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Americans Now Think Evangelical Christians Are More Discriminated Against Than Atheists

A new survey out today by the Pew Research Forum shows that more Americans than ever before (72%) think religion is losing its influence on society… and, for some reason, many of them think that’s a bad thing.

Don’t get too excited. What that’s saying is that a lot of Americans *wish* religion had more influence in society, but they worry because they don’t think it does.

In fact, there’s an upswing when it comes to Americans wanting their church leaders to endorse political candidates — completely in violation of the law — or express positions on social issues:

The findings reflect a widening divide between religiously affiliated Americans and the rising share of the population that is not affiliated with any religion (sometimes called the “nones”). The public’s appetite for religious influence in politics is increasing in part because those who continue to identify with a religion (e.g., Protestants, Catholics and others) have become significantly more supportive of churches and other houses of worship speaking out about political issues and political leaders talking more often about religion. The “nones” are much more likely to oppose the intermingling of religion and politics.

That’s frightening.

In case you need more proof that our nation’s values and priorities in this regard are completely misguided, the Pew researchers also asked people which groups were discriminated against. For example, 65% of Americans said there’s a lot of discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Only 27% of people, however, said atheists face a lot of discrimination. That’s a much lower number than it should be.

But you know who has it worse than us?

Evangelical Christians.

WHAT?!

Yeah, it must be sooooo tough having all the power in the country… You know who else has it rough? White people. And men. And the rich.

I made a video not too long ago about just how good Christians had it in our country:

So how did that survey result come about? Part of it is that there are just more Christians in our country overall, and they’re the ones most likely to say that they have it rough. Which is kind of like the super-wealthy complaining about the taxes they have to pay. No matter what happens, at the end of the day, they’re still *way* better off than almost everyone else.

I dare anybody who really believes that evangelicals have it worse than atheists to perform a little thought experiment: I’m going to drop you off in a random part of the country and you’ll be wearing a shirt that makes very clear what your beliefs are. Would you rather wear a shirt that says “I love Jesus!” or one that says “Atheist and proud of it”?

I promise you you’ll be better off just about anywhere with the Jesus shirt.

If that thought experiment doesn’t do it for you, pick something else. My point is that, by nearly every measure you can think of, Christians have it pretty damn good. To say they are discriminated against at all, much less more than atheists, is ludicrous.

What counts as discrimination, anyway? That people sneer at them when they act like bigots? If anything, what you have are a bunch of Christians who consider themselves persecuted because it’s no longer politically correct for them to persecute other people.

Todd Stiefel, chair of the just-launched Openly Secular campaign, offered another interpretation of the data in a press release. He said the problem wasn’t so much that atheists were seen as less discriminated against than evangelicals, but that only a quarter of people felt we were discriminated against at all:

“It’s clear from today’s poll that people don’t realize the kinds of discrimination we face,” said [Stiefel]. “Our campaign clearly has a lot of work to do. The numbers reinforce the need to educate people about what it means when someone is nonreligious and the pattern of prejudice secular Americans face on a regular basis.”

There were a few other results from the survey worth mentioning:

When it comes to political parties, the Democrats have the Unaffiliated vote locked up:

At the same time, those Unaffiliated Americans are the least likely to actually vote…

You would think this would give Democrats an incentive to reach out to the Nones so that we get off the Internet and go to the ballot box… yet they never seem to do that. There’s little online outreach and most Democrats are even afraid of identifying as non-religious. It’s pathetic. Meanwhile, Republicans have the White Evangelicals and (to a lesser extent) Catholics on their side — and those groups are far more likely to vote.

Man, if we could ever get our shit together, we’d be one hell of a political force.

That’s a big “if.”

The full report can be read here.

(Thanks to Greg for the link)

John Oliver Brilliantly Debunks the Scholarship Claim Made by Miss America Pageant Organizers

In case you missed it last night, John Oliver‘s team on Last Week Tonight did what all good skeptics do: They heard a claim that everyone just takes for granted (in this case, made by Miss America Pageant organizers), dug into the details, and discovered the evidence for it was incredibly dubious.

