Saturday, 03 January 2009
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**World-wide Persecutions Of Christians**
The Roman Persecution of Christians By Neil Manzullo February 8th , 2000 Persuasive Writing
It is a time of trouble in the Roman world. Enemies vex Roman troops on all sides of their vast empire. Political problems threaten to tear the Empire to pieces. Romans war against fellow Romans. The burdening weight of corrupt and inept emperors threatens to crush the Empire. In the midst of this sea of chaos, a religion springs forth which is virulently, or so it seems, against the things which Rome has always stood for. Romans view it as yet another threat to the stability of their ancient but failing power, as something which must be stopped if the Empire is to survive. They condemn it as a perverse and irrational religious awe, harmful, new and mischievous, and other spurious contrivances of the Roman government. Despite the charges, it flourishes. This religion is Christianity. The Romans attempt to halt its rapid insinuation of itself among the common people by persecution and oppression. The tremendously powerful Roman state cannot stop this religion, for much of their power became sterile and stagnant ages ago. However, the massive power which still remains attempts to stop its spread. The only chance of slowing its rapid growth lies in persecution, which the Romans readily apply. Despite the persecution, Christianity flourishes.
This is the background of the Roman persecution of Christians.. From the perspective of a typical Roman emperor, Christianity threatened to lay waste to traditional Roman values and practices, to sabotage the very basis for Roman power, to pervert what was Rome. Because of this, the Romans tried to halt its spread by persecuting Christians. They justified their persecution by accusing Christians of breaking the peace of the gods, corrupting public morals, not following their ancestors, and many other things.. Even though this persecution was legal and, from the perspective of a typical Roman official, necessary to the survival of the Roman state, it was completely immoral.
The Roman view of Christians from the outset was not good. Suetonius, a famous Roman historian, called Christians "a sect professing a new and mischievous religious belief" (Suetonius, p. 221). His contemporaries denounced it as superstitio parva (�perverse irrational religious awe'), immodica (�immoderate'), nova (�new'), malefica (�harmful'), among many other accusations.
There were three basic periods of the persecution. The first was from the death of Christ until right before the Great Fire of 64 A.D., which Nero falsely blamed Christians for. However, this first persecution "was a mere afterthought, and did not result in any general proscription" (Cary and Scullard, p. 487). The second period lasted from the end of the first until around 250 A.D., and the final one spanned the years from 250/251, the persecution under Decius, until 313. Up until 250, the persecution was sporadic and localized. However, from 250-251 the Emperor Decius instituted what Michael Grant, an eminent classical historian, calls a "systematic persecution of the Christians" (Grant, p. 157). During this persecution, Decius even executed Pope Fabianus, after which he supposedly remarked: "I would far rather receive news of a rival to the throne than of another bishop in Rome." After that martyrdom, Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, wrote this to the clergy in Rome:
My dear brothers, News of the death of my saintly fellow-bishop was still uncertain and information doubtful, when I received your letter brought by subdeacon Crementius, telling me fully of his glorious death. Then I rejoiced, as his admirable governing of the Church had been followed by a noble end. For this I share your gladness, as you honour the memory of so solemn and splendid a witness, communicating to us also the glorious recollection you have of your bishop, and offering us such an example of faith and fortitude. Indeed, harmful as the fall of a leader is to his subjects, no less valuable and salutary for his brethren is the example of a bishop firm in his faith... My wish, dearest brothers, is for your continued welfare. (The Christian Catacombs)
So, the Christians accepted martyrdoms with joy and sadness. Joy in the sense that their brother now abided with God in heaven, but sadness in the sense that their brother had been killed.
The Emperor Valerian instituted the state-sponsored persecution, which lasted for about three years, from 257-259. The final, and longest, state-sponsored persecution had its inception under Emperor Diocletian, and it lasted, in the western portion of the empire, for around two years, 303-305, and around eight years in the eastern portion, 303-311. Concerning this persecution, Michael Grant remarks: "As never before, the motive of the Great Persecution which began in 303 was the total extirpation of Christianity: it was a struggle to the death between the old and new orders" (Grant, p. 208). Eusebius, a famous Church historian and eyewitness to the persecution of Diocletian, speaks about it thus when he writes:
This was the nineteenth year of the reign of Diocletian in Dystrus [March] when the feast of the Saviour's passion was near at hand, and royal edicts were published everywhere, commanding that the churches [should] be razed to the ground, the scriptures destroyed by fire, those who held positions of honor degraded, and the household servants, if they persisted in the Christian profession, be deprived of their liberty.
And such was the first decree against us. But issuing [other] decrees not long after, the Emperor commanded that all the rulers of the churches in every place should be first put in prison and afterwards compelled by every device to offer sacrifice. (Medieval Sourcebook: Diocletian: Edicts Against The Christians)
The Christians were persecuted for a variety of reasons. First, they denied the basis for the Roman imperium (�command, rule, empire, supreme power') by advocating that their God was the only real God. This denied the existence of the pagan Roman gods. These same Roman gods, in a sense, founded Rome, because according to legend and popular belief, Romulus, the offspring of the Roman god of war, Mars, founded the city of Rome in 753 B.C. This gave the Romans a divine basis for their temporal power. When the Christians denied the existence of Mars, they attacked the foundation of Roman power. Since they were attacking Roman authority and power, the Romans came to view Christians as a threat to the state. This was a view further exacerbated by Roman emperors, such as Nero, blaming fires and plagues on Christians.. The Roman persecution of Christians was legal, but immoral. One reason it was legal was that the Christians attacked the pax deorum. The pax deorum (�peace of the gods'), according to popular opinion, protected the Empire from troubles. This peace was preserved "by means of the appropriate ceremonies," such as the correct ritual sacrifices and worship (Ste Croix, p.246). In fact, many Roman histories relate stories of kings dethroned and cities destroyed for not sacrificing correctly. Also, these histories, which most Romans were familiar with, relate stories of people and cities, even Rome, saved for sacrificing and worshiping correctly. Because of these stories, Roman commoners, along with the Roman nobility, believed that this peace was essential to the continued security of Roman power. Since they believed that the keeping of this peace was essential, it was especially offensive to them when Christians refused to sacrifice to those gods. St. Justin the Martyr makes the Christian view of the Roman gods clear when he says, "Hence are we called atheists. And we confess that we are atheists, so far as gods of this sort are concerned, but not with respect to the most true God" (Justin Martyr). Believing this denial of the gods to be an attack upon Rome, many Romans despised Christians. During the reign of Decius, around 250 A.D., persecution for this reason reached its climax. Cary and Scullard, two Roman historians, write:
But in 250 the precarious safeguards of the Christians were swept away by the emperor Decius. In a wild attempt to crush the general insubordination and anarchy of his time and to create a greater unity within the Empire under its ruler, Decius expressly commanded all Christians to abjure their faith and to take part in the pagan worship of the Empire; in order to secure the pax deorum the Empire's loyalty to the old gods of Rome must be demonstrated (Cary and Scullard, p. 546).
Another reason that the persecution was legal was that Romans believed that the Christians were corrupting public morals. Even though some Romans did not respect Christian morals much, they still accused Christians of corrupting the public morals. Time after time, Christian rituals were perverted in the eyes of the Roman populace so that the people believed that Christianity was an immoral religion. Christians were accused of flagitia (�heinous crimes') and scelera (�wicked things') among other charges. Many of these charges stemmed from a misunderstanding of common Christian rituals. Partaking of the Lord's supper was mistaken as cannibalism, greeting each other with a holy kiss was looked upon as lechery, and the active seeking of martyrdom by a few Christians was applied to all its adherents. Minucius Felix charged:
Now the story about the initiation of young novices is as much to be detested as it is well known. An infant covered over with meal, that it may deceive the unwary, is placed before him who is to be stained with their rites: this infant is slain by the young pupil, who has been urged on as if to harmless blows on the surface of the meal, with dark and secret wounds. Thirstily - O horror! they lick up its blood; eagerly they divide its limbs. By this victim they are pledged together; with this consciousness of wickedness they are covenanted to mutual silence. (Felix)
Caecilius called Christianity a "religion of lust," Tacitus styled the religion "a pernicious superstition" and Christians "a class of men loathed for their vices" (Benko, p. 15, 55). The Emperor Nero, who was hated even by his own countrymen, blamed Christians for the Great Fire of 64 A.D., which many Romans blamed Nero himself for. Tacitus relates this story:
Therefore to scotch the rumour [that Nero had burned the city himself], Nero substituted as culprits, and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty, a class of men, loathed for their vices, whom the crowd styled Christians. Christus, the founder of the name, had undergone the death penalty in the reign of Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate, and the pernicious superstition was checked for a moment, only to break out once more, not merely in Judaea, the home of the disease, but in the capital itself, where all things horrible or shameful in the world collect and find a vogue. (Benko, p. 15)Prior to this passage, Tacitus had himself implicated Nero as the culprit of the crime. However, it is obvious that Tacitus held no love for Christianity. This antipathy for Christians was common to many Romans of the time, and it caused many Romans to want Christians to be persecuted.
