Does atheism need better PR?

[harvey1]

There's an interesting study that came out a little over two months ago that suggested that atheists are basically villified in the US. My question is what do atheists need to do to improve their public image, and are atheists willing to change in order to have more in common with the religious folks? Here's the contents of the article:

American’s increasing acceptance of religious diversity doesn’t extend to those who don’t believe in a god, according to a national survey by researchers in the University of Minnesota’s department of sociology. From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry. Even though atheists are few in number, not formally organized and relatively hard to publicly identify, they are seen as a threat to the American way of life by a large portion of the American public. “Atheists, who account for about 3 percent of the U.S. population, offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the last 30 years,” says Penny Edgell, associate sociology professor and the study’s lead researcher. Edgell also argues that today’s atheists play the role that Catholics, Jews and communists have played in the past—they offer a symbolic moral boundary to membership in American society. “It seems most Americans believe that diversity is fine, as long as every one shares a common ‘core’ of values that make them trustworthy—and in America, that ‘core’ has historically been religious,” says Edgell. Many of the study’s respondents associated atheism with an array of moral indiscretions ranging from criminal behavior to rampant materialism and cultural elitism. Edgell believes a fear of moral decline and resulting social disorder is behind the findings. “Americans believe they share more than rules and procedures with their fellow citizens—they share an understanding of right and wrong,” she said. “Our findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good.” The researchers also found acceptance or rejection of atheists is related not only to personal religiosity, but also to one’s exposure to diversity, education and political orientation—with more educated, East and West Coast Americans more accepting of atheists than their Midwestern counterparts. The study is co-authored by assistant professor Joseph Gerteis and associate professor Doug Hartmann. It’s the first in a series of national studies conducted the American Mosaic Project, a three-year project funded by the Minneapolis-based David Edelstein Family Foundation that looks at race, religion and cultural diversity in the contemporary United States. The study will appear in the April issue of the American Sociological Review.

[juliod]

a) What atheists need are better glasses to read your tiny font size.

b) I think you posted this in the wrong forum.

c) It is essentially impossible for atheists to have any sort of PR because there is no unity on what that PR should be, or who that PR should benefit. There are no significant atheist organization, and probably never will be. Some atheists may be "joiners" but the majority (vast majority in my view) have very little or no interest in any such organization. I would myself pay to be let out if I wandered into an atheist meeting by accident.

And since there is no identifiable atheist "interest group" there is no motive for the media, the corporations or the political parties to pander to us.

(Ranked lower than homosexuals? Now that really hurts.)


DanZ

[micatala]

Rather than put the onus on atheists, since as juliod points out, they are not really any kind of unified group, and probably are not inclined to respond such a PR challenge anyway, maybe we should turn the question around and ask why non-atheists have such a negative view of atheists, and to what degree their ideas about atheists are (wildly?!) off the mark.

If atheists really are only 3% of the population, then I find the notion that they can to any large extent be responsible for crime, the rise of materialism and cultural elitism astounding.

Most atheists that I know are pretty conscientious about considering their own moral values and what these values should be based on. A typical criminal could probably be described as 'amoral' or in having dysfunctionally self-centered moral behavior. I wonder if Ken Lay, Jack Abramoff, and the guys at Freddie Mac are atheists? The mob, of course, is mostly nominally Catholic.

[Cathar1950]

I always hear how the atheist, humanist, liberals, homosexuals, and every one else that is distained by the religious right are the problems of society.
Most people I have meet and know are atheist because that is where the information took them while they felt the morality of belief often repugnant.
Jews were once the favorite scapegoat but with dispensationalism Christians fear God will wack them if they are not good to them.
They see the Jewish state as a sign that God is in control and Jesus is coming. The problem with this is that only 144,000 Jewish virgin men survive. I am waiting for the age of aquarius.
Many intelligent Christians no longer think atheist are the scourge of humanity and some even see them as the Christian and religious conscience and critic of their many failings.

[McCulloch]

Many atheists do not wish to have more in common with the religious folks. Outside of the USA, atheists are less vilified. Besides, if you started to count all those people who live as if there is no god, then the numbers would be quite different.

[Cathar1950]

Maybe it isn't that they have poor PR but they get bad press from an over welming religious world population. With so many religious ideas we have these hold outs that refuse to join. The church as it was loosing its hold on power were blaming witches for the evils plaguing society.
I wonder what the religious population is in prisons? There sure seems to be a lot of them after they get caught.

[juliod]

I wonder what the religious population is in prisons?

There's a famous statistic that atheists are underrepresented among prison populations. In other words, an atheist is ten times less likely to be in prison compared to theists.

(But of course, this is controversial. It's really a determination of how many people will say they are atheists in the general population and in prison. I would take it as extremely hazardous to reveal one's atheism in a prison.)

DanZ

[Cathar1950]

I would take it as extremely hazardous to reveal one's atheism in a prison.)

I wonder why tha would be?
It would seem like they could give some kind of questionare.

[harvey1]

There's a famous statistic that atheists are underrepresented among prison populations. In other words, an atheist is ten times less likely to be in prison compared to theists. (But of course, this is controversial. It's really a determination of how many people will say they are atheists in the general population and in prison. I would take it as extremely hazardous to reveal one's atheism in a prison.)

