I’m not sure that I agree with this sentiment, sirrah!
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How can you not agree that that sentiment? It clearly makes sense to everyone who is smart.
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According to Pew Research atheism is the most negatively viewed trait for politicians, but that’s only among the traits they chose to poll for. Bizarrely, being black isn’t even on their first page list (Hispanic is) - but at least for that one we know a black man has won in the past (thank you hindsight, if you’d asked me in 2006 I would have guessed America wouldn’t have a black president for decades). Presumably they didn’t ask about trans because the idea of an out-trans person running is just too far-fetched to comprehend. Similarly there is no need to poll about a schizophrenic candidate (not making any comparison with trans, both are just unelectable currently).
But I think people tolerate atheists pretty well (may vary from place to place, at least in big cities it’s hard to imagine getting into huge trouble because you are an atheist). Just because people don’t trust atheists to run the country doesn’t mean they don’t trust them to do their job in the next cubicle or to be polite on the street. I think people see politicians as have a moral job, and don’t trust atheists to make important moral decisions. Maybe atheist school teachers take some flak, but for most of us I think it doesn’t matter much.
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It is not opinion! It is backed up by scientific polls of opinions!
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NO! YOU’RE OPINION IS WRONG! insert CLEVERLY WORDED RETORT IMPLYING YOU ARE IMBECILIC.
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True. There’s some social pressure to express religious sentiments here and there, but there’s little or no persecution of atheists, per se.
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insert comment referencing Godwin’s Law, proceed to smile smugly at computer screen.
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Sure thing, I can share one broad example and one specific.
Broad: His positions and worldview, for me, aren’t in alignment with what I perceive as a “devout Christian”. It would be like if Mark Frauenfelder or Cory Doctorow said they were a “devout Christian”. Can “devout Christian” mean different things? Sure! Does everyone have a right to worship as they choose? Absolutely! Is it my damn business? Hell no! I just wouldn’t, personally, believe it, because of the contrast between previously-stated positions and, even with a broad definition, what it means to be a “devout Christian”. Not “Christian” mind you, “devout Christian”.
Specific: The Jeremiah Wright episode. Wright’s preachings are, largely, IMO, a bunch of crazy crap, and no sane, successful politician (Obama is both), would associate with him. I think we can actually all agree on that (!), and a quick trip to Wikipedia can help clarify it. There’s a good episode of The Psych Files about this, but I couldn’t locate it immediately. Basically Michael Britt’s professional opinion is that, in the Wright situation, Obama was stuck between two hard places, because he, like many people (myself included), isn’t really a very religious person. Obama (unfortunately), can’t publicly say: “You know what guys, I’m just not very religious.” To get elected, in this era, in this country, he has to portray himself as a religious Christian (especially to counter the Muslim garbage accusations). However, while there are many ways to be a Christian, generally speaking, being churchgoing, in this country, is among the more generally accepted markers of Christianity. Britt’s opinion (and mine too) is that Obama didn’t really attend church much. If he had, he would have noticed that Wright was bad news. However, he couldn’t publicly say: “I didn’t really attend church that much, and therefore was never really influenced by Wright’s crazy crap.” So he was stuck. He had to occupy the position of a churchgoer, and, after the brouhaha, distanced himself significantly from Wright.
Once again, I’m not making a statement of fact here. I’m sharing my belief, and, as always, I’m open to input that will help me inform that belief.
You must be real tough, flexing those internet tough guy muscles! but it doesn’t make my opinion fact! Wait! I mean facts your opinion! or my opinions your facts? SHUT UP! insert another personal attack!
I get what you are saying, but it seems that most of your posts about this have involved expressing the same views with only minor variation. There doesn’t seem to be anywhere to go with this in provoking conversation beyond feckless speculation.
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Seems like a good start.
Obama WAS stuck between a rock and a hard place: black Christianity is threatening to whites, especially when it’s “reported” in caricature mode, but it’s not like he could go back in time and start attending a white Lutheran church on the north side so as to appear to be the white – I mean, the RIGHT - sort of Christian.
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Fair enough (and ouch). It’s probably the difference between internalized racism and sexism, etc in our society, and some of the hostility against atheists. But you and @FoolishOwl are correct in that there is no open violence against atheists/agnostics. Doesn’t mean people like atheists/agnostics.
Also, I certainly wasn’t saying that there is some sort of pattern of discrimination against atheists or that as a group they/we face anything like the structural racism/sexism/homophobia/islaphobia that others face, but that is likely because we have laws on the books about not asking about religion (there was a supreme court case heard this week, talking about a young woman who did not get hired at one of the mall chains because she wore a hijab - what outward signs of atheism do you or I exhibit that someone can infer - nothing, if we don’t wear a shirt declaring that). I’d suggest if there weren’t, a whole lot of atheists would be out of a job pretty quickly. [edited to add this also] Plus, I think that atheists, as a demographic, might lean towards white, middle class men, at least the most vocal of them, which would insulate them from violence.
[edited to add] Also, this:
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I’m not sure it matters what I believe about his faith, or possible lack thereof. He said he’s a man of faith, and I have no real reason to not believe that. You could say that this job leaves little ability to actively practice ones faith in any meaningful way because you are always on, and you are often making decisions that might go against ones personal beliefs. Plus, both could be true - he could both be devout and play that up for political points. But, frankly, unless you have some way to look into his mind and see what he’s believing, in some way that the rest of us don’t, you kind of have to take him at his word on this.
I’m everywhere, BTW… always watching… 
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