Why is 'No religion' frowned upon

[vespaboy]

I have no religion, never have, never will. I do however have morals and standards that I believe make me socially acceptable.

Why is it that Wherever I go or whenever I have to fill in forms I am asked my religion? Is it important?

Why when I say I have no religion people tend to say 'Oh C of E then' when I am not, are non religious people accepting they are part of a 'Cult'

Surely religion has been the main cause of war over the past 3000 years or so, so an abstainer should be respected.

Any answers?

[jno]

don't think anyone's ever asked my religion, let alone told me I'm C of E... does this happen a lot? Anyway, you should certainly put None or Atheist (or Jedi if so inclined), if only to stop other people filling it in for you.

[mfewell]

Our Patient Administration System has 39 configured religions, and you can choose between "None" or "Not Known". (Interestingly "Pagan" has not been carried forward from the previous system). So if you pitch up here vespaboy you won't have a problem.

[hectic]

I completely agree with you here, I also have no religion, don't see the point in it, I strongly believe that relgion is the main cause for war and terrorists in the world today and what for, to worship "the holy man in the sky", biggest load of cr*p I've ever heard of.  I still believe that some lunatic from years ago could have made this all up and us stupid idiots nowadays actually believe it.  There is not one ounce of solid evidence that I've ever heard of to confirm that God exists so I don't see why I should worship something that I believe is non existent

[mfewell]

Shaping up for a ranting religion-bash.

 

Hitler was really a Catholic.

[magicdice]

What annoys me the most is when you say "I'm an atheist", to be asked "don't you mean agnostic?"

No. No, I don't.

Although, nobody has ever implied that my disbelief in a god means that I will be lacking in morals.

[Loosehead]

You are correct, it is perhaps a paradox that all religions claim to be for good but usually result in evil. I am so grateful I'm an atheist. I've never experienced being "frowned upon" though.

[vespaboy]

I have been asked numerous times including enrolling children in school, before operations and when arrested (sorry).

I just cannot see the reasoning behind the question, why not ask what football team you support? or whats your favourite colour? there is no realistic meaningful reason for the question.

Am I an Atheist? Am I an Agnostic...No I just couldn't care less. As I said earlier I am sure the person asking the question looks down at you when you say no religion.

Also the people who just go along with C of E out of idleness infuriate me, along with the numerous who say they are Catholic, but in reality are the same as me and couldn't give two hoots.

[mfewell]

Surely vespaboy, for those who do have a faith, there are times of stress when they will more particularly lean on the comfort of that faith. So when ill they will appreciate seeing a pastor, or if about to be hanged, the last rites from a priest.

[brionon]

Vespaboy, When I was in the RAF, donkey's years ago

I said None to the question and they wrote Cof E down. On taking the Oath to the Queen {not the country} I kept my fingers crossed. On holiday in Italy I was asked why I wasn't going to church when I said I don't believe they couldn't understand and I heard them as they walked away, say 'Protestant'. I'm afraid you can't win against closed minds.

[kick3m0n]

Agree. I'm an atheist and it just seems odd to me that anyone would ask about my religion. I honestly never think about someone's religion when I meet or get to know folk, tho I come from teh West Coast of Scotland where religion is still important to many.  I appreciate to some it may be important, but to me it's an utter irrelevance.  

[Octavius]

Why do atheists and non-religious persons always have so much to say about RELIGION?  I am of a religious persuasion, but I keep quiet about it, and I certainly don't express my view over anyone elses.  Everyone is individual, I doubt stating what religion you are on a form is important to many of us, but some institutions, i.e. the police have to recruit people from various religions.  This is why it is there.  If you don't want to answer that question and leave it blank, then you may not be complying with the terms of the application etc., but don't bleet on about it.

[lady_p_gold]

I couldn't agree more .. .they wouldn't ask you about anything else in your personal life so why ask about that.  It should be something that is private and nothing to do with anyone else. I also object to it creeping into the workplace ..  in America I believe it is part of their Constitution not to have religious things in government buildings etc.  This might be of interest to some

www.secularism.org.uk 

[Clanad]

A brief statement of clarification for lady_p_gold, The U.S. Constitution says nothing prohibiting or promoting religion.  Engraved over the entrance of the Supreme Court Building (as well as many others) is "In God We Trust". However, The First Amendment to the Constitution does prohibit the governments interference in the practice (or no practice) of relgion.

 Amendment I - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Equally as briefly, a litany of the wars fought over the last 3,000 years indicates very little in the way of "religious" based causes.  The current conflict in Iraq is not truly religious based as far as the allied forces of the U.S., the U.K. and others fighting terrorism is concerned.  Certainly not a part of the Vietnam War, nor the subsequent murder of millions under Pol Pot, nor the millions annihilated in Russian pogroms, nor WW II nor WW I.  As I've stated many time previously, almost all of the relief charities as well as hospitals and other humanitarian concerns are religious based however.  In fact, I can find no listing of atheist or agnostic charities to which you can contribute...

[Octavius]

Not quite true:

http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/

My point however is that non-religious people do nowt but talk about religion.

[mfewell]

Good good point Octavius. Atheists and 'agnostics' get more het up about God than anyone else. Wild statements about 'more wars caused by' , 'no evidence for' , etc. What's their hangup ? They don't believe in God, but thank goodness he persists in believing in them.

[bancodegaia]

I can imagine one scenario where it would be beneficial for the information as to a person's religion would be needed - if a Jehovah's Witness was admitted to hospital and subsequently suffered severe blood loss, the hospital would have the knowledge of the person's religion and that believers of that religion would not automatically accept a blood transfusion. It might be beneficial to the person in that inappropriate actions would not be performed on them causing them distress. It might also be beneficial to the hospital that they would reduce the risk of facing legal action if they were aware of any issues surrounding the care of their patient in relation to their religion but then ignored them.

Just one scenario I can think of but generally on the main, there is no practical reason why the information is stored apart from monitoring equal ops.

[jno]

Octavius I think vespaboy's original question answers your own query. He's not bleating on about it: officials and strangers keep asking him about it, and he wants to know why. That seems to me to be a valid question. Given that religion is a private matter - as you say, you keep quiet about it - why should anyone demand that he make it public?

To say non-religious people talk about nowt else is... well, just a slight exaggeration?

[Octavius]

jno I have told you a thousand million times not to exaggerate.

I find it hard to believ that wherever you go or whenever you have to fill a form in that you are always asked what religion you are.  I don't think I have been asked for several years.  If that is happening to vesapboy then he needs to visit different places and stop hanging about outside the synagogue. 

[jno]

Octavius, I asked that myself in my first answer, but I accept vespaboy's list of times when it's happened. My own experiences, and yours, aren't necessarily indicative of what happens to others. And if there are still a lot of occasions where details of one's religion are asked for, there shouldn't be.

[kick3m0n]

Octavius, many of us who are not religious do not have "so much to say" about religion.  As I mentioned in my post, it's something I rarely even think about.  I wrote 6 lines in response to a fairly specific question, as did many others here.  I'm sure we're not the people you suggest "bleet on" about it, are we???