Non-believers

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who took notice of President Obama’s mention of “non-believers” in his inaugural address the other day. Brief recap:

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. …

I consider myself an atheist. My (non-)faith isn’t a driving force in my life, but once I did join the American Atheists just so I could call myself a “card-carrying atheist.” (That didn’t work out, as the card was laminated in a way that made it too big to fit in a standard wallet card slot.) As one of the “non-believers,” I greatly appreciate President Obama’s recognition, and I hope that he will maintain his pro-science stance, and uphold the separation of church and state.

In case anyone’s wondering, this is a big deal. I have a suspicion that atheists are probably the most hated group of people in America, certainly more than minorities and gays. Take this exchange between George Bush Senior and a reporter:

Sherman

What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?

Bush

I guess I’m pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.

Sherman

Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?

Bush

No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

Sherman (somewhat taken aback):

Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?

Bush

Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I’m just not very high on atheists.

I don’t care if he likes atheists, but to say that “atheists shouldn’t be considered citizens?” That’s an unacceptable point of view from someone whose job was to lead the nation and uphold the Constitution (which says nothing about “belief in God” being a requirement for citizenship).

A 2007 Gallup poll asked what kind of candidate people would vote for for president. How did atheists fare? They’re at the bottom of the list, below Mormons, homosexuals, and all races, ethnicities, sexes, and religions. In fact, atheists were the only group that got more than 50% saying “no, would not vote for.”

So you can see how this is an important step forward.

Unsurprisingly, some people are quibbling over the particular word Obama used. “Non-believer” isn’t poetic by any means, but I think it’s reasonable given the options. “Atheists” and “agnostics” are both out because neither group encompasses the other. “Freethinkers” seems to imply some superiority over “non-freethinkers.” Ultimately, I’m just happy the issue is on the table.

Good luck, Mr. President. You have a hard road ahead.