Another trait of Christians which greatly disturbed the Romans was the burning desire of some Christians for martyrdom. In fact, some of the most prominent figures in the early Church had a strong desire to be martyred. Ignatius, one of the most prominent early Church figures, wrote to the Romans that:
An auspicious beginning has certainly been made--if only I obtain the grace of taking due possession of my inheritance without hindrance. The truth is, I am afraid it is your love that will do me wrong. For you, of course, it is easy to achieve your object; but for me it is difficult to win my way to God, should you be wanting in consideration for me. Surely, I do not want you to court the good pleasure of men, but to please God, as indeed you do please Him. Yes, I shall never again have such an opportunity of winning my way to God, nor can you, if you remain quiet, ever have your name inscribed on a more glorious achievement. For, if you quietly ignore me, I am the word of God; but if you fall in love with my human nature, I shall, on the contrary, be a mere sound. Grant me no more than that you let my blood be spilled in sacrifice to God, while yet there is an altar ready. (Ignatius)
When Ignatius speaks of not courting the "good pleasure of men," he is beseeching the Romans not to appeal to their highly placed friends in order to stop them from killing Ignatius. The Romans did not understand why Christians would want to die. The desire of some Christians for martyrdom scared them, and caused them to think that the Christians were, by their desire for death, corrupting public morals.
Another part of Christianity which the Romans failed to understand was the Book of Revelations. It was seen as an attack against Rome, because the Romans believed that the city of Babylon referred to in Revelations was actually a poorly disguised reference to Rome. So, this book was viewed as anti-Roman propaganda, adding another nail to the coffin of Christianity in the minds of Romans.
The most common charge against Christians was simply being a Christian. Because of the widespread fabrications concerning the name, the title �Christian' had picked up a great deal of bad connotations. As the Church historian Tertullian relates:
What are we to think of it, that most people so blindly knock their heads against the hatred of the Christian name; that when they bear favourable testimony to any one, they mingle with it abuse of the name he bears? "A good man," says one, "is Gaius Seius, only that he is a Christian." So another, "I am astonished that a wise man like Lucius should have suddenly become a Christian." Nobody thinks it needful to consider whether Gaius is not good and Lucius wise, on this very account that he is a Christian; or a Christian, for the reason that he is wise and good. They praise what they know, they abuse what they are ignorant of, and they inspire their knowledge with their ignorance; though in fairness you should rather judge of what is unknown from what is known, than what is known from what is unknown. (Tertullian)Tertullian's righteous indignation at the spurious allegations made against Christians was common to members of the early Church. They could not believe that the Romans could so horribly misunderstand their holy rituals.
Yet another charge against the Christians was that they didn't follow in the footsteps of their ancestors. Romans, such as Cicero, held incredible respect for the auctoritas maiorum (�authority of greater men'), the authority of ancestors. This authority meant that Romans should continue in the worship of the same gods which they had previously worshiped. In fact, the Jewish religion was tolerated in the Empire, even though it did not agree with the Roman state religion, because it was known to have existed for so long, in keeping with Jewish ancestors. However, the Christian religion was nova (�new'), and it went against, in the view of Rome, the Jewish religion, thereby going against their ancestors. Not only did the Christians go against their Jewish ancestors, but also, by denying that the Roman gods existed, they went against the Roman ancestors - a double crime in the eyes of the Romans.
The legality of the Roman persecution was easily assured by their legal system. In the Roman judicial system, magistrates had nearly unlimited power. Because of this and because of the populace's antipathy toward Christians, magistrates persecuted Christians merely because the people wanted them to. This became one of the leading, if not the leading, reasons why Christians were oppressed. Also, because of the almost boundless power of those magistrates, it became one of the leading legal justifications for the persecution.
During the year 112 A.D., Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia (present day Turkey) was confused as to what he should do about the Christians in his province. So, in a letter to the Emperor Trajan, he wonders:
Whether the bare name, without any crimes besides, or the crimes adhering to that name, [deserves] to be punished? In the meantime, I have taken this course about those brought before me as Christians. I asked them whether they were Christians or not? If they confessed that they were Christians, I asked them again, and a third time, intermixing threatenings with the questions. If they persevered in their confession, I ordered them to be executed; for I did not doubt but, let this confession be of any sort whatsoever, this positiveness and inflexible obstinacy deserved to be punished. (From Jesus to Christ)
After this, he relates how he attempted to interrogate Christian prisoners as to the odious crimes which they were accused of. These interrogations turned out in the negative, for no matter what pressure was put on the questioned, they still refused to admit culpability for any of those crimes. So, the very crimes which Romans accused Christians of were proved false, once the Romans actually bothered to interrogate the Christians. In Trajan's reply, Trajan states that Pliny is not to let anonymous accusers accuse people of being Christians. If someone is to accuse, he must be publicly known as the accuser. This kept people from being randomly persecuted. "The practical effect of Trajan's rescript was that in the second century sporadic executions of Christians continued, although on the whole under Hadrian and Antoninus they enjoyed something of a lull during which the Church spread rapidly." (Cary and Scullard, p. 488).
The legal process under which most of the persecutions took place was cognitio extraordinaria (�special inquiry'). Since the Roman law was quite vague in some areas, the magistrate in charge of these proceedings had a very wide discretion. As G.E.M. de Ste Croix puts it: "In the criminal sphere it [the power of a magistrate under cognitio extraordinaria] was almost unlimited, save in so far as the rights of Roman citizens had to be respected." So, even though today what was done to Christians would be deemed highly immoral, most of the Romans did not have any moral or legal objections to it.
Even though this persecution was legal, it was totally immoral. In Exodus 20:13, the Bible commands not to murder, thus defining murder as immoral. Since the Romans murdered Christians, an act deemed immoral by the Bible, they acted immorally. Also, the Bible commands men to love their neighbors as they love themselves (Matthew 19:19), and killing Christians was certainly not an act of love on the part of the Romans. So, the persecution of Christians at the hands of the Romans was immoral.
Some purport that when the Christians denied the existence of the Roman gods, they did not attack the foundation for Roman government, because many of the wealthy aristocrats who controlled the government did not believe in those gods anymore. This is partly true. It was true in the sense that many of the aristocrats no longer believed in the gods. Overall it was false since it did not matter whether the aristocrats believed it or not. It mattered whether the populace believed it or not, and the common people did still believe in those gods. So, when Christians denied their existence, the people saw it as a denial of the basis for Roman authority.
Others would say that since the Romans had not been raised to think that the persecution was immoral, it was not. This is relativistic nonsense. Just because one is not raised to think something is immoral does not mean it is not. If Marquis de Sade, whom the word sadistic was derived from, was raised to think that torture was not immoral, does that make it not immoral? If the Unabomber, Theodore Kaczynski, was raised to think that mailing bombs to people was not immoral, does that make it not immoral? The answer to both these questions is a resounding no. Morality is an absolute standard, and how one is raised cannot alter it. So, the Roman persecution of Christians was immoral.
