I tend to think that a good chunk of the anti vaccine thing comes from people afraid of needles. Needles don't bother me, but I hate that strap they put on your arm when you get a blood test. If we had to do that to get vaccinated, I might be a little less pro-vaccine.

Well, if you don't even want to know what her immunity is, your opinion on vaccination is irrelevant.

Good.

I agree in the abstract. But I also tend to think that people who are in the habit of being disrespectful to the dead also tend to be disrespectful to the living, and it's not something we should encourage.

You sure the cat is not named Martin Guerre?

The government did nothing of the kind, just issued a ruling canceling trademark restrictions on that name - an order immediately put on hold to be reviewed by a judge, btw. It just makes it harder for that team to make money off their racist name.

Median household income in the U.S. is in the low 50s. Since many of those are multiple income households, the answer would be a resounding yes for at least half, probably significantly more of the U.S. population.

Yeah, she's the only dark skinned woman in the entire world - who does she think she is?

I can live with that. Look, it's not always easy recognizing our own privilege. You expressed annoyance at what some folks say about your beliefs. That's understandable, but I will tell you it's kind of like hearing a white guy complain about "reverse discrimination."

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Well, if you came from a fundy background, do you remember how your colleagues treated atheists? My experience, as a Southerner, is that it ranges from ostracism to pestering (i.e., witnessing), with a pit stop at utter disdain along the way. People learn it's easier just to be quiet. I'm way. way more brave on the…

Half of them? Ok, I'm only about halfway through the thread, so maybe all the assholes are deeper down, but maybe it's just that you are hypersensitive to your religious privilege being pricked just a little?

Pink? Uff. While a brunette, I inherited my redheaded Dad's pale skin. Pink is not my color. Maybe I could just where a little badge or something? :)

So do I, but also live in and grew up in the South. Plus, I work at an HBCU - many of those institutions never got the church-state memo.

Every atheist I know does Christmas. Which is why I just laugh and laugh when Fox News trots out the "War on Christmas" stuff. Baptism and other more specifically theological activities - I think it's a matter of habit. If you grew up in a family that did those things, and church/temple was a fairly benign experience,…

I've been to that place and done those things. Particularly living in the South, it is often a deal breaker. Of course, it's not just the Christians who can be a problem. A girl once broke up with me not because I wasn't Christian, but because she felt I did not respect her New Age beliefs enough. I guess I wasn't as…

Perhaps, but the culture is pretty pervasive. I remember as a child both describing myself as atheist and also praying. But when you are seven theology is pretty much above your grade level.

Depends. Missouri Synod Lutherans are serious Bible thumpers, a very different kettle of fish from generic Lutherans.

You reveal yourself to be at best uninformed. Most atheists you have met did not bother to mention it, because for the most part, it's not all that important, and in a number of places, it's actually not a good idea to bring it up. It can result in discrimination and ostracism, so why bother?

That stereotype has its roots in Christian theology, or some stains of it, anyway. Particularly on the conservative side of Christian theology, the idea is that Christianity is such an obvious truth that anyone who is exposed to it and rejects it does so out of pride, out of arrogance. Ergo, all atheists, no matter…