We’re Making Progress
20 February 2007 by jimmerFrom Gallup polls, by way of Crooks and Liars
Willingness to Vote for Non-Traditional Presidential Candidates
by Gallup polling dates
One exception to the general pattern of growing acceptance comes in the case of a Mormon candidate. When Mitt Romney’s father, George, sought the 1968 Republican presidential nomination, 75% of Americans said they would vote for a Mormon president. Forty years later, the percentage of Americans willing to support a Mormon for president is essentially unchanged.
Meanwhile, support for homosexual and atheist candidates has grown, though fewer would support either of those types of candidates than a Mormon. Only about one in five Americans said they would vote for an atheist when the item was first asked in the late 1950s, compared with 45% today. Just 26% said they would support a homosexual presidential candidate in 1978, compared with the current 55%.
This is good news to many of us. We rarely have the input that is so important to gauge how well we are effecting the world we live in. Read the full article for a glimpse of how the poll was conducted and you will see that in many ways the media itself discredits us by simply ignoring us. Years past, Atheist was not on the list. And in the 20’s who would think a Black man or a woman could conceive of making a legitimate run for the White House. We as a group have possibly contributed to our own lack of trust by how easily we call people out on their stupid pet tricks ( hey look at me I’m a humble and pious slave to Christ) and god beliefs. I know how hard it is to resist when someone desperately deserves to be criticised or mocked.
The real idea comes to mind that we as atheists make progress best by being fully informed and by continuing our pursuits individually. What makes us a dynamic and unstoppable force is that we have such a wide base of knowledge and our pursuits mostly are wholesome and beneficial to the world at large. We are not slaves to bad ideas such as religious beliefs and faith based lies. Our basis in fact of how we live is a tribute to the very best that human kind has to offer. We don’t waste our time on prayerfully talking to an imaginary playmate. We don’t waste our time on fabricated beliefs that are mostly superstition. In some small way I think that most people are beginning to understand that who we are is more like the way they want to be. And to point out the one simple fact is that we are getting better at it all the time. The polls prove it.
20 February 2007, on 11:09 pm
The pic is Thomas Jefferson. I lost the title in transit.???
21 February 2007, on 3:30 am
Good post, Jimmer. Even though we’ve still got a long ways to go, we’ve made some definite progress.
I’d say that we’re (at least slightly) better off than 10 years ago. People are much more inclined to open up about their atheism than before, and, surprisingly, a lot of (normal) people are willing to accept it.
Sure, some (asshole) people still think of atheists as “evil” or “untrustworthy,” but the number is getting smaller.
It’s not proof, but I’ve met more non-believers in the past year than I ever did in my preceding twelve years of atheism…
21 February 2007, on 3:32 am
That is good news, jimmer. Nice post.
Why a picture of Jefferson? Just curious.
21 February 2007, on 4:47 am
I don’t want to preempt jimmer, but I’m up late and I know a little about TJ and why jimmer might put his picture up.
Thomas Jefferson, among many of our “founding fathers,” was very skeptical of religion. Thomas Jefferson was a deist when being a deist was like being an atheist today.
David Mills in his book “Atheist Universe” quotes Jefferson in a letter to John Adams as saying:
“The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.”
In my last American literature course, we read portions of TJ’s writings. I can asure you, they were secular to the core. Jefferson had a pre-darwinian darwinian view of knowledge (and religion) in that the most intelligent will survive. As jimmer’s post shows, Gallup is busy proving that point.
21 February 2007, on 10:27 am
I, recently have begain parading, sportin
atheist t-shirt’s. So far no gawd loves you
or other such b.s. comment’s
In fact i have had positive feedback
one comment even came from a negroe,granted
this happend in berkeley but still they are
well known as a superstitious lot.
well cat’s out of the bag I am 2nd generation
san francico native though i now live in one
of the surrounding “burb’s.
TJ was indeed one of the more enlightend
founding father’s though Tom Paine is my personal favorite “Age of Reason” was the spark
that got me on the road to atheism.
21 February 2007, on 10:46 am
KA
I chose Jefferson because of his thoughts nearly 200 years ago of the same ideals we fight for and express today. The 2nd quote is stil being used in one form or another and is just as wrong and wrongheaded as it was all those centuries ago.
I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature. Thomas Jefferson
“Should the infidel Jefferson be elected to the Presidency, the seal of death is that moment set on our holy religion, our churches will be prostrated, and some infamous prostitute, under the title of goddess of reason, will preside in the sanctuaries now devoted to the worship of the most High.”–New England Palladium, 1800
21 February 2007, on 1:16 pm
This is interesting. I’m sure it’s been done, but just this morning, I was thinking, “I think we need a top 10 or top 100 (choose your number) best things about being an atheist.” Oftentimes the believers whine that we are pessimistic or we offer nothing positive. We, of course, know that’s a load of hogwash, but it might not be a bad idea to open it up and ask: What’s so great about being an atheist? Like I said, I know it’s probably been done, (I think I’ll go google it after I post this comment) but I think if we had a few “selling points” we could all readily and easily pull out, we might get even farther with that progress Jimmer posted about. And, thanks Jimmer. It’s nice to have a bit of “good news” once in awhile.
Just a few to get us started:
You can spend Sunday with your family, instead of worshipping.
You know this is the only life you get so you are more prone to live it fully.
You can support science without being terrified by it.
