Would you have a high likelihood of experiencing physical violence or death for being religious where you live?

If not, then this is pointlessly hyperbolic.

Agree with the sibling you would have a much higher chance of being discriminated against. Particularly in an interview. If you were wearing a cross necklace or some other visible indicator of your membership in Christianity, you would be way more likely to be turned down for a job in the Bay Area.

Same as you would have been discriminated against for being trans, gay, or black 30 years ago.

And this is based on?

Having worked in the Bay for ~9 years I never met anyone that cared what religion a fellow employee was. So if we're just running off anecdotes and impressions, there's mine.

* * *

You're using a huffpost article about an episode of a satirical comedy show to prove discrimination. An article that contains the quote:

"However, Cheatham said she doesn’t think this means Christians ― particularly conservative Christians ― are being persecuted for their beliefs."

That is a poor basis for believing widespread, asymmetrical, discrimination is happening. I would honestly take an anecdote over that.

I'm using to prove that the allegation, that people are careful being 'out' as a Christian' exists, not to prove that the religious discrimination, which would be illegal, exists. Your point is that it couldn't possibly exist because you've never even heard of such a thing. I'm saying that it's entirely possible for it to exist, because everyone else seems to have heard of it to the point that a popular TV chose to lampoon it.

> Your point is that it couldn't possibly exist because you've never even heard of such a thing.

Oh, sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. The point I was trying to make was not that it doesn't exist, but that it's not widespread and not significant enough to worry about. It exists, but I don't believe being Christian today is like being gay or black in 1990. You're more likely to be discriminated against for your height than your religion at this point.

Yes I did get the wrong impression. So glad we could clear that up!

The point is that it was satirized in the show. Generally satire mocks or exaggerates something that actually happens in real life.

Let's play a short game of answer this question!

What's worse? Not getting a job or getting murdered?

Not trying to minimize the discrimination of the religious but can't you see why most would try to minimize discrimination against a class who has a history of discriminating? Additionally, the severity is not comparable. Maybe if we were in the Crusades things would be different...do you see what I'm saying?

No, but you would be discriminated against. Announcing you are religious would be the quickest way to be sidelined on projects and slowly forced out of the company. Announcing that your are LGBTQ is the quickest way to advance in the company and receive accolades. And this is a Fortune 100 company that nearly everyone on the planet has heard of. Where I live, LGBTQ is very much the mainstream and the most acceptable lifestyle.

> No, but you would be discriminated against.

That doesn't mean anything. Discrimination is a matter of degree. Everyone gets discriminated against pretty often to lesser degrees. If you tell me about your horoscope I'll roll my eyes and probably not want to hang out with you very much because of your spiritual beliefs.

Are people refusing to sell you good and services? Calling you names? Throwing bricks through your windows?

Is it putting more of a damper on you living a happy life than the occasional moment of discomfort because someone thinks something you think is dumb? People think lots of my beliefs are dumb, and that's fine, as long as I can go about my day.

> Announcing that your are LGBTQ is the quickest way to advance in the company and receive accolades.

First, I doubt a gay new hire can reach C suite with nothing but a couple of rainbows and dildos for qualifications.

Second, office politics are crappy, but you either cope or move on, with maybe a lawsuit if you have a legal leg to stand on.

I don't think likelihood of violence from a belief has much to do with counterculture status, moreso that the people that don't like queer people are more violent than the other way around.

OK, well I live in Montana and I still have arguments with people with Confederate state tattoos on their arms.

Where do you live?

No, what you experience is people who personally aren't pro-religion, often for reasons of personal experience. It's nothing like the brave people hosting home churches in China, or an even better example, the people telling their stories in the bible, where the entire culture/government and it's moral basis is against your religion.

This is patently absurd. I'm neither trans nor religious but hypothetically I'd much rather announce that I joined a religion anywhere in the US than announce being trans in the small town where my grandparents live today. Let alone Alabama 50 years ago.

Yes in very progressive environments you will get more support for announcing the later but that's because being in the later group is actually a challenge while religion has built up a reputation for maligning groups of people for things out of their control and for generally anti-scientific beliefs. Being part of a group that largely denies evolution and climate change is obviously not going to grant you any favors in groups with an academic (especially STEM) background.