Study: Atheists Most Discriminated Minority
University of Minnesota study of 2006: (Would you want your daughter to marry an Atheist?)
University of Minnesota researchers conducted a telephone survey of over 2,000 households in early 2006. 7 They 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."
Lead researcher, Penny Edgell, noted that Atheists:
"...offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the last 30 years....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....Americans believe they share more than rules and procedures with their fellow citizens—they share an understanding of right and wrong. Our findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good'." 6,7
It would appear that Atheists have a major public relations job ahead of them.
www.religioustolerance.org/atheist5.htm
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However, you'll be glad to know this bit of info -
"The Secular Coalition for America is the new (first one ever!) Washington-based lobbying organization for atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheistic Americans. Our mission is to increase the visibility and respectability of nontheistic viewpoints in the United States and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all."
www.secular.org/
www.atheists.org/flash.line/ath1.htm
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"Wake Up America" Ad Campaign Runs on National Air America
FFRF Takes Message to Combat Theocracy to the Air Waves
April 3, 2006
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national watchdog group whose members are atheists and agnostics working to keep church and state separate, is taking its "Wake up America" message to national airwaves.
Beginning today for three months, the Foundation will run a series of paid radio advertisements (read ad transcripts here) warning of the religious right's assault on America. These are scheduled during four nationally syndicated "Air America" talkshows.
In one ad, comedian Julia Sweeney, the Saturday Night Live alum ("Adrogynous Pat") whose new play is "Letting Go of God," identifies herself as an atheist and asks others to "join me and the Freedom From Religion Foundation in waking up America to the growing dangers of theocracy." Her spot will air daily for 12 weeks during the "Al Franken Show."
Additionally, the Foundation is airing paid "voice endorsements" recorded by three Air America hosts to run daily during their programs. Janeane Garofalo, also an comedian, actress and SNL alum who co-hosts "The Majority Report," asks: "Are you tired of right-wing politicians who desperately want to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of us? I know I am! That's why I'm asking you to support the Freedom From Religion Foundation." Garafalo signs off: "Proud to be an atheist!"
Laura Flanders, RadioNation host, asks: "Are you as alarmed as I am about the religious right's assault on our secular government and private lives?"
Mike Malloy, of the Mike Malloy Show, notes: "I fully support the Freedom From Religion Foundation as it takes the lead in challenging the growing threat from the religious right in the United States."
"We have never been in greater danger of losing our secular republic,"says Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor.
"Theocrats are in charge of our two branches of government, and just gained a narrow foothold on the third--the U.S. Supreme Court. We witness daily assaults by religionists seeking to unite church and state, such as the flood of federal faith-based funding to support proselytizing religious groups." The dangers to civil liberties are demonstrated by South Dakota's religion-instigated ban on abortion and religion-led efforts to bar same-sex marriage and civil unions, Gaylor noted.
The ads invite sympathetic listeners to phone or visit ffrf.org, the Foundation's website.
www.ffrf.org/news/2006/airamerica.php
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www.au.org/site/PageServer
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Please join & become a member of these great organizations.
University of Minnesota study of 2006: (Would you want your daughter to marry an Atheist?)
University of Minnesota researchers conducted a telephone survey of over 2,000 households in early 2006. 7 They 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."
Lead researcher, Penny Edgell, noted that Atheists:
"...offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the last 30 years....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....Americans believe they share more than rules and procedures with their fellow citizens—they share an understanding of right and wrong. Our findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good'." 6,7
It would appear that Atheists have a major public relations job ahead of them.
www.religioustolerance.org/atheist5.htm
---------
However, you'll be glad to know this bit of info -
"The Secular Coalition for America is the new (first one ever!) Washington-based lobbying organization for atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheistic Americans. Our mission is to increase the visibility and respectability of nontheistic viewpoints in the United States and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all."
www.secular.org/
www.atheists.org/flash.line/ath1.htm
--------
"Wake Up America" Ad Campaign Runs on National Air America
FFRF Takes Message to Combat Theocracy to the Air Waves
April 3, 2006
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national watchdog group whose members are atheists and agnostics working to keep church and state separate, is taking its "Wake up America" message to national airwaves.
Beginning today for three months, the Foundation will run a series of paid radio advertisements (read ad transcripts here) warning of the religious right's assault on America. These are scheduled during four nationally syndicated "Air America" talkshows.
In one ad, comedian Julia Sweeney, the Saturday Night Live alum ("Adrogynous Pat") whose new play is "Letting Go of God," identifies herself as an atheist and asks others to "join me and the Freedom From Religion Foundation in waking up America to the growing dangers of theocracy." Her spot will air daily for 12 weeks during the "Al Franken Show."