The whole segment is terrific, but the relevant portion begins at the 7:23 mark:

Hats off to the writers and researchers on that show for doing the work on this story. And if you’d like to help a different organization become the nation’s largest scholarship program for women, consider donating to any of these other groups mentioned on the program:

Society of Women Engineers

Jeanette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund

Patsy Mink Foundation

Atheist Group Helps to Clean Up Southern California River (Again)

In our continuing series, “Atheists Caught Being Good,” here is another chapter about a local group of atheists joining in with their community to make things better for everyone.

(Photo courtesy Gerrie Titcomb)

For the last 20 years, the City of Santa Clarita, California has held an annual “River Rally,” where hundreds of people converge to clean up a section of the Santa Clara River, southern California’s last river still in its natural state. Running right through the center of town, it is home to many plants and animals including 14 endangered bird species and 6 endangered plant species, and it is an important wildlife corridor. It’s also a source of about half of the city’s precious little water. All rivers in this area are mostly dry during the summer, so it’s a good time to clean out the trash and debris that can harm wildlife and pollute the water.

Just like last year, last Saturday morning the Santa Clarita Atheists and Freethinkers took part and helped 1,700 other members of the community clean out 25,000 pounds of trash and debris.

It is my pleasure to be a part of this group of about 30 active members, and six of us worked that morning as a team. In our distinctive t-shirts, we attracted the curiosity of people who asked us about who we are and what we’re about. Before and after the time working in the riverbed, we had cordial conversations with several people, including meeting City Mayor Laurene Weste, who can be seen in the center of our group photo. At the very least, she now knows that we exist and we’re participating in the well-being of the community.

Waiting for things to start, I met a very sweet and very young woman who, with two others, is on a missionary assignment here for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was clearly curious about us, but she asked her questions hesitantly. So I turned on all my easy-to-talk-to-counselor charm, and we had a pleasant and constructive chat. She asked what we do as a group, and I explained that because society is generally very hostile to atheists, many are closeted and isolated, not knowing anyone else who thinks the way they do. The Internet has helped us find each other, and so groups like ours can form at first to give each other mutual support and like-minded companionship. I said that such groups often gradually grow beyond that first purpose, and they begin to want to use their group cohesion as a positive force in the community. Our being at the River Rally is an example.

She was intrigued, but, still with caution, she haltingly asked if we “oppose religious belief.” I replied that I wasn’t sure what exactly she meant by “oppose,” but that most atheists simply lack belief in gods because we need more than arguments or testimonials to be convinced of such things. We need evidence. Thinking that by “oppose” she might have meant wanting to prohibit belief by others, I added that many atheists are very passionate about protecting religious freedom for everyone, that we must all be free or none of us will be free. By the look on her face, that seemed to have demolished some important misconception she had had.

I shared a little about being a counselor and writing the advice column, describing how I have spoken as a guest atheist at church meetings not to try to change people’s beliefs about their god, but to change their beliefs about atheists. Those misconceptions do terrible and unnecessary damage to families when a young person stops believing, and I would like to prevent that if I can.

I amended my remarks by saying that not all atheists are like me in every way, that we can have very different views on just about any issue, using the joke about “herding cats.” Nevertheless, I think she came away with a more positive and accurate impression and a willingness to see us as generally good, decent people. The announcement was made to start heading into the riverbed, and so we said our goodbyes and mixed into the crowd.

More often than you might think, prejudice and fearful mistrust can be prevented or turned around one person at a time with just a brief, relaxed, and good-natured chat. Patience, diligence, patience, diligence, repeat.

Gay Couple Told by Catholic Priest That They Must Divorce if They Want to Remain in the Church

Here’s another example of religion making an otherwise decent person act like an asshole — because it’s what his faith teaches him to do.