This bitter persecution eventually ended though, as Christian, or at least tolerant, emperors came to power. "[I]n 313 he [Constantine, the first Christian emperor] met his ally Licinius at Milan and won him over to a policy of complete toleration; this policy may not have been formally expressed in a so-called �Edict of Milan', but it was none the less real and effective: freedom of worship was granted to all subjects of the Empire, East and West alike, and the Christian Churches were recognized as legal corporations" (Cary and Scullard, p. 547). So, over time, the Empire's policies toward Christians grew more tolerant, until the religion dominated the Empire. However, this did not happen quickly. Christians for many years were persecuted because of false accusations or misconceptions about their religion. Romans could not understand their rituals and other things, and because of this assumed them to be corrupt and anti-Roman. So, Romans slaughtered innocent Christians in an atrocious manner however legal it was.
Even with the knowledge that many of the charges against Christians were either fictional or a misconception on the part of the Romans, it is important to study how they were accused of breaking the pax deorum, corrupting public morals, not following their ancestors, and many other things. It is important for several reasons. First, those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. History plays an essential role in the development of nations, governments, and people. If one forgets his history, then one has lost something precious to his development. Imagine if doctors did not remember their history; they would never be able to correct mistakes or build on others' research to heal mankind. Imagine if judges forgot their history; all the precedents that have gone before judges in the past to establish certain rights and liberties and rules and laws would have to be debated and ruled on in each and every individual trial. It is easily seen that forgetting the past is not beneficial. Secondly, the way and the reasons for which Christians were persecuted in the past can give clues as to why they are persecuted now. Christians who are persecuted in foreign countries today are persecuted for some of the same reasons as in Roman days, such as preserving the state. Finally, it is important to have an accurate perception of history. If one has a twisted vision of it then one will remember the past mistakes but make the same mistakes again, because he does not know that they were mistakes. Anytime one participates in a serious discussion, it is imperative that his facts are correct. Christians should study this persecution in order to know more about the history of their religion. So, the Roman persecution of Christians is imperative to study, for it leads us to not only a better understanding of what has gone before but also as to what is happening now.
Bibliography
Benko, Stephen. Pagan Rome and the Early Christians. Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1986.
Cary, M. and Scullard, H.H. A History of Rome. New York: St. Martin's Press, Inc., 1975.
Diocletian. Edicts Against Christians.
Felix, Minucius. Octavius. 1998, Ancient History Sourcebook.
Grant, Michael. The Roman Emperors. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1985.
Justin Martyr. The First Apology of Justin.
Sordi, Marta. The Christians and the Roman Empire. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1986.
Ste Croix, G.E.M. de. "Why Were the Early Christians Persecuted?" Past and Present 26 (1963)
Suetonius. The Twelve Caesars. Trans: Robert Graves. London: Penguin Books Ltd., 1979.
Tertullian. Apology. 1997, New Advent inc.
From Jesus to Christ. 1998, PBS.
The NIV Study Bible. Edi: Barker, Kenneth. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
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Window to the persecuted and suffering Christian faith of India
Africa
By Dr. William Clemmer
America
By Jesse Morrell
2 DAYS AND 1 NIGHT IN SMITH COUNTY JAIL
By Jesse Morrell
HATED FOR THE NAME -- PERSECUTION FOR PREACHING
By Jesse Morrell
THE RELIGIOUS VS. THE RIGHTEOUS
By Jesse Morrell
Egypt
PERSECUTION IN EGYPT
The London DAILY TELEGRAPH (10/25/98)
RIOTERS KILL CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT
Author Unknown
Indonesia
ATROCITIES IN AMBON REPORTED BY EYEWITNESSES
By Assist Communications
Author Unknown
Unarmed Christians Being Slaughtered in Indonesia
By Mark KellyPatkistan
By Brother Humayun, Pakistan
HIDEOUS PERSECUTION IN PAKISTAN
By Rev. Kaezad Dadachanjee
ISLAM
By Jim Searcy
CHINA
Multiple Authors
OTHERS
The Cost of Obedience: Pocket Change, or All We Own
Author Unknown
From Friday Fax
AROUND THE WORLD, HARASSED CHRISTIANS ARE KILLED FOR THEIR BELIEFS
From the OREGONIAN Series
By Chuck Colson
PERSECUTION IN EGYPT
The London DAILY TELEGRAPH (10/25/98)
Hardly any of us would believe the cruel torture and persecution being visited upon the believers in Egypt. Read what the London Daily Telegraph wrote.
By Brother Humayun, Pakistan
This is direct word from a Pakistani pastor of the slaughter of Christians by gunmen armed with automatic weapons entering a church during time of prayer. Hundreds were reported injured as well as many who died.
HIDEOUS PERSECUTION IN PAKISTAN
By Rev. Kaezad Dadachanjee
(Bible Translator and Minister of the Gospel)
A pastor writes of the rape and slavery to which Christian women are subjected in Pakistan. He tells of nursing mother's breasts cut off so they can't feed their babies, of men being castrated, of being forced to consume human feces and urine as the "Body and Blood" of Christ. The Christians are discriminated against, and lack basics of life such as clean food and water and employment.
Author Unknown
The author, present in Indonesia, warns of the potential slaughter of thousands of Christians by Muslims who threaten to rid the area of all Christians. The author points out the lack of any significant police support.
Unarmed Christians Being Slaughtered in Indonesia
By Mark KellyMore information about the extremely critical, dangerous situation for the Christians in Indonesia. These Christians need prayer support and intervention from the Lord.
Multiple Authors
The Chinese authorities arrested hundreds from the South China church. Many leaders were sentenced to imprisonment, others to death. This deals with young women who were arrested and their letters describing the tortures they endured.
By Chuck Colson
Chuck examines the recent death of Martin Burnham in the Philipines, and points out that many, many Christians have died a martyrs death. Surprising to many, most of the deaths occurred in the 20th century.
By Dr. William Clemmer
This horrible story is very current, as of this inclusion on the website. The last entry was on October 15, 2002. You will learn how Christian brothers and sisters are being treated, humiliated, tortured and killed in Africa through tribal warefare.
Persecution of Christians in America
By Mary Ann Collins
Compiling materials from many sources, Mary Ann Collins describes persecution of Christians in many different areas of America from the school to the prison. It may seem unbelievable that such things are happening in America. Perhaps we must all pay much closer attention and be prepared to help and to oppose such violations against fellow believers.
By Jim Searcy
The author lives in the mid-east and is unusually aware of the effects of the religion of Islam in the countries in which it is the dominant religion. Jim describes how Sharia Law affects those who live under it, how unequally it is applied, and the dominating, dehumanizing effect on women. He describes how Sharia Law is applied against Christians and Jews.
By Jesse Morrell
In a real life tale, Jesse details how he was arrested, even though being polite and willing to do as the authorities asked. His story shows how many have a desire to quench the Gospel. Even though the crowd he was preaching to did not want him to stop, the police arrested him anyway.
2 DAYS AND 1 NIGHT IN SMITH COUNTY JAIL
By Jesse Morrell
Even though asking the police where he could preach, Jesse was arrested for walking on a sidewalk. In the jail he was subjected to danger by being put with dangerous inmates. But the Lord did his own work, using Jesse in the jail to preach.
HATED FOR THE NAME -- PERSECUTION FOR PREACHING
By Jesse Morrell
Jesse explores more instances of persecution for preaching the Gospel in America. Jesse's writing is not theoretical, but of his own experiences in this, the land of the free with guarantees of free speech. Jesse shows how even though a person may seek to witness and preach within the confines of the law -- asking police where he can preach -- it is no assurance that he may not be arrested and jailed.
THE RELIGIOUS VS. THE RIGHTEOUS
By Jesse Morrell
Does persecution come only from unbelievers? Jesse shows that it is the persecution by those who claim to be Christians that hurts the most.. He also shows the kind of person from whom this comes and why. You may have experienced this; I hope you have.
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Other Stories Of The Persecution Of The Faithful
Canada persecutes Christian activist
Chinese Christians face persecution
Persecution of Christians in Orissa, India
Watch The Video, HERE!
Police Do Little to Protect Christians in Orissa, India
Watch The Video, HERE!
