The stigma of being an atheist in the US

By Aleem Maqbool for BBC News

4 August 2014

Atheists in the US are rallying together, launching a new TV programme and providing support for those who go public with their beliefs. "Sometimes things need to be said, and fights need to be fought even if they are unpopular. To the closeted atheists, you are not alone, and you deserve equality." So goes the rousing speech from the American Atheists president, David Silverman, in the opening moments of the first US television broadcaster dedicated to those who do not believe in God, Atheist TV. A series of testimonies from prominent atheists then follows. "It's one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life and I completely advocate people 'coming out'," says Mark Hatcher, from Black Atheists of America. "Coming out" is how many atheists in the USA describe what remains, for many, a very difficult admission to make publicly.

At one of the biggest gatherings of atheist students in the country, in Columbus, Ohio, Jamila Bey from the Secular Student Alliance said there were many attendees who were nervous about being interviewed and had indicated so by what they were wearing around their neck. "Red lanyards mean 'You may not talk to me'," says Bey. "A number of the students we have aren't 'out'. Their parents may not know that they are atheist or questioning their religion." She said many were worried about being ostracised or were even scared of violence if they revealed they did not believe in God. Lasan Dancay-Bangura, 22, is happy to talk to us. He is, after all, head of his university's atheist student group. He lets out a deep, sad sigh as he recalls the moment he told his mother he was an atheist. "Things were really not good to begin with. She was so angry," he says. "After a while I think she just accepted it. We still don't talk about it. It looks like she's not going to kick me out." Dancay-Bangura admits that he still has not told his father. "I don't want our relationship to be destroyed because of that," he says. "You hear it all the time. And you hear about people being kicked out, and sent to bible camps where they're forced to be religious. I don't want to lose my father to that."

The parents of Katelyn Campbell, 19, from West Virginia, have been very supportive of her stance as an atheist. Her problem has been other members of the community. "In high school, when I walked down the hallway it would be completely silent, or I would be spat on," Katelyn says. Two years ago, she protested against the inclusion of religion and abstinence in her school sex education classes. She is still feeling the impact. "Often times I'm really uncomfortable being out in public spaces in my community at home because people often bring that discussion to my face, which is a discussion of values that are very personal and very private," she says.

A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre shows Americans would rather have a president who was either in their 70s, or openly gay, or who had never held any public office than one that was atheist. Astonishingly, a previous poll by Pew suggested respondents in the US regarded atheists as less trustworthy than rapists. One of Atheist TV's new phone-in programmes, The Atheist Experience, has already had a taste of how many Americans perceive "non-believers".

"So you were studying to be a minister, and now you don't believe in God? You're the devil," one caller tells the host. "You're a Marxist, you're an atheist and you're from Russia," says another.

At the atheist student event in Ohio, they are trying to change things. T-shirts are laid out for sale on one of the vending tables. "Godless Goddess" says one; "This is what an atheist looks like" says another. Beside the stall stands Andrew Seidel, an attorney for the Freedom from Religion Foundation. "Many Americans think they have never met another atheist, but that is because so many are afraid to publicly acknowledge it," says Andrew. "The way we'll win this fight is because of demographics. Just like it was really important for the LGBT movement to come out of the closet, it's important for us to say it loud and say it proud, 'I'm an atheist!'"

And it does appear the demographics are changing, particularly among the young, where the proportion of those identifying themselves as "religiously unaffiliated" is rising. But America has a much higher proportion of people who say religion is very important to them as compared to European countries. "America is an anomaly because, number one, we were founded by Puritans," Bay says. More recently, particularly for the African-American community in the civil rights struggle, but also for many other minority communities, Bey says she feels religion became a way of gaining acceptance. "It was a way to say 'I'm a good Christian, you shouldn't turn fire hoses on me, and you should let my child go to the school with little white children, Jesus loves us all'," she says. The new TV channel is part of atheist groups' own civil rights movement. But real acceptance, particularly for those serving in public office, in a country where no serving congressman or woman is openly atheist, could still be some way off.

[OK, I can honestly say that I read parts of this literally open-mouthed with astonishment. I knew it was bad over there but please… spitting on people because they’re atheists? Trusting rapists more? I just can’t process that kind of thing. It just bounces off my head and leaves me with a WTF look on my face. I suppose that’s because it’s so contrary to my own experience. I’m been a, sometimes outspoken, atheist all of my life and, as far as I can tell, have never suffered any kind of discrimination. Not once that comes to mind. In fact I am unaware of any of my atheist friends being on the receiving end of any kind of negativity. So the whole idea is completely foreign to me. I actually have trouble getting my head around even the idea of that kind of discrimination, never mind its application. I have never felt singled out because of my beliefs, and have definitely never thought that I should hide them or be cautious of who I ‘came out’ to. People around me very quickly discover that I am a non-believer and either agree with me, politely ignore the fact, or engage in a discussion (usually low-key). I’ve had a few arguments with Christians who tried to push their beliefs on me but they quickly realised that they are wasting their time and decide to go elsewhere. That’s about as bad as it gets in my experience. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but I don’t think so. I am lucky enough, blessed you could say, to have been born in a secular country that is largely either indifferent to religion or of the opinion that it is a private and personal matter, not a societal one. I am very happy for that to be the case. If I lived in some parts of America I think that I would have serious problems just going about my daily life. So I feel for you guys over there who have to put up with this shit. The Civil and Gay Rights Movements seem to be good models for Atheist emancipation. So be loud, be proud and make a point of sitting at the front of the bus. In time you will be accepted by most of the rest of your countries citizens and be judged on your actions and your character and not if you believe in God. May that day come sooner than you think it will.]