There are currently 13 National Secular Service Day Events scheduled across the country on October 18th, 2009!

National Secular Service Day

Anti-atheist Prejudice

Atheists have long been discriminated against by the media and the general public, being called amoral, immoral, and/or un-American.  This discrimination is both hurtful and unjust.  Like any other form of intolerance, it is based on superstitions and chauvinism rather than the truth. No study demonstrates higher rates of immorality in atheists; on the contrary, the percentage of atheists in jail (relative to the total population) in America is significantly lower than that of the religious. Many millions of atheists around the world are currently living good, moral lives. Nevertheless, hostility towards the atheist minority persists.

Below are a few examples of anti-atheism and the harm it can cause:

  • According to the New York Times, “polls continue to show that atheists are ranked lower than any other minority or religious group
    when Americans are asked whether they would vote for or approve of their child marrying a member of that group.”
  • The same article details how “one young mother said that her husband was afraid to allow her to go public as an atheist because employers would refuse to hire him.” Similar situations across the country keep many atheists “in the closet.”
  • Religious people in various states have reacted with hostility to recent atheist billboard campaigns.  The signs contained no slights against religion, instead saying things like “Imagine No Religion” or “Good Without God? You are not alone.”
    1. One billboard was removed by the city due to multiple complaints
    2. Others have been picketed and actively protested by neighbors.
    3. Restaurants near atheist billboards have reported sharp drops in business.
    4. One bus driver quit her job to protest the ad on the side of the bus.
  • Fox News suggested that President Obama’s inclusion of non-believers in his inaugural address was “offensive” and created hostile press concerning the quotation.
  • In a Newsweek poll, half of polled Americans say they would not elect a well-qualified atheist candidate for public office – the highest percentage of negative response for any group, including fundamentalist Christians, Mormons, and Muslims.  A recent Gallup/USA today poll asked the same questions, and “atheist” again came in last, behind “homosexual,” “over 72 years,” and “divorced 3 times.”
  • The list of individual instances of resentment and discrimination goes on, but the most significant point to note is the general public’s unfair and negative treatment of atheists and atheism. The recent widespread fearful and hateful reactions to the atheist billboard campaigns (mentioned above) and the similar atheist bus ad campaigns demonstrate just how unwelcoming a place America can be for an atheist.  At its core, this prejudice stems from a lack of knowledge about atheism and nonbelief, leading to the incorrect conclusion that one cannot be moral without religion.   Hopefully, education and outreach can help us overcome this prejudice and progress towards an equal, pluralistic society that accepts all religious beliefs.