Rev. Samuel Spiering became the administrator of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church (below) in Lewistown, Montana early last month. And one of his first orders of business was to pry into the private lives of parishioners Paul Huff and Tom Wojtowick, both volunteers at the church.

The two had recently gotten married, word reached Spiering, and he took the loving Catholic approach:

… Spiering dismissed the pair from their volunteer posts in the church and told them they could no longer receive Communion, a sacrament at the core of a believer’s faith.

Wojtowick and Huff were stunned and stung by the action. It sprang from the Catholic Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage and its belief that homosexual behavior is a sin.

…

Wojtowick, 66, and Huff, 73, lifelong Catholics, have been partners for more than 30 years. The two men, both members and active at St. Leo’s and the community, married in Seattle in May 2013 to have the legal rights of spouses in their later years.

A committed elderly couple… treated like shit because Catholic doctrine doesn’t have the heart to say “you’re a part of this Church.”

It gets worse. After conversations with Spiering and Bishop Michael Warfel, the couple said they would sign a “restoration statement” which said marriage is reserved for one man and one woman — essentially denying their own right to love each other.

“It was not our intent to challenge that (concept), but to have the rights of civic protections in our old age,” Wojtowick wrote.

It gets worse. Spiering told the couple that wasn’t enough:

… Wojtowick said the priest told him they would also have to set up a timeline for the two men to separate and divorce, which Wojtowick said he and Huff did not agree to.

The Catholic Church: Protecting the sanctity of marriage when they’re pressuring you to get divorced. Classy.

How much more evidence do people need that this is an awful, immoral institution? I’ve seen some comments online claiming that many of the churchgoers oppose the way the gay couple is being treated… but it’s not like they’re leaving the Church. And as long as the attendance doesn’t change, the anti-gay bigotry won’t stop. Even under Pope Francis, the judging of others is in full force.

(Thanks to Joel for the link)

British Humanist Association Launches New Ad Campaign Answering the Question, “What’s It All For?”

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which is the largest broadcaster in the world, runs a daily segment called “Thought for the Day,” offering a religious perspective on current events. We’ve posted before about how Humanists have long pushed to be included in the mix, to no avail.

Today, the British Humanist Association launched a campaign called “Thoughts for the Commute” to show that atheists have plenty to offer the public when it comes to making them think. The four posters below, created by designer Alexander Taylor, can be seen for the next two weeks in more than 100 London Underground stations before it moves on to other cities.

The BHA said of their campaign:

Humanists and the non-religious have played an important role in shaping our laws and in championing human rights and a fairer society for everyone. It only makes sense that their views should be included [in the "Thought for the Day" segment] as well.

Our campaign, Thought for the Commute, presents four humanist perspectives on one of life’s biggest questions: ‘What’s it all for?’ The campaign encourages everyone, whether religious or non-religious, to reflect on what helps create meaning in their own lives.

The BHA’s Chief Executive Andrew Copson put the campaign in a broader context:

Andrew Copson, chief executive of the BHA, said he hoped the campaign would give stressed commuters a momentary escape from the daily grind but offer others a “first glimpse” of a different way of thinking.

“Despite over half the population in the UK describing themselves as non-religious, humanist perspectives on life’s big questions are still far less available to the public than religious ones,” he said.

“In our state schools, religions are taught about but non-religious world views like Humanism are seldom given the same treatment.

“In our state media, the BBC, sermons and prayers are broadcast but rarely any content engaging with questions of value and meaning from a humanist point of view.

“As a result, many people whose beliefs are essentially humanist are unaware of the fact.”

I love the posters — they’re a great way to show, even briefly, how atheists have meaning in their lives without resorting to the supernatural.

You can learn more about the campaign here.

