https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/study-shows-many-american-atheists-hide-their-non-belief/
A recent yearlong study to investigate the psychological well-being of — rural-residing and woman-identified atheists reveals various issues experienced because of their non-belief.
We need to stand up and be counted.
Then again, I always wish that many religious people would not stand up so vocally and be counted so much ;-)
That's the real problem. It shouldn't matter what you believe or don't believe as long as you're not treating others like garbage. There's no need to spread it around like herpes in an old folks home.
You kid but one of the main points here is that they are hiding it when prompted and are suffering genuine mental health issues for it. Less about being preachy and more actively hiding a part of their identity to avoid negative social outcomes
I think it is more that in some countries, the culture is not to really talk much about religions, politics, etc. The theory being there is no real right or wrong that can be proven, and it really ends up being one's own opinion (arguments that can't be won). I tend to rather look at the outcomes of any behaviour, and rather than label it as being a priest or an Atheism who has abused a child, I'd condemn the behaviour itself. As the Christian religion says (applying to Christians too) let him (or her) who is blameless cast the first stone. Humans are humans, and someone's politics or religion makes them no better than anyone else, despite them thinking so ;-)
I find it highly dubious that there are any cultures where there are no preachy people.
But even if I grant that, that's still missing the point. There is little self organization for atheistic and related people in the US. Regardless of other countries (where the issue would still exist even moreso if people genuinely never talked about religion) in the US there is no community organizing. The entire point of this article is that while say, christians can generally find community easily and find broader community outside of their direct churches and sects, they also barely ever feel any stigma about admitting to being christian, regardless of how much they may claim that they are because they don't live in a theocracy. On the other hand, atheists in most of the country, along with minority belief systems here, rarely feel comfortable sharing at risk of genuine social ramifications.
If your ideal of "nobody is right" were actually achieved, people wouldn't care about sharing or not sharing religion, that's the point of acceptance. You're really missing the point here. I get it, you prefer when people keep their beliefs to themselves, that's not really relevant to the point of the article, and is instead just furthering the negative stigma about allowing people who are non-christian to share and be open about parts of their identity.
In the winter, I wear an atheist pin on my coat, and I have a science-y t-shirt I wear occasionally. I've gotten some looks, but no obvious confrontations. Compared to the ubiquitous religious-wear I see everywhere, I'm actually surprised by that - I would have expected by now to have been accused of persecuting the Xtians with my brazen display of heresy.
It’s your lucky day, I am brand new to this, (first post ever) I have absolutely no idea how I got here 🤣
Would you be so kind as to give me some idea of how to navigate around please?
Yes, the best is to watch a video I did about the Lemmy interface at https://youtu.be/5axSUJj0bBY. There are also quite a few other videos with how to use Lemmy. Visual is often easier than a long list of bulleted instructions.
Being an atheist in a rural area is not easy. One of the first questions someone asks is -what church do you go to? People look horrified when you mention atheism. My employer says Christian prayers over employee meals, with the head of HR clasping her hands, lowering her head, and praying right along. Constantly awkward. Religion has an iron grip out here.
So we continue to require the same closet that gays sometimes do.
In that case, we shouldn't expect atheists to individually be out and proud until it is safe for them to do so.
I'm also curious how much hate-motivated violence is committed against atheists and pagans (compared to Muslims, who've been a target since 2001)
I had this same experience when I moved from Seattle to rural Iliinois a few years ago. Two of my neighbors invited me to their church, and another neighbor is a church. Luckily, my MIL who lived here (and is the reason we moved here) was a member of a different church, so I could beg off by mentioning that and avoid the whole atheism discussion completely.
To this day, I've never mentioned it to any of my neighbors.
I've been invited to church. I just say "No I don't go to church" if that pisses people off so be it. I don't give a fuck if people like me or not. And I don't want to get along with assholes who would get pissed off about it, so its a win/win for me
My membership card stays firmly tucked away in my wallet. I've tried to explain the premise, but getting past the 'S' word proves insurmountable.
If I want to go about my day without relatives or randos freaking out at me, I have to. I read a poll a long time ago that showed atheists are the least trusted minority group in the US. Atheists though, have the privilege on not having an issue hiding it.
I don’t know that I “hide” it per se, I just don’t openly talk about it because there’s nothing really to talk about. If it was brought up I wouldn’t have a problem talking about it, but literally no one I’m around, whether friends or coworkers ever brings up religion, so it’s not a subject of discussion really.