Additionally, the Foundation is airing paid "voice endorsements" recorded by three Air America hosts to run daily during their programs. Janeane Garofalo, also an comedian, actress and SNL alum who co-hosts "The Majority Report," asks: "Are you tired of right-wing politicians who desperately want to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of us? I know I am! That's why I'm asking you to support the Freedom From Religion Foundation." Garafalo signs off: "Proud to be an atheist!"
Laura Flanders, RadioNation host, asks: "Are you as alarmed as I am about the religious right's assault on our secular government and private lives?"
Mike Malloy, of the Mike Malloy Show, notes: "I fully support the Freedom From Religion Foundation as it takes the lead in challenging the growing threat from the religious right in the United States."
"We have never been in greater danger of losing our secular republic,"says Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor.
"Theocrats are in charge of our two branches of government, and just gained a narrow foothold on the third--the U.S. Supreme Court. We witness daily assaults by religionists seeking to unite church and state, such as the flood of federal faith-based funding to support proselytizing religious groups." The dangers to civil liberties are demonstrated by South Dakota's religion-instigated ban on abortion and religion-led efforts to bar same-sex marriage and civil unions, Gaylor noted.
The ads invite sympathetic listeners to phone or visit ffrf.org, the Foundation's website.
www.ffrf.org/news/2006/airamerica.php
---------
www.au.org/site/PageServer
---------
Please join & become a member of these great organizations.
posted by:
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Re: Study: Atheists Most Discriminated Minority
Sun, April 16, 2006 - 5:39 AMTop Ten Reasons Our New Majority Whip Is Worse Than The Arab Religious Fanatics Burning Danish Embassies
1. For School Prayer and Amending the Constitution: Boehner supported a school prayer amendment to the United States Constitution in 1997 (H.J.Res. 78), 1999 (H.J.Res 66), and 2001 (H.J.Res. 52); voted to permit school prayer “during this time of struggle against the forces of international terrorism” (House Roll Call Vote 445, Nov. 15, 2001); and voted to only allow federal aid to schools that allow prayer (House Roll Call Vote 85, March 23, 1994).
2. For Forced Religion in Anti-Poverty Programs: Boehner voted to permit taxpayer-funded anti-poverty programs to require aid recipients to join in religious activities. (House Roll Call Votes 16 and 17, Feb. 4, 2004)
3. 100% Against a Woman’s Right to Choose: Boehner received a “0%” pro-choice score from NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2005.
4. For Religious Employment Discrimination: Boehner voted to permit taxpayer-funded anti-poverty programs to engage in federally-funded employment discrimination. (House Roll Call Votes 15 and 17, Feb. 4, 2004)
5. Against the Rule of Law in Ten Commandments Case: Boehner voted to prevent the Justice Department from enforcing a court order to remove a 5,000 pound Ten Commandments monument from Alabama’s state supreme court. (House Roll Call Vote 419, July 23, 2003)
6. Against Common-Sense Environmental Safeguards: Boehner voted for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (House Roll Call Vote 122, April 20, 2005); voted to gut the Endangered Species Act (House Roll Call Vote 506, September 29, 2005); and voted to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act (House Roll Call Vote 242, June 15, 2004).
7. For More Religious Employment Discrimination: Boehner voted to permit taxpayer-funded job training programs to engage in religious discrimination when hiring and firing employees with federal funds. (House Roll Call Vote 46, March 2, 2005)
8. Against Confronting Proselytizing at the Air Force Academy: Boehner voted against an amendment to squarely address religious coercion and proselytizing at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. The amendment criticized “coercive and abusive religious proselytizing” of cadets at the Academy while observing that “expression of personal religious faith is welcome” throughout the military. (House Roll Call Vote 283, June 20, 2005)
9. Led the Effort to Inject Religious Employment Discrimination into Head Start: Boehner added a controversial amendment in September to a previously bipartisan School Readiness Act which would “allow federally funded early-child-care providers to discriminate on religious grounds,” according to The Forward. The Forward notes, “The federal government transfers about $6.7 billion annually to 19,000 Head Start providers in 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.” Jewish groups opposed to the measure, according to The Forward, include the “Anti-Defamation League, the Union for Reform Judaism, the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee and the National Council of Jewish Women.”
