Recent religious politicians such as Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry seem to play a large role in aiding atheists to come out. It appears that the U.S. is becoming an increasingly secular country, despite the seeming rise in popular evangelical politicians. "It has never been better to be a free-thinker or an agnostic in America," says Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).
More Americans are now choosing to get married or be buried without any form of religious ceremony. In universities across the country, departments devoted to secularism are popping up. National groups like the Secular Coalition of America (SCA) are adding branches across America. The idea of atheism is becoming less of a dirty thought.
Herb Silverman is the president of the SCA in Washington and lives in Charleston, S.C. "I've been living here in the buckle of the Bible belt since 1976 and things are getting a lot better," Silverman said.
Despite it still being a difficult time for atheists, there is one brave politician who openly declares a lack of faith. Pete Stark, a congressional democrat from California, has openly admitted that he does not believe in any higher power.
"Privately, we know that there are 27 other members of Congress that have no belief in God. But we don't 'out' people," said Silverman.
The precise number of nonbelievers remains unclear. One Pew study suggests that atheists are around 12% of the population, while another by Trinity College places that figure closer to 20%. Many experts agree that the number of the secular has almost doubled in the past three decades. Especially among young Americans, the nonbeliever numbers are expanding. It is thought to be the fastest-growing major religious (or lack thereof) demographic in the U.S.
As previously noted, the increased use of social media plays a part in the rising numbers as well as education.
There are other indications that point to Americans being less religious than they have let on. For some time, polls have shown that about 40% of US adults attend a church service weekly. Yet other studies that actually count those at church indicate that the true number to be about half to two-thirds of that 40% figure.
Many see religion as a virtue so they feel better about themselves by lying about church, synagogue and mosque appearances. The so-called new atheists wish to stamp out the idea of religion equalling virtue; weekly visits to a place of worship should not be necessary to be socially accepted as a good person.
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