Atheists persecuted throughout the world and no government cares

We live in a society where unmarried people who live together, are still prosecuted for co-habitation. It is a relic of our Puritan/religious past. A past that saw women forced to wear Scarlet A letters on their shirts, yes, that just wasn't a book.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union has presented a report to the United Nations (which is of course being ignored) on the persecution of atheists, humanists and freethinkers in many parts of the world. Of course, the more religious a nation is, the more likely an atheist is to suffer persecution for their speech. In some cases, they are sentenced to death.

Alexander An is an atheist in Indonesia who simply stated that "God does not exist" on Facebook and who was then beaten by an angry mob of religious zealots. You would think that the government would come to his defense, well, think again. He was arrested and convicted. Amazingly he was only given a two year sentence. In nations like Pakistan, just converting from Islam to another religion (or no religion) is a death sentence.

In Egypt, atheist blogger Alber Saber was an admin on an atheist Facebook page who was sentenced to three years in prison for being an admin on an atheist Facebook page. His throat was slashed by another prisoner who wanted to show the obvious moral superiority of his religion.

In India, atheist and skeptic Sanal Edamaruku, proved a "weeping Jesus" statue was just basically water blocked in a drain. For this he has been charged criminally, on the urging of the Catholic church, with the imaginary crime of "insulting religion." Well, I am right now going to ban myself from ever going to India. Religion is superstitious nonsense that is forced on people through the force of law because it can't stand free inquiry without persecuting skeptics. There, come and get me India, Indonesia and Egypt.

By the way, why has there been no reports of this story? Why hasn't the Pope stated to the Catholic Church in India, to cool it? It's not like they are ignorant of this story, but they rather have persecution of skeptics in nations like India, along as there isn't a public relations backlash in the West.

In the U.S. and the West, atheists don't have to suffer such violence by their fellow citizens and the government. That isn't necessary because Christianity is morally superior, but because it has been improved by an Enlightenment period that Islam hasn't enjoyed. But less than 100 years ago, atheists in the U.S. were still being imprisoned for blasphemy. Indeed, there are still blasphemy laws in nations like Ireland.

So if you want to fight for secular values in the U.S. and throughout the world, I urge you to join and support humanist organizations. They include, the Secular Coalition of America, American Humanist Association and of course the International Humanist and Ethical Union, which is a collective organization of member humanist organizations throughout the world.