As the Friendly Atheist points out, Keith Olbermann did not stop to consider the reasons why the atheist donor didn’t want his identity known concerning his large contribution. Maybe that information would have taken the focus away from the message of the bus campaign and the media would have focused on the “evil donor”. Or maybe that person wanted to contribute to the campaign and didn’t want to “come out” in such a large way for whatever personal reasons he or she might have. Olbermann must not have taken the time to think before making his hasty decision to publicly condemn the person for their “hypocrisy.”
I would not consider anyone who donates money to a good cause to qualify for the “worst person” list. As one YouTube commenter stated “Personally, I think the person who gave the generous amount of 10,000 should be appreciated for their generosity. . .”
So, what’s up Keith??? Why the snark?
There are many reasons why the atheist would want to remain anonymous in regards to his/her donation. Hemant Mehta quotes Greta Christina:
There are some realities about living as an atheist that you may not know about, Mr. Olbermann. Coming out as an atheist can have serious real-world consequences. Parents get denied custody of their children for being atheists. People get harassed and vandalized by their neighbors for being atheists. Teachers get suspended for being atheists. Teenagers get harassed and suspended from school for being atheists. Politicians whip up anti-atheist fear to try to get elected. (And that’s just in the US. I’m not even talking about parts of the world where atheism is a crime, punishable by imprisonment or death.)
One can encourage others to “come out” even if it isn’t the right time or place for you to. We all have to do it in our own way, in our own time. Some just come out with it, for others it is a gradual and careful process.
4 comments:
Yes, there are many reasons to keep his identity a secret. Though I am planning on telling them soon, my family does not know that I am an atheist, and I am afraid of what they will think. People you care about may think lower of you, and while that is wrong, it still happens.
Hi Edgar, yes..."coming out" can be a bit risky. Most of my family don't treat me any different, however there are a couple of them who broke of contact with me. I think they consider my differing worldview as a threat of some sort, which is ridiculous. That shows just how strong their faith really is if they cannot associate with those who don't share their religion.
Me, I got tired of the "god" e-mails forwarded to me all the time. The miracles..etc. And "god bless you".
I finally just told them to please stop sending me religious e-mail and they did. Then I think word got around to the rest of the family. But no one has came forward to tell me if THEY are atheist...
Tina, I asked people to please stop sending me "god" emails and most have respectfully complied, but one family member went off the deep end, told me off, and broke off communications with me. They even come to town and don't even want to see us...doesn't even want to send greetings through all of my illnesses and surgeries. And they think they have a special "relationship" with their god and are going to be rewarded for their intolerance one day.
Post a Comment