LINK 10 facts about atheists | Pew Research Center
Growing--or just coming out of the closet--but still not popular.
Americans like atheists less than they like members of most major religious groups. A 2014 Pew Research Center survey asked Americans to rate groups on a “feeling thermometer” from zero (as cold and negative as possible) to 100 (the warmest, most positive possible rating).
U.S. adults gave atheists an average rating of 41, comparable to the rating they gave Muslims (40) and far colder than the average given to Jews (63), Catholics (62) and evangelical Christians (61).
7
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11 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.That coldness factor is largely due to the abrasive character of the "big name" atheists like Dawkins, Hitchens, Krauss and Harris. We would be better served by better representatives.
Atheopagan
Level 6
Apr 6, 2018
1
It's the message as well as the messenger.
Those who wrap themselves in warm delusions don't want cold reality slapping their fictional narratives away.
If you ask people to rate other humans by some label, Jew, Chistian, Evangelical or what have you
You are not getting any estimation of what people think of other humans
BUT what they think instead of the label
Davesnothere
Level 7
Mar 30, 2018
2
Sometimes it's the most straightforward means that elude you. Thank you for bringing that up!
Love Pew. Thanks for posting. Did the whole fear of Atheists spring from labor union strikes and Communism in the 1920s. I don't know this for sure. But, wonder if that was the start and then following WWII and the struggle with Russia/dividing up Berlin, whether scapegoating Communists/Atheists was popularized again with McCarthyism? And, certainly, more recently, as churches have seen their numbers dwindle, while nonbelievers numbers rise, wouldn't this lead to more 'scapegoating' to keep hold of the flock?
crazycurlz
Level 7
Mar 30, 2018
2
I think it's always been there, no?
We're a nation founded by people too religious for England, and that Puritanical ethic has stayed glued into our "God, Guts, and Guns" mentality that "conquered the West" and rid the plains of the Godless savages.
I certainly do think the 50s McCarthyism added fuel to the fire, but the notion that we're a nation of free-thinkers is limited to the Founding Fathers. The majority of the populace are anything but.
@WileEQuixote A lot there to consider, WileE...hey, who is WileEQuixote to you??? 
@crazycurlz God, of course. 
One, Catholics are Christian. They just are not Protestant. Two, Americans are already on a slippery slope in just about any study, graph or forum. So who wants to be approved by that majority?
Angelface
Level 7
Mar 30, 2018
0
Pew actually differentiates Christian sects for their studies. They are very thorough. So, it might be they are distinguishing evangelical Christians and Catholics here
Exposure and education is the only way to overcome the negative misconception. CNN, an overtly biased news source, as is Fox News, started running ads for non- believer organizations. I haven’t seen them yet. Anyone?
Markus
Level 7
Mar 29, 2018
0
@WizardBill That must be it. I just caught the end of it and Reagan's statement about hell. Thanks
Seems the percentage if Atheists is low. I have it figured to about 3 to maybe 4 percent in Georgia.
Reignmond
Level 7
Mar 29, 2018
0
How'd you figure it?
@WileEQuixote
I live in semirural "bible belt" Georgia, and I know quite a lot of folks in the area and a few from outside. As an Atheist, I have had what would seem to be a quite surprising number of people confide that they 'don't really believe all that religious nonsense', but they play along because of family, friends, and bible belt culture. I estimate (by counting up as best as I can) it to come to about 3 to 4 people out of every 100 that I know. My sampling is fairly random since I don't get to actively choose who they are and they range across illegal immigrants to citizens; business owners to renters; those who appear obviously wealthy to those who are on Welfare; to Africans, Europeans, and Asians. When I moved here I half expected to be stoned. Quite a surprise!
@Reignmond Interesting.
@WileEQuixote
There is a real chance I am underestimating the number of the Nonreligious because while their numbers I am confident in, I only assume everyone else is religious.
So you have to believe in god to have good values? So none of us on Agnostic.com have good values? That is what the Pew Study showed in 2015. Well we are growing in number.
sassygirl3869
Level 9
Mar 29, 2018
0
That's the typical belief.
INteresting the part: In addition, three-quarters (74%) say that government aid to the poor does more good than harm. To me this shows a reason based thinking. Isn't reason the basis of atheistism? Sometimes, I wonder, though.
JackPedigo
Level 9
Mar 29, 2018
1
But we're so nice! LOL
KKGator
Level 9
Mar 29, 2018
3
Not if who they are getting their impression from is Richard Dawkins
@jperlow I think that sometimes indignation and ridicule may be a strong and effective method to shake those holding unshakable beliefs. Being an advocate of free speech, I have learned to welcome offense as I never learned much from anyone that agreed with me. Always willing to change my mind after examining at a deeper level why something offended me.
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