Americans United: Teen Who Took Pic of Himself Getting Blown by Jesus Statue Doesn’t Deserve “Desecration” Charge

I posted a couple of times now about a 14-year-old boy from Pennsylvania who thought it would be hilarious to take pictures with a local Jesus statue as if he were getting a mock-blowjob from the Lord:

He’s currently facing two years in prison for this supposed desecration, a charge that is wildly out of proportion for what he did. As I said before, I don’t condone his actions, but bad taste and immaturity aren’t crimes.

Today, Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent a letter to Bedford County District Attorney William Higgins (who has an interesting past of his own) urging him not to prosecute this child:

The teenager has been charged not because he trespassed, defaced, or damaged the statue. Rather, the statute contemplates — and your statements confirm — that the teenager is being prosecuted because of the County’s disagreement with the message conveyed by his conduct, including the teenager’s apparent disrespect for a symbol of the Christian religion. You yourself recently stated, “this troubled young man offended the sensibilities and morals of OUR community” and that if the prosecution “tends to upset the ‘anti-Christian, ban-school-prayer, war-on-Christmas, oppose-display-of-Ten-Commandments’ crowd, I make no apologies.”

By prosecuting this teenager because of the message conveyed by his actions — and because these actions may have “outraged the sensibilities” of others — the County is violating both the Free Speech and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment. Even if the County obtains a conviction, it is almost certain to be overturned, and the County would also be vulnerable to a lawsuit for civil rights violations.

AU added in a press release:

“While I don’t condone the sort of behavior in which this teen engaged, he didn’t do anything that should be considered illegal,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United’s executive director. “Just because a religious group might find a particular action to be offensive is not a justification for jail time.”

…

“The government may not throw citizens in jail just because others find their speech offensive or blasphemous,” said AU Senior Litigation Counsel Gregory M. Lipper. “We urge the district attorney to drop this religiously motivated criminal prosecution.”

So far, Higgins hasn’t shown any sign of easing up on the kid, but pursuing legal action against this kid for desecration would inevitably backfire, as AU points out. The kid may be immature, but he didn’t commit the crime they want to pin on him.

(Portions of this article were posted earlier)

Staff Members in This Oklahoma School District Plan to Lead and Pray at “See You at the Pole” Events This Week

This Wednesday, Christian students across the country will be participating in “See You at the Pole,” where they gather around the schools flagpole and pray. The most important thing to recognize is that it must be a student-led event — even the official website makes that clear:

I guess no one told the Commerce Public Schools in Oklahoma since the faculty members and administrators there have every intention of running and participating in the event:

“We do this to promote the power of prayer and to share God’s word with our students, staff, and community,” Physical Education Teacher Rochelle Crawford said. “It gives the students a chance to show they are not embarrassed to take a stand for God.”

…

Leading the music will be Commerce Music Teacher Lisa Dunn. The songs being sung are ‘Jesus Loves Me,’ ‘This is the Day,’ ‘Nothing My God Cannot Do’ and ‘God’s Not Dead.’

…

Alexander Elementary Assistant Principal Trevor Brough will say a prayer for Mrs. Rogers.

“It’s nice to see our students praise God through song, scripture, and prayer at the beginning of a school day, making Him the number one priority in their lives,” Brough said.

Alexander Elementary Principal Kevin Wade will say the closing remarks and prayer.

“This event helps us to emphasize how important it is to show love and compassion towards others,” Wade said.

This is completely illegal. Let me quote the Christian Right legal group American Center for Law and Justice:

… teachers, in their capacity as school officials, may not actively participate in, lead, or discourage a student religious meeting.

…

To determine if a teacher has a right to attend events such as See You at the Pole, several factors, including the time of day and manner of participation, must be taken into consideration. If the event occurs during “non-contract” time, teachers should be able to participate in the event without violating the Establishment Clause so long as they make it very clear that they are present in their roles as citizens rather than in their official capacities.

To be clear, teachers can’t participate in the event during school hours. And even if they’re participating before school, they should be doing it in their individual capacities.

And yet, the article states that a music teacher will be leading one event and multiple administrators will be speaking at others, as district representatives.

