Even as Americans today evince, at least ostensibly, greater support for cultural diversity and respect for non-Christian faiths, there remains a strong bias against atheists. Extensive research has been conducted to account for this distrust of atheists, and the results indicate in fact something stronger than distrust. Across three separate studies, for example, it was revealed that the majority of Americans perceive atheists as they view criminals; only rapists generated the same measure of intuitive antipathy (Clarke, Powell, & Savulescu 136). This is an extraordinary reality given, again, the modern insistence in the society to accept that which is different. It is, however, explicable, and the following supports that Christian traditions are so deeply embedded within American culture, it is inevitable that the atheist generally be viewed as a danger to the society, and a hostile presence within a nation based upon Christian ideologies.
To understand why Christian traditions are responsible for the modern distrust of atheists expressed by the mainstream society, it is first necessary to note that this antipathy has roots all its own. Without question, today’s American disapproval of atheism was more intensely felt in earlier decades, before multiculturalism and new ideologies somewhat expanded societal tolerance. This is seen in the 1960s and the striking achievement of Madalyn Murray O’Hair, who spearheaded the movement to have compulsory prayer removed from government-funded schools. O’Hair gained her victory, but at a high cost. Before she was murdered, a Life magazine feature of 1964 declared her to be “America’s Most Hated Woman” (Amarasingam 58). In these years, in fact, what would come to be known as new atheism developed, which relies more on challenging creationist thinking through scientific discourse, rather than any overt dismissal of theism or the presence of God.
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At the same time, this may be seen as an “active” mode of atheism which must clash with the Christian values attached to the various elements of the society: 哲ew Atheists choose to vocally challenge theism痴 influence on social life, science, and politics�(Langston, Hammer, & Cragun 72). To the theist, then, the atheist is a challenge to the most fundamental beliefs shared by the greater population, and the new atheist draws fire and distrust because it is perceived they they are seditious, and a threat to established norms.
Further research upholds the reality that mainstream Americans and/or theists have an intuitive dislike of atheists, which interestingly corresponds to that population’s view of gays. It is observed, for example, that both gays and atheists reflect the aspect of concealable stigma; sexual orientation or belief may not be known by merely seeing the individual. There is, however, an important difference; gays tend to generate disgust from the society on intuitive levels, while atheists, studies and surveys have determined, invariably create senses of distrust, and which are based on psychological processes that insist upon defying non-belief (Clarke, Powell, & Savulescu 137). As noted, the atheist represents a threat on a virtually primal level, and primarily because religion in America is so potently infused into basic foundations of living. Those who, atheist or otherwise, believe that faith or religion may be reduced to cognitive beliefs removed from the culture greatly underestimate the traditional impact of faith.
In plain terms, religion translates for many into experiences, rituals, and aspects of community that are more important than belief itself (Amarasingam 102). It must be reiterated that, as Judeo-Christian ideologies have for so long served as cultural and social mandates, any dismissal of belief at its most basic level must inspire distrust of the non-believer.
The above notwithstanding, it may be argued that the mainstream distrust of atheists is in fact founded on a rational sense of real threat. More exactly, as new atheists become more vocal and challenge faith-based ideas and practices, the challenge is perceived to be undermining the essence of the society and essentially an insult to the mainstream. For example, and according to a 2009 Pew survey, many atheists express a distrust of Christians as potent as that directed toward themselves. “Non-religious Americans’ ‘objections [to religion] were not theological or scientific,’ but rather that ‘they [thought] of religious people as hypocritical, judgmental, or insincere’” (Baker 170). As atheists feel more free to express outright disapproval of belief, or go to the extreme of categorizing believers in such negative ways, it is inevitable that those who believe would object strenuously, and all the more view atheists as disruptive, disrespectful, and certainly not to be trusted. Put another way, the modern and outspoken quality of new atheism may be seen as generating the antipathy toward it.
Nonetheless, there is a legacy of intolerance attached to Judeo-Christian tradition which cannot be discounted. Ironically, the largely Protestant foundation of American culture reflects a faith that was considered heretical in its early days, and the modern distrust of atheists is linked to what is a deeply-rooted insistence upon salvation, which is shared by all Judeo-Christian faiths (Clarke, Powell, & Savulescu 7). Even as religion has taken on multiple roles within the society and become increasingly distanced from core principles of faith, there remains this visceral need among believers to adhere to the essence of the faith, so the atheist is implicitly a threat undeserving of trust.
If anything defines modern American culture, it may be said to be an excessive insistence upon the society’s perceived tolerance and willingness to accept the different. In brief, Americans tend to greatly celebrate their embracing of the other. The reality, however, is not so expansive and, as research supports, the ingrained Judeo-Christian beliefs so long in place go to a continued distrust of atheism. Ultimately, Christian traditions are so deeply embedded within American culture and practices, it is inevitable that the atheist generally be perceived as a danger to the society itself, and a hostile presence within a nation based upon Christian ideologies.
