Atheism isn't oppressive toward theist religions

Editor,

I am writing in response to a student Suzanne Midani, who said in Tuesday's cover story that religions should stick together despite their differences because they all face oppression from atheists, in regard to Judaism, Christianity and Islam believing in the same God. The article emphasizes such ideal attitudes as eradicating ignorance and uniting people. However, stating that atheists oppress religious people in any way is not only ignorant, but also perpetuates the problem of hatred. Religions should stick together, as people should stick together. We are all people, and atheists are no exception. Just because an atheist does not believe in a God does not mean he or she seeks to oppress or even convert those who do.

In addition to the hypocrisy of this statement, some religions are even considered rather atheistic and could very much take offense. One example that comes to mind is Buddhism, which is termed a nontheist religion because it is not concerned with God, as Buddha himself was just a man. To say that a religion such as Buddhism - founded in the ideals of peace and harmony, unity and compassion among people - could be oppressive to theists is, quite simply, foolish.

I very much agree with this article otherwise, except that I believe all people should unite, regardless of religious beliefs. I do think that the first step toward unity is understanding each other and being open-minded. It's important to remember that this is a country that values freedom of religion, and that includes the freedom to be an atheist. I've never considered atheists barbaric and oppressive simply because of their beliefs. I agree that the American people have a lot of research to do and should be a lot less ignorant not only toward Islam, but also to all major belief systems.

Ashley Neyrinck

UNM student