Atheism in America

[rug]

Godlessness is the last big taboo in the US, where non-believers face discrimination and isolation

February 3, 2012 8:45 pm
By Julian Baggini. Photography by Jason Andrew and Brandon Thibodeaux

Point, Texas (pop. 792) is not the easiest place for a single lesbian to raise her child. But neither her sexuality nor her unwed parenthood are enough to make Renee Johnson an American conservative’s worst nightmare. As she explained to me when I met her at Rains County Library, “I’d rather have a big ‘L’ or ‘lesbian’ written across my shirt than a big ‘A’ or ‘atheist’, because people are going to handle it better.”

We had met in a private room because Johnson worried that anywhere else in the town, people might overhear us and be offended by her godlessness. No wonder she often feels alone in her non-belief. But Johnson is far from unique. As I found out when I travelled across the US last year, atheists live in isolation and secrecy all over the country. In a nation that celebrates freedom of religion like no other, freedom not to be religious at all can be as hard to exercise as the right to swim the Atlantic.

America is the well-known exception to the rule that the wealthier and better-educated a country is, the less religious its population. As a Pew Research Center report put it, when it comes to religiosity, “the US is closer to considerably less developed nations, such as India, Brazil and Lebanon than to other western nations.” But what is less discussed is what this means for the minority who are not just apathetic about their faith, but have actively rejected it.

The issue is somewhat neglected because it’s not usually perceptible on the coasts and in the larger cities, but the almost complete absence of overt atheism is striking at all levels of US public life, even in cosmopolitan areas.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d2239780-4d4e-11e1-8741-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1lPzZ0oVs

[2ndAmForComputers]

1. This article is excellent, and spot on. Recommended.

[cbayer]

2. Great article. Thanks for posting it.

I have to admit that I was unaware of the degree of the problem before I started reading some of the things posted in this group.

Having lived primarily on the coasts and in major metropolitan areas, I had not seen the kind of bigotry towards atheists described in this and other articles. Most of the atheists I have known have been completely open about their lack of religious beliefs, and, while I have encountered some hostility from them towards believers, I have not see the other side.

I'm glad to be more aware of this. As with other marginalized groups, I think that we are stronger when we stand together. For religious people to condemn atheists or for atheists to condemn religious people serves no ones purpose, imo.

[skepticscott]

4. For religious people to condemn atheists

Serves their own purposes, including the general and historical one of boosting religious fervor by creating enemies for the sheep to hate and fear. For atheists (anti-theists, actually) to condemn religious people serves the very necessary purpose of exposing and keeping in check their crimes and abuses in the name of religion. You yourself seemed to think that calling a particular group of religious people "dumbasses" because of a single thing they had done was very necessary.

You and your father really do need to get out more.

[Leontius]

5. Not much of a double standard there.

Are you that blind or just that biased?

[skepticscott]

7. If you have a fact-based response

instead of just a smear, by all means, lay it out. I doubt one will be forthcoming from you or cbayer. It's not the way of either of you. In fact, cbayer just had to smear me with a knee-jerk post with no content that even she had to withdraw out of shame.

[Leontius]

8. The" fact" is what you posted. The "smear" as you call it, is to point out your

bias in what that post was. There is no "shame" in pointing out the double standard you use. If anyone should feel "shame" it is you for the slant and biased wording you used to describe the agenda of both conservative believers and anti-theists. I cannot comment on the withdrawn post I did not see it before it was deleted by cbayer. If you prefer I could withdraw the word bias and replace it with blatant hypocrisy but I think bias is just fine in describing your post.

[skepticscott]

9. Except that you have yet to show

that ANY double standard was used. Nor is it likely that you will ever be able to, other than in your own mind, to yourself. But you are hereby challenged to do so openly.

Have at it. And be advised that simply saying "it's obvious that you used a double standard" or words to that effect, will be considered an epic fail.

[skepticscott]

12. And you still have yet to show

that anything in your posts is anything but flinging pooh. But thanks for playing...

[darkstar3]

10. Well said.

[intaglio]

3. Interesting that it is a non-US paper that does this

"The Pink Un" is a UK right wing financial paper

[pink-o]

11. This comes as no surprise to any of us

who've encountered scorn and hostility for not embracing the God myth. In fact, I call Atheism "The Science that dare not speaketh it's name", paraphrasing the Victorian description of Homosexuality.

However, I've never been one to shut up and dial down the subjects of Religion, Sex and Politics (there's a reason we're on DU, after all!) so I don't keep my agnosticism a secret. What I love is that most people find me a good and generous-hearted person; then they have to reconcile that with their idea that I don't have a "moral center".

Like gay people, I think we should present ourselves to the world as we are, so others might actually question their dogma that all of us are evil and goin' straight to the lake of fire. Knowing someone of a persecuted minority is the first step to destroying bigotry. We do no one any favors by staying in a closet.