A new dawn for atheists?

[AdMan]

Call me an optimist, but I think atheists and other nonbelievers are poised for huge growth in public acceptance. We’ve been one of the last groups against whom open discrimination was acceptable; the story’s told well enough by the repeated surveys over the last decade or so showing that fewer Americans would vote for an atheist for president than would vote for a woman, gay or lesbian, Muslim and so on. We nonbelievers have been in the basement, #1 among reviled minorities as other groups have gained ground.

But I think we’re about to follow better-accepted minorities into a new dawn of public acceptance. And I think we’re going to do it the same way the LGBT community did it -- by forcing a sea change in how average Americans perceive our numbers.

Full article.

 

[cbish]

Well, we'll never be elected to office in our life time. But, can we marry?

 

[AdMan]

Well, we'll never be elected to office in our life time. But, can we marry?

 

[Tricky]

I'm not that much of a dishwashing soap kind of atheist. I try not to foam at the mouth so much.

 

[Mudcat]

Good story but I disagree that Atheists have ever been universally hated. That distinction goes to the Jews.

I could be a pedophilliac, mass murdering, Satan worshiping evil SoB with Cannibalistic tendencies but still not be as universally hated as the Jews.

 

[benbradley]

Call me an optimist, but I think atheists and other nonbelievers are poised for huge growth in public acceptance.

This is a no-brainer. When you're at the bottom of the barrel of social acceptance, as atheists generally are in the USA, any change can only be positive.

 

[Dave Rogers]

I wish you well on that strange side of the pond you live on. I can't imagine an article in a major British newspaper starting a description of Ricky Gervais with the word "atheist"; it just doesn't matter one jot over here. I hope, some day, your country will care as little as mine about who is or isn't an atheist.

Dave

 

[Mudcat]

I think that day isn't too far into the future, Dave.

 

[CriticalSock]

Good story but I disagree that Atheists have ever been universally hated. That distinction goes to the Jews.

I could be a pedophilliac, mass murdering, Satan worshiping evil SoB with Cannibalistic tendencies but still not be as universally hated as the Jews.

I think that, here in the UK, you would be hated more if you were a child abuser than if you were Jewish. Actually if you're Polish then you're more likely to be disliked here than if you're Jewish.

Or by universally hated do you mean those civilisations in the Clouds of Magellen? I hear they totally hate those Joo's...

 

[Lamuella]

remember reading a Douglas Adams interview (I think it was in The Salmon Of Doubt) where someone asked him if he had ever been discriminated against because of his atheism, and his reaction wasn't so much to say that it had never happed as to express confusion as to anyone thinking it ever would happen.

 

[Mudcat]

I think that, here in the UK, you would be hated more if you were a child abuser than if you were Jewish. Actually if you're Polish then you're more likely to be disliked here than if you're Jewish.

Honestly think the whole Jew hate is overstated (massively so), but to hear my Mom say it there is no group more universally hated (as if she's hasn't been prone misconceptions). Kinda makes you wonder why someone would join such a paranoid religion.

Or by universally hated do you mean those civilisations in the Clouds of Magellen? I hear they totally hate those Joo's...

Yeah, I totally missed what you're trying to say here. Is this a Star Trek reference or something?

 

[CriticalSock]

Honestly think the whole Jew hate is overstated (massively so), but to hear my Mom say it there is no group more universally hated (as if she's hasn't been prone misconceptions). Kinda makes you wonder why someone would join such a paranoid religion.

I'm not sure that your Mom is an expert...

Yeah, I totally missed what you're trying to say here. Is this a Star Trek reference or something?

No, not a Star Trek reference, merely a response to the idea of universal hatred.

 

[Mudcat]

I'm not sure that your Mom is an expert...

No kidding. More I look into it more I find that the Jews aren't more persecuted than any other group on average.

No, not a Star Trek reference, merely a response to the idea of universal hatred.

I was thinking an STtos episode with a city in the clouds... It had to do with slavery rather than the Jews.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

Full article.

Call me an optimist, but I think atheists and other nonbelievers are poised for huge growth in public acceptance. We’ve been one of the last groups against whom open discrimination was acceptable; the story’s told well enough by the repeated surveys over the last decade or so showing that fewer Americans would vote for an atheist for president than would vote for a woman, gay or lesbian, Muslim and so on. We nonbelievers have been in the basement, #1 among reviled minorities as other groups have gained ground.

But I think we’re about to follow better-accepted minorities into a new dawn of public acceptance. And I think we’re going to do it the same way the LGBT community did it -- by forcing a sea change in how average Americans perceive our numbers.

This person really comparing acceptance of Atheism to acceptance of LGBT people? Apples and oranges.

 

[JAStewart]

I wish you well on that strange side of the pond you live on. I can't imagine an article in a major British newspaper starting a description of Ricky Gervais with the word "atheist"; it just doesn't matter one jot over here. I hope, some day, your country will care as little as mine about who is or isn't an atheist.

Dave

If the article was specifically about atheism and/or Gervais's atheism, then it certainly would.

I can't find any UK articles but here's a sort of thing: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/dominiccavendish/5893767/Ricky_Gervais_on_atheism_and_more/

 

[Dave Rogers]

If the article was specifically about atheism and/or Gervais's atheism, then it certainly would.

I can't find any UK articles but here's a sort of thing: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/dominiccavendish/5893767/Ricky_Gervais_on_atheism_and_more/

Which, as you'll notice, doesn't introduce him as "Atheist actor and comedian Ricky Gervais". I may have overstated the point a bit, but atheism isn't generally seen as a particularly important characteristic over here.

Dave

 

[aggle-rithm]

Which, as you'll notice, doesn't introduce him as "Atheist actor and comedian Ricky Gervais". I may have overstated the point a bit, but atheism isn't generally seen as a particularly important characteristic over here.

Dave

Speaking of Ricky Gervais, the US version of his show "The Office" had an episode last season where a character blurted out that he didn't believe in God. His office mates just looked at him with stunned expressions, as if he'd just admitted to molesting children.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

In day to day life in the UK I notice very little friction between theists and atheists, however I'd say it's getting worse although this is mostly from the media rather than 'real life'.

We always had pretty much a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy combined with an established church that seemed to be made up primarilly of well meaning agnostics however over the last two to three decades the religious have started to be more interested in seeking privilage. Christianity, and especially the CofE was hugely privilaged in the UK anyway but so enmeshed into the culture that hardly anyone noticed and they were generally happy to sit back and let everyone get on with it, however as other religions have grown in the UK they have all got more competative in terms of evangelism and demanding 'rights' (or exceptions to laws which grant others rights) and about the only thing they can all get behind antipathy towards any atheists who call them on this.

It is a small, if vocal, minority and it think (hope) it's a short term phenomona, but with the massive increase in faith based schooling over recent governments I could be wrong....

 

[TmoonII]

If more children were agnostic, the world would mature accept atheism faster.