Christians brave horrifying massacres
Victims pledge to persevere as mobs rape, maim, burn the faithful!Christians burned alive in India Shame on you, India!!
Life In Our Anti-Christian America
Prologue
During a recent exchange of flames and frivolity on a local Usenet group, a newsgroup available only to students of Ohio State University, somebody made the observation that America was an "anti-Christian" society. As an Atheist, I am well aware of the extent to which religion, especially Christianity, permeates our society. As a result, I found this claim difficult to believe. As I was in a playful mood at the time, I decided to debunk his claim in a somewhat roundabout manner.
The response to the article was fairly good, and one person asked me to repost it to alt.atheism, which I did. Response there was even better, and one person even sent me some additional items to add to the list. I then decided to make this a "collaborative rant" by taking suggestions for items to add to the list. Eventually, I had to turn the list over to somebody else, due to the lack of spare time brought about by the birth of my son. The list was maintained by Jeffery Jay Lowder for a while, but he too is now suffering from a lack of spare time. New items for the list are no longer being accepted..
I'm certainly glad this has finally been brought out into the open. The anti-Christian bias in our society has reached absurd proportions. Consider:
- During the 1988 election campaign, George Bush said that Christians should not be considered patriots or real American citizens.
- Bill Clinton steadfastly refuses to give any speeches at local churches.
- Both major political parties are dominated by anti-Christians. The Republican party, for example, gave us such hardcore Atheists as Pat Buchanan, Dan Quayle, Phyllis Schlafly and Ronald Reagan. And the Democrats have given us such personalities as the Rev. Martin Luther King and the Rev. Jesse Jackson--both noted for their vicious attacks on all forms of Christianity.
- Let's talk about the media. On Sunday mornings, nearly all major television channels broadcast pro-Atheist shows; it is nearly impossible to find religious programming during that time period. Further, Madalyn Murray O'Hair has her own cable TV channel, while Pat Robertson has been unable to obtain one for himself.
- Most major newspapers run a special weekly section devoted to atheism. There are no equivalent sections for religious news.
- Anti-Christian shows such as the American Atheist Forum are broadcast by major national networks. Meanwhile, Billy Graham is only able to get on the air through public access TV, which is watched by few people.
- On news programs and "reality" TV shows such as Rescue 911, nobody is ever shown giving thanks to god after surviving a disaster.
- It is almost impossible to find a shopping mall with a Christian Armory book store, while Atheist Book Centers are featured prominently on every corner.
- While Atheists couples who marry rarely have any difficulty finding a place to do so, it is nearly impossible for Christian couples to find a church where they can marry.
- For that matter, churches themselves are extremely rare, while Atheist meeting centers can be found every few blocks.
- Recently, several Atheists have shot and killed Christian priests as they were going to work in their churches. Similarly, Atheists are well known for blockading churches on Sunday mornings.
- Nearly all of our elected public officials are Atheists; they even have to swear on a copy of Darwin's "Origin of Species" in order to take office.
- In a similar vein, jurors must take an oath upon a copy of the Skeptical Inquirer before they can serve. There have even been court cases thrown out because one of the jury members was a Christian who insisted on swearing on a bible.
- And of course, people are free to wear pentagram jewelry, but those trying to wear cross-shaped earrings or pendants to work will be politely told to remove the jewelry or lose their job.
- Speaking of the workplace, Christians often find it nearly impossible to get time off work for religious holidays such as Christmas.
- Even our language reflects the radical anti-Christian bias that pervades our society.. For example, when somebody sneezes, most people say "Darwin bless you." Similarly, "Voltaire dammit!" is a common cussword.
- All of our money has the Atheistic slogan "We do not trust in god" printed on it. (Contributed by Mike Hurben)
- In school, our children are made to recite the pledge, "One nation, anti-god, indivisible...." (Contributed by Mike Hurben)
- One cannot rent a hotel room without finding a copy of Nietzsche's The Anti-Christ in the room. (Contributed by Mike Hurben)
- Organizations such as the Boy Scouts deny membership to Christians. (Contributed by Mike Hurben)
- In the military, it is nearly impossible to obtain Conscientious Objector status for religious reasons, even though those with philosophical reasons can obtain C.O. status relatively easily. (Contributed anonymously)
- Christian churches are forced to pay exorbitant taxes. (Contributed by Rick Gillespie)
- You can't drive anywhere without seeing a Darwin fish or a "Jesus Was A Fraud" bumper sticker stuck to a car. (Contributed by Rick Gillespie)
- Georgia recently passed a new law requiring schools to have a "moment of noise" during which children are encouraged to degrade Christianity. (Contributed by Rick Gillespie)
- College campuses usually have dozens of Atheist organizations, but few if any for Christians. (Contributed by Mark Anstrom)
- There are several well-known Atheist campus preachers who lecture on college campuses on the virtues of atheism. (Contributed by Mark Anstrom)
- Also common on college campuses are groups of students handing out copies of Betrand Russell's "Why I Am Not A Christian"; some even force people who don't want these books to take them. (Contributed by Mark Anstrom)
- Campus newspapers often print editorials extolling the virtues of atheism. (Contributed by Mark Anstrom)
- People look at you funny and wonder if there's something wrong upstairs if you admit to being a Christian in public. (Contributed by Mark Anstrom)
- Many Christians are afraid to admit their Christianity to their parents and friends, for fear their kin will consider them immoral Christian scum and want nothing to do with them. (Contributed by Mark Anstrom)
- At presidential inauguration ceremonies, Madalyn Murray O'Hair (that well-known friend of several presidents) gives a short pro-atheism speech. (Contributed by Matt Barry)
- For decades, high school and college commencement ceremonies have included brief speeches at the beginning and end of the ceremony in which atheism is praised and Christians deemed irrational. Christians who object to the practice, or who ask for an opening prayer instead, are regarded as cranks at best and subversives at worst. (Contributed by Matt Barry)
- Not only do commencement ceremonies feature pro-Atheist speeches, there's usually an entire two-hour ceremony the day before graduation dedicated to upholding the Atheist foundation of our educational system. (Contributed by Jed Hartman)
- "There are no Christians in foxholes" is a popular slogan in our society.
- Most hospitals are full of Atheist symbols, and many prominently feature statues of Nietszche, Darwin, and so forth. (Contributed by Bill Pursell).
- Communities set up Atheist brainwashing facilities, and apply social pressure to citizens to report to these facilities every Sunday morning. Furthermore, attendees are expected to contribute money to support these facilities, and to build others through "outreach" programs. (Contributed by "me")
- Most parents in America indoctrinate their children at an early age to be Atheists by forcing them to attend these brainwashing sessions, whether they want to or not.. (Contributed by "me")
- While Atheists hold huge rallies in 25,000-seat amphitheaters, Christians are so few in number that they can only dream of holding such rallies. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- At baseball games, you can often spot people carrying signs that read "Origin Of Species, page 34."
- Hospital waiting rooms usually come equipped with children's copies of Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History Of Time," complete with order forms so that parents can send off for their own copy. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- Atheist magazines such as "Atheism Today," "Today's Atheist Woman," "Atheist Homeschooler," "The Atheist Century," "Atheist Ministry," "The Atheist Archeological Review," "Atheist Parenting Today" and "The Atheist Science Monitor" are featured prominently in newsstands across the country. (Contributed by Payton Chung. Additional magazine names contributed by Dave Chapman)
- The Fellowship of Atheist Athletes has local chapters on college campuses throughout America. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- According to recent Gallup polls, approximately 86% of Americans do not believe in god. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- Politicians often refer to America's "Agnosto-Atheist heritage" when trying to woo voters.. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- Atheists are beginning to subvert the American political process. For example, the American Atheists recently published over thirty million voter's guides for distribution at Atheist meeting-houses. These guides gave specific instructions note to vote for those who oppose Atheist values. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- It's easy to buy checks with quotes from Thomas Paine, but almost impossible to buy checks with bible verses on them. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- Businesses often refuse to admit that they are Christian owned and operated, for fear of being boycotted by their Atheist customers. Meanwhile, Atheist-owned businesses often feature Darwin fish logos in their ads. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- There are large networks of Atheistic private schools in America, while it's nearly impossible to find a private Catholic school.. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- It's difficult to find people with good Christian names like John or Paul or Christopher. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- Most gravestones in America are engraved with pentagrams; those few graves which are engraved with crosses usually end up being vandalized. (Contributed by Payton Chung)
- Atheists have often invented "deathbed deconversion" stories about famous Christians, claiming they became Atheists just before they died.