In order to be an effective survey, I think you ought to look at white collar crime. Let's face it, atheism is an elite belief system for those raised with silver spoons, mostly paid education, and a history of having good family and religious heritage behind them. I would think that they are least likely to be hungry and rob for food, or live in poor schools and forced to join a gang.

[1John2_26]

I always hear how the atheist, humanist, liberals, homosexuals, and every one else that is distained by the religious right are the problems of society.

Only if you go out and look. "The world" or better yet, "American society" has declined into a depravity where children are born out of wedlock (that are not killed in utero) and this "immorality" has consequences to lawless behavior. Any trip to a juvenile criminal detention facility in America, tends to show that children without "nuclear families" are not faring well as our courts and mental health institutions are inundated with this "class" of person. And the "inner city" speaks volumes.

The nuclear family is also called the "Traditional Family," carrying heavy religious meaning applied accurately. So, it can be said that non-religionists spread their influence even into religious areas, as non-religious actions and teachings can and do influence those with little knowledge of religion, its practice and its influence when grasped empirically.

Good atheists, for example, usually mimic the best qualities of Biblical/Christian morality. Good fathers, loving parents, good and honest upright citizens. What used to be called the Protestant work ethic.

When put into practice (and effectively) it works for a good society, as America and its "wealth" proves. America has helped the world's poorest and most undeveloped countries through these actions. Atheists do well when the replicate what works for the betterment of society and indeed civilization istself. This can also be seen in the numbers of impressive Universities founded by Christians.

There needs to be a more honest proclamation that the "religion of atheism" is also called "secularism." It is clear that within "Secularism" there is ONLY one voice allowed to speak: Atheism.

In that realm there is always "bad PR." Ask a Christian.

Most people I have meet and know are atheist because that is where the information took them while they felt the morality of belief often repugnant.

The information they studied, or better yet, were given,to counter Christianity and some other religions.

Jews were once the favorite scapegoat but with dispensationalism Christians fear God will wack them if they are not good to them.

With education and study, comes enlightenment that Jews had little to do with the death of Christ Jesus, those that did were completely exonerated (forgiven for not being culpable) for doing anything to "Christ." Christians that read and study do get a more intelligent perspective. As, we will see.

They see the Jewish state as a sign that God is in control and Jesus is coming.

That would be in a correct reading of the New Testament in light and association with the Hebrew Bible that Christians rely on for absolute foundation.

The problem with this is that only 144,000 Jewish virgin men survive. I am waiting for the age of aquarius.

This is one of many ideas thought about in regards to the Book of Revelation.

Many intelligent Christians no longer think atheist are the scourge of humanity and some even see them as the Christian and religious conscience and critic of their many failings.

Without questioning and challenging "atheists" yes indeed, "they" have proven their ideology unleashes horror on civilization. We needn't belabor Russia, China, and the Killing Fields.

Now indeed "atheists" have been a positive influence for complacent Christians to get off their lazy butts to see that they and their way of life is targeted for removal from society "by" atheism. Atheists that found their mindset on "Wy would God allows suffering?," would have to be embraced for asking a logical question.

Atheists that tout a proof of "no God" because we have evidence, now, those atheists are not only unwelcomed pests, or, as we have seen intolerant enemies of Christians, but need to be challenged in their assertion and political power sought to spread their personal beliefs.

Atheism does indeed need "better PR." Right now they are completely intolerant anti-Christian bigots, that do not see the danger of the actions and behaviors in their own adherents. Clearly you can ascertain when a Christian violates their "belief system" as it is clear and unambiguous. Atheism as described somewhat accurately in this thread topic, seems to have in its organization what it actually proclaims chaos is sensible, and can somehow create order. As both history and science has proven, order does not come from chaos.

Is there "really" a notion that "atheism" can be reality?

It seems that the answer is a resounding "No!"

It is better served by "Agnosticism." For, that is what is really the doctrine proclaimed by the people calling themselves "Atheists."

There are those that claim they have "proof" for God.

There are those that claim there is NO proof.

No God, does not exist in either of those two assertions.

Does anyone have proof that there is no God?

It is also honest to ask "Show me your God?" As we all have seen from even a cursory search on history, that "Atheists" really do not exist. "Questioners" would be the better title for "them."

In that the become family members of the religious populations as they too are "questioners."

This issue boils down how we question things. Political power is not going to be gained by either religious people or atheist people demanding authority over the other. Another history lesson.

Only hypocrites of atheism and hypocrites of "Christianity" have difficulty with each other. If a Christian, then everyone has to be allowed to be able to choose or not choose Christ Jesus. If, an Atheist, then then everyone has the right to reject Atheism by their onw "expereinces" as well, as it is "experience" that Atheists claim made them see the truth in no God being a reality.

Why should questioning and answering those questions be such a deviding factor?

Well, the authority and power weilded exclusively by Atheistic political power in the schools is overwhelmingly protected by the absolute inability of the religous populace to question atheism where it is allowed a voice and no other is allowed to challenge that.

Atheists will never get good press while they spread their message with an intolerance of questions to challenge atheism and its proponenets and adherants.

Why does anyone hide the fact that "secularism" is a misnomer? "Secularism is the fuel for driving atheism in the education milieu.

When that is allowed to be challenged by religions having an equal voice in our education system, Atheists will deserve the bad PR they get. It is indeed well-earned by what can be seen.