ANGRY MOB

I'm an atheist. I do not think that this is a big deal, for me it seems the only logical position to take if you actually engage your brain and look at the matter of religion with any kind of objectivity. In some ways I have a problem with the whole label 'atheist', why does anyone have to make a declaration that they are not a believer in religion? I don't believe in fairies, Santa Claus or Unicorns, should I also have some kind of label to indicate this as well?

The reason the label exists is to imply that atheism is some kind of significant choice, as if everyone has undergone a soul searching battle between belief in religion and the barren wilderness that atheism is so often painted to be. The label tries to validate religious belief by implying that if you do not believe then you deserve some kind of label so everyone knows that you are an outsider, that you are somehow different to them. I personally have very little tolerance for religious people in as much as if they knock on my door and try to convert me (which seems to happen about 4 times a year in Wales) I'll make it pretty clear to them - in polite terms - that I think they're not in touch with reality and that I treat the bible like any other work of literature - fiction.

However, the vast majority of religious people are peaceful human beings who are not out to do me any harm and I have to try to understand that the power of religion lies in indoctrinating the young, so most people hold these beliefs because of the way that they were nurtured and it is difficult for them to change. I therefore try to sympathise with religious people, I may not agree with their beliefs but if I was to try and force my worldview upon others I would become as intolerant as some religious people are and consequently no better than them.

Intolerance is something that Muslims are supposed to practice according to the Daily Mail and its readers, so you'd imagine that Daily Mail readers would take the high ground and be tolerant of others, otherwise two wrongs wouldn't make a right would it? Naturally, Daily Mail readers are about as tolerant towards Muslims as Hitler was towards disabled, Jewish, immigrant gypsies: 'Muslim woman banned from wearing a 'burkini' in a French swimming pool'. Now the headline (for a change) is actually a fair summation of the article: a swimming pool in France has banned a Muslim item of clothing from a swimming pool. Of course, the Daily Mail readers are keen to praise the French for 'not bowing down' to evil Muslim women who want to cover up whilst swimming.

Now, again, in my opinion women should be able to wear whatever the hell they want, but at the same time, by wearing this swimming costume I am not being inconvenienced in any way whatsoever, so why would I want to ban it? Daily Mail land is a strange place, on the one hand a women wearing a skimpy swimsuit is probably a slut and is asking to be raped, whilst a women who - for her faith - wants to remain largely covered whilst swimming must be banned for... well, for what exactly?

I pity the poor women who have to wear these outfits, it makes me sad that religion causes human beings to deny their essential being (in as much as they have to hide their physicality from the world) so why would I want to add to their perceived misfortune by demanding that the authorities ban articles of clothing that make an enjoyable pastime like swimming accessible to these women?

Daily Mail readers are misanthropes, they want everyone to wallow in misery, regardless of whether the activity benefits or hinders them. This article is about a human being having the ability to swim taken away from them because the French authorities are trying to battle intolerance with intolerance. Yet the comments under the article seem to imply that the French have found the cure for cancer:


So, France respond to a swimsuit that is representative of religious oppression and intolerance... by acting intolerantly and repressively by banning it... and Daily Mail readers cheer.

Muslims have been dehumanised to such an extent that a women who lives in a supposedly liberal and civilised society cannot go for a swim in a large swimming costume without hordes of right-wing shitkickers demanding that she be banned from doing so - without a hint of irony. Muslim women are repressed by their religion and Daily Mail readers can't wait to join in with a good kicking: 'You what? You want to swim? Not in that costume. Now fucking get it off or get out of the pool'.

And I thought Muslims were supposed to be the intolerant and backward ones.