I will, when I cannot write a detailed post, show some examples of bigotry against the nonreligious on the internet. I am still recovering from a recent medical issue, so this is as good a time as any. Many of these could just be trolls when written anonymously, but many people disgustingly see nothing wrong with expressing such hatred and will do it under their own name! Even when anonymous, many times it allows those who are not simply trolling to express the hate they wouldn’t otherwise.
I ask you, would these sorts of statements, lies, and mean-spirited generalizations be acceptable if they were levied against any religious or minority group other than atheists? Of course not. Yet we, who lack belief in a supernatural deity, are protected by our very first constitutional amendment, just as the religious are. Where is the outrage by those of all faiths and philosophical viewpoints?
I feel the need to say one more important thing before I show some recent examples. I am bringing this to light simply because everyone should know what kind of bigotry is pervasive in culture, specifically American. Despite the disgust I feel towards these statements, everyone has the right to freedom of speech and should be able to say whatever they want without censorship. This doesn’t mean, though, that our culture as a whole should tolerate it, but that we should speak up against these people and fight for our place in the marketplace of ideas.