Atheism in the USA

[Napoléon]

Most hated and distrusted:

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Atheist: 39.6%

Muslims: 26.3%

Homosexuals: 22.6%

Hispanics: 20%

Conservative Christians: 13.5%

Recent Immigrants: 12.5%

Jews: 7.6%

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"Most hated and distrusted"

That's not what the survey asked. It asks which group doesn't agree with a 'vision of American society' (whatever the fuck that is). Doesn't necessarily mean these people are hated and distrusted (although I do think they are, I'm just saying this survey seems a little silly).

Who answers these questions anyway? Does someone seriously survey random people and ask them which group of people they least like? And people respond to questions like that? I'm highly suspicious of things like this, often the question isn't framed as it is stated in the article.

These surveys are always flawed to begin with anyway IMO. Which 'group of people' shouldn't even be part of a question. It just feeds the stereotypes that dumbasses already have if they are asked such retarded questions. Anyone who does answer such a question is going to be bigoted because any normal rational person, would just answer none of the above. So what I'm more surprised about, is the sheer amount of bigoted people that are being surveyed. Not which particular group of people they appear to be most bigoted about.

*edit*

Also, I think atheists coming out on top on these surveys shouldn't be a surprise. They're the easiest target of all these groups to aim at. And considering most Americans are religious, and consider themselves "good Christian Americans", is it any surprise that out of all those groups of people atheists are the ones who don't fall in line with their bullshit 'vision of American society'?

[Simon Moon]

When people don't know members of the group, they will have much more mistrust of the group as a whole.

That's why homosexuals are not as mistrusted as they once were, because they've come out of their closets and almost everybody in the country knows a homosexual, works with a homosexual, knows of famous homosexuals, etc. They have a chance to interact with them, and see that all the 'evil' stereotypes are wrong.

Which is the exact reason why atheists need to come out. As soon as theists find out that the 'evil' stereotypes are incorrect about us, the same thing will happen to our perceived trustfulness and it will also increase. It's all about familiarity.

Then the most untrusted group in the US will be the Muslims, exactly how it should be

[Oldm8]

In Europe we have no such problem. No one gives a damn what you believe, if anything religious people are viewed with suspicion. The better-off Nordic and Northern European countries including France have most atheists, with the poorer Catholic countries Poland, Portugal, Spain, Ireland etc the least. No one has to "come out" even in these "religious" countries, where the church is gradually losing its grip.
If you want a secular society you must educate people in all disciplines especially science and technology.
Boko Haram (western education is forbidden) in Nigeria realise the threat to religion, in this case Islam, that education can pose and would like to keep people ignorant so they can continue to wield power over them.
Charles Darwin stood up against all the Church and Establishment at great cost to himself (his wife a devout religious woman disowned him) to tell the truth.
Even in USA bible belt it will be easier for a modern day atheist to stand up against bigotry than it was for Darwin.
The truth will prevail and there is no going back.
Oddly enough the Creationists who argue over time and age of the Earth are quite happy to use GPS enabled devices which depend on the time on satellites being constantly adjusted using atomic clocks in accordance with Einsteins theory of relativity. The same technology that runs the atomic clocks has been used to determine the age of the Earth and the universe. It is sound.

[Dystopia]

In Europe we have no such problem. No one gives a damn what you believe, if anything religious people are viewed with suspicion. The better-off Nordic and Northern European countries including France have most atheists, with the poorer Catholic countries Poland, Portugal, Spain, Ireland etc the least. No one has to "come out" even in these "religious" countries, where the church is gradually losing its grip.
If you want a secular society you must educate people in all disciplines especially science and technology.
Boko Haram (western education is forbidden) in Nigeria realise the threat to religion, in this case Islam, that education can pose and would like to keep people ignorant so they can continue to wield power over them.
Charles Darwin stood up against all the Church and Establishment at great cost to himself (his wife a devout religious woman disowned him) to tell the truth.
Even in USA bible belt it will be easier for a modern day atheist to stand up against bigotry than it was for Darwin.
The truth will prevail and there is no going back.
Oddly enough the Creationists who argue over time and age of the Earth are quite happy to use GPS enabled devices which depend on the time on satellites being constantly adjusted using atomic clocks in accordance with Einsteins theory of relativity. The same technology that runs the atomic clocks has been used to determine the age of the Earth and the universe. It is sound.

Being an atheist in Europe is great, even in one of those poorer catholic countries like you said (you forgot Italy, the only one who still hasn't removed crucifixes from classrooms). There are still some people that won't like your atheism, but even devout Catholics respect the fact there are different belief systems and no one is forced to follow a single philosophy of life to live peacefully in society.