- Around the time of Darwin's birthday, Christians have to put up with songs about Darwin, which are played in shopping malls, restaurants, and even public restrooms. (Contributed by Dave Chapman)
- We number our calendar years according to the number of years that have passed since Darwin's birthday. (Hence the term "A.D"--"After Darwin.") (Contributed by Jeff Lowder)
- Christian gatherings and funerals are often disrupted by Atheists shouting slurs and holding signs that read, "Nature hates Christians." (Contributed by David Gellman)
- Books which promote Christianity are often removed from library shelves in response to Atheist pressure groups. (Contributed by David Gellman)
- A popular bumper sticker reads, "No Jesus, Know Peace. Know Jesus, No Peace." (Contributed by Stephanie Anderson)
- Insurance companies refer to natural disasters as "Acts of Darwin." (Contributed by Yellgnats P. Fiddlestein)
- Forms for job applications, government aid and so forth often ask what type of Atheist you are, with checkboxes for "Atheist," "agnostic," "humanist" and so forth. If you are a Christian, the only thing you can do is check the "other" box--if one is provided. (Contributed by Yellgnats P. Fiddlestein)
- Sports teams often read from the Humanist Manifesto prior to the game, in the hopes that doing so will increase their chances of winning. (Contributed by Yellgnats P. Fiddlestein)
- Atheists constantly threaten television and movies producers with boycotts whenever they portray Christianity in a positive light. (Contributed by Yellgnats P. Fiddlestein)
- Atheists often hold bonfires at Atheist meeting centers, where Christian literature can be thrown into the fire. (Contributed by Yellgnats P.. Fiddlestein)
- Gambling is freely legalized for secular purposes, yet churches have to have their bingo halls in Las Vegas, Atlantic City or on Indian reservations. (Contributed by Clive Feckus)
- Baseball games and the like have "The Star-Spangled Banner" sung by hard-rock groups bellowing out lyrics such as, "Foolish god-crazed slaves (whip crack)/At the altar of Rock and Roll you'll kneel!" and the singers will encourage any Christians in the stands to get eaten by lions held ready on the playing field. (Contributed by Tatiana Covington)
- New military officers are expected to say "god does not exist" at the end of their commissioning oath. (Contributed by Jeff Lowder)
- It easy to support Atheistic charities like, "Atheist Children's Fund," "Agnostics Against AIDS," etc., but virtually impossible to support important causes through *Christian* organizations. (Contributed by Jeff Lowder)
- Well-known Atheists like Michael Martin and Quentin Smith have set up ministries to witness to Christians, but it is virtually impossible to find Christians who specialize in debating Atheists.. (Contributed by Jeff Lowder)
- Congress starts each session with selected excerpts from Michael Martin's Atheism: A Philosophical Justification.. Each house of Congress also has its own "Atheist Chaplain." No Christian prayers are ever made in Congress and no Christian chaplains are available. (Contributed by Jeff Lowder)
- The word "Christian" is recognized as a term which represents the worst of human attributes: cynicism, pessimism, selfishness, and moral turpitude. The word "Atheist," on the other hand, is used to signify all that is virtuous, as in, "That's mighty Atheist of you!" (Contributed by Chad Docterman)
- On sitcoms and movies of the week, the parents make references to how their lack of faith in god helps them get through life's troubles. Meanwhile, Christians are portrayed as pathetic folks who end up converting to atheism. (Contributed by Tara Powers)
- Many American cities are named after noted Atheist figures; for example, there is Corpus Darwini, Texas and San Voltaire, California. (Contributed by Scott Bigham)
- Historically, most private colleges and universities in the US were founded by Atheists; while some have become religious over the years, many of them retain close ties with Atheist organizations, and some of them still use hiring practices that exclude Christians from their faculty and staff. (And this discrimination against Christians is permitted and protected by law!) (Contributed by Scott Forschler)
- Atheists who convert to Christianity are often told by their parents "It's just a rebellious phase. Once you move through this stage of life you'll realize that you never really believed in god." Similarly, people who are raised as Christians are condescended to, and told that if they would give atheism a chance, it would fill the empty hole that Christianity must be leaving in their lives. (Contributed by Carla Schack)
- When celebrities or musicians accept awards during one of the many awards programs, they often end their list of "thank-yous" with a humble acknowledgment to Darwin for their "evolution-given talents." (Contributed by John Caballero)
- During the 1996 election campaign, Pat Buchanan declared that creationism should not be taught in public schools. "We need a president who will commit himself to restoring secular humanist values and driving out the false god of the Christians," he said. (Contributed by Jeff Lowder)
- Atheists regularly go door-to-door on Sunday mornings asking people not to go to church with them.. (Contributed by CJP)
- Atheist cults are masters at luring lonely, young, disenfranchised people into their rational cults to brainwash them with reason so that they will give their lives and all worldly possessions to the Atheist leaders. (Contributed by CJP)
- Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and other Christian groups are banned (by Atheist-initiated zoning laws) from passing out literature from door to door. (Contributed by CJP)
- People who don't decorate their homes with images of the sun during the Winter Solstice season, are assumed to be irrational Christians in need of rational therapy and conversion. (Contributed by CJP)
- Even Atheist businesses hate the Winter Solstice season because people are encouraged to be rational and reasonable, thus encouraging our population to avoid senseless spending and debt and needless possession of material goods. (Contributed by CJP)
- In general, Christians are considered to be less-than-honest. If you are a Christian, you must have no reason or rational judgment; therefore, you cannot be trusted to tell the truth. (Contributed by CJP)
- Prisoners have become wise to the fact that they may receive early paroles if they claim to have found Atheism and been saved by Darwin. Such a conversion to rationality is thought to be a favorable sign of the rejection of a life of crime. (Contributed by CJP)
- Humanist hate group members shave their heads and run around painting red H's on the doors of churches to intimidate Christians. (Contributed by CJP)
- The Humanist Left and the Immoral Majority influence voting patterns in the Humanist Manifesto Belt states. (Contributed by CJP)
- The government declared an official holiday in November to give thanks to fellow humans for the hard work and labor of our agricultural workers who provide the plentiful food resources we have in the U.S. (Contributed by CJP)
- Atheist leaders of many sects bring in millions of dollars each week from TV and telephone solicitation and weekly meeting collections, enough to support at least one Atheist meeting hall in nearly every community in the country, while Christian groups barely have enough money to support a half-dozen national groups. (Contributed by CJP)
- Most people assume everyone else is an Atheist and are unbelievers as they are. It makes for uncomfortable social situations for Christians and other religious types. (Contributed by CJP)
- When one looks up "religion" or Christianity" in books of collected quotations, 99% of the quotes chosen for publication are negative while Atheist or agnostic topics are filled with positive quotations. (Contributed by CJP)
- Bookstores have entire sections filled with Atheist literature while "spiritual" and 'religious" books are almost impossible to find, except through specialized distributors. (Contributed by CJP)
- Despite the overwhelming number of Atheists in the general population and in powerful legislative positions, when they don't get their own way, Atheists whine that this is an anti-Atheistic country. (Contributed by CJP)
- Atheists constantly cite, out of context, books of philosophy by noted Atheists to prove that Christians live irrational lives. (Contributed by CJP)
- Atheists do everything possible to get laws passed that will prevent irrational Christians from making their own choices in matters of sex, procreation, life-styles, family units, etc. (Contributed by CJP)
- Until recently, Atheists had passed laws (known as Green Laws) that require all businesses to stay open on Sundays, preventing Christians who wished to practice their religious beliefs to work, just like everyone else. (Contributed by CJP)
- Sci-fi movies almost always make rational scientific types into "good guys" while emotional, irrational people become the "heavies." (Contributed by CJP)
- Movies that featured myths of silly miracles (like the parting of the Red Sea or the resurrection of Jesus or other Biblical tales) never made any money. Most big movie studios rejected all proposals to make such ridiculous stories into films. However, "The Humanist Manifesto," 1956, was one of Cecil B. DeMille's blockbusters. (Contributed by CJP)
- In small towns and communities all over the U.S. Atheist horns awake Christians at midnight on Saturdays preventing them from getting a good night's sleep before their Sabbath. Fortunately for much of the population, few church bells wake Atheists who want to sleep in on Sundays. (Contributed by CJP)
