# Atheists in America **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 6, 2020, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246 "2020-05-06T02:07:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/21 "2020-05-06T16:29:49Z")
If anyone asks, I have no belief in any god, so I am agnostic. I do however actually believe (just I don’t know for sure) that there is no god, so by belief I am an atheist. On social issues I am definitely Jewish. Am I conflicted about any of this? Not all all. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/22 "2020-05-06T16:33:05Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > If anyone asks, I have no belief in any god, so I am agnostic. I do however actually believe (just I don’t know for sure) that there is no god, so by belief I am an atheist. On social issues I am definitely Jewish. Am I conflicted about any of this? Not all all. Me too. I also don’t think that the existence of a deity matters so I’m ambivalent. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/23 "2020-05-06T17:13:40Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Not being atheist myself, I cannot comment firsthand, but I do have an atheist sibling, and I think 3 factors often contribute towards atheists raised in Christian families: > > 1. When Christians are confronted about contradictions or problems in their religion, they often just double down or handwave away the problem rather than address it - “You just have to have _ **faith** _” - which comes across as, “I’m wrong, but you need to believe I’m right anyway.” > > 2. Some Christian parents or elders mistake outward compliance for inward conversion. They think that because they have forced their children to sit in the pews at church on Sunday or go to Sunday school, church retreats, Bible camp etc. that they’ve actually somehow caused inner conversion as well when in fact often it spurs even more internal rebellion. > > 3. Many Christians are prone to sharing fake news, and when they do so, they discredit their other beliefs as well, even the real/true ones. Excellent points! Especially number 2. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/24 "2020-05-06T17:58:28Z")
We have no religion to push so we don’t. (Atheism ain’t a religion. What hair color is bald?) Our house is filled with religious icons from all over. Visitors think we’re believers because carved ethnic saints but they ignore the idolatrous stuff - we just like artsy craftwork. My doctrinal background was mildly mainstream Prod with detours but nothing to really drive me toward or away from any theology. A couple of ordinations and some study of belief systems slowly led me to disregard evidence-free speculations. So many deities! Best just to carve your own - they’re controllable. Yes, we vote early and often. No, we don’t hide or proclaim our beliefs or lack thereof. Why bother? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/25 "2020-05-06T18:21:15Z")
Thank God I am an atheist! And I do mean that sincerely. 😃 When I deign to discuss the matter IRL, which I only do with someone who I determine is really receptive to listening non-judgementally, I use a sports analogy - Someone: “Who’s your favorite team? You gotta be for the Red team, since you are from there.” Me: “I’m not really into sports.” Someone: “Yeah, OK, but you can’t be for the Blue team, yah?” Me: “Really, I don’t follow either team.” Someone: “C’mon, you HAVE TO have to have a preference.” Me: … Substitute “religion / denomination” for “sport / team” and it all makes sense, to me at least. But, I will say that I feel that our predominant culture in the US is not welcoming to atheists and therefore we suppress our declarations of adherence, for social cohesion and survival reasons. We are in the closet, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/26 "2020-05-06T18:27:45Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Me too. I also don’t think that the existence of a deity matters so I’m ambivalent. For that reason, I prefer the term nontheist. It just isn’t important. Or, I use the term Humanist, to describe myself in terms of what I DO believe, rather than a single irrational belief I reject. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/27 "2020-05-06T18:29:21Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Substitute “religion / denomination” for “sport / team” and it all makes sense, to me at least. Me too. I have a theory (it may well be wrong, I’m not a neurscientist) that sports fandom, 'Murka patriotism, and religiosity live in the same part of the brain. I don’t understand any of them. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/28 "2020-05-06T18:31:22Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Me too. I also don’t think that the existence of a deity matters so I’m ambivalent. And I’m no longer interested in the question of whether a deity exists. So I’m a shrugnostic. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/29 "2020-05-06T18:36:14Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > > [@Velocity](#): > > > > Not being atheist myself, I cannot comment firsthand, but I do have an atheist sibling, and I think 3 factors often contribute towards atheists raised in Christian families: > > > > 1. When Christians are confronted about contradictions or problems in their religion, they often just double down or handwave away the problem rather than address it - “You just have to have _ **faith** _” - which comes across as, “I’m wrong, but you need to believe I’m right anyway.” > > > > 2. Some Christian parents or elders mistake outward compliance for inward conversion. They think that because they have forced their children to sit in the pews at church on Sunday or go to Sunday school, church retreats, Bible camp etc. that they’ve actually somehow caused inner conversion as well when in fact often it spurs even more internal rebellion. > > > > 3. Many Christians are prone to sharing fake news, and when they do so, they discredit their other beliefs as well, even the real/true ones. > > Excellent points! Especially number 2. It’s at least one point short, though: 1. As yet, Christians have failed to provide the atheist with a sufficiently good reason to accept their God claims, possibly because no such explanation exists given what is known or understood about the world at this time. In other words, it’s not just a flaw in the messenger, but the message (to include its providence) itself. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/30 "2020-05-06T19:17:38Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And I’m no longer interested in the question of whether a deity exists. So I’m a shrugnostic. I think more and more of we “nones” are simply not interested in the whole damn topic. I’m lucky to have lived almost all of my life in secular Maryland, where being a none has been no hardship at all. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/31 "2020-05-06T19:38:51Z")
