Where Are All The Normal Atheists?

[summer]

Salon




Toward the end of Tuesday night’s “CNN Special Report: Atheists: Inside the World of Non-Believers,” David Silverman, the president of American Atheists, explains why he recently launched AtheistTV: “Religion is harmful, religion is bad, religion is wrong. We can say that on AtheistTV. We can’t say it on any other network.”



But it’s the other networks that count, I thought to myself. Which matters more in the life of a gay teenager: whether Blaine and Kurt kiss on Fox’s “Glee” or whether “Bewitched” is being rerun on the Logo channel?



For years I’ve been watching for atheists—for people like me—on network TV. And I don’t mean acerbic political commentators like Bill Maher. I mean atheist characters on TV shows with mass audiences. Of course, since they don’t wear scarlet A’s, atheist characters are only identifiable if the producers are making a point.



The point so far seems to be above average IQ, below average social skills. Atheist TV characters include curmudgeons like Dr. Perry Cox (“Scrubs”), undiagnosed cases of Asperger’s syndrome like Sheldon Cooper (“The Big Bang Theory”), and misanthropes like Sherlock Holmes (“Sherlock”) and Dr. Gregory House (“House”). Typical House quote: “Rational arguments don’t usually work on religious people. Otherwise there would be no religious people.” (“House” aired on Fox, by the way, Mr. Silverman.)



Entertaining and highly educated though they are, most atheist TV characters are not people you would want around your kids. Did I mention serial killer Dexter and sociopath Frank Underwood?



Alicia Florrick, “The Good Wife” herself, is a more, shall we say, human type of human—albeit one who wears form-fitting power suits and suede stiletto pumps. In keeping with her softer image, however, Alicia keeps her atheism to herself, for political reasons and also for the sake of her devout Christian daughter. “I hope I don’t influence you not to believe,” she told Grace recently. “I don’t want that.” Heaven forbid.



I’d like to see a nice mom who helps out at the PTA bake sale and loves her family and also raises her children to believe what she believes. You know, like parents do.



With hope and dread, therefore, I sat down to watch “CNN Special Report: Atheists: Inside the World of Non-Believers.”



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The show begins with sharply angled shots of church spires in a darkening sky, swiftly shifting clouds behind, dramatic synth percussion below the voice-over: “Americans losing faith every day. They say there is no God. And the stigma is stifling. Paralyzing pastors. Fracturing families.” Dunh-dunh-dunh-dunnnh.



Thus prepared, we meet our first subject: the child of devout Christians who has become not merely an atheist, but president of the Skeptics Society at the University of North Georgia. A rebel in the Bible Belt, a traitor to his parents’ way of life. That’s pretty dramatic, but it’s nothing compared to our second subject, “Stan,” a small-town minister who’s still preaching, although he lost his faith 15 years ago. He is interviewed in shadow—name changed, voice distorted—lest he be found out. Next we meet Jerry Dewitt, another former preacher, who was found out: He lost his job; his house went into foreclosure; his wife left him.



We do find atheism without drama, too, represented by the activists and the professionals: Richard Dawkins; David Silverman, of American Atheists; Greg Epstein, the Humanist Chaplain from Harvard; and, briefly, the only female atheist in the piece, Assistant Humanist Chaplain Vanessa Zoltan. For these people, being atheist is a full-time job.



For most of us, it’s not. Some non-believers dislike the word “atheist” because it sounds negative or scary (the Special Report host, Kyra Phillips, at one point even refers to as “the A-word”). I just think it sounds too much like a career. “Let me introduce you. This is George, my optometrist, and this is Carol. She’s an atheist in that new corporate park on Washington Avenue? The one with the Panera?”



Even I, who write often about being an atheist, consider atheism to be just a part of who I am. I’m left-handed, too; I love food; I used to speak Italian. My credentials as an atheist are as simple as Dawkins puts it: I just “don’t believe in a supernatural creator.”



I sense that the same is true for most of my fellow atheists. Not believing in God is rarely the focus of our lives and rarely creates commotion of any sort. It’s actually kind of boring. Members of my local atheist Facebook group, commenting on this upcoming Special Report, joked about what it might be like: “Here they are, not going to church”; “Here they are, ordering at the Red Lobster while wearing a cotton-poly blend.”



In fact, despite its best efforts, even the Special Report could not follow through on its promise of high drama. Our young rebel atheist, it turns out, still lives with the parents whose hearts he broke. “For about six months, we had a very rough period. Tensions were very high.” Really? And that differs how from life with any college student living at home?



And after we have been duly impressed by the disastrous consequences of coming out for Pastor DeWitt—wife left, house in foreclosure—we learn that he ultimately “saved his marriage and his house” and is now starting a new church for non-believers. Well, um, good. So perhaps, CNN, this is not the crisis that your soundtrack would suggest.



I don’t blame CNN, though, for trying to gin up the drama. That’s what TV does. Which is probably why I can’t find myself represented there, and probably why I should stop looking.



And yet I can’t help thinking that if people knew how truly not sky-darkening it is to identify as an atheist, there might be more of us. If people knew they didn’t have to have an advanced degree, a DSM-5 diagnosis, or a British accent. If they knew they didn’t have to join a group or wear a team logo (Go Atheists!) or set up a card table and invite believers to debate. If they knew they absolutely were not required to watch AtheistTV ….



