The ATHEISM Thread

[Foolish Mortal]

Oh man, I just opened myself up to some death threats, didn't I?

Expect the Spanish Inquisition.

No, wait. Don't expect them. No wait....

[Jason California]

But atheists are never oppressed!

now you exaggerate.

[Jason California]

Oh man, I just opened myself up to some death threats, didn't I?

See, in countries where what I picture real oppression is going on, people probably would not make a flippant joke about getting death threats in regards to this. Mostly because they probably would be afraid of that really happening, and the likelihood was indeed high.

[Ray G.]

I am pretty sure that Horizons was the boarding school a niece of mine went to. She did not get sent there for an religious reasons. She was there for close to 2 years. It is a school for kids with major behavior problems.

These are part of a string of boarding schools that essentially function as military academies crossed with prisons. Parents can sign their kids up for them just as easily as they can sign them up for a summer math camp. For a while, there were even some like this existing outside of US soil, in places like Jamaica, so they could completely skirt child abuse laws. Several kids died on site at an infamous one, Tranquility Bay. From what I can see, this one is extremely strict but less abusive.

I don't doubt that there are some kids who could benefit from that program, but what creeps me out is just how easy it is to send a kid to one of these. I've heard of kids sent to places like this for having the wrong friends, or sneaking out once or twice, or apparently being an athiest.

The kidnapping part is insanely creepy too. But yeah, not an institution actually targeting atheists.

[Ray G.]

See, in countries where what I picture real oppression is going on, people probably would not make a flippant joke about getting death threats in regards to this. Mostly because they probably would be afraid of that really happening, and the likelihood was indeed high.

This is something I always used to say during the Bush admin - idiots calling Bush a fascist, Nazi, or dictator bugged the hell out of me, because if he was, they wouldn't be free after calling him these things.

[Jonathan Callan]

That link is horrifying. Blood chilling stuff.

[Dreaded Anomaly]

now you exaggerate.

No, that was the claim that was made in the other thread.

See, in countries where what I picture real oppression is going on, people probably would not make a flippant joke about getting death threats in regards to this. Mostly because they probably would be afraid of that really happening, and the likelihood was indeed high.

Yes, we've established that you have an unreasonably limited definition of oppression.

[King of Mars]

In atheist billboard news:

Really, really, really inoffensive "Atheists." bus ad rejected

[COLOR=#999999][FONT=Arial]

"Friendly Atheist."

[Ryan Elliott]

That link is horrifying. Blood chilling stuff.

I've read other accounts of similar stories. Terrifying stuff. Kids taken right out of their rooms by people they don't know, denied medication, taken out nearly naked and thrown into vans.

Disgusting stuff.

[Ray G.]

I've read other accounts of similar stories. Terrifying stuff. Kids taken right out of their rooms by people they don't know, denied medication, taken out nearly naked and thrown into vans.

Disgusting stuff.

I've actually been following these "schools" for over ten years. Gave a presentation in my Senior year sociology class about them.