I never thought I'd actually start posting in this particular subforum, but there is just an issue I'd like to get off of my chest. As the topic suggests, it's religious oppression, but you could call it non-religious in my case. The story:
During a free class at school today, conversations were going on all over the class. I struck up a conversation with my friend over how I was facing detention today over the fact that I had forgotten a book for my religion class last friday (My school being a Catholic school). I was especially pissed off about it, and then proceeded to say "I'm getting out of that blased religious class, they fill your heads with nothing but bullshit, in my opinion."
Before my actual friend could actual find the few seconds to muster a simple response to my views, an arsehole sitting next to him then proclaimed, "What!? Darragh, you're an atheist?!" Reluctantly, I then went on to state reasons as to why I thought Christianity was self-contradictory in many ways, and how certain events in the bible couldn't possibly be true. I mentioned that guy Samson, was it? Who killed 1,000 men with a donkey's jawbone.
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for the plank to stop. He then started telling the whole class I was an atheist. I have no problem with them knowing what religion I follow, or don't, in this particular case, but he spread the word as if I was some sort of anti-Christ, spreading the message of "f*** Jesus" or something to that effect, which is the complete opposite of what I believe myself. I have no problem with Christianity itself, but when it's forced on me, then I believe they've crossed a line.
Numerous people throughout the class started asking my what an atheist actually was, but the other idiots, who I was surprised to learn that they knew what an atheist is, then started saying things like "I hate you" and "You're going to get couselling from -Insert counselor's name here- for the rest of your years at this secondary school."
I just wonder, would this kind of shite be considered a form of religious oppression? I mean, Ireland is a democracy, I have the automatic right to believe what I want to believe, especially in terms of a god. I just don't believe there is any eternal bliss or eternal damnation awaiting us as soon as we cease to draw breath, not at all. I'm sure alot of people here would agree with me on being an atheist, but it's beside the point.
I'm going to speak to my religion teacher in the next week, to discuss me getting out of the actual class itself. I hate having to listen to what she has to say. "Sex before marriage is an act of deception" especially pissed me off.
Views, statements, opinions, anybody?
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