- At every banquet, no matter the occasion, an Atheist propagandist gets up and thanks Madalyn Murray O'Hair for her wisdom and insight in educating us rational beings so that we can provide the food that we are about to eat. The presence of non-Atheists is not even acknowledged. No consideration is given to those who might find such a practice offensive. (Contributed by CJP)
- Schools across the country force students to sing songs such as "Jesus Is Not the Son of god" during the Winter Solstice season. They rationalize this infringement on minority rights of religious freedom by claiming the songs are part of our collective culture. (Contributed by CJP)
- During the Solstice season, Atheist Army members in uniforms block entrances to stores ringing annoying bells and requesting donations to save non-Atheists from their pathetic irrational lives. (Contributed by CJP)
- Atheist Army (and other Freethought) soup kitchens force homeless Christians to listen to Atheist propaganda before serving them a meal. (Contributed by CJP)
- Hundreds of self-help groups replace codependence with the 12 Steps of A.B.A. (Atheist Brainwashing Anonymous), convincing people they don't have the power to help themselves but must rely on the power of Darwin to overcome addiction. (Contributed by CJP)
- U.S. Atheist organizations send missionaries to underdeveloped countries to convince people to renounce long-held local religious beliefs and become Atheists. (Contributed by CJP)
- On Solstice Eve, there is nothing to watch on TV except Atheist rituals from Stonehenge. (Contributed by CJP)
- During the Solstice Season, nearly every network airs reruns (ad nauseam) of "It's A Rational Life," "Reason on 34th Street," "A Solstice Story," "The Stupidest Story Ever Told," and other Atheist favorites. Christian programming cannot be found. (Contributed by CJP)
- Christian employees have to use personal days or sick leave to stay at home to celebrate their holidays while everyone gets the day off for Winter Solstice and the birthdays of Charles Darwin and Madalyn Murray O'Hair. All major Atheist celebrations have been declared National Holidays with all government offices remaining closed on those days. (Contributed by CJP)
- All Rational People's Day, the 1st of November, is a holiday at Atheist private schools. It's a day to celebrate Voltaire, Edison, Russell, Asimov, O'Hair, and other Atheist leaders and philosophers for their rational and logical thoughts. (Contributed by CJP)
- Ronald Reagan denounced the Vatican as the "Heavenly Empire" because of its official status as a theocracy. (Contributed by CJP)
- When someone is pathetic enough to admit to being a Christian, friends respond by saying things like, "No you're not. You just think you are." (Contributed by CJP)
- Images of Lazarus Long, a fictional character in Robert Heinlein books, are frequently pretended to be seen by Atheists in paint stains, in the spots of cows, in tree bark, etc., causing large groups of people to make pilgrimages to those locations to confirm their lack of belief in the supernatural. These stories are given national news coverage to promote the status quo. (Contributed by CJP)
- Christians are unfairly scrutinized for wearing T-shirts that say things such as "god's Gym" or "resurrection Day", whereas Atheists can proudly and without any protest wear their "Reasons Beer is Better than Jesus" or Darwin fish T-shirts. (Contributed by Patty Lathan)
- Christians are constantly questioned as to where their morals come from. People always wonder why they have a reason to live, if god is the only thing they live for. Atheists, on the other hand, are praised for their high moral standards, and it is acknowledged that they don't need a reason to live--just "being" is enough. (Contributed by Patty Lathan)
- Professors are encouraged to tell the class that they are Atheists during the first class period of the semester, since this conveys to the students that they sincerely care about their progress in the class, and about the student as a person. Christian professors would get ostracized for doing this; students would complain and the professor would be told to keep his beliefs to himself. (Contributed by Patty Lathan)
- Atheists often try to scare Christians into disbelief by yelling that after they die they will be sent to the earth's fiery core and tormented by Nietzsche for eternity. (Contributed by Captain Tripps)
- Each year, the U.S. Post Office is nearly brought to its knees as both devout and "cultural" Atheists celebrate Lucretius' birth by sending each other antireligious cards and illuminated copies of De Rerum Natura. (Contributed by B. P. Griffin)
- Atheists from Salt Lake City collect lists of dead people, so that they can be baptized posthumously as Atheists. (Contributed by Steven Carr)
- Atheists take sick people to doctors so that they can be 'cured,' instead of sitting them in front of TV healing shows. Many of these so-called 'doctors' have no ministerial qualifications!. (Contributed by Steven Carr)
- Atheists have a superstitious dread of the number 13, because Darwin once invited 12 of his friends to supper. In fact, Atheists have such a strong superstition about certain numbers that road signs and house numbers and company logos have to be changed to avoid upsetting them. (Contributed by Steven Carr)
- NBC has shows that promote reason and skepticism in the face of Biblical prophecy or lone pseudoscientists while shows that promote irrational beliefs are on PBS and never reach as many people. (Contributed by The Mighty Timm)
- Noted Atheists own "The Family Channel" and show programming that they find appropriate for other Atheists. (Contributed by The Mighty Timm)
- The shows "Ignored by an Angel" and "Ultimately Illusory Highway to Heaven" are getting more and more viewers every week. (Contributed by The Mighty Timm)
- Each year, the President lights the National Solstice Tree. (Contributed by Brian Helfrich)
- There is an entire genre of music known as "Contemporary Atheist Music." The notion of "Christian music" is unheard of. (Contributed by Jeff Lowder)
- Most radio markets have at least one Atheist radio station. There are no Christian radio stations anywhere. (Contributed by Jeff Lowder)
- Judges justify abortion based on evolutionary theory and Nietzche, instead of the bible. (Contributed by Arturo Magidin)
- Judges often give long speeches on Atheistic morality and use them as a basis for strange or lenient sentences. (Contributed by Arturo Magidin)
- All prisons have a resident Atheist philosopher, and inmates are encouraged to participate in weekly philosophical discussions on bible Contradictions. This is often reported to parole board, who consider it a good indication of contriteness on the prisoner's part. (Contributed by Arturo Magidin)
- Atheists tend to call homosexuals, lesbians, and bisexuals criminals against nature while Christians accept them the way god made them. Moreover, while a few "liberal" Atheist organizations do not make heterosexuality a requirement for membership, most Atheist organizations strictly condemn such behavior and have used their massive political influence to criminalize same-sex marriages. (Contributed by the Mighty Timm and Jeff Lowder)
- School children who profess their Christianity are routinely held up to ridicule and harassment by the students and teachers who make up the Atheist majority in both public and private schools. (Contributed by George A Ricker)
- Relatively inoffensive movies, which might otherwise be rated G or PG, are likely to be rated PG-13 or R if they contain excessive religious content. (Contributed by Susan Mitchell)
- According to comedian George Carlin, the "seven holy words" that cannot be broadcast on television are "god," "Jesus," "Christ," "bless," "heaven," "salvation," and "soul." (Contributed by Susan Mitchell)
- Congress has recently passed legislation requiring television manufacturers to install a so-called "H-chip," which enables viewers to automatically censor out any program containing excessive holiness. (Contributed by Susan Mitchell)
- Another bill recently signed by President Clinton includes the notorious "Communications Indecency Act," which will severely restrict the free speech rights of persons wishing to use Christian or other religious language or images on Usenet, Web pages, or even local bulletin boards. (Contributed by Susan Mitchell)
- A political candidate who declares himself a Christian will have far less chance of winning an election than one who flaunts his atheism. (Contributed by Alex Matulich)
- Former president Franklin Roosevelt always reminded his speech writers to put "some of that anti-god stuff"in his speeches." (Contributed by Gaetan Iavicoli)
- Because many forms of Christianity oppose homosexuality, the Atheist Left has installed rules allowing members of the armed services to lose their jobs simply because they have admitted to being heterosexuals. And, of course, heterosexual marriages are completely prohibited. (Contributed by Brett Pasternack)
- Every year in November, the President issues a proclamation for a national day of Thanksgiving, calling on Americans to spend the day thanking their parents for creating them and for all that they have done for them. No mention is ever made of the role of god in creating people, helping them achieve happiness, or keeping the country secure. (The proclamation is usually issued a few weeks before the ceremonial planting of the White House Solstice Tree.) (Contributed by Brett Pasternack)
