In the political world, being an atheist is the worst.

[Goblinmonger]

More people would vote for you if you had an affair, were gay, were Hispanic, smoked weed, and many other things.

Can't wait for the regulars to tell us how easy we have it, though.

http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/politics-and-atheists-the-good-news-and-the-bad/

[Nye Bevan]

1. In the USA, maybe.

In the UK the leader of the Liberal Democrats said he was an atheist during the last election campaign, and nobody cared. Complete non-issue.

[Goblinmonger]

2. Yeah, well thanks for sending us the uptight religious in the 1600s

You really F'd us up well with that one! :evilgrin:

[Canuckistanian]

3. Same in Canada

Religion is not an election issue for our MPs or leaders. Ever.

Nor should it be.

[rustydog]

4. They are entitled to their belief, you are wrong in your unbelief!

I lean more towards agnostic. I have a difficult time with the born-again Christians judging others and telling us about the sanctity of marriage, the evil of gayness, the snctity of life while the death penalty is just peachy! How the homeless are lazy and the less fortunate just have to pull on those bootstraps just a bit harder and all will be ok 'cause Jesus says so!

If there is a Gawd he is deaf and complacent.

[awoke_in_2003]

26. i always say...

he is either loving and not omnipotent, or he is omnipotent and a sadist.

[Marr]

5. Yeah, but you don't have to see mean words about your faith on an internet forum.

See? It's all even. :silly:

[FLPanhandle]

6. Yep.

I live here in the Bible Belt. I couldn't win an election for dogcatcher since everyone knows I'm an atheist.

[gratuitous]

7. As good an excuse as any not to try

Nice self-fulfilling prophecy. Continue to sit on your hands and complain, good and faithful servant.

[Goblinmonger]

12. Yes. No atheist ever tries.

I don't even know where you're coming from, honestly.

[valerief]

8. Only the US and the fundy Arab nations allow themselves to be governed by religion. nt

[KurtNYC]

9. I'm wondering what "atheist" means to most people

Is it simply someone who doesn't attend church/temple? or is it someone who actively opposes other religions (since atheism is a religion)?

[VWolf]

10. Are you saying that the defining characteristic of a religion

is that it opposes other religions?

[KurtNYC]

30. almost all religions claim to be THE one way to believe

And if a religion is:

a set of beliefs held by a group about the meaning of life and the origin of the universe, and
a code of behavior the group holds to be more moral than other behaviors

then atheism may be a religion. Opposing other religions is a symptom of being a religion.

[VWolf]

32. "Opposing other religions is a symptom of being a religion"

Thanks for clarifying. I tend to agree with this sentiment.

[FLPanhandle]

11. Atheism is not a religion. nt

[Goblinmonger]

13. atheist =| anti-religious

Just saying.

[Solomon]

16. The religious love telling us that athiesm is a religion. They seem

to think it's a defense of religion.

One of the great stupid statements you hear in life.

[xfundy]

19. Not true.

Atheist = belief in no "gods." That is not "anti-religious" at all. I haven't noticed the daily news filled with stories of how atheists are burning churches and temples, calling for people who don't believe as they do to be punished, converted or killed, trying to keep marriage unequal, etc.

But, atheists do have one major trait in common with the religious! They both believe they "know."

Agnostics can't claim to "know" one way or the other. In fact, everyone, IMO, is agnostic, because no one can "know" for sure, either way, their claims to the contrary.

[Goblinmonger]

23. That is what the vertical line was to indicate after the equal sign. n/t

[arbusto_baboso]

18. Ah, the old "atheism is a religion" bullshit meme.

I have no more to say here. It's just good to know there's one more person on DU I no longer have to take seriously.

[NeedleCast]

20. Athiest/Apathetic Agnostic

I tell most people I am an athiest because it takes a lot less time to expain than apathetic agnostic. My views on religion basically boil down to thinking that even if there is a "higher power" of some sort that it is not inovolved in our life in any way, shape or form.

