Discrimination against atheists

[Hotspring 44]

What got me started on this post was a friend mentioning... ...Shasta atheist wins $2 million settlement over drug program


...witch lead me to investigate further until I came across this YouTube video: Atheist Discrimination.

In part it said that in a Pew Research center pole the following:

...“Nearly 25% of Americans who consider themselves “consistently” liberal” and 41% of “mostly liberal” respondents said they wouldn't want an atheist to marry into their family.”

And, I might add; 73% of conservatives responded similarly in that same survey poll.

My conclusion based on that survey poll is that (at least) 69.5% of Americans do discriminate against atheists, and furthermore based on my own personal experience and observation; not only do the discriminators get away with it a vast majority of the time, I also think that the discrimination against atheists it is not only tolerated but is oftentimes (more often than not) encouraged by particular actions weather it be direct or subliminal by those who identify themselves as “very religious” regardless of what their particular theism is.

I think that discrimination against atheists in America has the most actual people across the board as compared to discrimination based on anything else be it race, sex, sexual orientation, income, and differing religion based discrimination.

Two examples from Wikipedia:
1-

all 50 states have been served by openly LGBT elected politicians in some capacity;[1]

• at least 41 states have elected openly LGBT politicians to one or both houses of their state legislature;

• only one state governor has ever come out as gay;...

Note that even though some fundamentalists here in the US believe that homosexuals (GBLT etc.) should be stoned to death, there are several “GBLT” serving high office....
Yet there is at least in sentiment if not constitutional...

...2-

Arkansas: Article 19, Section 1:

"No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court."[87]

Maryland:

Article 37

"That no religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God; nor shall the Legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath prescribed by this Constitution."[88]

Mississippi:

Article 14, Section 265

"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state."[89]

North Carolina:

Article 6, Section 8

"The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God."[90]

South Carolina:

Article 17, Section 4

"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution."[91]

Tennessee:

Article 9, Section 2

"No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state."[92]

Texas:

Article 1, Section 4

"No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being."[93]

An eighth state constitution affords special protection to theists.

Pennsylvania:

Article 1, Section 4

"No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth."[94]

[Valley Oak]

I have been discriminated against many times because I am an atheist.

I remember once, for example, I was walking around Haight Ashbury in San Francisco and I started having a conversation with someone who was hanging out on a street corner an he brought up the subject of religion. I responded that I'm atheist and I don't believe in god. He replied, "I feel sorry for you." I then replied to his snarky remark, "I feel sorry for you because you believe in something that doesn't exist." And I walked away.

One of the things I enjoy most about having these types of conversations with religious people is that as soon as the subject of religion comes up I let them know right away that I'm atheist. It almost always shuts them up immediately.

What got me started on this post was a friend mentioning... ...Shasta atheist wins $2 million settlement over drug program


...witch lead me to investigate further until I came across this YouTube video: Atheist Discrimination.

In part it said that in a Pew Research center pole the following:


And, I might add; 73% of conservatives responded similarly in that same survey poll.

My conclusion based on that survey poll is that (at least) 69.5% of Americans do discriminate against atheists, and furthermore based on my own personal experience and observation; not only do the discriminators get away with it a vast majority of the time, I also think that the discrimination against atheists it is not only tolerated but is oftentimes (more often than not) encouraged by particular actions weather it be direct or subliminal by those who identify themselves as “very religious” regardless of what their particular theism is.

I think that discrimination against atheists in America has the most actual people across the board as compared to discrimination based on anything else be it race, sex, sexual orientation, income, and differing religion based discrimination.

Two examples from Wikipedia:
1-

...2-

The whole section of the Wikipedia article titled “Discrimination against atheists” is @ 4.1.4 United States

Huffington post article dated 01/16/2014:... ...In part says:


The URL for the complete article is: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/...n_4413593.html

Hay Dixon, do you have anything to add to this?

[Hotspring 44]

...One of the things I enjoy most about having these types of conversations with religious people is that as soon as the subject of religion comes up I let them know right away that I'm atheist. It almost always shuts them up immediately.

That's OK in casual conversation with someone that is just hanging out on Height Street in San Fransisco but vastly different when in a professional business or start-up business and a potential financier or someone that is an adviser in a professional setting where your income and livelyhood is potentially at stake because of the power and influence that person has in society.

A friend of mine that had never done it before was writing a business plan for his newly started corporation and was utilizing a course that was run by the some sort of officially recognized by the local College and was as far as I can recall either the small business bureau or the Chamber of commerce in Sonoma County or something like that.