21 February 2007, on 1:46 pm
Well, TJ’s always been a big hero of mine as well, so I already had a lot of that info. I usually swat theists who claim the foundation of our country is based on the 10 C’s w/his criticism of Fortescue.
21 February 2007, on 3:12 pm
Terra: This is not for your “100″ list but an incident that happened last night.
Returning from Nashville (65 miles from my home), I stopped as a truckstop to get gas in my car. Also exiting the interstate behind me was a car with only its parking lights on. It followed me on to the fuel island. The car was about 15-20 years old; the driver was a male, about 40yo.
For “personal security” reasons, I immediately went inside with my card and gave it to the cashier, rather than swiping it at the pump. And the guy got out and approached another man as I was going inside.
When I returned, he approached me with a sob story (which might be true–but panhandlers LOVE truckstops; truck drivers are easy marks). The smallest bill I had was $5. So I gave it to him and told him it would only buy two gallons. (I must have been feeling guilty…)
He said the routine “Thank you so much!” and finished with the reflexive “Gawd bless you!”.
As I went inside, I was stewing about that “blessing”, and when I came back out, I approached him and said sneeringly–
“Oh, by the way–that gas you put in your car? It came from MY Atheist charity impulse–not Gawd’s! I hope you don’t mind…”. Smirking, I got in my car and drove off.
21 February 2007, on 5:39 pm
Terra, a couple of mine:
- You appreciate the world in which we live so much more because you know it’s the only one we’ve got (variation on the “only life we’ve got” advantage).
- You learn more about and are fascinated by areas like history, mythology, and psychology because you’re no longer as “stuck inside” them as believers are.
21 February 2007, on 7:16 pm
Naomi: Good for you! I think that’s what I meant-that so many believers think that because we aren’t cowering for Gawd’s favor, we don’t ever do good things for others. Or, that when we do good things, it’s not an “atheist impulse” because how could it be? I’m not sure if you’ve all read this story or not, but if you haven’t, it’s a great read and it’s related to the atheist “image”:
http://possummomma.blogspot.com/2007/01/possum-1-makes-us-proud.html
I think it’s good progress (see how I’m trying to stay on topic here?
for us atheists to do good things and “win hearts and minds” (pardon the reference, I know it’s abhorrent) by simply being good people.
I was kinda hoping one of the posters of this blog might take up my call to help create our top reasons list. I only recently read on another blog the atheists ten commandments (or one version of it) and I’m almost positive I’ve seen some type of this top reasons list, but couldn’t find it earlier (although I only gave it a cursory search, since I’m supposed to be working right now…)
Finally, Naomi, when I started to read your story, it made me think of a my most recent post on my blog. Maybe we need another post about the everyday “Gawd bless you” and similar ubiquitous Gawd references that we’re subjected to.
21 February 2007, on 7:33 pm
Sorry, it’s not the most recent post now. It’s the post entitled “ubiquitousness”
21 February 2007, on 9:01 pm
Terra
Nice blog you have.
The possum momma blog was making it’s rounds a few months ago based on her daughter’s class story. I remember the local preacher as being a thug and unreasonable uneducated dweeb. That is what we have to point out to people. When the leaders of the religious are intolerant assholes we as nonbelievers have no vested interest in maintaining status quo. We can and do step up and tell it like it is. Most importantly we get comments later by some of the very followers that they suspected that their reverand was out of line or some such idea. What is really happening (IMO) in many places is the we (atheists) are making progress at bringing the noble cause of logic and reason to bare upon our society.
The light of skepticism shines bright and reveals what most people intuitively know. It reveals that they are being lied to and in many cases they are being swindled out of their monies and lives. I personally expect that we will see a day that puts reason and logic in first position of ideals.
21 February 2007, on 9:56 pm
Terra, it’s likely to be a lloonngg post, if we included all the g.d. ways they constantly insert gaud into our lives, in all their little, barely noticed (by them!)but highly irritating (to us!) ways…
___
Okay, I’m back! Whew, I’m winded…
Sorry for the delay in replying to your comment–I’ve been putting together some of the big, big, big ways they’re in our faces! I’ll post it in a day or two. So check back with us soon and often, please.
22 February 2007, on 2:31 pm
Naomi,
That’s great, thank you!
I think the “greatest things about being an atheist” is important too.
The newest post about the mega-statues is certainly one way in which money, time, energy is being wasted to try to be in everyone’s faces. I know someone commented on that post about the money that goes into these monstrosities and how many homeless people it could have fed and clothed. I’m sure you’ve all seen it, but it reminds me of this cartoon: Well, poop. I just looked for it for about an hour and couldn’t find it. I”m sure you’ve all seen it anyway. The one where St. Peter is asking the believer if he believed in unicorns, Adam and Eve, blah blah blah and the believer is checking them all off. Finally, the last frame is Peter asking TheBeliever if he gave up all his worldly goods and gave them to charity and he replies, “Oh, I thought you meant that part figuratively…” If someone knows where that comic is, please link to it as I’m searching-deficient this morning.
Jimmer, You’re certainly more optimistic than I am. That’s why I’m glad you put this post in. It’s interesting to me that we’re seeing progress in what seems like very little time. Maybe the light of truth shines brighter than I care to believe. I certainly hope that’s true.
sidenote: My bf just bought me The Quotable Atheist the other day. It’s a good read, as the author throws in funny little quips here and there. And of course, the quotes are refreshing as well.