After Long Battle to Form High School Atheist Group, Student Bows Out After ‘Numerous Threats’...

[Heddi]

After Long Battle to Form High School Atheist Group, Student Bows Out After ‘Numerous Threats’ and ‘Verbal Attacks’

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/02/26/after-long-battle-to-form-high-school-atheist-group-student-bows-out-after-numerous-threats-and-verbal-attacks/

Over the last month, I wrote a few posts about how administrators at Pisgah High School in Canton, North Carolina were refusing to allow the formation of an atheist club run by 15-year-old Kalei Wilson (pronounced KAY-lee). They caved in days later, presumably from all the bad publicity:

It took letters from both the Secular Student Alliance and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (along with the ACLU of North Carolina) to convince school officials to change their minds.
The last time I spoke to Kalei, she told me she would be meeting with her principal to discuss the process of forming the group. Nearly a dozen students had expressed interest in joining the club and a couple of faculty members told her they would be glad to sponsor it.
But that all came to a halt yesterday.
Kalei had started a fundraiser for her group online, already raising a remarkable $500… but an update to her fundraising page now says the money will be returned to donors as Kalei will no longer continue with the organization:

.....

Shameful.

[skepticscott]

1. Ah, Christian love..nothing else like it

Except maybe Xstian insecurity and persecution paranoia. This group was going to threaten their misguided faith and primitive superstitions…how?

[Heddi]

2. by not being Christian. Duh

many religionists seem quite threatened by people who don't believe like they do. In fact, they seem to be more threatened by people who DON'T believe than they do with people who believe differently. I don't understand why...I mean, me not going to church means more pigs-in-a-blanket for them at the after-service potluck

[Beachwood]

3. Isn't "religious freedom" just an excuse people use to

beg for their way of thinking to be considered better than actually thinking about an issue?

Isn't religion just the method we use to teach people to bully other human beings who might not be exactly like us?

Isn't this a perfect example as to how we pass on our deeply held religious beliefs to our children? WE teach them to be bullies.

[Heddi]

4. Don't include me in that "we" and "us"

I teach my children nothing because 1) I have no children and 2) I have no "deeply held religious beliefs"

The kids that are being assholes most likely have parents that are assholes and encourage their children to be assholes to others that are different. Whether religiously different, racially different, sexually different, socially different, different in appearance, in body size, in household income...you get my drift.

They are probably held as paragons of virtue at their school at the same time they're being assholes to people who are different than them in whatever way they're different from them. Growing up, I was bullied mercilessly by people who were 1) held in high honour at school...most popular, most this, most that. 2) regular attendants at the local Southern Baptist Churches in town. I was bullied for :
1) wearing glasses
2) being in the gifted program
3) being a "nerd"
4) living below the poverty level
5) living in a trailer
6) being fat
7) not being them
8) being friends with the gay kids
9) being friends with the Pagan girl
10) not making fun of others despite peer pressure to do so

[Beachwood]

5. I was asking a question. This is a forum on religion, isn't it?

No, that question was not directed at you personally.

If we are disgussing the value or dangers or other facets of religious beliefs in this forum, you stared this topic, obviously you have some opinions, and I assume you don't act like those people who bullied and intimidated that young person.

I think we need to be clear about any of the dangers of religious beliefs. You have pointed out one excellent example as to what religious beliefs enable parents to teach their children, and how many adults bully other children or adults, all based upon deeply held religious (excuses?) beliefs.

I'm sorry if you thought I was accusing you of something, I was merely asking a question in a forum which is about discussing religion, and many of us grew up learning about the religion of our parents. Some of us stuck to that, or migrated from one denomination to another; while some of us went to the opposite side of the planet, so to speak.

I'm just asking a general question about religious beliefs and bullying, and if there's a relationship. Something your article points out.

[rug]

6. Well now you have your own persecution paranoia to revel in.

Where is the SSA and FFRF to counter these threats? Resistance is a better response than clucking.

[Heddi]

7. Where are the local religious leaders condemning those who harassed her?

Seems like you're blaming secular orgnizations for not countering the attacks. Why not equally blame religious groups for not coming to her aid and countering these attacks as well?

Especially since people who are attacking her are attacking her because of their religious beliefs and the idea that they have to 'counter' her and her desire to have a club for like-minded students.

Why should the FFRF do something but local churches get off the hook? Their disciples are the one causing all the grief

[rug]

8. Fine, them too. Now, where are the SSA and FFRF?

They at least wrote letters when they got wind of this in the first place. Can't they do anything besides write letters?

Now that this teenager is hung out to dry, still stuck in high school in the middle of this, where are they?

[Heddi]

9. No, not 'them too,' just 'them'

FFRF, etc didn't hang this girl out to dry, the religious community did. Where are the religious leaders? Where are the proclamations from the pulpit regarding how EMBARRASSING these people are to their respective places of worship, how hate like this is not condoned or endorsed??

The FFRF didn't cause this. Religious people who can't stand the fact that people have different beliefs caused this. Those involved should step up to the plate. This is their mistake to correct, not FFRF's

On edit: the FFRF is probably a bit busy with the dozens and dozens of other infringements upon the freedom not to believe that are going on at the present time. It's not like this girl, and the religious reactions to her, are isolated and rare

[rug]

12. I see. The FFRF is busy writing other letters.

[Heddi]

19. And the churches are too busy doing what?

I love how you completely ignore the responsibilty of those actually responsible for the treatment this girl received, while heaping a whole pile of scorn on groups who had NOTHING to do with the treatment this girl received.

Amazing mindset there.