Just to top it off, the district even listed the event on its official calendar:

What is a student, especially at the elementary level, supposed to think? The coercion factor is huge: The adults at your school want you to pray and they’ll be upset if you don’t join in.

Yesterday morning, I sent emails to the staff members, administrators, and district superintendent, questioning their understanding of the law and asking whether they will still be participating.

As of this writing, I haven’t heard back from anybody.

(Thanks to Brian for the link)

If This Guy’s the Poster Boy for Golden State Baptist College, I’d Hate to Find Out Who the School is Ashamed Of…

Here’s a friendly suggestion for Golden State Baptist College.

If you’re going to promote a graduate of your school as a role model for future students…

… maybe you should make sure he didn’t commit “lewd acts” on a 14-year-old girl when he was just starting out as a pastor:

The church is also being sued in local court for a 2002 incident where then-teacher and associate pastor David Joseph Jorgensen committed lewd acts on a female student when she was 14.

…

According to the anonymous plaintiff’s complaint, Jorgensen initiated inappropriate contact on her 14th birthday in April 2002. She claims he exploited her immaturity and abused his position of authority at the church to take advantage of her.

Jorgensen pleaded no contest in May 2003 to two felony counts of committing lewd acts upon a child, according to online court records. After he completed probation, he sought to have the crimes reduced to misdemeanors and had his record expunged in September 2006.

The victim is suing the church and [senior pastor] Tim Ruhl for being negligent in hiring and supervising Jorgensen. She also claims that Ruhl failed to report Jorgensen’s actions when she told him about it. The woman also alleges that Ruhl retaliated against her by expelling her six months before graduating high school and later claiming she was having a child out of wedlock.

…

According to Baumbach, when the allegations first came to light, the woman was forced to repeat her claims in a meeting with Ruhl and Jorgensen. Jorgensen denied the claims and accused her of lying.

Eventually, the woman’s mother had her take a polygraph, which she reportedly passed.

According to a deposition of Ruhl, Ruhl said he confronted Jorgensen after the mother reported the results. Jorgensen admitted to the allegations and was terminated.

David Jorgensen: “Alumni of the day.” Doing the Lord’s work. A graduate of Golden State Baptist College. And a despicable human being.

(via Stuff Fundies Like)

After 16 Years and 7 Kids, This Quiverfull Mother Got a Divorce from Her Abusive Husband (and Left Jesus, Too)

At the American Atheists National Convention this year, Vyckie Garrison spoke about how she left the Quiverfull movement after giving birth to seven children and being hailed by many as a model Christian wife:

You can read a rough transcript of the talk here:

The end of my life as a “Bride of Christ” came after a visit to Bright Horizons, which is the local domestic violence shelter in my hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska. I went there for help in filing a restraining order against my husband, whose emotional and mental abuse against me and my children had escalated to the point that I was in the midst of a complete mental and physical breakdown. He had taken 6 of our 7 children to a town three hours from our home and was preventing me from having any contact with them unless I agreed to his terms for our “reconciliation.”

…

I did file for divorce and rescue myself and my kids from the tyranny of patriarchy. But for me, the primary break up was with Jesus. You see, being in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is a set up for dysfunctional game-playing and crazy-making head trips. According to Christianity, Jesus subjected himself to torture and death, so that we could have the “free gift” of eternal life… and by “free,” he means, it’s only going to cost you everything you have and everything you are.

It’s an incredibly powerful speech, offering yet another example of how Christianity can be used to justify horrible actions.

On a personal note, Vyckie’s going through some tough times right now and could use some support. If you have the means, please consider helping out.

21 Important Moments in the Life of An Atheist

The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series, discusses 21 important moments in the life of an atheist:

The video was inspired by this post.

A rough transcript of the video can be found on the YouTube page in the “About” section.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the project — more videos will be posted soon — and we’d also appreciate your suggestions as to which questions we ought to tackle next!

And if you like what you’re seeing, please consider supporting this site on Patreon.