rationalskepticism.org

Panic over the Unknown: America Hates Atheists

Contempt for out-­‐groups—those members of society that are identified as “not like me”—is as old as time. But for all the awareness of bias, hate crimes, and prejudice against minorities, some get overlooked. Atheists are the most mistrusted, reviled, and disliked minority in the United States, according to numerous studies.  Jews, African Americans, homosexuals, illegal immigrants, and even the much-­‐mistrusted Muslim communities are all held in higher regard by the average American than are Atheists.  The threat of spiritual alienation is more compelling than anything other than immediate injury.

It may be surprising that we Americans are more suspicious of atheists than we are of Muslims, but there you have it! Bias works in mysterious ways. Gad Saad’s blog post last year (Atheists Are the Most Mistrusted Group: They Are Evil and Immoral!) cast a bright light on a 2006 study published (but previously largely unnoticed) by researchers from the University of Minnesota.

In this article, we examine today’s surprisingly intense negative attitudes toward atheists, review what research tells us about “them” (atheists), and make recommendations for how you can use this information to improve your own litigation advocacy. Should you pay attention to potential triers-­‐of-­‐fact who espouse atheism? Let’s put it this way: Can you ever afford to ignore intense personal values held almost universally by your jury?



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