When after handing in his daft of his business plan same as everyone else in the course was required to do for advise and help with anything within it:...
...He was first told something to the effect that "Mighty God will reward those who believe in him and shall be saved"... ...and then my friend was asked if he believed that "The Savoir would save him or something to that effect and then openly asked my friend if he believed in Jesus Christ The savoir"... ...etc. etc. etc. and went on with a what I could only call a religious sermon...

...Anyway, when that person who was the one in charge of the whole program was done with that sermon, he asked my friend if he was a "believer" ans my Atheist friend replied that he was not religious and asked what that had to do with the course.

To make a long story short, that business plan was an excellent one and it was in essence absconded with and my friend lost an opportunity to secure a business grant as a result of actions that religious Zealot of a person took against y friend by what my friend believes was deliberate sabotage because after talking to someone else that was an insider of who actually approves those grants saw an exact copy of my friend's draft other than a few name changes that business who had that particular business plan did get the single available grant because my friend's draft was supposedly "lost", misplaced by some underling and was only returned in part only after it was too late for it to be submitted.

I see that kind of sabotage against Atheists all the time, it is common place, that particular one happened in Sonoma County and I assure you that it is far worse in other places.

I could go on but my dinner is getting cold so that is all for now.

[MarilynO]

I am sorry to know you have been discriminated against. I think a lot of Atheists are particularly moral people because they do the right thing because it is right, and not because of some heavenly reward. And some are particularly kind and conscientious because they do believe this is the only chance we get and they try to pack in all the goodness they can right here and now.

I am not an Atheist, though I do not belong to any particular religion. I was an Atheist when I was a kid, but then I had an experience that changed me, but I have no need to try to convince you of anything. I'm at peace with what you believe because that's what's right for you. I will say though that I have met a few Atheists for whom it did seem to be a religion, who were just as zealous about it as any fundamentalist worshipper ever thought of being. They spouted off how stupid and irrational anyone is who believes in any kind of spirituality and demonstrated an inability to realize anyone could believe in Spirit in a way that was quite outside of the box they wanted to put believers in.

Wouldn't it be nice if we stopped putting each other in boxes?

I have been discriminated against many times because I am an atheist.

I remember once, for example, I was walking around Haight Ashbury in San Francisco and I started having a conversation with someone who was hanging out on a street corner an he brought up the subject of religion. I responded that I'm atheist and I don't believe in god. He replied, "I feel sorry for you." I then replied to his snarky remark, "I feel sorry for you because you believe in something that doesn't exist." And I walked away.

One of the things I enjoy most about having these types of conversations with religious people is that as soon as the subject of religion comes up I let them know right away that I'm atheist. It almost always shuts them up immediately.

[Hotspring 44]

I will say though that I have met a few Atheists for whom it did seem to be a religion, who were just as zealous about it as any fundamentalist worshipper ever thought of being. They spouted off how stupid and irrational anyone is who believes in any kind of spirituality and demonstrated an inability to realize anyone could believe in Spirit in a way that was quite outside of the box they wanted to put believers in.

I know exactly what you mean. I am glad that I am not like that.
I do not have any specifically definable religious theology, I'm not even an atheist or agnostic absolutist either.

I don't disregard everything religiously based particularly when I think is or could be more based on something that happened in human history or when I feel I am somehow connected with it even though I may not be absolutely sure exactly why.

However the bullying, discrimination, terrorism etc. that goes on that is based in whatever "fundamentalism" be it religious, monetary, nationalism, "scientific" or whatever else are all horrible IMHO.

Wouldn't it be nice if we stopped putting each other in boxes?

...Or prisons, ghettos, wars and graves etc... ...Yes it would be fantastically "nice".

[Valley Oak]

What is the name of the entity that did this to your friend?

[Hotspring 44]

What is the name of the entity that did this to your friend?

That was well over 10 years ago and I don't remember exactly who or what official position in exactly what organization it was...
...But it was somehow, in some way connected to the local small business association (or whatever they called it then) and I think also the Sonoma County chamber of commerce may have in part sponsored and/or promoted the instruction course.

My friend did contact a lawyer which is why he even got part of the business plan draft back at all.
According to the expensive lawyer, there was not enough evidence to prove in court malicious intent or specify monetary damages because there was not enough proof that the government grant wold have gone to him if the plan was submitted on time.