I’ve been asked why I care about being an atheist, why can’t I, since I don’t believe in a god, be content to quietly not-believe in my own private corner. It’s sometimes hard to communicate that not believing and not caring are different. Why do I care? Why do I have opinions on religion? This is why.
A high school student stood up to the status quo. She challenged her school’s tradition of displaying a Christian prayer inside the public school. She challenged it, had her day in court and won. What followed were threats of violence, rape and murder. Here. In the United States. In 2012. Some of the things said about her include:
“shes not human shes garbage”
“We can make so many jokes about this dumb bitch, but who cares #thatbitchisgointohell and Satan is gonna rape her.”
“I found it, what a little bitch lol I wanna snuff her”
Those are the opinions of her peers and fellow citizens. Her state representative, Rep Peter Palumbo even joined in by going on a local radio program and among other things said she was an “evil little thing.” That’s not a few loners or a small handful of powerless people. That is the establishment. American Christian privilege and violence is a real phenomenon. Jessica Ahlquist is an intelligent and brave woman* and we could use a few more like her.
* people have been using the term “girl” but when someone stands up to the status quo,death threats be damned, they are done growing up.
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