Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Nelson on March 11, 2009 at 6:21pm

i was never raised in a religion so i can't answer all of your questions from that perspective but i would like to help if i can.
*What means atheism today? in america?
the meaning of atheism in America hasn't changed i don't think. what we have seen is the rise of the "New Atheist" movement. most prominent in this movement are the authors Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens, the so called Unholy Trinity. Daniel Dennett is sometimes included in this group making it a foursome called The Four Horsemen. these and other polemicist authors have raised awareness and have fought to show that it's ok and even critically important that we be critical of religion while challenging people to justify their beliefs. the good of all this, besides raising consciousness and making people think, is that our numbers have increased while the numbers of people considering themselves religious have dropped.

*Is there mistrust about atheists in the States and why?
yes, absolutely! we are thought to be devil worshipers, it is often thought that since we lack belief in god so therefore we believe in nothing, we are said to all be nihilists (of course some are), we are said to all be hedonists (of course some are). it is believed that the Judeo Christian tradition forms the basis for an absolute morality and so without a belief in god atheists can't be moral.

*What can be consequences about atheism coming out? Do Atheist people loose their job when they say they don’t trust in any god?
alienation from your friends and parents, physical attacks are rare but have happened, and, yes, people can and sometimes do get discriminated against whilst at work and even fired from jobs. in the more liberal Democratic northern cities we can be more open, though still not freely so, but in the southern Republican states, the so called Bible Belt, being open about your atheism is acknowledged to be a bad idea.

*Are they some politicians who represent you?
statistically it's almost a certainty that there are more atheists in government than we're aware of but because of the climate of discrimination, these nonbelievers are silent both on their nonbelief and on issues important to nonbelievers. being open about your atheism and speaking out on issues that are important to atheists will pretty much guarantee that you don't get elected or, if you're already in office, that you won't get reelected. the only exception i know of is Congressman Pete Stark but Mr. Stark represents a liberal leaning district in Northern California. almost anywhere else in the country and his holding public office would be a near impossible thing to imagine.

*Do you think that President Barack Obama will change image of atheism in your country?
i'm not sure he will change our image. i'm not sure that that something he can do in 4-8 years. hatred and misunderstanding of atheists is too deep seated for that. what i do feel for the first time is that i have a president who represents me for the first time. his speeches almost always include a reference to nonbelievers. he was raised in part by a humanist nonbeliever. i think he understands the things that are important and he'll do his best to represent us fairly whenever he can.

*Do you think in the future, State and religion can be separated?
a very welcome side effect of the rise of the New Atheist movement is that organizations who exist to protect the separation of church and state have gotten bolder and better funded. inroads have been made, again, consciousness has been raised. but again, i still think that too many people think that this is a Christian Nation founded on Christian principles, as opposed to what it is, a secular nation intentionally founded on secular principles, for us to have church and state fully separate. things like chaplains in the military, displays of the ten commandments, annual prayer breakfasts, moment of silences in state legislatures, god claims on our currency... i'm not sure that stuff will ever fully go away. that doesn't mean of course that we shouldn't keep trying.

we are a big and growing community! :)

thanks for your interest in us and your questions. Vive la France!

Permalink Reply by Joe Cascio on March 11, 2009 at 7:32pm

What means atheism today? in america?
Perhaps in reaction to the last 8 years of conservative rule, I think a lot of non-religious Americans have felt empowered to assert their rights as citizens of a supposedly secular nation. Atheism has started to come out in a major way. People like myself have for years avoided identifying themselves as atheists because of the stigma attached to it. But now, because of the courageous writing and speaking of people like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennet, people are feeling that there is powerful logic, reason and just plain common sense behind atheism.

Is there mistrust about atheists in the States and why ?
Yes, although most of it is based entirely on myths that have just never been questioned. You tend to hear the same notions and phrases parroted by people who probably don't know that there are many atheists among their friends and co-workers. Anti-atheistic sentiment varies depending on what part of the country you are studying. The higher the population of Christian fundamentalists or evangelicals, the more strident and militant the rhetoric. In more liberal areas like the Northeast, there is a much lower influence of these groups and consequently, atheism is much more accepted.

What can be consequences about atheism coming out ? Do Atheist people loose their job when they say they don’t trust in any god ?
Yes, although if brought to court, the atheist usually wins because it's a clear violation of the Constitution. In fact, a teacher in Texas was recently fired for being an atheist. His legal case is still under way, I think.

In fact, there are old laws on the books in 5 states that actually prohibit anyone from holding public office that does not believe in a deity. These are never applied anymore, because they are clearly unconstitutional, but yet they remain on the books.

Are they some politicians who represent you ? None on the national level that I know, although there may be.

Do you think that president Barack Obama will change image of atheism in your country ?
Indirectly, perhaps. As a religious man himself, I doubt he would ever come out and promote it, but all we really ask at this point is a seat at the table, and I'm certain he will provide that. For one of the first times ever, a President acknowledged "non-believers", which I took some comfort in.

Do you think in the future, State and religion can be separated ?
They actually are now, to a large extent, although the separation guaranteed by the First Amendment is under constant attack by the religious Right, who endeavor to turn the US into a Christian theocracy. So far, we have been able to keep Creationism out of science classes, vacate laws attempting to apply religious tests for voting or public office and keep prayer in churches, where it belongs, not in public schools.

Permalink Reply by cabanac on March 12, 2009 at 5:01am

Thank you everybody for answering those questions! you're helping me a lot!
I'm still looking for people motivated by this report and who would accept to be followed by a TV crew for almost two days! but my crew and I we're kind people, so, if some of you are shy, don't be afraid of it!

Permalink Reply by MikeTheInfidel on March 12, 2009 at 7:13am

I'd just like to point out that, to balance the story, you should probably find someone who wasn't only affected negatively by coming out as an atheist. I'd hate to see this turn into a story that a believer could point to and say, "See, this just shows you why it's bad to be an atheist."

I'd also love to help but I haven't "come out" completely yet, so I don't have much to talk about, sadly!

Permalink Reply by cabanac on March 12, 2009 at 8:22am

Hello Mike,

The aim of my report is really not to say "See, this just shows you why it's bad to be an atheist." as you wrote.
I'll never say if it's good or bad to be an atheist, because it's not the problem. It's a question of freedom and democracy. I'm particularly interested in the case of that teacher in Texas fired because he was suspected to be an atheist!
It's crazy! I'm trying to contact this teacher, I hope He'll accept to be interviewed, and I'll never ask him if he's an atheist, he can say it if he decides to. My report wants to show that it's still hard to talk about atheism today. For some people it's a problem, and I just want to talk about it.

Permalink Reply by Pam on March 12, 2009 at 8:28am

I would try to contact:

Dan Barker and/or Annie Laurie Gaylor from the Freedom From Religion Foundation - 1-608-256-8900 (9-5 CST)

Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United (for Separation of Church and State) - americansunited@au.org

American Atheists - (press only phone number) 1.732.648.9333

Permalink Reply by cabanac on March 12, 2009 at 9:24am

Thank you Pamelot for your advice, I'm going to contact those people!

Permalink Reply by Christian Thompson on October 17, 2009 at 10:53am

I have a story, but it happened years ago. And it involves much more than religion and atheism. Message me, if you want to know more, it's a rather sensitive subject for me. So, I don't usually talk openly about it.