When it comes to the religious leanings of our political leaders, perhaps the United States is not much different from Europe. Quartz is reporting that Alexis Tsipras is the first prime minister of Greece not to be sworn into office with a religious oath. The reason is that he is an “avowed atheist.” Surprisingly, this makes him only one of three openly atheist European leaders. This seems odd since god beliefs are increasingly low throughout Europe.

Likewise, Peter Guthrie, of Boston’s NPR station 90.9 WBUR, asks his readers today if they would vote for an atheist. He points to the 2011 Gallup poll which revealed that for the first time in history, a majority of United States citizens would vote for an atheist president if they were “well-qualified.” Nonetheless, he next states:

But in spite of these gains, atheists with presidential ambitions still face serious, if not impossible, challenges. A 2014 Pew Research Center survey found that atheism remained the top negative trait for American voters. In fact, atheists continue to trail every other group polled, including gays and lesbians and Muslims. According to the Pew survey, even marijuana smokers and politicians who have had extramarital affairs are viewed more favorably than nonbelievers. Ouch.

So what is it going to take for atheists to make some headway? It was because of news reports like these that, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, I recently wrote:

Part of the problem is that the only atheists most people see, are those whom they consider extremists. While we don’t bomb buildings in the name of Dawkins, we put up billboards mocking Christmas, we fight for the inclusion of satanic monuments, and we call believers idiots on cable new shows. While these tactics have been effective, they greatly influence the negativity felt toward nonbelievers.

Things will not get better for nontheists, in any country, until more of us “normal” nonbelievers come out of our atheist closets. We will not change the opinions of the world until we change the opinions of our neighbors.

What do you think?

Brother Richard

What do you think?: Post a Comment

Subscribe to Brother Richard’s: All New RSS Feed