Re: Beginning of Christianity
There definitely is, atleast in the states. Even moving from one sect to another is stigmatized by many. I once told my father I was dating a girl who was catholic, he could only respond with "catholics are a backward people" as if they were some tribal hunter-gatherer society.
Much worse here in the states is the stigma surrounding atheists. My friend was talking to my new gf's mother (though he is a closer friend of my gf, so is protective of her). He said of me "I really like him, he's a good guy. The only thing I don't like about him is he is an atheist." As if me being an atheist distinguishes me from every other person in society in my day-to-day behaviors/activities. In reality, I am no different than every other "christian" who doesn't go to church, besides the fact that I don't cite morals based on the appeal to authority fallacy (which I posit is a good thing). Many people here in the south simply find atheists completely radical and in an extreme minority, not knowing that many countries in Europe are near half or even majority atheist/agnostic and the growth of which within the US is quite astonishing.
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