Atheism, Billboards, and the Election

To paraphrase Three-Six Mafia, "it's hard out here for a[n]" atheist, especially for one that wants to run for president. According to the Economist, "over 40% of Americans say they would never vote for an atheist presidential candidate."

But just like Jesus (?), atheists are making a comeback. Seven years ago only 1 percent of the American population was atheist, but now it's around 5 percent. Even more striking, "the proportion of Americans who say they are religious has fallen from 73 percent in 2005 to 60 percent in 2011."

So why the dislike of atheists in the United States? A big reason is that the United States is the world's most populous Christian country and atheism is clearly an attack on their faith (or, at least, an affront to multiple faiths); however, sometimes it can be because many atheists act, well, sinfully.

The atheist group American Atheists planned to put up a billboard at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions demonizing (see what I did there?) Christianity and the faith's "sadistic God" et al. President Obama, of course--I repeat, of course--is a Christian and this maneuver is non-partisan, but it is theological in intent. Mitt Romney is a Mormon, a faith even some Christians dislike.

The outcries of many concerned citizens caused the billboards to be removed. The real story here, though, is the rise of atheism and its effect on politics. Thanks to books by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett, together known as the Four Horsemen of Atheism, the non-prophet organization has grown in political and theological importance.

While atheism is still the most "distrusted" minority in the United States, there is no reason to think that it won't continue to grow. Interestingly, the colonists came to the New World to escape European religion. Now, slowly but surely, Americans are creeping up to the same feelings as Europeans, the most atheistic continent on the planet. In France, for example, declarations of faith are discouraged for presidential candidates, since being religious makes one untrustworthy in the French electorate's eyes.

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I, personally, like the rise of atheism in this country. It allows for more viewpoints in our discourse (full disclosure: I am an atheist, as well). But I do condemn these billboards because atheists--especially the Four Horsemen--usually denounce when someone attacks someone else because of faith. In this case, atheists are attacking our Christian presidential candidates because of their non-belief and, subsequently, the belief of our candidates. Seriously, for an organization that claims to be the banner carriers of reason, they didn't think this one through.

I do hope one day an atheist can run for president and have a fighting chance. This will come from a dovetail prescription of atheists being liked and the waning of Christianity's hold in the country. But if atheists are represented this poorly, then that day won't come any time soon.