Darren New wrote:
> David H. Burns wrote:
>> Darren New wrote:
>>> Warp wrote:
>>>>   Is it true that there are "closet atheists" in many parts of the US?
>>>
>>> Yes. Lots of places, especially in the south (known as the "bible 
>>> belt") there will be tremendous discrimination against atheists, to 
>>> the point of being harassed out of town. (I don't know about "many 
>>> parts," mind. Just the very religious parts.)
>>
>> Yes the "south" is swamp of hatred, ignorance, stupidity, peopled by 
>> benighted morons
>> who are capable of the most heinous crimes for religion or any other 
>> reason.
> 
> Why are you taking offense? 

It's prejudice I take offense at -- though maybe "disgusted" may be a better
term than "offended" to describe my reaction. But I probably should have 
resisted
  the temptation to reply -- or just repeated the Kristofferson quote I 
used earlier. :)
Are you claiming there isn't an area
> generally referred to as "the bible belt"? Or that it isn't in the
> south? 
"Bible Belt" is a media term, pejorative and emotive, with no 
descriptive value.
Or that there aren't many places that discriminate against
> atheists? Or that there are proportionally more in the south than the 
> north? 

My experience leads me to doubt both of these statements. I've never 
seen such
discrimination. Off course I have heard and read people preach and rave 
against atheists
  and against christians, and against many other beliefs. But preaching 
and raving aren't
especially southern phenomena.
  I may be mistaken about that latter one, but I'm just basing it
> on the news I read.

What one reads in the "news" depends on what news one chooses to read.
To my mind, none of it is to be trusted too far.

David :)

I

> 
> If you're taking offense at true statements, then you're doing it wrong.
> 

I

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