# Why is atheism a sausagefest? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 15, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005 "2011-05-15T16:30:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/41 "2011-05-16T17:01:32Z")
> [@Old\_Eel](#): > > Yeah, I have a hard time figuring out why anybody would want to go to atheist gatherings other than as an alternative to a Christmas party or whatever. To try to meet women. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/42 "2011-05-16T17:03:48Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > To try to meet women. Or men, I hear there are a lot of them at atheist meetings. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/43 "2011-05-16T17:34:17Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Some of them, specifically the Catholics, want to impose their own religious values in secular law. :dubious: Since when? Last time I checked, it was usually the fundamentalists Christians. Catholics aren’t fundies. (Unless you’re talking about abortion, in which that isn’t soley a Catholic viewpoint) ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/44 "2011-05-16T17:42:40Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > :dubious: > > Since when? Last time I checked, it was usually the fundamentalists Christians. Catholics aren’t fundies. > > (Unless you’re talking about abortion, in which that isn’t soley a Catholic viewpoint) It isn’t even a solely religious viewpoint. There are non-religious people who believe that abortion should be illegal. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/45 "2011-05-16T18:03:16Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I’m amazed that there even are such things as atheist groups. What possible function do they serve? What do you do there? Discuss all the various gods in which you lack belief? Sounds boring, in addition to being a sausagefest. This always comes up in these sorts of discussions, but I don’t think it’s that unreasonable to want to join such a group. I’ve never done so, so this is just speculation. Yeah, the only thing that I explicitly share with other atheists is not a particularly defining characteristic. But, just from a statistical standpoint, I’m likely to have a lot in common with other people who are self-professed atheists. We’re likely to be young, male, well-educated, and from a similar socioeconomic background. The women are more likely to engage in pre-marital sex. If I were looking for a loosely-defined social club, I could do a lot worse. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/46 "2011-05-16T18:42:14Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > :dubious: > > Since when? Last time I checked, it was usually the fundamentalists Christians. Catholics aren’t fundies. > > (Unless you’re talking about abortion, in which that isn’t soley a Catholic viewpoint) The abortion issue isn’t just a Catholic one, but many Catholics DO want laws passed that are friendlier to those who are religious. A lot of Catholics want school vouchers to go to religious schools, for instance, which I absolutely don’t want. Or they want to opt out of paying taxes for public schools if they send their kids to Catholic schools. Oh, and my parents are Catholic. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/47 "2011-05-16T18:57:15Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > The women are more likely to engage in pre-marital sex. I agreed with your entire post save for this part. As far as I’ve seen the stats are that over 90% of women have premarital sex nowadays. Perhaps 30 years ago that wasn’t the case but today it surely is. I would agree that nonbelievers are more sexually adventurous, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/48 "2011-05-16T18:59:06Z")
Just a WAG, but men (especially white men) are probably more likely to feel empowered enough to be athiests. There seems to be stronger religious sentiment among the traditionally less-empowered (women, minorities). And why not? If the real world was shitting on me, I’d be looking elsewhere for comfort, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/49 "2011-05-16T19:37:18Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I agreed with your entire post save for this part. As far as I’ve seen the stats are that over 90% of women have premarital sex nowadays. Perhaps 30 years ago that wasn’t the case but today it surely is. I would agree that nonbelievers are more sexually adventurous, for sure. I’d guess that if you are looking to get laid, being Pagan is probably your best bet. More women, and the occasional group that believes in sex as ritual. Atheists just aren’t going to believe the sex is sacred thing. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/50 "2011-05-16T19:47:14Z")
If the lengthy and lively comments sections at [Pharyngula](http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/) (one of the leading atheist blogs) are at all reflective of what goes on at atheist meetings\* then I am not surprised at all that most women are not comfortable at them. That place is a huge circle-jerk of aggressive, atheister-than-thou, macho-nerd posturing. If someone dares (as very occasionally happens) to voice an opinion along the lines of “Yes, there is no god, but maybe not all people who believe that there is a god are complete morons, and maybe religion’s influence on the course of history has not always been entirely evil,” then they will very quickly, and repeatedly, be slapped down, both with insults both crude and subtle, and with clever but patronizing displays of atheistic casuistry - and again, and more of the same. Personally, as a male atheist, I quite enjoy reading a bit of it now and then (and Myers’ own blog posts are usually well written, well reasoned, thought provoking, and often quite sensible), but if I read too much of the comments section (and there are lots of comments) I soon become sickened by it all. If, I as a heterosexual male atheist, cant stand all this macho posturing, it is hardly surprising if most women don’t like it (and I am sure it would be much worse to confront in person, compared to reading it on a web page that you click away from at any time). The problem is not sexism as such. Most of the Pharyngulaites (and certainly their prophet, Meyers) seem to be avowed male feminists, and there is very little sign of overt misogyny (and that will get slapped down smartish too, if it appears), but it is still a very masculine and aggressive social environment. (And yes, I do not doubt that a small handful of the regular participants at Pharyngula are women. That does not negate the point.) ```auto *I don’t know if it is. I have been an atheist for over 40 years, and have never felt the urge to attend a meeting. Heck, one of the selling points for me was that you don't have to waste your time going to Church! ``` ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/51 "2011-05-16T19:50:50Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > I agreed with your entire post save for this part. As far as I’ve seen the stats are that over 90% of women have premarital sex nowadays. Perhaps 30 years ago that wasn’t the case but today it surely is. I would agree that nonbelievers are more sexually adventurous, for sure. Sure, but religious women are less likely to do so than the average population, and atheist women are more likely to do so. What I said was correct. It was also intended sort of tongue-in-cheek. