What is New Years? In one sense, it really is just an arbitrary day on the calendar. The New Year really started just after the Winter Solstice, the first day of winter, after which the days start getting longer again. On the other hand, Humanism is partly about enjoying life here and now and who can argue about an extra day to celebrate? And after we're done celebrating, we might want to think about ways to make this year a little better than it otherwise would be. I would have written "better than the last" but given what happened on September 11, 2001, that wouldn't take any effort at all.
Speaking of September 11th, the terrorist attacks showed us the dangers of theocracy and authoritarianism. Yet, some people still don't get it. Some people expect us to give up too many of our freedoms in the name of "national security" while others have harassed or physically attacked Arab-Americans or those mistaken for Arab-Americans. But moving in those directions would make us become more like the terrorists.
There has also been an increase in the number of written attacks on "secularists" and atheists in the press by religious leaders, columnists and in some letters to the editor of newspapers. Some examples may be found on the Opportunists Hall of Shame page. Of course, most of these express the most extreme views and most Americans do not blame secularists for the terrorist attacks or think we should be run out of the country. However, several polls suggest that less extreme forms of prejudice against nonbelievers do exist among the general population.
On August 8, 2000 a Gallup survey was released from data compiled in February of 1999. The results showed that 48% of Americans would not vote for a qualified atheist for president. Of all the characteristics tested for, atheism was the most discriminated against. Homosexuality was second to the bottom with 59% of respondents saying they would vote for a homosexual for president.
In October of 2001, a national survey of 1,709 randomly selected adults by the Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University, showed that seven in ten Americans would be troubled if a member of their immediate family married an atheist. Only 31% said it would be fine with them if an atheist joined the family, and 30% said they could never accept an atheist into the family.
Go To Page: 1 2
