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Even here on the left coast, I find it surprising how many people are unwilling to admit their atheism, out of some sense of social threat. I was talking to som
by poulsbohemian 8y ago
Even here on the left coast, I find it surprising how many people are unwilling to admit their atheism, out of some sense of social threat. I was talking to someone from the UK last week who I thought put it really well - what's happening in the US right now is the final throes of a generation who desperately wants to return to their mental image of the past, unwilling to see their own racist, xenophobic, self-absorbsion. I throw religion in that same bucket, as they've (by which I mean the baby boomers) have convinced themselves that association with Christianity == good / holy / right / just / White / American, making it challenging to move forward socially / politically. Bet in 2020 we'll continue to hear the same trope as every other election that sure, we let that black guy get elected, maybe a woman could get reelected, but there's no way we'll let some atheist get elected.
- foobarbazetc 8y agoThe weirdest part about all this is that Obama was deeply religious (though the black church is scary or something), but Trump is obviously an atheist. Yet they’re treated exactly the opposite by the evangelicals. It’s a bit of a mindfuck until you realize it’s not really about religion at all.
- poulsbohemian 8y agoYou nailed it.
- leonroy 8y ago> The weirdest part about all this is that Obama was deeply religious I really did not get that impression at all from his book Dreams From My Father. A quick Google suggests that both his father and mother were atheists at points in their life. I do know that Obama did attend church more often as he started to move into politics.
- wolfgke 8y ago> but Trump is obviously an atheist. I doubt this: he rather either believes that he is personally chosen by God or God himself. :-)
- beatgammit 8y ago> Trump is obviously an atheist Huh, I didn't realize Presbyterians were atheist...
- stephenr 8y ago> left coast I take it you never look south.
- poulsbohemian 8y agoI'm not the one who coined the phrase, but I used it here deliberately because of the connotations regarding the demographics of the western US coast: politically and socially progressive, as well as historically reporting lower rates of church membership.