Atheists identified as America’s most distrusted minority

[AVN]

Atheists identified as America’s most distrusted minority, according to new U of M study. Article

Atheists identified as America’s most distrusted minority, according to new U of M study
What: U of M study reveals America’s distrust of atheism
Who: Penny Edgell, associate professor of sociology
Contact: Nina Shepherd, sociology media relations, (612) 599-1148
Mark Cassutt University News Service, (612) 624-8038

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (3/28/2006) -- American’s increasing acceptance of religious diversity doesn’t extend to those who don’t believe in a god, according to a national survey by researchers in the University of Minnesota’s department of sociology.

From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.

Even though atheists are few in number, not formally organized and relatively hard to publicly identify, they are seen as a threat to the American way of life by a large portion of the American public. “Atheists, who account for about 3 percent of the U.S. population, offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the last 30 years,” says Penny Edgell, associate sociology professor and the study’s lead researcher.

Edgell also argues that today’s atheists play the role that Catholics, Jews and communists have played in the past—they offer a symbolic moral boundary to membership in American society. “It seems most Americans believe that diversity is fine, as long as every one shares a common ‘core’ of values that make them trustworthy—and in America, that ‘core’ has historically been religious,” says Edgell. Many of the study’s respondents associated atheism with an array of moral indiscretions ranging from criminal behavior to rampant materialism and cultural elitism.

Edgell believes a fear of moral decline and resulting social disorder is behind the findings. “Americans believe they share more than rules and procedures with their fellow citizens—they share an understanding of right and wrong,” she said. “Our findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good.”

The researchers also found acceptance or rejection of atheists is related not only to personal religiosity, but also to one’s exposure to diversity, education and political orientation—with more educated, East and West Coast Americans more accepting of atheists than their Midwestern counterparts.

The study is co-authored by assistant professor Joseph Gerteis and associate professor Doug Hartmann. It’s the first in a series of national studies conducted the American Mosaic Project, a three-year project funded by the Minneapolis-based David Edelstein Family Foundation that looks at race, religion and cultural diversity in the contemporary United States. The study will appear in the April issue of the American Sociological Review.

Hmmm, it seems that atheists have some problems to get accepted in the USA. What to think about this ?

 

[Tycoon101]

It is a nation founded on Christianity, they are erroding our religeous freedoms= No pledge of allegiance? Give me a break.

I, for one, find it hard to trust atheists.

 

[WillJ]

There was a thread about this a little while ago. I'll let Perfection find it.

 

[Shadylookin]

It is a nation founded on Christianity,

wrong. our founding documents contain no reference that this will be a christian nation

they are erroding our religeous freedoms= No pledge of allegiance? Give me a break.

how so?

I, for one, find it hard to trust atheists.

good luck to you sir.

 

[WillJ]

It is a nation founded on Christianity, they are erroding our religeous freedoms= No pledge of allegiance? Give me a break.

I, for one, find it hard to trust atheists.

1. America was not founded on Christianity.
2. I'd like to know how atheists are eroding Christian's religious freedoms. Trying to remove an almost-mandated pledge from schools is not infringing on anyone's freedom, and could you try to come up with something a tad more significant than the pledge of allegiance?
3. Why do you mistrust atheists?

 

[pboily]

It is a nation founded on Christianity, they are erroding our religeous freedoms= No pledge of allegiance? Give me a break.

not my words...
======================================================

One of the most common statements from the "Religious Right" is that they want this country to "return to the Christian principles on which it was founded". However, one only needs to do a little research into American history to discover that this statement is a lie. The men responsible for building the foundation of the United States had little use for Christianity, and many were strongly opposed to it. They were men of The Enlightenment, not Men of Christianity. They were Deists. When the Founders wrote the nation's Constitution, they specified that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." (Article 6, section 3) This provision was radical in its day-- giving equal citizenship to believers and non-believers alike. They wanted to ensure that no single religion could make the claim of being the official, national religion, such as England had. Nowhere in the Constitution does it mention religion, except in exclusionary terms. The words Jesus Christ, Christianity, Bible, and God are never mentioned in the Constitution.

The Declaration of Independence gives us important insight into the opinions of the Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson wrote that the power of the government is derived from the governed. Up until that time, it was claimed that kings ruled nations by the authority of God. The Declaration was a radical departure from the idea of divine authority.

The 1796 treaty with Tripoli states that the United States was "in no sense founded on the Christian religion." They meant it. This treaty was written under the presidency of George Washington and signed under the presidency of John Adams.



None of the Founding Fathers were atheists. Most of the Founders were Deists, which is to say they thought the universe had a creator, but that he does not concern himself with the daily lives of humans, and does not directly communicate with humans, either by revelation or by sacred books. They spoke often of God, (Nature's God or the God of Nature), but this was not the God of the bible. They did not deny that there was a person called Jesus, and praised him for his benevolent teachings, but they flatly denied his divinity. Some people speculate that if Charles Darwin had lived a century earlier, the Founding Fathers would have had a basis for accepting naturalistic origins of life, and they would have been atheists. Most of them were stoutly opposed to the bible, and the teachings of Christianity in particular.

Yes, there were Christian men among the Founders. Just as Congress removed Thomas Jefferson's words that condemned the practice of slavery in the colonies, they also altered his wording regarding equal rights. His original wording is here in blue italics: "All men are created equal and independent. From that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable." Congress changed that phrase, increasing its religious overtones: "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights." But we are not governed by the Declaration of Independence-- it is a historical document, not a constitutional one.