10. Pushed Ohio Schools to Embrace “Intelligent Design:” People For the American Way reports that Rep. Boehner and fellow Ohio Republican Rep. Steve Chabot wrote to the Ohio school board claiming that legislative language required that references to “Intelligent Design” be included in Ohio’s science standards. In fact, such language was removed from the relevant education bill before it became final.
www.godlessamericans.org/ -
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Re: Study: Atheists Most Discriminated Minority
Tue, April 18, 2006 - 10:29 AMThis Date in History: Discrimination Against Atheists:
"February 08, 1964: Congress debated an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1963 which would have removed the protection of prohibitions against religious discrimination from atheists. Proposed by Ohio Republican John Ashbrook, the amendment read: "...it shall not be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to refuse to hire and employ any person because of said persons' atheistic practices and beliefs." The amendment was passed by the House of Representatives, 137-98, but it failed to pass the Senate."
atheism.about.com/b/a/062477.htm
Psalm 14:1 (NIV) "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no god.' they are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good."
History of discrimination against Atheists -
"Throughout history, atheists have been faced with discrimination. This discrimination has taken many forms, ranging from the less severe forms of discrimination such as receiving dirty looks, to the most severe form of discrimination, persecution. This paper will investigate the beginnings of discrimination against atheists and its impact on atheism. It will then explore some of the most famous accounts of persecutions against atheists. Next, it will discuss blasphemy laws. In addition, this paper will show how discrimination against atheists continues today.
"What is an atheist? An atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of a god, i.e., in the existence of a supernatural being. Why doesn't the atheist believe in a god? Quite simply, because belief in a god is unreasonable. Can the atheist prove that a god does not exist? The atheist need not "prove" the nonexistence of a god, just as one who does not believe in magic elves, fairies, and gremlins does not have to prove their nonexistence. A person who asserts the existence of something assumes the burden of proof. The theist, or god-believer, asserts the existence of a god and must prove the claim. If the theist fails in this task, reasonable people will reject the belief as groundless. Atheists do not believe in a god because there is no reason they should" (Smith 62-3)."
www.atheist-community.org/libra...ad.php
"Absense of evidence *IS* evidence of absense" -
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Re: Study: Atheists Most Discriminated Minority
Fri, May 5, 2006 - 12:16 PMDon't miss the Freedom From Religion Foundation's second radio broadcast, Freethought Radio, out of Madison, Wis., which airs tomorrow morning!
Listeners can wake up Saturdays to Freethought Radio from 8 - 9 a.m. on 92.1 FM, "The Mic, Madison's Progressive Talk," in Madison (the local "Air America" station). The show is streamed live at themic921.com for those outside Madison.
Shows will be available at the Foundation's website to hear at listener convenience at: ffrf.org/radio. (The second show will be up at the website by Tuesday, May 9.) Foundation members who can listen to podcasts may subscribe to a podcasting service at: ffrf.org/radio/podcast.
Freethought Radio's second show features an interview with poet, author, journalist and feminist activist Robin Morgan ("Sisterhood Is Powerful"), an atheist whose book "Fighting Words," is a counter to the religious right, and will be published later this year. Her novel, "The Burning Times," came out in March and is based on the true case of the first woman put to death as a witch by the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland. Robin Morgan was named "Freethought Heroine 2005" by the Foundation.
Co-hosts Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who are co-presidents of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, introduce several segments on the second show: Theocracy Watch, Freethinkers Almanac, and Pagan Pulpit. The show includes commentary on the National Day of Prayer violations.
Listeners may call in comments or questions at the Progressive Hotline, 608/663-7291.
"We have high hopes that broadcasting a show with a positive take on freethought and the separation of church and state can open minds and dispel the negative images toward both concepts," said Gaylor.
"We not only want to represent the views of the nation's secular population but 'preach to the converted'--reach out, inform, educate and attract the general public," said Barker. "Isn't it time for an alternative to religion on the public airwaves?"
The Foundation plans to "syndicate" the show on other Air America stations as finances permit.
ffrf.org/news/2006/radio2.php -
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Re: Study: Atheists Most Discriminated Minority
Sat, May 13, 2006 - 6:37 PMI sent a few e-mails out recently on this issue to see what others thought about the proper definition of 'atheist'. I'll share it here, I trust that many here in tribe or elsewhere would want to read it.
"The AAI (Atheist Alliance International) agrees with you on the definition of atheism. In 2003, we assigned your issue to a committee, which gave the definition of atheism, "Absence of belief in the existence of any gods." The committee was to have notified dictionary editors and publishers of this. We feel that, as the world's largest atheist organization, we should hold some sway. Many dictionaries today say that atheists "deny the existence of God," which assumes there is a god to deny the existence of. As a mostly-volunteer group, we have not yet gotten the word to all of the dictionaries. "
I hope you will join the AAI and help us in our quest.
Best regards,
Bobbie Kirkhart
President
Atheist Alliance International
www.Atheistalliance.org
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