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/52 "2011-05-16T20:33:13Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > It was also intended sort of tongue-in-cheek. They’re more likely to do that, too. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/53 "2011-05-16T21:24:51Z")
I’m a woman and an atheist since age 12, and frankly, what’s to discuss? If somebody doesn’t get it, I certainly don’t want to waste my time trying to convince them that supernatural beings don’t exist. I have better things to do. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/54 "2011-05-16T23:13:37Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > This always comes up in these sorts of discussions, but I don’t think it’s that unreasonable to want to join such a group. I’ve never done so, so this is just speculation. > > Yeah, the only thing that I explicitly share with other atheists is not a particularly defining characteristic. But, just from a statistical standpoint, I’m likely to have a lot in common with other people who are self-professed atheists. We’re likely to be young, male, well-educated, and from a similar socioeconomic background. The women are more likely to engage in pre-marital sex. > > If I were looking for a loosely-defined social club, I could do a lot worse. But that’s the point. It’s not really an atheist meeting group if you are getting together for reasons other than your atheism. Actually getting together due to your lack of belief would be stupid. And if all women have in common is the same lack of belief, they have no reason to go. They don’t get the same things out of it as men do. I suspect something similar is happening with women identifying as atheists in the first place. These guys get something out of such self-identification that the women do not. Or the women lose something the men do not. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/55 "2011-05-17T01:24:10Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > I’m a woman and an atheist since age 12, and frankly, what’s to discuss? If somebody doesn’t get it, I certainly don’t want to waste my time trying to convince them that supernatural beings don’t exist. I have better things to do. Something like this. As ardent/convinced an atheist as any, but in my spare time I like sitting around with my besties (who happen to be atheists I can dish harsh dirt with) drinking wine and talk about movies and legos and birdwatching and cats and books and bourbon and bicycling, rather than my lack of a faith. Life’s more interesting than that. I feel the same “meh” about going to UU churches. Want fellowship, atheists? Join a damn book club. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/56 "2011-05-17T02:11:36Z")
I belong to one online group, and there is all sorts of discussion. I’ve noticed maybe fifty percent of the topics are about religions and their horrors. And then some people have gotten to know each other enough that there’s friends and family talk. It’s not much different from here, only fewer regular posters. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/57 "2011-05-17T02:21:30Z")
Same reason Cosmo runs horoscopes and GQ doesn’t 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/58 "2011-05-17T02:52:33Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I have been an atheist for over 40 years, and have never felt the urge to attend a meeting. …alcoholics go to meetings. Wait, wrong joke. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/59 "2011-05-17T19:38:27Z")
You know, I had never even considered that atheism was at all lopsided by gender, because I’ve never seen any evidence of it. When I was young the country’s most famous atheist was a woman. The small group of atheists I knew as a teen had about equal numbers of males and females. The Freedom from Religion Foundation events I attended and the newsletters I read as a young adult had quite a number of women involved, and indeed the group was started by a prominent feminist and her daughter. As an adult the people I know and can say with any certainty are atheists about even split by gender. But then it doesn’t surprise me that online forums and social groups are dominated by men. Men like to dominate, and the more socially ostracized they are the less social skills they seem to have in general. Go figure. What some of these guys need to understand is it’s not that their atheism is preventing them from finding girlfriends or even just friends in general, it’s that their attitude toward other people is highly unpleasant. If atheism were suddenly the dominant belief system tomorrow, today’s most vocal online atheists would likely still feel ostracized and have chips on their shoulders but over some other belief they hold but that the majority does not. Then they’d probably be trying to form some other social group to focus on this one thing and try to feel welcomed while at the same time not doing anything to welcome anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005/60 "2011-05-18T08:02:04Z")
I think the title needs a qualifier of “in the US”, at the very least. Because I’m a woman, I’m an atheist, pretty much everyone I know bar one or two people is an atheist, and my friends and acquaintances are certainly not all men. The idea of an atheist group had never occurred to me - are atheists really that few and far between in the US? Don’t people go to church to find others who share their beliefs because, in general, people don’t? That’s the way I’d always seen it. This thread, and the way religion and church have been talked about is eye-opening - I often have a sort of underlying feeling (false, silly, and based almost entirely on the amount of US media we get here, I think, but existent nonetheless) that the US is more or less like here but with different accents and food - threads like this blow that out of the water. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-atheism-a-sausagefest/582005.md?page=4)