You should criticize the Local Electricians' Union for doing nothing, because they, as a group, have as much responsibility to this girl as FFRF does.

You have yet to answer why you think that FFRF is more responsible for responding or helping than the local religious community and Church leaders are. Why is that? Why is FFRF held to such a greater responsibility than the groups who are responsible for this?

[Lordquinton]

28. Blaming the victim

textbook bully action.

[rug]

29. Does that excuse the FFRF from leaving her twisting in the wind?

Tu quoque is a piss-poor answer.

Especially since the FFRF was so loud in encouraging her in the first place. And now they're gone while she's still there. That's their responsibility. Reminds me of Fred MacMurray's character in The Caine Mutiny.

As to the electricians' union, well that's just stupid.

[AtheistCrusader]

32. You never fail to amaze.

[rug]

33. This room never fails to amaze me.

[JoeyT]

36. What exactly would you have them do?

Send a bunch of people down there with sticks to beat the snot out of anyone that threatens her? The local authorities, both school and police are on the side of the bullies.

Religious fanatics demand not just special privilege, but outright subservience and you're more concerned with why the SSA and FFRF aren't forcing them to stop? Forcing them how?

It's not persecution paranoia when people, and this is an important point, are *actually being persecuted*. And you take the side of the persecutors. Unfuckingbelievable.

[rug]

37. Organize.

If they have chapters or donors within 50 miles of there they should at least send a human being to stand next to her, even if only for a photo op. If they have more people, they can organize a rally. They can even reach out to local religious groups who oppose this retaliation. What needs to be done is neither unusual nor original.

This 15 year old young woman is in an isolated and precarious situation, if not physically, then certainly emotionally. She needs bodies near her, not press releases. Or internet bluster.

[trotsky]

10. Sad.

What frustrates me a lot in this very group is the number of people who don't think atheists really face much in the way of discrimination or hostility, because they personally have never seen or experienced it.

Those of us who HAVE experienced it first hand are dismissed or ignored.

Stories like this proving it happens are also dismissed or ignored.

[Goblinmonger]

11. Most don't feel their Christian privilege is a real thing.

And, after following you into the Full Ignore of a member, I don't have to read what I am sure are a few horrible responses for posts 6-9.

[rug]

13. Ah, the rationality of ignoring things.

[skepticscott]

14. It's very unlikely that anything

remotely insightful is being missed, if history is any guide.

[rug]

16. I've yet to see a rational person to use a microscope to ignore things.

It's amazing the lengths some people go through to avoid uncomfortable challenges to their world view.

[skepticscott]

18. As noted, nothing remotely insightful

[skepticscott]

15. Yes, the "I'VE never heard of something like this happening"

Or "None of the Christians I know would do this" gets wearying after a while..as do all of the other mantras.

[Heddi]

20. Well I'll tell you, since you can't see the subthread above for reasons of ignore

there is a poster who is so concerned, so very very deeply concerned that FFRF isn't making a public statement about this, and where are they in this whole thing...but has yet to answer my question of why is FFRF held to a higher standard than the religious leaders & groups in the community are, since they are the ones that are causing this girl grief. Such concern over the absence of FFRF, no so much concern for the lack of apology from churches & religious leaders.

[trotsky]

22. Jesus Christ. n/t

[Leontius]

34. And yet it seems like the only people willing to stand with her publicly now are

a few of her CHRISTIAN friends.

[NaturalHigh]

17. That's too bad.

I'm a Christian, but nothing in my interpretation of my religion tells me that people can't express their disbelief in my faith. Forcing religion (any religion) on anyone is counterproductive, in my opinion.

[Heddi]

21. Apparently the Christians in her town read the bible differently than you do

because they are extremely threatened by the idea of a *gasp* group at school for atheist teenagers *gasp*

[trotsky]

23. More info

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2014/02/teen-who-fought-for-atheist-club-and-won-bows-out-due-to-threats/

The killer paragraph:

If you’re an atheist who spends more of your time ranting at other atheists for being too mean than you do decrying more egregious cruelty like this in the interest of “making atheists look good”, you seriously need to re-examine your fucking priorities. I think atheists look great being disgusted at people (and institutions) that happily deploy real harassment with more care to winning than to winning with a decent morality intact.

[Heddi]

24. Uh oh....that's not going to go over very well

with those who get an extra nickel under their pillow from the Fallacy Faerie every time they use the term "tone argument".

Now, stop being such an Angry Atheist !!!

[trotsky]

25. Yeah well the one person who would benefit from that the most...

won't even see it. Because, of course, they are more upset by angry atheists than by the behavior those atheists are angry about. *sigh*

[Heddi]

26. Stop it. You're making Atheists look bad

Not all Atheists are like you, you know. In fact, *I* personally know many atheists who find meaning in their love for Christ, and enjoy going to church, reading the bible, and spending time at Youth Group. Just because YOU don't find meaning in that doesn't mean that OTHER atheists don't. Oh yeah, fuck Dawkins.

[trotsky]

27. LOL

[skepticscott]

30. You're just

an Intolerant Bigot. And don't ask me to prove that with, like, evidence. It's just true, because I say so. Because I'm one of those "nice" atheists, and I don't tolerate atheists like you. Thank God that I am not like all of you other atheists!

[hrmjustin]

31. Disgiusting that she was attacked and threatened for her beliefs.

[el_bryanto]

35. That is pretty shameful - apparently the school agreed to look into

protecting her from bullying, but failed to do so. There isn't a lot of other news on this that i can find but it looks like her family and friends were targeted as well as her.

Unfortunate.

Bryant