Having recently been a candidate, I was exposed to meeting a lot of different and interesting people.
I made it a point to be honest with people about who I am and who I believe in. Believe it or not, the most negative responses I got were not because of having a deferred adjudication when I was 17, but rather because of my lack of religious beliefs.
In fact, I was a bit surprised by the amount of “looks” I received when I told people that I am an atheist. Although people seemed to get over it pretty quickly after discussing my position on religion and religious tolerance. But it was that initial “look” that really surprised me.
Now I have a good idea why.
A new study has just been published:
Atheists identified as America’s most distrustful minority, according to a 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) 624-8038MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (3/20/2006) –
The growing American acceptance of religious diversity does not extend to those who do not believe in a god, according to a national survey by researchers from the department of sociology at the University of Minnesota.From a telephone sample of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rank atheists lower than Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians, and other minority groups in “sharing their views of American society. “. Atheists are also the minority group that most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.
Although atheists are few in number, not formally organized, and relatively difficult to publicly identify, they are viewed by a large portion of the American public as a threat to the American way of life. “Atheists, who make up about 3 percent of the American population, offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the past 30 years,” says Penny Edgell, associate professor of sociology and lead researcher on the study.
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 limit to membership in American society. “It seems that most Americans believe that diversity is okay as long as everyone shares a common ‘core’ of values that makes them trustworthy, and in America, that ‘core’ has historically been religious,” Edgell says. Many of those who responded to the study associated atheism with a host of moral indiscretions ranging from criminal behavior to rampant materialism and cultural elitism.
Edgell believes that fear of moral decline and the resulting social disorder is behind the findings. “Americans believe that they share more than rules and procedures with their fellow citizens – they share an understanding of right and wrong,” he said. “Our findings appear to be based on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who do not care about the common good.”
The researchers also found that acceptance or rejection of atheists is related not only to personal religiosity, but also to one’s exposure to diversity, education, and political orientation, and East and West Coast Americans more Educated are more accepting of atheists than their Midwestern counterparts.
The study is co-authored by Assistant Professor Joseph Gerteis and Associate Professor Doug Hartmann. It is the first in a series of national studies conducted by the American Mosaic Project, a three-year project funded by the Minneapolis-based David Edelstein Family Foundation, looking at racial, religious, and cultural diversity in contemporary America. The study will appear in the April issue of the American Sociological Review.
I have found it important to make an effort to understand other cultures and beliefs. I have delved into learning different beliefs and religious history because we have a rich diversity of religious and cultural differences in this country.
I value religion and especially the freedom of religion that this country has. Other parts of the world, such as Afghanistan, have strict Islamic law where a man was tried for converting to Christianity and faced the death penalty. A person like me would also be executed for my lack of faith.
I bring this up because I think people are basically good and tolerant. That awareness is key to understanding and I believe that by raising awareness some of these biases can be overcome.
After all, we are not that different.
As atheists we believe in things like:
Peace, happiness, community, truth, goodness, beauty and freedom; these are attributes of human consciousness. We must fight for them and protect them.
Marriage, family and commitment.
Religious liberty and liberty.
The separation of Church and State.
Justice and forgiveness.
Equity and competition.
Hard work and fair reward.
Help others by raising one hand, not holding it out.
Education and continuous learning.
Science and the scientific method.
We believe in the Government of the People by the People.
Mankind must protect the elderly, children, and foundlings, or they will not be protected.
Man must listen and help man.
We are responsible and we must face the consequences of our actions.
Life is a fight against preventable and unavoidable situations.
Humanity’s cooperation is the world’s only hope.
We must work to achieve our personal goals now or never.
Again, are we that different?
We hope this helps raise awareness and generate greater understanding. By having a dialogue we can continue to have and increase the mutual respect and tolerance that all human beings deserve.