Bigotry and Social Disapproval Reveal Inequities in Religious Freedom
Atheists Deserve Freedom of Expression Too
We’ve all had that experience of walking into a room full of strangers. We look around, trying to decide if we want to be there. Are we in the right place? Do we have anything in common with these people? Will they accept us?
I’ve never walked into a room and told strangers that I’m an atheist with no prompting. I wouldn’t expect it to be well-received. And yet, plenty of strangers have walked into such a room and told me they were Christian with no prompting. Some have even rambled on about their love of Jesus long after I displayed disinterest.
Concealing Atheism
Social disapproval can be a powerful deterrent. It often prevents people from being themselves even when they’d like to do so. I’ve never had any trouble understanding why so many LGBTQ people stay “closeted” for so long. This is much harder for them than it is for me. Their sexual orientation (or gender identity) is core to who they are. I wouldn’t say that about atheism. At least, I wouldn’t say it feels like that to me.
Atheism is also far easier to hide. I’m not suggesting we should hide it, but I am glad that we can. Bigotry directed at atheists is still too common. Many of us…