If the Christian Right Extremists wish to return this country to its beginnings, so be it... because it was a climate of Freethought. The Founders were students of the European Enlightenment. Half a century after the establishment of the United States, clergymen complained that no president up to that date had been a Christian. In a sermon that was reported in newspapers, Episcopal minister Bird Wilson of Albany, New York, protested in October 1831: "Among all our presidents from Washington downward, not one was a professor of religion, at least not of more than Unitarianism." The attitude of the age was one of enlightened reason, tolerance, and free thought. The Founding Fathers would turn in their graves if the Christian Extremists had their way with this country.

Consider this: IF indeed the members of the First Continental Congress were all bible-believing, "God-fearing" men, would there ever have been a revolution at all?

"For rebellion as is the sin of witchcraft." 1 Samuel, 15:23

Would they have initiated a rebellion if indeed they thought it was equal to witchcraft (a crime punishable by death)? But that's only the tip of the iceberg. The New Testament gives clear instructions to Christians on how to behave when ruled under a monarchy, as were the Founders.

1 Peter 2:13: "For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right."

Paul wrote in Romans 13:1: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resist authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."

The Founders clearly did not heed what was written in the bible. If they were in fact "good" Christians, there would never have been an American Revolution. Compare the above passages with the Declaration of Independence:

"...when a long train of abuses and usurpations... evinces a design to reduce (the people) under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security..."


http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

 

[Tycoon101]

@Shadylookin "wrong. our founding documents contain no reference that this will be a christian nation"

What were the founding fathers of the USA? They were Christian! They said that to not allow a country that was run by a religeous authority, not to be controlled. Who went to America from Europe? Predominately Christians! It isn't said in the constitution, but if not for Christianity, where would America be? The same with the middle east- If not for Islam, where would they be?

Oh, fine, there's no use arguing with you guys, I'm lazy so I won't say anything else...

 

[pboily]

It isn't said in the constitution, but if not for Christianity, where would America be? The same with the middle east- If not for Islam, where would they be?

We (and they) would probably be on the moon and the Galilean system, at least...

 

[WillJ]

What were the founding fathers of the USA? They were Christian!

No, they weren't. A few were, but most were deists.

You're right, it's no use arguing with us, when you know almost nothing about the topic.

 

[CaptainF]

Word up, those smarmy cheating pentagram-sketching darwin loving atheists can come near me...as lawn ornaments!!

[/sarcasm]

 

[MjM]

Dastardly Athiests! Raping our men and killing our women!

 

[WillJ]

The fact that atheists are America's least trusted minority is pretty shocking when you look at what minorities are above them:

Most Trusted Minorities

...
379. communists
380. NAMBLA
381. grunge fans
382. murderers
383. Arabs
384. scalawags
385. child molestors
386. ex-Enron executives
387. serial rapists
388. atheists

 

[garric]

I'm an atheist and I suspect that this statistic is just another liberal skewed statistic. Listen to common sense. No, I am not treated worse than a serial rapist, a murderer, or a child molestor. Nor can a poll trully ask what people trust more.

 

[Stylesjl]

Beware i'll tear the moral fabric of your society

This doesn't suprise me that much. At least with Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc they all beleive in some sort of higher power that layed out guidelines for their behaviour but with atheism we have no divine morals

 

[Dr. Yoshi]

Bah, if this were really true people would be calling for the ban of atheism along with gay marriage.

 

[malclave]

wrong. our founding documents contain no reference that this will be a christian nation

Maybe not a "Christian" nation, but there are references to religious belief:

...to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...

That said, I am curious about the study, and wonder about the specifics (area covered in the poll, and news recent at the time). I know there was a bit of discontent after a US District Judge in California ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional and that, in certain school districts, recitation of the Pledge would be prohibited (which, to me at least, would seem to be in violation of 1st amendment rights).

 

[JohnRM]

It is very simple. You have one whiner atheist that complains about something vaguely religious in his town or child's school and he gets it removed just because he can, not due to any true harm being done to him or anyone else.

That being said, there are quite a few douche-bag religious freaks that I would not trust anymore than an atheist. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I wouldn't trust 99.9% of Americans.

This begs the question; What are we supposed to be trusting these atheists with anyway?

 

[Tenochtitlan]

The fact that atheists are America's least trusted minority is pretty shocking when you look at what minorities are above them:

Most Trusted Minorities

...
379. communists
380. NAMBLA
381. grunge fans
382. murderers
383. Arabs
384. scalawags
385. child molestors
386. ex-Enron executives
387. serial rapists
388. atheists

I am an Arabian atheist

Atheists have a good record in the U.S so far, lets see the statistics
According to this, atheists make up 15% of the US population. But the percentage of atheists in prison is just 0.091%
What does that tell you? Exactly. (In your face Tycoon101)

 

[Tenochtitlan]

It may not be a Christian nation, but it is surely a Godly one

 

[JohnRM]

I am an Arabian atheist

Atheists have a good record in the U.S so far, lets see the statistics
According to this, atheists make up 15% of the US population. But the percentage of atheists in prison is just 0.091%

What does that tell you?

Not very much. A large percentage of prison inmates are non-White. What does that tell you? They commit most of the crime, they are too poor to defend themselves in court, or that they are oppressed by Whites?

We all know that this is a diphorsehocky study conducted by a diphorsehocky college. This study should never have been given the time of day.