The Public Religion Research Institute has published its 2011 American Values Survey, and once again, Americans have expressed their discomfort with the idea of an atheist in charge. An incredible 67% of respondents claimed they would be at least somewhat uncomfortable with an atheist in the Oval Office, 49% of which would be very uncomfortable. Republican and Democrats alike have even higher rates of discomfort, with 80% of Republicans relaying unease with atheists in the White House and 70% of Democrats. Independents were a bit more generous toward the ‘godless’, as a mere 56% expressed discomfort.
The news isn’t all bad for atheists who dream of one day becoming President of the United States; there is a sizable difference between Millennial voters (those aged 18-29) and senior voters. Only 56% of Millennial voters expressed some discomfort with an atheist serving as president, with 41% actually expressing a level of comfort with the idea. Compared to the 77% of senior voters who expressed discomfort (60% responding that they would be very uncomfortable), this is a welcome sign of both a changing mindset and a signal of a widening generational gap. This information matches up well with other polls that show a modest decrease in religiosity in this nation on a whole, and shows that the Religious Right and Moral Majority movements continue to lose steam.
While fair treatment of open atheists in the political world is still a ways off in this country, the 20% margin between senior and young voters is an encouraging development that should continue to widen. Senior voters come from an era where atheism wasn’t understood very well due to its taboo nature, while many young voters, especially those who have attended a university, have seen atheists, agnostics, and other secularists open up to society. More student groups are being formed on college campuses, religion is more openly discussed, and more atheists and agnostics can be found in the mainstream culture. Efforts to get atheists and agnostics to come out to their peers have also helped end certain taboos, as many are discovering that genuinely good people can indeed be atheists.
This survey does show America’s need to continue to examine the role of religion in politics, as one’s personal beliefs should matter little when discussing public policy. We have seen the most religious of politicians caught in political scandal, so it would be absurd to claim that belief in a god would play a role in the prevention of corruption. The non-religious factions of our country deserve the same shot as anyone else at public office, and their moral and political track record should be examined free of religious dogma. The person who would best lead the nation and set a just public policy should be elected, and since none of this depends on one being religious, their faith, or lack thereof shouldn’t matter.
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