Atheism

[Ananda]

I read this story on the bbc site today.
www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28616115

There are a few quotes that just astonish me.

"It's one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life and I completely advocate people 'coming out'," says Mark Hatcher, from Black Atheists of America.

"Coming out" is how many atheists in the USA describe what remains, for many, a very difficult admission to make publicly.

Do people really 'come out' as atheists in the us? Is it really such an issue?

She said many were worried about being ostracised or were even scared of violence if they revealed they did not believe in God.

"And you hear about people being kicked out, and sent to bible camps where they're forced to be religious. I don't want to lose my father to that."

Her problem has been other members of the community. "In high school, when I walked down the hallway it would be completely silent, or I would be spat on," Katelyn says.

"Often times I'm really uncomfortable being out in public spaces in my community at home because people often bring that discussion to my face, which is a discussion of values that are very personal and very private," she says.

"So you were studying to be a minister, and now you don't believe in God? You're the devil," one caller tells the host. "You're a Marxist, you're an atheist and you're from Russia," says another.

Really? I guess these kids aren't lying, but how typical is this? Is it so hard being an atheist in the us?

And, this last part, if true, is just amazing.

Astonishingly, a previous poll by Pew suggested respondents in the US regarded atheists as less trustworthy than rapists.

As Marcy said in Californication, 'What the actual fuck?'

I think it is over 40% in sweden who are atheist or agnostic, so it is hard to imagine the situation in this story.
Is this just in rural areas, or is this widespread in the us?
Are there any people here with experiences regarding this stuff?
Is it just atheists that seemingly have difficult times, or do people in non mainstream belief systems have difficulties, too?

[aliantha]

Yeah, it happens. How serious the reaction is depends on where you live. The South in general is more rabid about it. Cities are a little more laid-back, but even some suburbs can be a tough place to admit that you're a non-believer (or a believer of a different flavor ).

[SoulBiter]

I live in the south so I can give you an eyeball perspective (at least from Christianity). It happens here, but its the exception not the rule. 30 years ago I would have agreed but you find the traditional Churches are dying off in favor of Churches that have not allowed their tradition to get in the way of the message that Christ was sent here for.

The South has had a bad rap that is not undeserved. But much has changed in 40 years around here. You wont find the stuff you read about in books and of course the media that is looking for anything to call 'news'.

[SerScot]

I'm an Eastern Orthodox Christian in the heart of South Carolina. Evangelical Christians are everywhere. I'm not shy about my faith. What's funny is that most of the converts in my Church are former evangelicals.

I've never had people freak out over my faith.

[Avatar]

*shrug* I know a past member felt he couldn't tell his family and friends that he was an atheist.

--A

[Wildling]

I just don't bring it up because, hey, it's really nobody else's business.

[Cail]

The South has had a bad rap that is not undeserved. But much has changed in 40 years around here. You wont find the stuff you read about in books and of course the media that is looking for anything to call 'news'.

This, in big heaping doses.

I've been amazed at how anti-stereotypical the South is every time we're there. My daughter has lived in Bator Rouge for a year now, and she's convinced it's more open and accepting than Maryland is.

[SerScot]

"Bator Rouge"? Is that near "Baton Rouge"



There are a lot of sterotypes of the South and people should recoginze that they are "sterotypes". They rarely live up to the hype surrounding them. I was born in North Carolina, grew up in South Carolina and, for a time, was a pretty hard core Agnostic, if not an Atheist. I was never chased from town with a pitch fork.

[Damelon]

No person could get elected anywhere in the U.S. if they made a public profession that they were an atheist while running for office.

[SoulBiter]

No person could get elected anywhere in the U.S. if they made a public profession that they were an atheist while running for office.

Possibly. But it was said 20 to 30 years ago that "No black man could get elected for President. White people wont vote for them"

[lorin]

My experiences are dealing with the northern inner city minority population. Religion amongst this population is vital. Religion has been, for right or wrong, the thing that kept people on the straight and narrow. All the caseworkers in my former job were African American, and all were very religious. It was/is the moral stricture that kept them employed and focused. It kept/keeps them from straying into drugs and illegitimate births in an area rampant with both. Many of the staff learned to read reading the bible. It is the center of their community. It provides the parishioners with a sense of purpose and rules which is not offered to them in any other form. Therefore to pronounce that you are an atheist, to leave the church is much more than not believing in God. It is to leave the community. It is a betrayal of the community. It is that you will be lost to the drugs, to the crime and to the general despair of the world outside.