It's actually illegal for atheists to hold public office in several states. I'm not sure if that would legally hold up in court but much of systemic inequalities in the US never make it to court.
The states are Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
The U.S. Constitution states in Article 6 that "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
In 1961, the Supreme Court ruled in Torcaso v. Watkins that a person could not be denied the office of notary public for not being a believer because it "unconstitutionally invades his freedom of belief and religion guaranteed by the First Amendment and protected by the Fourteenth Amendment from infringement by the States."
Source: (no paywall) https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2021/11/10/7-states-ban-atheists-office-but-bans-unenforceable/6352254001/
Yup. The law is still on the books. It's been determined to be unenforceable, but that law still exists.
I used to be quiet about it, but now I'm pretty open about it. Joined The Satanic Temple and wear my shirt lots of places out and about and surprised when so many folks react positively to it. I like it.
Actually dated a girl in High School that was VERY devout Christian, though she wanted to do more things than I did, and she was constantly surprised that I was as moral as I was. She'd say I have such a strong belief in right and wrong, more than her even. And she asked how I even know what right and wrong was without the Bible. I was honestly stupified by the question. And I told her, because I understand that hurting people is hurting people and I don't need a book to tell me that.
I feel like we've also gotten confused on legality and morallity. I've already taught my 6 year old, though I'm sure he doesn't fully understand, that not everything that is right is legal and nothing everything that is legal is right.
I don't hide it, it's more of a Russell's teapot situation. It's not real, why would I talk about how I don't believe in imaginary things? I also don't openly talk about how I don't believe in Unicorns, or Dragons or Magic or anything like that.
Now Religion as a societal force is 100% real, but being anti-religion doesn't make you an atheist, it makes you a humanist.
I think it’s more to do with the fact that most atheists don’t give a shit what imaginary nonsense others want to believe in. We’re not out there trying to forcibly convert anyone to our religion.
It baffles me how religious (or pretend religious) the US is, and how ingrained in your politics it is.
Definitely don't hide it, and freely admit it if the subject comes up, however I don't hang out with people that talk about religion much, if at all.
So, there's not a lot of opportunities to declare my lack of belief.
I don't really believe in anything, but I don't care enough to talk about it. I still reference "God" in my language, like "the Lord only knows" because they're just turns of phrase that have fairly universally understood meanings, and I grew up with them, so they're just a part of my culture now, lol. I don't know if I'm atheist or agnostic, and I don't really care to put a label on it.
While I am here, I just as well join in, I am English and the way I see it, it seems ok to be anything you want to be these days, so why worry what anyone else thinks?
I am not a total atheist but who actually cares? I think being an atheist is a good call, how can anyone fear “the big sleep” I don’t remember anything before I was born, and if that’s what our fate is when we die, then we have nothing to fear….happy days.
The best advice is “live every day like it’s your last”…. Because one day you will be right!
OB
Because in many places in the US it means being cut off from your family, friends, the only support group you've ever known, could result in being made homeless, or any aide being cut off. It could result in being verbally and physically abused as well.
Wow… really? I am pleased to say that in the uk, “in general “ that is not the case…
I can’t imagine “pretending”” to believe something just to keep a roof over my head…. Fook that!
The concept of “God” is that he “forgives” …
Wow.
That sounds awful! In Germany nobody cares (only in some rural areas maybe but not at this degree)
I would consider myself an atheist for all intents and purposes. Trying to explain my idea of an all encompassing oneness to rural hillbillies is sort of impossible, mostly. I don't hide it per se, because I believe we all share a very similar notion on what "god" is, just different language and practice. Being good to ourselves and one another is about the closest thing well get to communicating with it.
"People who don't put ketchup on their mac and cheese may be hiding their beliefs."
Maybe people who don't do something gross just don't bring it up.
I think part of it may come down to ignorance and the misconception that atheism is the “opposite” of theism instead of a lack of belief in it and indifference to it
Both are atheism. First is weak/negative, last is strong/positive. The first merely rejects the theist's claim, while the last makes a claim on their own.
For me the term "atheism" only encompasses the first point, but I realize that some make the distinction between weak/strong atheism and what they mean by that. I simply think that the concept of "strong atheism" should be a different term, be it "anti-theism", or whatever, so as not to conflate the two concepts.