# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/21 "2021-07-13T21:15:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You have got it covered, don’t you? If they don’t mention God they are atheists, and if they do mention God they are hypocrites. I frankly don’t care what they believe. I just would love to see actual separation of church & state in politics. I’d also like a pony. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/22 "2021-07-13T21:19:34Z")
There are a handful of open atheist Democrats in Congress. Have any atheist Democrats run for President? I can’t think of any. Most atheists don’t care about a candidate’s religion, unless they’re fundamentalist. I think your opinion about how the Democratic party “treats” atheists is baseless. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/23 "2021-07-13T21:21:49Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Have any atheist Democrats run for President? Bernie? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/24 "2021-07-13T21:22:01Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > but by and large liberalism reflects a viewpoint that is compatible with a there-is-no-God worldview. Perhaps by and large liberals are more accepting of people of different beliefs. Thus they don’t shun Atheist like the religious right does without blinking an eye. They understand that sometimes compromise is necessary to gain strength where as others see it as a sign of weakness and breaking from the tribe. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/25 "2021-07-13T21:23:59Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yet, Democrats very often give atheists the cold shoulder. They’ve never run an openly atheist presidential candidate as far as I can tell, for instance, and I can’t recall the last time a Democrat ever said God didn’t exist (in contrast to vast numbers of both Republicans and Democrats who say God does exist). Considering that [atheists are far stauncher supporters of Democrats than religious people](https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-family/atheist/party-affiliation/), this is a strange way to treat an ally. In polls, atheist frequently come close to the bottom on the list of trustworthy people. But it’s not all bad news, according to this [article](https://news.gallup.com/poll/285563/socialism-atheism-political-liabilities.aspx), only 18% of poll responders in 1958 said they’d vote for a qualified atheist president while 60% of poll respondents in 2020 said they’d be willing to vote for a qualified atheist president. But only 41% of Republicans said they’d vote for an atheist versus 69% of Democrats who said they would. Republicans would rather vote for a gay presidential candidate than a homosexual. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/26 "2021-07-13T21:26:07Z")
Not according to this: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bernie-sanders-finally-answers-the-god-question/2016/01/26/83429390-bfb0-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bernie-sanders-finally-answers-the-god-question/2016/01/26/83429390-bfb0-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160_story.html) ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/27 "2021-07-13T21:28:29Z")
He ain’t foolin’ me. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/28 "2021-07-13T21:30:01Z")
This is one of the most poorly thought out OPs I ever seen. ---
**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 13, 2021, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/29 "2021-07-13T21:31:37Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > My point isn’t about power, but consistency There’s your problem right there. Most of the small-minded hobgoblins are on the Republican side. Consistency is WAY overrated. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/30 "2021-07-13T21:32:41Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > They’ve never run an openly atheist presidential candidate as far as I can tell, for instance Just to note that the Democratic Party (and, for that matter, the Republican Party, as well) doesn’t select candidates to participate in the primary process – anyone who files to run may do so, if they meet the filing requirements. (This led to some consternation among party members in 2016 and 2020, when Bernie Sanders ran in the Democratic primaries, even though he is an independent, and identifies as a socialist.) While, as far as I know, the Democratic party hasn’t ever had an atheist as its presidential nominee, that’s probably not on the “party” so much as the voters in the primary elections and caucuses having never selected one. As @Odesio notes above, until fairly recently, relatively few Americans would have voted for an atheist candidate. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/31 "2021-07-13T21:33:14Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Why don’t liberals and Democrats go full-bore, _“There is no God, it’s just us alone on a planet in a vast universe?”_ 1. People do not arrive at being religious from applying logic or consistency; they almost always do so because they were raised to be religious. That training sticks. 2. Because they’re trying to win elections and in the USA being openly atheist is political poison. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/32 "2021-07-13T21:33:33Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Consistency is WAY overrated. Not if you’re making hummus. