What's the best place to be for an atheist?

In My Humble Opinion
21

My take as one who now lives in Czechia: it’s a great place to be an atheist. It is one of the most secular countries in the world; most people are atheists or agnostics and publicly saying you’re not religious or even criticizing religion (within certain bounds of civility) is socially acceptable. Those who are religious tend not to be particularly devoted to practicing religion.

On top of this, atheism is actually protected by the constitution. Specifically, in Czech law, the right to freedom of religion is referred to as “freedom of confession.” Per Article 15, Paragraph 1 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms: “Svoboda myšlení, svědomí a náboženského vyznání je zaručena. Každý má právo změnit své náboženství nebo víru anebo být bez náboženského vyznání.” (my emphasis)

My translation: “Freedom of thought, conscience and religious confession is guaranteed. Everyone has the right to change their religion or to be without a religious confession.”

It is true that some of the main national holidays are originally religious ones: Christmas, Easter, St. Wenceslas’ feast day, the feast day of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, and the day of the burning of Master Jan Hus at the stake. However, no one pushes going to church on that day. Many people restrict themselves to observing the days in secular ways (and there are quite a few non-religious traditions associated with Christmas and Easter). Moreover, the last two named holidays (which are back to back on 5 and 6 July) and that of St. Wenceslas’ Day have historical backgrounds that transcend religion (Sts. Cyril and Methodius brought not only religion, but also greater literacy to Great Moravia, an ancestor state of the Czech lands; St. Wenceslas - the Good King Wenceslas of the carol - was an early Bohemian duke, and Jan Hus a religious reformer whose teachings started a Czech form of early protestantism that had a major impact on Bohemia’s orientation in late Medieval and later European history).

Religion has had a great impact on society and culture. A lot of customs and symbols have some origin in it. Think of all the flags with crosses on them that have become distinct and recognizable national symbols (the UK, Switzerland, all the Nordic countries, and so on). The expression “Good bye” comes from “God be with ye.”

I would be more concerned if there were things like state-sponsored prayers, but see, the Czech Republic is pretty much completely free of this. I have never been present somewhere where there was a state-sponsored prayer, with the exception of some minor local WWII-themed memorial services where there was a military chaplain present.

This country does maintain a register of officially registered religious denominations, which gives them some rights (such as officiating at legally-binding wedding ceremonies), but according to the Constitution, the religious groups carry out their operation independently of the state and the state must not bind itself to any ideology, including religious ideology.

During Communism, approved churches were overseen by the state, and for some time after, they were actually sponsored – and ministers of religion given a salary – by the state. This was the case when I first came here in 2003. However, since then, a law has been passed to phase this system out.

All things considered, in the Czech Republic, the practice of religion is something that you and only you decide how much you will involve yourself in it.

22

The problem is that red state Christian fanatics control government in the US and you may live in a liberal enclave, but their fundamentalism dictates your healthcare options (especially for women) and all kinds of federal policies. These same fanatics keep launching ill-devised holy wars in the Middle East and view science as liberal black magic, stopping research into things like mitigating climate change.

23

In Texas now requires Bible reading by public school students and posting of the 10 Commandments in all public school classrooms. (Protestant versions, not Catholic)

24

And there is a concerted campaign by religious fanatics in the US to undermine gay marriage. While the immediate impact will be felt at the state level in red states, it won’t stop there.

25

I don’t disagree, but that’s a broader issue than just “what are locations in which an atheist doesn’t need to worry about being attacked or marginalized simply for being an atheist?”

That said, at least in the U.S., there’s likely a strong overlap between being an atheist, and being a liberal or progressive on a range of other issues.

26

Not since the destruction of the Second Temple, at least vis-à-vis the “make them into slaves” part.

27

FWIW Israel today is not a great place to be an atheist. One will experience discrimination, from being able to immigrate there in the first place (the wise thing to do is never to answer any question concerning religion, which is none of the government’s business, but I would not be surprised if falling into that trap and declaring “atheist” ends up worse than not answering), to not having basic civil rights (to marry, for instance). And there are religious people there for whom it is within the pale to bother you (or even, as in the case of a friend of mine, throw stones at you— I do not know the precise details, but she was apparently walking through the wrong neighbourhood wearing the wrong clothes, and she was just a tourist from Italy.).

I do not know if it is as bad as in Iran.

28

A Bar that is closing down, and is giving away free drinks.

29

ISTM we’ve sort of gotten afield here about what “best place” means to an atheist.

To me at least, it’s not about whether my neighbors ask which church I attend.

It’s about whether the government I live under has its laws designed by religionists in accordance with their ignorant and chauvinistic beliefs. And secondarily whether the larger society is organized on the same lines.

If we fix those two problems, the microaggressions of e.g. “Which church?” disappear. And until we fix those problems, the microaggressions are as nothing compared to the organized unrelenting aggressions of religion as a (the?) defining social and governmental force.

Yet another reason the USA is really unfit for human habitation. And getting worse.

30

I don’t think that’s strictly necessary. What’s more important is that the government is secular. Ironically enough, that also yields the most religious freedom too.

That’s been touched on as a non-universal situation. Also, I suspect it becomes more of an issue the more involved you get in the community.

Despite the US Government’s ostensible secularism, it’s still a political death sentence to be an atheist candidate except in some very specific circumstances. Many states had (and still have, even if not enforceable) laws requiring some sort of religious profession, including outright forbidding atheists from holding office. Even if the legal restrictions are (mostly) gone, the cultural ones remain.

31

The principle of “an eye for an eye” - which originated in The Code of Hammurabi” - is widely misunderstood. The intent is moderation; The punishment must not exceed the crime.

32

Assuming that’s accurate (and I sure don’t know, so I’m not disputing), that’s an idea our supposedly more enlightened societies have utterly forgotten.

From the UK’s transportation to penal Australia for shoplifting to the US’s drug crimes and “3 strikes” laws, we’re doing it wrong.

The 21st Century: now more barbaric than 2+ millenia ago.

That’s one hell of a tagline to be proud of.

33

To the OP, it seems clear that Western Europe is the answer. Irreligious freedom is both legally protected and culturally embraced there.

Quick catchup on some Jewish issues that have come up:

The commandment to commit all those genocides in the Book of Numbers was strictly a one-shot deal, and the Talmud specifically warns against taking it as a general model for international relations.

You have to prove you are ethnically a Jew in order to claim Israeli citizenship. Actual religious belief is irrelevant. It’s true that anyone (except Palestinians) can convert to Judaism and move to Israel, so in that sense there is religious discrimination against people not willing to do that.

Surprisingly, the Talmud says that the “eye for an eye” stuff was not meant to be taken literally. It’s just a colorful way of saying that a person who is injured by another should take him to court and collect financial damages. (A cynic might say that the function of the Talmud is to sanewash the actual Bible)

34

In which one horrendous event begets another equally horrendous event.

35

Where’s that like button?

36

There is a potentially valid view that people who don’t believe in a religion but who are well motivated to pretend they do are even worse than believers.