Atheists identified as America’s most distrusted minority, according to new U of M study

University of Minnesota News ^ | 3/20/06

[therut]

Ive never known as athiest. Now maybe someone I knew was and I just did not know it. I do have a friend who claims to be agnostic. I told him he was just a lazy athiest. He said he liked that idea. Really he is just stubborn. Can't make a decision etc.

[VOA]

...East and West Coast Americans more accepting of atheists than their Midwestern counterparts.

LOL! Only a cloistered monk (or a tenured professor) would have to do a
"study" to figure this out!

Thank G-d, it was some foundation that wasted their money on information
that any flyover-country Billy Bob could have given to them.

[moonman]

"American’s increasing acceptance of religious diversity doesn’t extend to those who don’t believe in a god"

This can't be good news to media people whereas close to 80% don't believe in God. Anyone have that poll which was taken a few years back?

[Liberator]

I would distrust N.J. Democrats more than ANYONE.

[VOA]

"Ive never known as athiest."

I know it's semantics...but IIRC, Bertrand Russell proudly claimed he was
an atheist.
But...in a debate, a Catholic priest pointed out to Russell that this implied
that Russell should possess omniscience to support his stance.
Russell recognized the logic and said that he really must be an agnostic.

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.
"Most atheists are bitter people that would rather use ad-hominem attacks than to use reason to back up their claims."

You aren't an atheist, are you? If not, please back up your claim about atheists not using reason to back up their claims, as opposed to religious people who use faith to back up their claims. Then provide some reason to back up your claim that most atheists are bitter people. If you are an atheist, you should be aware that religious people often have no sense of humor when it comes to their faith.

Michael Frazier

[Blzbba]

I've got a problem with any group of people that is self-righteous, pious, and wants to shove whatever belief system (or complete lack thereof) they adhere to down my throat.

[kcar]

I don't believe in this study...either.

[Oztrich Boy]

I have a problem with atheists who have a problem with Christianity.

So - only a problem with those uppity atheists who don't know their place.

[WashingtonSource]

Most atheists I have known have been pretty laid back, and some were even party animals. But many have been quite belligerent and combative toward anyone who is not an atheist -- sort of carrying a chip on their shoulder.

It would seem that being an atheist, one would not give a damn about just about any thing -- sort of like John Lennon's "Imagine."

[narby]

Does this mean I'm entitled to some kind of affirmative action for my persecuted beliefs?

You know, that's a very good point.

Here we are, a small, distrusted, certainly discriminated against minority.

I'm ready for my government check any time now.

[Para-Ord.45]

atheism is a religion.

that said, "seperation of church and state"

"Chicago, IL - A federal court of appeals has ruled in favor of an inmate who claimed that Wisconsin prison officials violated his rights under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment because they refused to allow him to create a study group for atheists.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that prison officials erred because they “did not treat atheism as a ‘religion.’...The Supreme Court has said that a religion need not be based on a belief in the existence of a supreme being. In the 1961 case of Torcaso v. Watkins, the Court described “secular humanism” as a religion. "

http://www.afa.net/clp/ReleaseDetail.asp?id=102

[webstersII]

"Most atheists are bitter people that would rather use ad-hominem attacks than to use reason to back up their claims."

Looks like you've been on the crevo threads.

[Blzbba]

I also wouldn't worry too much about atheists. People who claim to be atheists can't even run for public office in Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Lousianna .

For example, The Bill of Rights of the Texas Constitution (Article I, Section 4) allows people to be excluded from holding office on religious grounds. An official may be "excluded from holding office" if she/he does not "acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being."


So much for 'religious freedom', I guess (since atheism is a religion)

[EricT.]

Atheists would have a better image but for the Newdows amongst their numbers.

Amen, brother.

[TypeZoNegative]

www.skepticsannotatedbible.com check the forum.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I wouldn't trust the U of MN Sociology department.