# Why don't liberals and Democrats fully embrace atheism? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 13, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421 "2021-07-13T20:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/224 "2021-07-19T09:35:40Z")
I always respect and am grateful for the moderators. > [@raventhief](#): > > pretending to be unaware of violence directed toward the queer community by bigots, religious or otherwise, _within recent memory_ smacks of bad faith posting, I agree, overlooking the violence and hatred done by atheists seems to be trying to blame people of faith alone. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/225 "2021-07-19T11:02:59Z")
I only read the first few, and the last few, posts so I hope I’m not repeating anyone when I say: The answer is the same as “Why don’t Conservatives fully embrace atheism?”. Because it’s not politically expedient in a country that is still very religious. Plus some theists tend to be intolerant of atheism (and sometimes vice versa), so it’s not a thing you can really play both sides on. Now I know the preceding question may have seemed ridiculous to some. But bear in mind religion is not inherently tied to the right-wing; that’s something that happened in the US, around the time of the Reagan presidency (IIRC it’s debateable whether he can be credited with this strategy though). It’s not something universal around the world. And let’s not forget that Jesus was all for sharing wealth, caring for those around us, pacifism (although he seemed to endorse all the OT smiting) etc. So ideologically, you could make a case for atheism seeming more attractive to the right, the more libertarian wing anyway. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/226 "2021-07-19T11:34:37Z")
I think the reason liberals don’t fully embrace atheism is because atheism is neither necessary nor sufficient to holding liberal views. There is an association, but that might be different in a different society. And the Democrats don’t embrace it because many if not most of the people who vote for them are religious. Not much mystery there. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/227 "2021-07-19T13:24:23Z")
A reminder that President Biden is not only devoutly religious, his inauguration was filled with religious (and specifically Christian) references. > **[For President Joe Biden, an inauguration filled with faith](https://religionnews.com/2021/01/20/for-president-joe-biden-an-inauguration-filled-with-faith/)** > > WASHINGTON (RNS) — Quoting the Bible, President Joe Biden declared: Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. 'We will get through this together!' Add me to the list of people who find the OP baffling. Democrats/liberals (broadly speaking) are fine with people holding religious beliefs, and also fine with people **not** holding religious beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/228 "2021-07-19T23:24:53Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Add me to the list of people who find the OP baffling. Democrats/liberals (broadly speaking) are fine with people holding religious beliefs, and also fine with people **not** holding religious beliefs. Biden, as far as I can tell, does not believe that he should force his religious beliefs, or ethical decisions based on his religious beliefs, on other people. That’s what gotten him in trouble with the cardinals. I think liberals in general, religious or non-religious, believe in decisions based on secular ethical arguments only. Personal ethical decisions can be based on faith. I’m fine with that. Except when they hurt other people. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/229 "2021-07-19T23:48:09Z")
Moderating: > I always respect and am grateful for the moderators. > > [@raventhief](#): > > > > pretending to be unaware of violence directed toward the queer community by bigots, religious or otherwise, _within recent memory_ smacks of bad faith posting, > > I agree, overlooking the violence and hatred done by atheists seems to be trying to blame people of faith alone. This is an official warning for repeatedly failing to follow moderator instructions in this thread. You may not “agree” with moderators by misstating their instructions as you simultaneously take your last shot at others who are complying with those instructions. This behavior is provocative and dismissive of prior mod notes, and therefore not permitted. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/230 "2021-07-19T23:49:43Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > moderators Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/231 "2021-07-19T23:50:18Z")
Noted. ---
**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:** [July 20, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/233 "2021-07-20T16:28:40Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I agree, overlooking the violence and hatred done by atheists seems to be trying to blame people of faith alone. Let me observe that the evil done by theists (e.g. to LGB…, but also by Inquisition and others) is a _result_ of their religious beliefs; the evil done by atheists, real enough, is not _caused_ by their atheism. This is a false equivalence. Stalin and Mao didn’t murder tens of millions because they hated believers. Even Hitler didn’t do it because they were believers, but because they were “racially impure”. ---
**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:** [July 20, 2021, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/234 "2021-07-20T17:42:11Z")
That’s a pretty important distinction that seems to get largely overlooked by those making that argument. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/235 "2021-07-20T19:54:45Z")
I’m disappointed by the number of people here who think atheism is a “bad stereotype.” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/236 "2021-07-20T20:05:25Z")
I don’t think people think (at least not many) that atheism is a bad stereotype, but that atheists are badly stereotyped. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/237 "2021-07-21T09:48:57Z")
Arguably the French Revolution had an anti-theist streak to it, but it would be extremely inaccurate to credit its sins wholly to its atheist ideals. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/238 "2021-07-21T10:02:38Z")
It had a strong anti-_clerical_ streak, true, which for some evolved into a generally anti-religious philosophy. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/239 "2021-07-21T11:02:21Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Let me observe that the evil done by theists (e.g. to LGB…, but also by Inquisition and others) is a _result_ of their religious beliefs; the evil done by atheists, real enough, is not _caused_ by their atheism. This is a false equivalence. Stalin and Mao didn’t murder tens of millions because they hated believers. Even Hitler didn’t do it because they were believers, but because they were “racially impure”. I’m not sure that’s generally true. In both cases we have ‘enemies within’, which might be heretics or LGBT for the religious, and ‘counter revolutionaries’ or class enemies for communists, and ‘enemies without’ - rival religions or political groups. In general there is some other motive for attacking these (power, money, group cohesion, etc) and the religion or political faction mostly serves to define the groups. Atheists don’t form a group in the same way religions do, but there are plenty of non-religious groups too, so atheism does not insulate a person or movement from this general dynamic. ---
**Author:** ![Mirtha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@Mirtha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirtha)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/240 "2021-07-21T11:21:04Z")
Probably because Christianity isn’t synonymous with either liberal Democrats or liberal Republicans. Heck, it’s not even synonymous with conservative Democrats or Republicans. (Roe v Wade, perfect example.) Any religion is just an answer first and then teachings to substantiate it, so it becomes the reason for moral compass. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/241 "2021-07-21T11:49:18Z")
If I’m a politician, I don’t want to offend groups of people, especially BIG groups of people. If I “embrace atheism”, I’m offending Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, etc, etc, etc. That’s a **B-I-G** group, no? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/242 "2021-07-23T22:00:16Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Atheists don’t form a group in the same way religions do, but there are plenty of non-religious groups too, so atheism does not insulate a person or movement from this general dynamic. Atheism doesn’t make people bad, and it also doesn’t make them good. So, yeah. > [@Jasmine](#): > > If I’m a politician, I don’t want to offend groups of people, especially BIG groups of people. If I “embrace atheism”, I’m offending Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, etc, etc, etc. That’s a **B-I-G** group, no? Oddly, being a Jew no longer offends Christians. I don’t know about being a Buddhist. We’ve mostly gotten over being a Catholic offending Protestants (after Al Smith.) So why should being an atheist offend someone more than being a Buddhist? I suspect it is the stereotypes, and the religious nature of a lot of places. I live in the secular Bay Area. My old congressman came out as an atheist near the end of his terms (but not before being reelected) and no one seemed to care. I have no idea of the religious affiliation of my current congressman. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/243 "2021-07-24T14:43:35Z")
Atheism is just another 'isim. The Dems should be secular. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/244 "2021-07-24T15:13:12Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > Atheism is just another 'isim. I too base my ideology based on what suffix the root word is modified by. Luckily there are lots of fun systems like “monarchy” or “autocracy” that don’t end in ‘ism’! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421.md?page=13)