The theme of this site is Atheist Activism.
If you don’t know many atheists, you may ask why we are putting these concepts together. What does activism have to do with atheists? Aren’t atheists simply people who don’t believe in gods?
Linguistically, lack of belief in gods is certainly the definition of atheism. Socially, however, atheism is linked with a deep commitment to activism, especially in the activism that’s devoted to helping people in need and defending liberty and diversity in American society.
The podcast Stop Christian Nationalism observes these findings in a survey recently released by the Pew Research Center. It’s darkly fascinating that not one corporate news outlet reported on this aspect of the survey.
In the United States, the relationship between religion and political affiliation is strikingly evident. A recent survey by Pew Research confirms that the more religious an individual is, the more likely they are to identify with the Republican Party. This trend was particularly noticeable in the 2024 presidential election, where 61% of highly religious Americans supported the Republican Party of Donald Trump1. In contrast, only 27% of Americans who are not very religious supported Trump and the GOP1.
Interestingly, atheists are the least likely group to support Republicans, with only 15% doing so. The survey also revealed that the majority of Christians, not just Christian Nationalists specifically, support Republicans and Donald Trump. This statistic indicates that the cruelty exemplified by Donald Trump is a particularly Christian issue in America, rather than a general religious phenomenon.
The support for Trump among other religious groups is significantly lower than it is among Christians. Only 31% of Jews, 29% of Hindus, and 42% of Muslims support the Republican Party. In contrast, a significant majority of atheists, 67%, identify as liberal, while only 14% of Christians do.
When it comes to social values, there are stark differences between religious and non-religious Americans. For instance, in the United States, compassion is predominantly an atheist value. The survey found that only 27% of highly religious Americans believe that immigrants make America better. In contrast, twice as many Americans with a low level of religious identity believe that immigrants strengthen the country. Moreover, a staggering 89% of atheists say that America’s openness to people from around the world is essential to its identity as a nation, a much higher level of acceptance than found in any religious group.
The survey also explored attitudes towards government assistance. Two-thirds of Christians believe that the government should not do more to help people in need9, whereas two-thirds of atheists believe the opposite.
