Atheism in the USA

[monster]

This reads like something out of The Onion! I'm horrified

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28616115

No wonder my daughter has reported some odd reactions when she says she's atheist -I had no idea there was such a taboo, that people had to "come out" as atheist and many choose not to. Guess I had my head in the sand here in my little college town

[xoxoxoBruce]

Pew says

• 2% of US adults say they are atheists.

That seems awfully low to me, even if they define adult as over 21. And made me wonder, if that's true how do they come up with the money for a TV channel. Turns out it's a streaming feed from NJ on Roku, which explains it.

I had fitters, laborers, and Operating Engineers we hired in Washington tell me, "If you're not Mormon, you don't work, unless they're desperate". It's not right but it's near impossible to prove the person hiring, awarding scholarships, or handing out supermarket samples, is discriminating unless they say so... in front of witnesses. Anyone who has ability to make choices will probably be influenced by personal prejudices.

[Undertoad]

It's lower than 2%, here are the "official" stats from Pew

http://religions.pewforum.org/reports

[monster]

ya see that's where my sheltered existence here comes in to play. I had no idea it was so few. Most of my friends are atheists. Not ardent, campaigning ones, but don't make a secret of it. Some are members of churches/temples for social/network reasons. but now I wonder...

[orthodoc]

Try being Orthodox Christian or ANY religion in any US public school system, any college/university paradigm. Atheists rule in every mainstream college and university.

Maybe you're trying to break into private colleges with publicized biases, but otherwise, monster ... what do you expect? If 'odd reactions' at this point in your kids' scholastic careers are freaking you out, you have it good.

I had the opposite experience. My kids had a religious identity and that was NOT okay in the sports world. Atheism was all that passed muster. Everyone has a different pass through the sports mill; personally, I don't think the whole show is worth a damn.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

It's lower than 2%, here are the "official" stats from Pew

OK, this makes more sense.

[DanaC]

Atheists rule in every mainstream college and university.

Really?

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

OK, this makes more sense.

Or this does: people call themselves an affiliate, but when pressed...

[Clodfobble]

Here's the other thing: militant atheists are at least as annoying as militant evangelicals, usually moreso because they're angry about it. So even if someone doesn't believe, they usually don't want to be associated with those assholes on the internet.

I once accidentally made a coworker think I was a devout Christian, because he was ranting about something to do with religion and I was just nodding my head and trying to change the subject. He thought I was uncomfortable because my beliefs were being challenged; the truth was I was just uncomfortable because he was being an asshole. The rule is, you don't talk about politics or religion in polite company--and anyone who breaks that rule risks being ostracized as socially inept, even if everyone in the room agrees with him. Atheists are more likely to break that rule, is all.

[henry quirk]

My atheism rarely comes up in conversation, but when it does I usually get shit thrown my way.

I never try to defend myself (got no reason to) but I always end up distancing myself from folks like Dawkins who I think is "militant" (as described by Clodfobble).

I say, 'I'm indifferent to your *[fill in the blank]...I got no call to insult your religion but I also got no reason to adhere to it...you go be the best [fill in the blank] you can be and leave me alone to not be [fill in the blank]'.

Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

When it doesn't, all a sane body can do is walk away.









*christianity, judaism, islam, wicca, agnosticism, "militant' atheism, democratism, republicanism, and on and on and on...

[BigV]

Very well said, henry quirk. I agree completely.

[glatt]

I question the self-reporting of "absolutely certain."

I think people who consider themselves religious are going to under-report their struggles with faith. If you check a box that says you aren't "absolutely certain," that's a very official act and God's gonna know. It's not some secret thought nagging you in the back of your mind. You are standing up and being counted, and if God really exists, you will burn in Hell for your lack of faith. So I think the only people who will check that box are the ones who are fairly confident that there is no God to send them to Hell. The people who are on the fence are going to be afraid of pissing God off, so they won't check that box, just to be on the safe side.

So I think the number of secret doubters is way higher than what's reported.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The flaw in your reasoning is, you assume everyone who believes God exists, believe God monitors every thought, and every action, of every person.

[glatt]

It's true. I did assume that.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

The flaw in your reasoning is, you assume everyone who believes God exists, believe God monitors every thought, and every action, of every person.

God only does that with atheists.