious persecution half a world away involving a country I have never been to and whose society I have no control over. What exactly do you want me to do about it?
Assholes need to take care of themselves. Stop supporting bigotry and hate and you lot might have a better chance.