Race and religion

[Sweetdeath]

People with ancestors that have a widely separated/divergent genetic heritage have the advantage of being more heterozygous than those with ancestors that share a common genetic heritage.   

Heterozygous? Ooh, what does that mean?


Ali: I have never heard the term mixed race used in a derogatory manner. I mean, at this point everyone is mixed in some way. I dont mean to offend you, but I have no idea what term you want me to use.

Tip toeing around race and  cultural issues is exactly what is wrong with Western society.

Heterozygous = same genes. 

It's fine.  It's probably also a regional thing.  I grew up in rural OH where there were plenty of racist jerks who really did think that being mixed is a bad thing.  Probably why I immediately associate it with racism.

Yeah, okay. I'm from/live in NYC, where we have every race here. I like it.

[Tank]

Well yeah, it's not like I think it really is a bad thing to be of mixed heritage, I just always get a little edgy when people start calling someone "mixed."  I like the fact that I'm half Mexican half Irish-ish.  One of my exes (himself a proper Irishman from Ireland) once told me that I look like a mix between J Lo and Marsha Brady.  I know a complement when I hear one.  It's just the term "mixed."  Mixed. 

How about "lovingly blended"?

[Tank]

People with ancestors that have a widely separated/divergent genetic heritage have the advantage of being more heterozygous than those with ancestors that share a common genetic heritage.   

Heterozygous? Ooh, what does that mean?


Ali: I have never heard the term mixed race used in a derogatory manner. I mean, at this point everyone is mixed in some way. I dont mean to offend you, but I have no idea what term you want me to use.

Tip toeing around race and  cultural issues is exactly what is wrong with Western society.

Heterozygous = same genes. 

It's fine.  It's probably also a regional thing.  I grew up in rural OH where there were plenty of racist jerks who really did think that being mixed is a bad thing.  Probably why I immediately associate it with racism.

Heterozygous = different alleels on a gene
Homozygous = same allels on a gene

Hetro = different
Homp = same

[Sweetdeath]

^
Thanks , Tank~

[Ali]

LOL  Oops.  I really did know that.  LOL

Yes, lovingly blended is awesome.

[Guardian85]

99% of atheists I have met in person have been norsemen (I wonder why). The rest are one russian (guess who), an Irish american and some very cute japanese exchange students. There are probably others, but religion is not always a subject.

[Sweetdeath]

99% of atheists I have met in person have been norsemen (I wonder why). The rest are one russian (guess who), an Irish american and some very cute japanese exchange students. There are probably others, but religion is not always a subject.

Oh, you sexy Norse.

[Crow]

It's fine.  It's probably also a regional thing.  I grew up in rural OH where there were plenty of racist jerks who really did think that being mixed is a bad thing.  Probably why I immediately associate it with racism.

Fuck 'em, who cares what a bunch of racist arseholes think. Mixed is lovely and a preference in my book.

[Too Few Lions]

on a similar note to SD's original question, I have sometimes wondered if there's possibly a slight relationship between climate and non-belief. Northern European countries are generally pretty secular, and I do wonder if countries with harsher colder wetter climates have a higher level of non-belief?

[Harmonie]

I don't know any non-white Atheists (or Agnostics).

But considering how few Atheists/Agnostics I know, it doesn't really matter anyway.

[Amicale]

I don't think it has anything to do with skin colour, and almost everything to do with culture. When you're raised in a culture that has a very heavy religious bent to it, you'll almost certainly have many religious folks around you, even if you're not religious yourself. And by culture, I don't mean by race/ethnicity -- I mean a particular geographic area, setting or group of people. It's a fact that I was raised in a more liberal country but in a more conservative city within that country, and on top of that, I had immigrant ancestors who were devoutly Catholic and brought their home land's culture with them... so there was just a higher chance I'd be Catholic as a child, too. Had my relatives come from Saudi Arabia, I could have easily been Muslim; had they come from the UK, likely either Anglican or non-religious. It really just seems to be culture.

For what it's worth though, I've known many people of all ethnic heritages who have stepped outside of their cultural 'stereotypes' in several different directions -- including atheism, agnosticism, etc. It can be very hard to do that, and there may be MANY atheists/freethinkers 'in the closet' in their own communities.

[Sweetdeath]

Thanks for all your responses. Amicale has he best answer I think with religion being a geographic thing. Though I mention blacks and hispanic, because even in America where  atheists are becoming more open, I have yet to meet many multiculture ones.

I would feel better in the UK anyway. Maybe I got lucky because I was never close to my family , so I wasnt caught in its religious web, unlike my idiotic sister.  (Who I know is going to sadly raise her daughter religiously. She got her a bible at 6 months old.)

[Sandra Craft]

Mixed.  Makes me sound like a cake.

I like cake.  Cake is one of the ultimate good things.

I'm what I think of as the standard American mutt mix: Irish, Scottish, German and American Indian.  There was a black guy used to run a local atheist/agnostic group and for a long time he was the only non-white atheist I knew, and then my girlfriend's daughter (black) told us she was agnostic.  So that's two.

[Sweetdeath]

Mixed.  Makes me sound like a cake.

I like cake.  Cake is one of the ultimate good things.

I'm what I think of as the standard American mutt mix: Irish, Scottish, German and American Indian.  There was a black guy used to run a local atheist/agnostic group and for a long time he was the only non-white atheist I knew, and then my girlfriend's daughter (black) told us she was agnostic.  So that's two.

As usual, you  1 uped me, BooksCatsetc!

Seriously, that's awesome though.

[Sandra Craft]

As usual, you  1 uped me, BooksCatsetc!

Seriously, that's awesome though.

I'll admit to being privately thrilled to have more freethinking company.