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/33 "2021-07-13T21:34:36Z")
I don’t know why you would say that? Many people say he can quote parts of two Corinthians. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/34 "2021-07-13T21:37:16Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > > [@Velocity](#): > > > > You never hear a Democratic presidential candidate openly say, “There is no God.” The Democratic National Convention featured a lot of religious references. On the contrary, Democratic politicians praise religion all the time. > > > > Why don’t liberals and Democrats go full-bore, _“There is no God, it’s just us alone on a planet in a vast universe?”_ > > Cowardice, mostly. I’d call it honesty. The reality is that most Democrats, like most Republicans, consider themselves to be religious believers. So why should they pretend to be atheists? ---
**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:** [July 13, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/35 "2021-07-13T21:47:00Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Republicans would rather vote for a gay presidential candidate than a homosexual. That seems hard to believe. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/36 "2021-07-13T21:49:30Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Considering that [atheists are far stauncher supporters of Democrats than religious people](https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-family/atheist/party-affiliation/), this is a strange way to treat an ally. If you look at [the answer to that same question, from that same study, sliced the other way](https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/compare/belief-in-god/by/party-affiliation/): - 55% of Democrats (including those who “lean Democratic”) say that they believe in God, and are absolutely certain in this (among Republicans, this is 73%) - Another 21% of Democrats/lean Democratic say that they are fairly certain in their belief in God (among Republicans, it’s 17%) - Only 13% of Democrats/lean Democratic say that they do not believe in God (compared to 5% of Republicans) So, three-quarters (76%) of Democrats believe in God (adding up the “absolutely certain” and “fairly certain”). Yes, most atheists are Democrats. No, most Democrats are not atheists. Even among Democrats, atheists are still a fairly small minority of Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/37 "2021-07-13T21:49:32Z")
Yeah, as a religious socialist I completely reject the premise of the OP. Most Democrats are religious, although I think it is true that almost all non-religious Americans are Democrats, probably because the other party has embraced Christian identity politics. And as most young people aren’t religious, the fraction of atheistic Democrats is getting larger. They are starting to recognize this; I remember at some point Biden giving a speech with the standard line about how we are all Americans: Christians, Jews, Muslims…and then he added “and those of no faith”. I think that’s progress. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/38 "2021-07-13T22:00:00Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Republicans would rather vote for a gay presidential candidate than a homosexual. > > > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > > > That seems hard to believe. It’s that Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act vs Obamacare thingy. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/39 "2021-07-13T23:08:55Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I’m wondering why atheism gets a relatively cool reception within the Democratic Party despite being pretty much fully consistent with liberalism and progressivism. Not that there aren’t conservative atheists, but by and large liberalism reflects a viewpoint that is compatible with a there-is-no-God worldview. I still wonder why you think liberalism or progressivism is more compatible with atheism than conservativism is. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421/40 "2021-07-13T23:20:19Z")
What fresh nonsense is this? I spent all day at a teacher’s union training, focusing heavily on how to bring more people into the union. We talked about critical race theory, about charter schools and private schools, about defunding classrooms, about the loss of career protections, and a lot more. At one point, one participant said, “I don’t know how many of you are Bible readers, but I’m reminded of the verse, ‘Be ye ready’” (or something like that). Several other participants nodded sagely and "Mm-hmm!"ed her words, and someone else mentioned another, related story from the Bible. You say that atheism ties directly into liberalism? You know what else does? _Jesus’s message_. He spoke of respecting the weak and downtrodden. He spoke of the impossibility of rich fuckers going to heaven. He protected sex workers from oppressive laws. He told stories about overcoming racism. A shitload of liberals are liberals _because of_ their religion, not _in spite of_ their religion. It’s absurd to suggest otherwise. I may be an atheist, but I can find a ton of common cause with religious people whose religion motivates them to compassion and mercy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-liberals-and-democrats-fully-embrace-atheism/946421.md?page=3)