- Similarly, after a major disaster the President usually calls for an official day of action; never is prayer suggested. (Contributed by Brett Pasternack)
- The President usually ends every speech with the words, "Let's all help America, since there is no god to do things for us." (Contributed by Brett Pasternack)
- Whenever an Atheist commits a crime, invariably people will argue that this is not a sign that teaching atheism might not guarantee a better society, because anyone who would act that way "isn't a true Atheist." (Contributed by Brett Pasternack)
- Bill Bennett compiles a long list of questionable statistics about increasing social ills in American society, and alleges that the increase is due to the "disastrous social experiment" that has abandoned our Agnosto-Atheistic heritage in favor of Christianity. Likewise, when he publishes a thick, pompous volume of other people's work entitled "The Book of Reason", the media (notably Time magazine) swoons in rapture and the book becomes a best seller (but rarely read by the children it's bought for, as they are not so easily indoctrinated as their Atheist parents hope). (Contributed by Linus Niksa)
- Hordes of angry scientists picketed the movie "Young Einstein", claiming that it depicted Einstein completely wrong, but no one cared enough to demonstrate against "The Last Temptation of Jesus Christ". "Young Einstein" is still so controversial that it is difficult to find in the large video chains. (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- "I don't need a copilot" is a popular bumper sticker. (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- Encyclopedia entries on Christianity are usually written by Atheists. (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- Every time a football team wins a game, the coach thanks his players for playing such a spectacular game. Every time a football team loses a game, the coach says, "Well, we would have won, but Jesus wouldn't let us." (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- Bookstores usually carry twenty or thirty versions of the Humanist Manifesto: The Children's HM, The Study HM, The Daily Advice HM, The Murray O'Hair Version HM, The Murray O'Hair Revised Version HM, The Complete HM, The Large Print HM, The Young Couple's Guide HM, The Living HM, The Family Reference HM, etc... The Christian bible only has one version, and it's hard to find. (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- The Atheist Left labels itself "proresponsibility" and "people of reason", implying that Christians are "antiresponsibility" and "people without reason". (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- "godfull Christian" is a popular, if redundant, insult. (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- The phrase "Darwin devolve" was considered so indecent that for a long time it was not allowed to be broadcast on television or radio, even though both words originated from "The Origin of the Species". (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- Many Christians routinely use "Darwin devolve" as an expression of anger or disappointment even though they don't believe in Darwin. They have only picked up the phrase from their culture. Still, some Fundamentalist Atheists use this behavior as so-called "evidence" that all people are born believing in Darwin naturally. (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- "Christian" is often misspelled as "Christain". (Contributed by Thomas Foote)
- One often sees bumper stickers like, "Thomas Paine said it, I believe it, that settles it," but seldom sees Christian bumper stickers.
- Numerous books and talk shows deal with the Near Death Experience and the phenomena are remarkably similar. The person enters a long dark tunnel, its pitch black and nobody is there!! (Contributed by Eolai)
- Judges often rule in favor of the Atheist at a custody hearing, because Reason and Freethought are considered virtues, where belief in god makes you an unfit parent. (Contributed by Russel Miranda)
- Atheist Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, in a speech given at an Atheist nonprayer breakfast, declared that Christians are irrational for believing in miracles and the resurrection of Jesus. Scalia also complained that Atheists are wrongly deemed "simple-minded" by the "worldly-wise." (Contributed by Matt Barry)
- Famous Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, America's highest civilian award, for her decades-long devotion to atheism and the separation of church and state. The Speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader, and the Vice President were on hand at the ceremony, which occurred on the National Day of Non-Prayer. The Congressional resolution noted Murray O'Hair's "outstanding and lasting contributions to morality, racial equality, family, philanthropy, and atheism." In her acceptance speech, Murray O'Hair called on all Americans to cleanse themselves of irrational religion and commit their lives to atheism. The Christian evangelist Billy Graham, of course, has never won this award and never will. (Contributed by Matt Barry)
- Every summer, millions of children attend vacation bible-contradiction school. (Contributed by Jim Doherty)
- The sale of religious items is banned on sunday, which is considered a day of rational thought. Beer and wine can be purchased at anytime. (Contributed by Jim Doherty)
- The southern states are often referred to as the Atheist belt. (Contributed by Jim Doherty)
- Atheistic vandals frequently spraypaint such slogans as "Darwin Saves" and "Try O'Hair" on road signs and highway overpasses. No Christian would EVER think of painting "Try Jesus" on a bridge abutment, however. (Contributed by Michael A. Dexter)
- A Christian debater who cites divine mysteries to support his point is booed off the stage. Meanwhile, any Atheist who contradicts with logical reason is applauded, and well known Atheists like Pat Buchannan gives speeches praising their "disbelief in god." (Contributed by Ensrifraff@aol.com)
- Pat Buchannan said, in one speech, "our culture is superior because we have no religion." (Contributed by Ensrifraff@aol.com)
- Anyone who opposes any plan to impose atheism on citizens is bombarded by hate mail and death threats, some of which are carried out. (Contributed by Ensrifraff@aol.com)
- There are several incidents of groups of Atheist teens beating on lone heterosexuals, and the police do nothing. They are known as "straight-bashings."" (Contributed by Ensrifraff@aol.com)
- The Atheist Coalition and Immoral Minority currently have a tight grip on the balls of the democratic party. (Contributed by Ensrifraff@aol.com)
- When children are born, the parents are considered evil if they do not splash its face in Koolaid to verify its atheism. (Contributed by Ensrifraff@aol.com)
- Atheist organizations are given tax-free status that allows them to invest billions in non-Atheist interests, such as real estate, entertainment, utilities--and all these items come under the same tax-free status. (Contributed by gss@earthlink.net)
- For some odd reason, nobody teaches the uplifting, positive and affirming concept of "Original Sin" to our children in order to help them develop self assured and guilt free. (Contributed by Phil and Deena Shapiro)
- My in-laws were thrilled when they learned that I was an Atheist, and couldn't wait for me to marry their daughter. (Contributed by Phil and Deena Shapiro)
- For years people in places like Ireland and the Middle East have been killing each other over the difference between Atheism and Humanism. (Contributed by Phil and Deena Shapiro)
- There are so few Christian websites while there are nearly 5000 Atheist websites. (Contributed by Doug Ittner)
- A prominent Atheist leader got his appendix removed and it received worldwide attention. The founder of American Christians (known as the most hated woman in America) is missing for over a year and the media hardly talks about it. (Contributed by Doug Ittner)
- It is much easier to adopt a child if the prospective parents assert they are not Christians. (Contributed by David Rice)
- People look at one oddly when one says ones' lack of belief in Jesus as a son of god is True, while everyone else's lack of belief in Jesus as a son of god is False. (Contributed by David Rice)
- Stealth evolutionists infiltrate churches to subvert sermons with evolutionary theory; there has never been any stealth Creationists who have taken over public school boards and inflicted Creationism upon its students.. (Contributed by David Rice)
- From Samhain to almost a week past Solstice we are inundated by Athiest hymns in the stores. (Contributed by Kevin Reed)
- In every high school christain children are told not to where there pro-Christian T-shirts. (Contributed by Peggy A Montogmery
- Anything that a Christian says cannot be trusted. (Contributed by Peggy A Montgomery)
- Libraries across the country have books banned for their Christian influences. (Contributed by Peggy A Montgomery)
- No U.S. president has ever been a Christian. In fact, every U.S. president other than Kennedy was a card-carrying Atheist. (Kennedy was a Secular Humanist instead, and didn't believe in carrying cards.) (Contributed by Roger M Wilcox
- On game shows with trivia categories, whenever the category is "religion," the questions are almost always about religions other than Christianity. Icons used to display the "religion" category to the viewers at home never have pictures of crosses in them. (Contributed by Roger M Wilcox)
