# Should discrimination of atheists and agnostics be made illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 13, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471 "2019-02-13T16:23:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/41 "2019-02-20T06:24:36Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > Being that I think any _prejudicial_ discrimination (as opposed to the idea of simply distinguishing between and understanding different things) should be illegal when practiced by governments, **yes**! I even think that in situations in which it causes economic or physical harm it should be illegal when practiced by private individuals… ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/42 "2019-02-20T06:29:18Z")
If nothing else, it heads off any future issues with people who want to claim that they can freely discriminate against Atheists and the like under the claim that “They don’t have a religion, so this isn’t about Religion.” ---
**Author:** ![Pithily\_Effusive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pithily_effusive/32/252_2.png) [@Pithily\_Effusive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithily_Effusive)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/43 "2019-02-20T07:54:27Z")
> [@Razncain](#): > > If you’re referring to a personal revelation, I’ve only talked and read from others about theirs,… I am aware of the sort you have in mind. This is not one of those. It is a level of experience obtainable by anyone but rarely attempted for various not very complicated reasons. Depth of experience informs proportionately. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/44 "2019-02-20T11:30:53Z")
No. All types of discrimination should be legal. 99.9% of types of discrimination are legal. Outlawing discrimination against Christians is even sillier than outlawing discrimination based on physical characteristics, why double down on silliness? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/45 "2019-02-20T18:01:00Z")
> [@Littleman](#): > > Atheism is to Buddhism as theism is to protestantism. > > Afaict unless atheism is a recognized religion in general 1A doesn’t currently offer protection. 1A says no establishment of religion, or prohibition of religion. That first part protects atheists, as it prevents an establishment of religion. the rest of it, freedom of assembly, speech, press, and redress of grievances apply to everyone. > [@](#): > > You could be Buddhist a recognized atheist religion and be protected but can anyone cite anything supporting atheism as protected? Are you claiming that Buddhists do not believe in the supernatural or afterlife? 1A doesn’t say anything about theism vs atheism, but about religion. > [@](#): > > I did find one reference to it being ruled as protected by EO employment laws even though the wording was not originally clear, otherwise nothing. > Regardless, should it be , is the question. > > I think it could be argued that anti descrimimation laws could be clarified to mean they encompass any religious status, or that a lack of religious beliefs itself constitutes religious belief and therefore religion. Thereby including general atheists and agnostics in all the different laws. They could be, but they shouldn’t have to be.the point of 1a was not really to protect religion, it was specifically to protect people from religion. You could not impose your religion on me. That applies whether or not I have a religion of my own. > [@](#): > > Maybe a lazy way to do it … But it would take a supreme Court ruling indicating it. > > Btw, not voting for someone for any reason can’t be protected. We are free to descriminate for any reason we like when voting. That has nothing to do with it. the point was that there is quite a bit of public interest in discriminating against people for being atheist, not that they are not allowed to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/46 "2019-02-20T18:52:52Z")
Believing in a supernatural or afterlife doesn’t make you theist, if your beliefs include no God’s you are atheist. The word is athiest not aspritualis ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/47 "2019-02-20T19:31:37Z")
> [@Littleman](#): > > Believing in a supernatural or afterlife doesn’t make you theist, if your beliefs include no God’s you are atheist. Hey look, we are in agreement. I did not say that believing in supernatural or the afterlife makes you a theist, I said it makes you religious. Why does it sound like you were trying to argue with me there? Did you misunderstand something? > [@](#): > > The word is **athiest** not aspritualis the word is religious, not areligious. AND, my bold: nitpick, the word is atheist, not athiest. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/48 "2019-02-20T23:26:46Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Hey look, we are in agreement. I did not say that believing in supernatural or the afterlife makes you a theist, I said it makes you religious. > > Why does it sound like you were trying to argue with me there? Did you misunderstand something? > the word is religious, not areligious. > AND, my bold: nitpick, the word is atheist, not athiest. I know. The point of that was that many anti- descrimimation laws refer to religion, In a manner that isn’t really clear on lack of religion, so while a religious atheist like a Buddhist might be protected, I’m not so sure that atheists lacking a religion are necessarily protected. I know several people have said they are but it seems to me like it’s actually a little ambiguous in some cases. While there is definitely potential for descrimimation against atheists, I don’t know of any legal cases, I imagine if it were currently prevalent enough we would see cases. Nothing wrong with being proactive though. I certainly think the laws should apply, I see no reason to classify beliefs and lack of beliefs as different, and saying it is okay to descrimimate against non religious atheists would be tanamount to endorsing religion. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/49 "2019-02-20T23:30:48Z")
Damn, does your spellcheck not work? The word is “discrimination”, not “descrimimation”. It is annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/50 "2019-02-20T23:35:10Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Damn, does your spellcheck not work? The word is “discrimination”, not “descrimimation”. It is annoying. I think it’s actually decided after enough typos that the “m” Is correct. Fat fingers and phones… ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/51 "2019-02-22T02:13:25Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Damn, does your spellcheck not work? The word is “discrimination”, not “descrimimation”. It is annoying. If you absolutely have to “correct” someone on nitpicky stuff, please do it with an attitude resembling humor. Otherwise, take it to The BBQ Pit. EVERYONE, for goodness sake, drop all the pointless bickering over spelling. This is supposed to be Great Debates, not Whiny Kvetching. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![fedman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/278dde/32.png) [@fedman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/52 "2019-02-23T22:27:09Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I even think that in situations in which it causes economic or physical harm it should be illegal when practiced by private individuals… what about when protestant or catholic school says you have to Christian to work? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471/53 "2019-02-24T09:15:22Z")
> [@fedman](#): > > what about when protestant or catholic school says you have to Christian to work? Inappropriate. It causes economic harm to the candidates, and can deprive the students of a teacher who’s a perfectly good one. One of my teachers in a Jesuit HS was a married ex-Jesuit priest. While that specific detail was irrelevant to his teaching Spanish Grammar and Literature, it gave us a chance to talk with someone whose experiences were different from what we could get elsewhere. Many of us could talk more freely about life paths and life choices with our teachers than we could at home; the parents of some of my classmates were still in denial about their little baby being about to go to college when said little baby was in 12th grade. And he was a dang good teacher, the kind who kindles students’ love for the subject. My 6th-grade Religion class was Comparative Religion: is there any reason it can’t be taught by a Buddhist, an atheist or a Hindu? None I can come up with. While schools are supposed to teach certain principles along with the official course materials, stuff such as “say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’”, “help your neighbor” and “if you can’t be helpful, at least don’t be a jerk” isn’t linked to a specific religion. That was back when in Spain the choices of religion were pretty much “Catholic” and “non-practicing Catholic”. Nowadays both that same HS and the Nuns I attended K-8 would be perfectly happy to get a Muslim teacher: they’d like to be able to offer Arabic as a second language but can’t find qualified teachers for it anywhere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-discrimination-of-atheists-and-agnostics-be-made-illegal/829471.md?page=2)