I am not religious but I have a great deal of respect for the role churches and religion play within the inner city. They can be a tremendous resource and fully support their role in keeping the community cohesive.

[Cail]

"Bator Rouge"? Is that near "Baton Rouge"



There are a lot of sterotypes of the South and people should recoginze that they are "sterotypes". They rarely live up to the hype surrounding them. I was born in North Carolina, grew up in South Carolina and, for a time, was a pretty hard core Agnostic, if not an Atheist. I was never chased from town with a pitch fork.

Bahh.....I really need to start wearing my reading glasses.....Don't grow old kids, it sucks.

Agreed about the stereotypes. I'm friends with a bunch of people on Facebook who constantly harp on the inbred, "Antebellum" South. Of course, they're completely blind to any racism that occurs north of the Mason-Dixon line.

[Cybrweez]

Many of the staff learned to read reading the bible.

Reminds me of how public education started, for that very reason.

Thanks for the response lorin.

[aliantha]

Agreed about the stereotypes. I'm friends with a bunch of people on Facebook who constantly harp on the inbred, "Antebellum" South. Of course, they're completely blind to any racism that occurs north of the Mason-Dixon line.

True -- racism isn't confined to geography.

I'm glad to hear the opinions on religion are changing down South. And SB, I hope you're right that eventually, religion won't matter for political candidates. I remember my parents looking suspiciously at JFK because he was Catholic. And my former in-laws looked suspiciously at Clinton because he was Baptist (well, and they didn't like his politics, but that's a separate issue ).

[SerScot]

Aliantha,

Haven't we had a number of Baptist Presidents? Carter is a Baptist, isn't he?

[Orlion]

I read that article, Ananda. I think in one sense it is fairly spot on: declaring yourself as an atheist tends to result in a vitriol confrontation. The idea that someone can not believe in any sort of god is foreign to many people's minds here.

Of course, atheists sometimes seek out confrontation (the loud ones do so A LOT). And I would say most need to take a chill pill, since Atheism is not really a philosophy/culture/way of life. It is simply a characteristic: if you do not believe that any sort of deity exists, you are an atheist. But that says nothing about your personal morals, what you value, and so forth.

Defining yourself or others by what you are not is kinda... counterproductive.

[aliantha]

Aliantha,

Haven't we had a number of Baptist Presidents? Carter is a Baptist, isn't he?

He is. Maybe that's who they were objecting to. Would've been 1985 or so. I should look up who was running then.

They *definitely* didn't like Clinton, though.

EDITED to add that I got off my duff and looked it up. It couldn't have been Carter they were objecting to, because I didn't meet the ex 'til '84, and Carter was long since out of office by then. So it was definitely Clinton. Not sure why his religion scared them worse than Carter's had -- Carter definitely wears his faith on his sleeve more openly than Clinton ever has.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

As long as you aren't in some small town standing on a street corner shouting "there is no God" then no one cares whether you believe or not. Most people, even in the South, have more important things on their minds. I suppose the Evangelicals care, but it is usually easy enough to avoid them.

I think the person who wrote the article Ananda cited went out of their way to find one or two people who had personal anecdotes of situations which are outside the norm. That doesn't constitute a general trend, though.

[Wildling]

As long as you aren't in some small town standing on a street corner shouting "there is no God" then no one cares whether you believe or not. Most people, even in the South, have more important things on their minds. I suppose the Evangelicals care, but it is usually easy enough to avoid them.

I think the person who wrote the article Ananda cited went out of their way to find one or two people who had personal anecdotes of situations which are outside the norm. That doesn't constitute a general trend, though.

I don't live in the South (unless you count the south of Canada, but you probably don't so.... ) but this fits with my experience. Aside from a few who have an excessive amount of love for Jesus the only people who have given a damn what I might believe are people going door-to-door with Watchtower pamphlets.

[SerScot]

My priest loves it when Jehovah's Witnesses come calling. He asks them in and proceeds to debate theology with them.