Gallup poll, atheists least likely to be voted for

a recent gallup poll showed that 53% of people in this country would not vote for a well qualified atheist

link to results

If Your Party Nominated A Generally Would You Be Comfortable
In Voting Well-Qualified Candidate For WH '08 For A WH
'08er Who Was ___, Would You Vote For That Person?

Yes No
Catholic 95% 4%
Black 94 5
Jewish 92 7
A woman 88 11
Hispanic 87 12
Mormon 72 24
Married for third time 67 30
72 years old 57 42
A homosexual 55 43
An atheist 45 53

this speaks volumes to the ignorance that is perpetrated and revealed in politics and about how intolerant people are towards atheists in america

I'm surprised the number was that high for atheists. I thought it would be around 20%.

Since we are on this topic...

There are at least 9 of the 10 groups represented in Congress

The one missing are the atheists. Are there any known atheists in the House or Senate currently?

Originally posted by RRconservative
The one missing are the atheists. Are there any known atheists in the House or Senate currently?

there are no KNOWN atheists holding elected positions in the federal government

i think there is a group that offers a prize for anyone who finds evidence that there is representation for atheists in the fed

I actually feel personally offended by this...almost hurt...angry even.

Although I'm closer to agnostic than atheist...

Originally posted by Kacen
I actually feel personally offended by this...almost hurt...angry even.

Although I'm closer to agnostic than atheist...

unfortunately most people aren't able to tell the difference
we're all just godless and unamerican to them

I have my eyes on the congressional seat for my home district, somewhere between 2012 and 2016, depending how well certain plans I have for my life develop in the intervening years, so this topic is of some obvious importance to me as someone who lost the faith years ago.

I wonder how the phrasing might have affected the question. In my experience with a baptist church, athiest and agnostic are very loaded words.

In churches as I have known them, your non-christian friends are people who haven't found Jesus or are unsaved or don't go to church, while an athiest is synonymous with a secular humanist, which is a bitter old man with frazzled white hair and a mustache who wears a badly out of date sweater-vest, smokes a pipe, and divides his time between sending his children on field trips to orgies, reading The Origin of Species, and writing scathing letters to the editor of the local newspaper condemning anyone stupid enough to believe in a God.

I bet athiests would gain at least 10 points in that survey if they were referred to as "someone who doesn't go to church", and probably at least 5 if referred to as "someone who doesn't choose to practice any religion".

To the Christian mindset that I have witnessed, there is a big difference; athiests are often active enemies of religion in their parlance, as opposed to people who just haven't been convinced.

The man who several years ago was my pastor is still my best friend. He wouldn't call me an athiest, although he knows I am. He'd say I'm unsaved. Big difference. Not only am I not the enemy, but I still have considerable back-channel clout in church affairs (which badly need analysis by someone who doesn't love and trust everyone who is financially and politically involved in the church), but that's another story.


It also bears mentioning however that the spread reflected in that survey is probably flawed, and it may hint at some very interesting perceptions.

For example, black candidates tend to poll higher than they actually get on election day because everyone knows its wrong to discriminate against them. Everyone also knows that opposition to Catholic office holders proved rather backwards when it came to Kennedy.

So are women really less likely to be elected than blacks? That's hard to say. On the one hand, a black candidate might underperform that poll. On the other hand, fewer people even feel guilty about being prejudiced against a woman.

That's what I feel that survey really reflects: people's comfort level in admitting to prejudice. This, however, makes the bias against athiests even more disquieting. Look at the groups which polled outside lower than the 70s- the "D" to "F" range. At least you can see how people rationalize their bias in some cases.

The divorce expert seems to have some problems with long-term decision making. The old guy might die or might be losing a step.
But then at the very bottom, gays and athiests. Where is the rationalization? It's a simple matter of "they aren't like us and we don't trust them."

vagabond, you deserve the way above i just gave you for that post

you're right, atheist, agnostic, and secular humanist all seem to be synonyms for "anti-american commie" these days

No, I don't think atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under god.

- George Herbert Walker Bush

why is it that atheists are able to be the target of discrimination?

honestly, why are people able to discrimate against the non-religious, while it is taboo for someone to even brush against someone's religious beliefs the wrong way?

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
why is it that atheists are able to be the target of discrimination?

honestly, why are people able to discrimate against the non-religious, while it is taboo for someone to even brush against someone's religious beliefs the wrong way?

Look at this logically and from a political point of view.

First of all, I'm sure that at least one third of politicians are atheists/agnostics/satanists/nonreligious. Most intelligent people fall into this catagory, and most politicians are smart. I know that's not a politically correct thing to say, but it's true.

Also, many politicians (mainly the GOP) use religion to manipulate people, so the non-religious must be villified in the process. An entire belief system (or lack thereof) becomes collateral damage, and that's completely acceptable if voters can be swayed. Even the non-religious members of the GOP have learned to accept this casualty, because, after all, most politicians are more concerned with their career than their beliefs, even the religious ones.
If anything, it's sad, because it displays the level of intelligence in this country and the malleability of its populace.

I could go on, but whatever.

I know there is a book about how GWB has used religion to play the evangelicals like pianos, but I don't know the name of either the book or the author. Madness, maybe you call help me out?

Here's the real question... How many of these politicians do you actually think believe in God?

All they have to do is go to church once a week and the American people will take them seriously.

Originally posted by LostSailor
Here's the real question... How many of these politicians do you actually think believe in God?

well, all of them on the federal level say they do

All they have to do is go to church once a week and the American people will take them seriously.

which shows you the sorry state of american politics. look religious and you get that aspect of the voting population on your side

We're coming upon another election this November and I was wondering if the issue of non-religion is a deal-breaker for those on ATS now. It's quite obvious that the Islamic religion is being demonized by many in politics today, so I'd like to see how the other popular scapegoat is fairing.

I'm really surprised that this issue is being ignored, especially with all the religious fervor that the GOP and the Tea Party have been whipping up these last few months...