Why Are Atheists Discriminated Against In America?

[Exarch]

simple question,
and to anyone who disputes the existence of discrimination against atheists, simply google it and discover it exists.

see, i'm about to head off to the States for study and work
and since i'm fairly atheistic, why do people caution me against revealing my lack of religious beliefs when i'm studying/working in the States?

[Big War Bird]

Being an atheist in America is so hard, what with all the religious police rounding people and making us go to church. Way just last week I had to hid in my basement while the religious police searched my neighborhood for people not at church.

[Exarch]

Being an atheist in America is so hard, what with all the religious police rounding people and making us go to church. Way just last week I had to hid in my basement while the religious police searched my neighborhood for people not at church.

it must suck to be where you're at

ok, now for more serious responses;
why this supposed dislike eh?

[Maximus Macro]

Being an atheist in America is so hard, what with all the religious police rounding people and making us go to church. Way just last week I had to hid in my basement while the religious police searched my neighborhood for people not at church.

religious police? are you serious? american goverment sure likes to control the population with fear paranoia and religion

[removeduser_487563287433]

Is being an atheist not a hindrance if one seeks public office in the majority of America, BWB?

[cardnals100]

Is being an atheist not a hindrance if one seeks public office in the majority of America, BWB?

Some crazy number like 45% of people in America won't vote for a candidate if doesn't believe in god or something is what I heard.

[Big War Bird]

Is being an atheist not a hindrance if one seeks public office in the majority of America, BWB?

Legally? No. Really, yes. But that's life. There are all kinds of reason why a person might not be electable in a given distirict such as skin color, party affiliation or relgious preference. One can cry discrimination about anything if one were so inclined.

[The spartan]

Legally? No. Really, yes. But that's life. There are all kinds of reason why a person might not be electable in a given distirict such as skin color, party affiliation or relgious preference. One can cry discrimination about anything if one were so inclined.

Athiests are severely underrepresented in office.

I do believe women are the MOST underrepresented, though.

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

It's because the mention of the word Atheist makes paths through the minds of all "real" Americans (White Christian Republicans) like so:

Atheist = Godless = Pro-Choice = Baby Eating = Bad
Atheist = Liberal = Socialist = Redistribution of Wealth = Bad
Atheist = Intelligence = Smarter than Me =Bad
Atheist = Not Christian = Terrorist = Bad
Atheist = Immoral = Serial Killer = Bad
Atheist = Hitler = Nazi = Bad

Of course none of these are completely true..but American's aren't known for their intelligence.

[Exarch]

It's because the mention of the word Atheist makes paths through the minds of all "real" Americans (White Christian Republicans) like so:

Atheist = Godless = Pro-Choice = Baby Eating = Bad
Atheist = Liberal = Socialist = Redistribution of Wealth = Bad
Atheist = Intelligence = Smarter than Me =Bad
Atheist = Not Christian = Terrorist = Bad
Atheist = Immoral = Serial Killer = Bad
Atheist = Hitler = Nazi = Bad

Of course none of these are completely true..but American's aren't known for their intelligence.

so wot if instead of categorising oneself as 'atheist', you called yourself 'agnostic' or 'follower of Slaanesh' would they view you slightly more favourably?
would calling oneself an atheist be as bad as calling oneself a muslim in modern america? especially given the rising islamaphobia in recent yrs.

[Rebel Jeb]

It's because the mention of the word Atheist makes paths through the minds of all "real" Americans (White Christian Republicans) like so:

Atheist = Godless = Pro-Choice = Baby Eating = Bad
Atheist = Liberal = Socialist = Redistribution of Wealth = Bad
Atheist = Intelligence = Smarter than Me =Bad
Atheist = Not Christian = Terrorist = Bad
Atheist = Immoral = Serial Killer = Bad
Atheist = Hitler = Nazi = Bad

Of course none of these are completely true..but American's aren't known for their intelligence.

How are we not known for intelligence?

Look at all of the contributions to science such as electricity, medicine, and space that the US has lead and discovered.

You can't stereotype the whole country because of a few dumb people.

And the reason why is shown in this thread, the attitude of a lot of atheists doesn't bode well with people.

[Exarch]

How are we not known for intelligence?

Look at all of the contributions to science such as electricity, medicine, and space that the US has lead and discovered.

You can't stereotype the whole country because of a few dumb people.

And the reason why is shown in this thread, the attitude of a lot of atheists doesn't bode well with people.

i think every society and culture will always have its innate prejudices, whether due to media or history or otherwise.

what i want to know is why american society appears to have a deep deep negative perception of atheists

[Eneru112]

How are we not known for intelligence?

Look at all of the contributions to science such as electricity, medicine, and space that the US has lead and discovered.

You can't stereotype the whole country because of a few dumb people.

And the reason why is shown in this thread, the attitude of a lot of atheists doesn't bode well with people.

This is what Americans like to believe.

[Plant]

How are we not known for intelligence?
Look at all of the contributions to science such as electricity, medicine, and space that the US has lead and discovered.

You do realise that US hasn't discovered any of those examples do you? As for lead, they have lead as much as Europe has as a whole. Well perhaps not space, but space requires a budget which relatively small independent countries cannot have, though Russia had far more "firsts" than USA with the grand exception of the Moon.

You can't stereotype the whole country because of a few dumb people.
And the reason why is shown in this thread, the attitude of a lot of atheists doesn't bode well with people.

Are you parodying yourself? Or do you not see that you would be guilty of what you have just accused others of?

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

How are we not known for intelligence?

Look at all of the contributions to science such as electricity, medicine, and space that the US has lead and discovered.

You can't stereotype the whole country because of a few dumb people.

And the reason why is shown in this thread, the attitude of a lot of atheists doesn't bode well with people.

The first person to generate an electric current was Alessandro Volta, the first breakthroughs in medicine were from Europe, and Sputnik was the first man-made object in space. I'm not saying that many or even most Americans aren't very intelligent, but we do have problems with ignorance in this country.

[Doyle141]

Atheist = Hitler = Nazi = Bad

*sigh*
Hitler was a Catholic, not an Atheist.

[Boyar Son]

*sigh*
Hitler was a Catholic, not an Atheist.

Update your history. Hitler was an atheist.

[Doyle141]

Update your history. Hitler was an atheist.

Revise yours. Hitler was Catholic. At least, outwardly.

http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/ca...lersfaith.html
http://www.nobeliefs.com/Hitler1.htm

[Gordon Freynman]

I'm pretty sure only Hitler knows what Hitler really was.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Don't talk about religion in the US with people you aren't very familiar with, especially in the workplace. People are very sensitive about it and take it as a personal insult if you don't believe what they do. This is based on my experience at least, which may be different from other areas of the country because I'm in the southeast.

Update your history. Hitler was an atheist.

And we all know he committed his crimes in the name of ath- oh wait.