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

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.

Serious question:  Is atheism a religion?  It seems to me that an atheist would be riled at the notion that atheism is their religion.

Susan 

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

QUOTE:

"Atheism means "Without belief in God", so I doubt it would be considered a religion."

Precisely! And that would be my interpretation as well.

So the point is: Why would an article on yet another oppressed minority, in this case the poor put upon atheists, belong in the RELIGIOUS forum? Seems more like a Current Event. And you know me, I'm all about separation of religious thoughts from FREE-THINKER thoughts.

Or maybe I'm just being cantankerous since I really don't give a hoot about the University poll...

I had to laugh at the ludicrous question about whom parents would "allow" their children to marry! I don't know about anyone else but I've never asked my parents for permission to marry. I don't know anyone who has.

Seems to me this is about writing another silly questionnaire, but I suppose that is included in the job description of many an academic in diversity studies. Ah, what am I saying? I'm sure Professor Edgell went into her study with an open mind without prejudging what those close-minded, intolerant, random Americans might believe.

Call me cold and callous, but I just can't muster up a whole lotta empathy for the rampant suffering of the oppressed American atheist.

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

In a thread about Atheists being unwanted, we've been asked to leave... (go to Current Events).

Now that is the kind of humor that I remember and love from One Suave Folk! Pretty funny, alright!

Well if you really are feeling yourself a suffering, unwanted atheist (I think it should be lower case, don't you, my fellow editor?) then I'll make a diligent effort to make you feel more welcome from here on out.

Starting now. 

Hi, Chris. How's it going up there in God's country? It's been heavenly down here in SoCal -- finally. It's been hotter than hell today but I'm sure that it will get worse as the summer approaches. The City of Angels is known for its long drawn out heat waves. No matter. We have a devil of a good time in the evenings.

Inclusively yours,

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

I may have to give you the pink slip as the resident editor, Chris. (even though I have absolutely no authority, divine or otherwise, to do so)

from "Religious Tolerance" website:

Capitalization: The term is normally not capitalized -- except when it begins a sentence -- because it is not a proper noun.

From an "Official Atheism" website:

Finally, to avoid faux pas, keep in mind that atheism is spelled a-t-h-e-i-s-m, not "athiesm," and that atheism is not a proper noun, and should only be capitalized when at the beginning of a sentence.

From Merriam-Webster's:

atheist
One entry found for atheist.

Main Entry: athe·ist
Pronunciation: 'A-thE-ist
Function: noun
: one who believes that there is no deity

I believe the final ruling is in - atheist. Chris, you're fired! Get ye to a Current Events Forum!

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

http://www.iamanatheist.com/

In calling oneself an atheist, one is acknowledging "theism."  The philosophy, though not religious, is a direct response to religion and therefore pertinent to it.