- If a charitable foundation is challenged in court, it is much easier to defend its charitable purpose if the foundation was established for nonreligious purposes. Quoting a few passages from _Atheism: The Case Against god_ in its Mission Statement will usually do the trick. (Contributed by Roger M. Wilcox)
- Christians who are interested in striking down the I.R.S. as unconstitutional have a very difficult time finding like-minded Christians. Atheistic organizations devoted to "Sovereignty" or "Patriotism," however, are all over the place. (Contributed by Roger M. Wilcox)
- Governors have vetoed bills concerning natural disasters which did NOT refer to them as "acts of god", suggesting that god is responsible for the occurrence of natural disasters. (Contributed by Jeffery Jay Lowder)
- When the interjection "By Jove!" is spoken, hordes of angry non-Christians howl about dissolute believers using Jove's name in vain. Similarly, "Go to Tartarus!" is a common vulgarity. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- "Jesus--the Legendary resurrections" is a popular T V show starring Kevin Sorbo, an ardent Atheist. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Seven states in the US--Massachusetts, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island--have blasphemy laws which make culpable those who revile secular humanists and/or Darwin. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Many jurisdictions are passing or dusting off laws which force Christians to fornicate. Christians who choose to abstain until marriage are not only jailed but excoriated as contributing to the degradation of America's humano-Atheist heritage. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- When NBC shows programs about the paranormal, one hears an average of three sentences from proparanormal experts even though NBC's reporters may have interviewed these experts for hours. Comments from skeptics dominate the telecast. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- On paranormal television shows, Christians and parapsychologists are almost always portrayed as closed-minded and ornery. Their ace material is almost always left out of the broadcast. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Many residents have statues of Pallas Athene, Zeus, Ch arles Darwin, Bertrand Russel, Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrödinger, James Randi, Carl Sagan, Voltaire, Democritus, Thomas Paine, and Issac Asimov in their yards. If a Christian dares to put a statue of the Virgin Mary or St. Joseph in their yard, offended and irate neighbors immediately demand its removal. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- A common bumper sticker is "Real men hate Jesus." (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- NBC often runs programs debunking the resurrection of Jesus, Therapeutic Touch, the power of prayer, the shroud of Turin, psy chic police, alien abductions, ancient prophesy, and delphic doomsday predictions. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Last Solstice season, a throng of nonbelievers and curious folk flocked to the Seminole Finance Corporation building in Tampa Bay, Florida to witness apparitions which bore a striking resemblance to Homo habilus, an evolutionary link between apes and humans. The media payed no attention to similar Christian apparitions. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- The national anthem of Great Britain is "Save the Queen from god." (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Greek creationists, who believe the ancient story of the creation of man by Prometheus, have demanded that the teaching of Genesis be stopped in Christian fundamentalist schools. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- During the eighteenth century, superstitious humanist leaders derided Benjamin Franklin's explanation of lightning and invention of the lightning rod as heretical. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- The top selling book in all of history is the Humanist Manifesto. Atheist apologists use this fallacious reasoning (the fact the HM is the top selling book) as proof of the nonexistence of gods to immoral Christians. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Atheist fundamentalists fervently object to Halloween for its promotion of belief in devils, witches, magic, and other claptrap. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Jimmy Carter recently published a best-selling book titled Religion: Destroying the Truth. Similarly, Robert Bork has written a best-selling book called America: Slouching Toward the New Jerusalem, explaining the pernicious influence of Christians and moral conservatives on America. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Nancy Reagan is famous for her promotion of "Religion: Just say no." Similarly, her husband Ronald frequently contributes articles debunking astrology to the Skeptical Inquirer. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- American history books always portray indigenous peoples, blacks, Atheists, agnostics, and freethinkers in a positive light. Christians, if they are ever mentioned at all, are portrayed as ignorant, irrational, ineffectual, naive, and savage. Christian children often go home crying because of these distorted historical accounts. (Contributed by Matt Strayer)
- Dictionary definitions for 'Christian' and 'Atheist' are as follows:
- Christian: 1) a person who denies the nonexistence of god; 2) un-Darwin, immoral, wicked
- Atheist: 1) a person who, as a follower of Darwin, has a loving regard for others; 2) a decent, respectable person
(Contributed by Kathy Schmitt)
- Evangelistic Atheists frequently go house to house, extolling the virtues of Reason whether the resident wants to hear it or not. (Contributed by Dave Jenkins)
- Atheists make a big deal out of nonbelief and will bring it up at every opportunity. Christians don't even talk about religion--even if they did, they'd be ridiculed and harassed. (Contributed by Dave Jenkins)
- Atheists expect everyone to believe exactly as they do and show no tolerance, even to agnostics or humanists.. Christians take a "live and let live" attitude and, as long as no one tries to force the issue, don't care what others believe. (Contributed by Dave Jenkins)
- During inauguration ceremonies the President-elect is expected to finish his oath by spitting on the Holy Cross as a sign of his rejection of irrational Christianity. If the President-elect refused to do this it would inevitably generate a great deal of distrust among the public. ([Name withheld.])
- In many courthouses across the country inverted crosses and other antireligious symbols figure prominently in judges' chambers and even in the court room itself. No one seems to consider that Christians might find this offensive. (Contributed by anonymous)
- American newspapers have recently made much of how Cuban dictator Fidel Castro is supposed to be rejecting his traditional conservative Christian values, and about the upcoming visit to Cuba of Francis Crick, the prominent biologist and outspoken Atheist. (Contributed by anonymous)
- Scientists and thinkers such as Giordano Bruno who were executed by the church for their defense of reason are often held up as examples of courage and virtue, and are featured prominently in books and films. The martyrs of the early Christian church are rarely mentioned, if at all. (Contributed by anonymous)
- Atheists are glorified when they go to war to defend their rationality. Pacifist Christians (who invariably follow the advice to "turn the other cheek") are regarded as cowards. (Contributed by Paul Amore)
- Most public figures are WASPs. (Wise Atheistic Secular People) (Contributed by Paul Amore)
- Freedom of Speech and the Establishment clause are untouchable laws because so many Atheists support them. The right to bear arms is constantly in danger of being lost, as most Atheists are antigun. (Contributed by Paul Amore)
- Thomas Jefferson spoke of the "binding connection of Church and State," and most of the Founding Fathers were fundamentalists. However, modern Atheists have suppressed their religious standings to advance their own causes. (Contributed by Paul Amore)
- Lots of press coverage is devoted to people who see nonmiraculous images of Darwin, Sagan etc. formed in clouds or stains. (Contributed by Adrian Barnett)
- Atheists are strongly discouraged from marrying theists. Preferably, the theist should convert to the Atheist's particular brand of atheism. (Contributed by Adrian Barnett)
- Politicians try to win votes by declaring how strongly they disbelieve in god. (Contributed by Adrian Barnett)
- Children's toys depicting evolution are widely available, but Christians find it very difficult to purchase Noah's Ark toys. (Contributed by Adrian Barnett)
- Atheists have recently encouraged the boycotting of companies such as Disney for apparently pro-Christian imagery in films and cartoons, and their supposed encouragement of heterosexuality. (Contributed by Adrian Barnett)
- A recent rally in Washington D.C. drew nearly a million athiest men, who promised to live their lives according to the 'Origin of Species.' During the rally, the men held signs with quotes from Nietzche and Ayn Rand, and often fell to their knees to offer reasoned arguments on evolutionary theories. News coverage of the event was almost entirely positive, despite the protests of a few groups who felt that the mens' "survival of the fittest" attitude may end up victimizing women. (Contributed by Brendan Persinger)
This list only scratches the surface. It is high time that God-fearing Christians rose up and spoke out against the horrendous anti-Christian bias that has taken hold in America.
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