Martinez and the Magicians Horse

[evmori]

And unless they are forced to join, which they aren't, there is no actual discrimination.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

That's what it's called. If you're discriminated against because you're single, that is similarly discrimination on marital status. That doesn't mean you're married. Laws that cover "discrimination on the basis of religion" include atheists.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Wrong again, Ed.

[sherminator505]

So would you say in casual conversation that a single person was being discriminated against on the basis of his marriage?

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

No, but I'd say they were discriminated on the basis of marital status.

 

By the way Ed, how would it work if someone was forced to join a club they could not join? What would happen?

[vol_scouter]

OGE,

 

Others have been permanently banned from this list for poor behavior. Merlyn now states that he has no interest in Scouting except to limit where it can meet. He often calls others names. I frankly do not see why he is not censured especially since he has a lack of interest in what is good for Scouting. He was in an argument with how boys of particular religious backgrounds are handled in Scouting insisting that they were handled in one manner when several (many?) Scouters said that was not the case. Merlyn persisted in claiming to be right on something that he cannot have knowledge. While he can make some good points about atheism and Scouting, he is hardly the only one to do so. When his position is shown wanting, he often makes ad hominem attacks which are uncalled for (I would say un-Scout like but once again, he has stated in this thread that he has no interest in Scouting). Beevah has tried to get him to work with youth which he also has no interest in doing. I do not understand why he is allowed to remain but some that have jousted with him have been removed.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

vol_scouter admitted in this forum to making up a lie about me and posting it in the Taoist thread. I do not understand why he hasn't been removed.

[sherminator505]

Not to beat a dead horse, Merlyn, but you didn't say that athiests were discriminated against on the basis of religion. You said that they were discriminated against an the basis of THEIR religion (caps added for emphasis, again). You may choose not to see the difference, but I see it.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

And by the way vol_scouter, you continue to, at best, misstate what I've said. In the Taoist thread, I never commented on actual cases ("how boys of particular religious backgrounds are handled in Scouting insisting that they were handled in one manner when several (many?) Scouters said that was not the case.") I only kept pointing out the obvious fact that, since Taoist CAN ALSO BE atheists, that Taoists who also happen to be atheists don't meet the BSA's membership requirements and could suddenly find themselves thrown out.

 

And Beavah's cloying, paternalistic "offers" were never genuine, and he usually brought up his fake concern when I would point out that he was ignoring the rights of atheist kids.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Did you have a point, Sherminator?

[sherminator505]

Yes. Yes, I do. You have maintained in numerous posts in previous threads that athiests have no set belief system, just a belief that there is no god. But your post to Ed in the heat of the moment seems to belie that statement. This speaks to your veracity and sincerity.

 

Or to put it in more folksy, colloquial terms, you've stepped in it. And somebody noticed.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

Atheists are just people who aren't theists. Atheism isn't a religion, just as theism isn't a religion. But if a theist was discriminated against due to his or her theism, I might describe that as being discriminated against because of his or her "religion."

[OldGreyEagle]

in the words of Captain Wallace B. Binghamton

 

I could just scream...

[skeptic]

The solution G.E. is really obvious; but for some reason, no one wants to make it.

[evmori]

Well, Merlyn, if you were forced to join or get booted from the school then you would be being discriminated against. But having a group at a school you can't join because you don't meet the membership requirements is not discrimination.

 

Atheism might not be a religion in the technical sense but it is a belief system just like a religion.