In God We Must

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

In God We Must
Why won't the U.S. accept its atheists?

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 Brain]

[garbon]

[Zanza]

The right to swim the Atlantic?

[garbon]

To give myself a more nuanced response to that article:

Still, I found that even some New Yorkers, Bostonians and Washingtonians didn't think there was much problem with being an atheist in their country.

And then the article goes on to cite incidents in states known to be backwards. Shock!

[Fireblade]

lol. I'm a relatively out atheist in the South and I've never had a problem.

But then again, I live in a real city, not Pig's Cooter, Texas.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

To give myself a more nuanced response to that article:

Still, I found that even some New Yorkers, Bostonians and Washingtonians didn't think there was much problem with being an atheist in their country.

And then the article goes on to cite incidents in states known to be backwards. Shock!

Yeah, the article bounced around a bit (and needed a better editor, I think), but I felt it was making two points relative to the quote you posted:
- People in the progressive metro areas, while acknowledging these places are backwards, don't realize how much more open atheists are shunned than other "undesirable" groups
- Based on national statistics, even the progressive metro areas above are not as accepting of atheists as they think

[garbon]

- People in the progressive metro areas, while acknowledging these places are backwards, don't realize how much more open atheists are shunned than other "undesirable" groups

And why should people in progressive metro areas care? It isn't like it really has a big effect on them.

- Based on national statistics, even the progressive metro areas above are not as accepting of atheists as they think

Not really sure this is an issue either. I don't know that many individuals that run around proclaiming they are atheists.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

lol. I'm a relatively out atheist in the South and I've never had a problem.

But then again, I live in a real city, not Pig's Cooter, Texas.

I personally haven't had much of a problem, either, but I probably would if I was open about it at work.  DFW as a whole isn't that bad, but the northern suburbs and exurbs of Dallas are strange creatures, and I definitely understand the situation of the woman from Plano.

[Caliga]

We have an office in Plano.  One of the 'accountants' there (I say it in quotes because he's a very clueless accountant) is also a preacher.

[Razgovory]

The little cartoon at the beginning of the article is an excellent example of why so many people don't care for Athiests in this country.

[The Brain]

Define atheist.

[Ed Anger]

I don't believe in atheists.

[Eddie Teach]

ZOMG people who think differently than me sometimes have trouble accepting my belief system! 

[Viking]

Define atheist.

First you define Theism and then whoever isn't a Theist is an Atheist.