I don't oppose religion from an active standpoint. I think most believers are akin to adults who believer in unicorns or faries...generally harmless until they reach positions of power or influence where they can force their dogma on me or others.

(I'm not sure if you were trying to sugget it was, but athieism is no more a religion than bald is a hair color).

[KurtNYC]

31. religion and spirituality are 2 different things

I think there is a false choice offered in the mainstream -- you are either religious or atheist. It is entirely possible to believe in a high power but not in religion. But the media tends to pick up stories about "atheists" opposing public prayer, nativity scenes, etc. which makes them sound like a group. IMHO what should be a debate about how to respect the spirituality of everyone is instead framed as contest between Evangelical Christians and "atheists" -- as if those are the only choices or groups concerned.

I have a very literal mind so I have trouble separating the literal meaning of a word (eg. the belief that these is no God) from the way it is used by the media. That's why I threw the question out there.

[RaleighNCDUer]

21. I think the definition is pretty clear to most people -

simply that an atheist doesn't believe in god. Not that they (we) don't believe in ANY god, but (for most people) they don't believe in MY god. They intellectually understand an atheist not believing in OTHER gods, but they emotionally feel the atheist not believing in THEIR god.

Only idiots claim that atheism is a religion, but a person doesn't have to believe it is a religion to believe that atheists are attacking them personally, because to most people when a person says "all religions are superstitious nonsense nonsense" what they hear is "your core beliefs (yes, YOURS specifically) are superstitious nonsense". They, on a deep, subconscious level, understand that what they say, to people of every religion which is not theirs, is exactly the same, which is what gives rise to the 'atheism is a religion' concept - simple projection of their own beliefs, not an examination of the belief of the atheist.

As for 'doesn't attend church/temple' - that really applies to MOST people. A slight majority in this country attend church/temple on a weekly basis, and most of those who do would rather not if they could avoid it (this includes more than a few closet atheists, accompanying their spouses/parents). A great many more attend on special occasions - holy days and such. But an overwhelming majority call themselves religious whether they attend or not. So not attending has never been a good gauge of atheism, except for the whisperers ("Ive never seen XXX at church - he must be an ATHEIST!).

[LeftishBrit]

25. Atheism is not a religion. It's just lack of a belief in a God.

Some atheists are against all religions, just as some religious people are against all other religions or even sects/denominations of the same religion. But most don't care, so long as no one ostracizes or attacks them for being atheists, makes constant attempts to convert them, or forces religion-based laws on those who don't share the religion.

[damntexdem]

14. I dunno, it might be worse to be Muslim.

Tough call, though.

[dmallind]

15. Nope. Not even close. 15+ pt difference

[NeedleCast]

24. Chart says it all

We will have a female, minority, homosexual president before we will have a white, male, athiest president.

[Goblinmonger]

17. Go look at the chart.

And it's from about a week ago.

[yurbud]

22. the real test would be to ask Barney Frank if he is an atheist.

[LeftishBrit]

27. Fortunately, not (yet) the case everywhere

There have been many political leaders in the UK who were atheist, agnostic, or most commonly utterly indifferent to religion. 2 out of 3 of the current party leaders are known not to believe in God. Even politicians who are known to be definite Christian believers, such as Gordon Brown, usually don't go around injecting religion into politics,. Tony Blair, at least in the later stages of his career, was and is a notable exception. (IMO, the Christian Right, especially the political 'pro-life' movement, are making increasing encroachments into British public life; but it's not on anything like the scale in the USA.)

Many other countries have had atheist or agnostic leaders -e.g. Australia, New Zealand, several countries in Europe. Even more tellingly, it is quite common for most people to simply not have a clue what religion a leader has - it often just doesn't come up. The religious fervour in American politics is not very common in other democracies; though of course it is more extreme in places like Iran.

[Quantess]

28. In my world, atheists and agnostics are the best.

NGU

[Goblinmonger]

29. ...

:toast:

[AlanCranston]

33. Pete Stark is an atheist n/t