I grew up in an indifferent household. I remember my mother was shocked when I expressed religious doubts in college. Well gee, mom, after ignoring it for the last 20 years, why are you now suddenly concerned? I think I may be more of a leave-me-alone-ist. I don’t push my non-belief on you, so please return the courtesy; or don’t be surprised when you get serious push-back. I vote. I’m actually a so-called supervoter: every municipal, county, state and federal election gets my attention. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/32 "2020-05-06T21:28:45Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Plus, you get an “I Voted” sticker!! > > I, an atheist, will be voting in Pennsylvania’s rescheduled June 2 primary. I’ll be voting for Biden, I’m not ashamed to say. Well, you’ve done it now! Although I, a practicing Lutheran, will be voting in Georgia’s rescheduled June 9 primary (the one good thing we’ve done in Georgia) the same exact way. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/33 "2020-05-06T21:54:48Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > A recall a decade or more ago, hearing of a poll saying more people were less likely to vote for an atheist candidate than just about any other designation. Wonder how reliable that was, and whether it still holds. [For what it’s worth](https://news.gallup.com/poll/285563/socialism-atheism-political-liabilities.aspx): from earlier this year, still showing “Atheist” scoring lower than “Muslim” or “Gay/Lesbian” and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/34 "2020-05-06T22:12:17Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > [For what it’s worth](https://news.gallup.com/poll/285563/socialism-atheism-political-liabilities.aspx): from earlier this year, still showing “Atheist” scoring lower than “Muslim” or “Gay/Lesbian” and so on. My theory on that is that “by-definition atheists” do not use the term, and instead use “none” or other terms used in this thread, because they have internalized societal opprobrium for being identified as atheists. Much like some males recoil at being called “gay” but readily admit to having sex with other men. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/35 "2020-05-07T01:24:57Z")
Doesn’t **Agnatheism** mean a belief in jawless deities though? Their bark would be worse than their bite, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/36 "2020-05-07T04:07:28Z")
> [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](#): > > Since you feel the need to paint us atheists with such a broad brush would you care to back up your statement with a cite or were you just making an incendiary comment for shits and giggles? It is my onion, based on sample observation, that atheists think they are less inclined than Christians to accept beliefs based on dubious evidence. Most will tell you that, first thing, if asked why they don’t believe in God. In my experience, which is where I get many of my opinions – not “cites”… ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/37 "2020-05-07T04:22:27Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And I’m no longer interested in the question of whether a deity exists. So I’m a shrugnostic. An atheist by education and choice, I have regarded the issue of whether a deity objectively exists as irrelevant for a long time. I wish I had come up with the term. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/38 "2020-05-07T04:58:50Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > What does this even mean? Since I know with a great deal of certainty how my state will go in a presidential election I shouldn’t bother voting? You do realize there are other things on a ballot? > . You may vote or not as you like. But for most Americans, I believe it is self-deceptive that voting has a meaningful impact in the steerage of the ship of state. In my state, half the candidates on the ballot are running unoppossed, and I’m not even sure if ballot issues are allowed. Voting has about the same effect as praying to God to intercede, but people do both as an article of faith. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/39 "2020-05-07T05:02:09Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > My theory on that is that “by-definition atheists” do not use the term, and instead use “none” or other terms used in this thread, because they have internalized societal opprobrium for being identified as atheists. I’ve seen some of this. People like this are usually the type who haven’t thought much about religion or spirituality, and from what they know about various belief systems, haven’t found an organized one that they think works for them. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246/40 "2020-05-07T05:08:55Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Thank God I am an atheist! And I do mean that sincerely. 😃 I swear there ain’t no heaven and pray there ain’t no hell… > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Doesn’t **Agnatheism** mean a belief in jawless deities though? Their bark would be worse than their bite, I guess. If you’re going to be dogmatic about it… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-in-america/853246.md?page=3)