Thursday, November 02, 2006

The Myth of Oppression

I'vebeen feeling this sense of dread, see. Because now that the Evangelicals seem to be on the wane a bit and the Republicans with them, here come the Democrats, and unfortunately, we seem to be dragging along our ugly cousin as well. The vocal atheists. Granted, there aren't as many ugly atheists as there are ugly evangelicals, not by a long shot, but to my mind they are just as ugly.

If I have to watch Richard Dawkins call everyone and anyone who believes in God a deluded child and/or a Nazi one more time I'm going to chew my face off. And this will be hard as well as painful since my mouth is part of my face. Clearly, I'm upset.

I couldn't quite put my finger on why they've been making me so upset and I think I figured it out tonight.

They're raining on my utopia. I want to believe that once we throw the bums out sweetness and light and bunnies will descend upon the Capitol. At least I want to believe that we can reinstate Habeas Corpus. The rise of the Crazy Atheist Shrews (CAS) gives lie to this and I just want to believe for a little bit that things will be great. Every movement has it's fringe. The Republicans have embraced their fringe so hard they have woven it back into the bulk of the fabric. WOW. THAT was one hell of a tortured image. I AM upset!

The other thing that bugs me is what I refer to in the title of this post. The myth of oppression. The crazy Evangelicals have seized and capitalized on the ridiculous notion that they are some sort of oppressed minority to amazing effect (see Christmas: War On). It is, of course, complete and utter bullshit. Dawkins is pushing the same theory. He has this rallying cry that atheists are being oppressed, driven underground, attacked! And, as he no doubt learned from the Crazy Christians, it's effective.

Now, to be fair, Dawkins probably has more truth to work with. Evangelicals have been confusing "obstacles to me imposing my religion on other people" with "suppression of my religious freedoms" for some time now. Dawkins is playing it up for the effect but it is true that, at least in some parts of the country, being a vocal atheist might just get you a punch in the head. It will definitely lose you goodwill.

I just hate victimhood as a tactic.

That's all I have to say on this for now.

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