I guess when I say I want to see myself on TV, what I really mean is I want the American TV audience to see an atheist who’s basically normal and pleasant and busy with life and think, “Yeah, I guess that could be me.” There doesn’t have to be drama.



As DeWitt says in CNN’s report, “Theologically I no longer believe in God. Outside of that, everything is identical.”



Everything is identical. Hang on a minute. That means that unless a TV character is actually shown invoking God, reading the Bible, kneeling in prayer, saying a rosary, or wrapping tefillin, he or she could be an atheist.



Maybe I’ve been watching TV wrong all along.

[IIOY]

In his defense, Dexter killed bad guys. 

Also, I confess to being confused about the stereotype of atheists as loud, obnoxious, and pushy about their non-belief.  I am willing to bet that most exist silently in a society that makes religion a factor in, if not centerpiece of, so much of what we do.

[summer]

Mar 29, 2015 15:30:31 GMT -5 IIOY said:

In his defense, Dexter killed bad guys. 

Also, I confess to being confused about the stereotype of atheists as loud, obnoxious, and pushy about their non-belief.  I am willing to bet that most exist silently in a society that makes religion a factor in, if not centerpiece of, so much of what we do.

See: belief atheists are constantly at war with Christmas and with the Pledge of Allegiance.

[penguingrrl]

So, maybe it's bias talking because I am an atheist, but unless a character specifically mentions religion and church being part of who they are I assume the character is not a believer.

As an example, I watch Grey's and the only character I would assign a religion to is April since it is a huge part of her character. I kind of unconsciously assumed everyone else wasn't religious. In Scrubs I can't think of a character I would assume is religious at all, nor can I in Parenthood. I tend to assume people have no religion unless/until I hear otherwise (this is true in real life too).

[Dumbledork]

Mar 29, 2015 16:13:07 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

So, maybe it's bias talking because I am an atheist, but unless a character specifically mentions religion and church being part of who they are I assume the character is not a believer.

As an example, I watch Grey's and the only character I would assign a religion to is April since it is a huge part of her character. I kind of unconsciously assumed everyone else wasn't religious. In Scrubs I can't think of a character I would assume is religious at all, nor can I in Parenthood. I tend to assume people have no religion unless/until I hear otherwise (this is true in real life too).

Also an agnostic/atheist and I was also thinking, isn't Yang an atheist? And Jackson? In fact, aren't most of the Greys characters atheists, or at least non believers?

Unless they're shown going to church or talking about their beliefs, I don't even think about what their religion is and it doesn't bother me that atheisism isn't much mentioned. Well, unless they're assholes and spouting about how heartless and moral-less atheists are, then it bothers me.

[theoriginalbean]

Mar 29, 2015 16:13:07 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

As an example, I watch Grey's and the only character I would assign a religion to is April since it is a huge part of her character. I kind of unconsciously assumed everyone else wasn't religious. In Scrubs I can't think of a character I would assume is religious at all, nor can I in Parenthood. I tend to assume people have no religion unless/until I hear otherwise (this is true in real life too).

Was parenthood outwardly atheist/agnostic? For some reason I thought I remembered liking it more, because of that, but maybe I'm just projecting my own heathen-ness

[penguingrrl]

Mar 29, 2015 19:10:00 GMT -5 theoriginalbean said:

Mar 29, 2015 16:13:07 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

As an example, I watch Grey's and the only character I would assign a religion to is April since it is a huge part of her character. I kind of unconsciously assumed everyone else wasn't religious. In Scrubs I can't think of a character I would assume is religious at all, nor can I in Parenthood. I tend to assume people have no religion unless/until I hear otherwise (this is true in real life too).

Was parenthood outwardly atheist/agnostic? For some reason I thought I remembered liking it more, because of that, but maybe I'm just projecting my own heathen-ness

I don't recall anyone being anti religion. I think Aida may even have been baptized when Jasmine's mom really wanted it (or maybe she wasn't, I recall it being a "thing") but that was the only time religion came up in any way. I never got the sense that the Bravean's ever went to church or anything, though. I honestly never thought about religion as it relates to that show until this thread because it was so not part of it if that makes aneae

[theoriginalbean]

Mar 29, 2015 19:15:25 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

Mar 29, 2015 19:10:00 GMT -5 theoriginalbean said:

Was parenthood outwardly atheist/agnostic? For some reason I thought I remembered liking it more, because of that, but maybe I'm just projecting my own heathen-ness

I don't recall anyone being anti religion. I think Aida may even have been baptized when Jasmine's mom really wanted it (or maybe she wasn't, I recall it being a "thing") but that was the only time religion came up in any way. I never got the sense that the Bravean's ever went to church or anything, though. I honestly never thought about religion as it relates to that show until this thread because it was so not part of it if that makes aneae

Zeek tells the pastor that he's an atheist at the baptism. Thank you Google, now I can sleep.

[penguingrrl]

Mar 29, 2015 19:18:49 GMT -5 rvan0905 said:

Mar 29, 2015 17:51:26 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Also an agnostic/atheist and I was also thinking, isn't Yang an atheist? And Jackson? In fact, aren't most of the Greys characters atheists, or at least non believers?

Unless they're shown going to church or talking about their beliefs, I don't even think about what their religion is and it doesn't bother me that atheisism isn't much mentioned. Well, unless they're assholes and spouting about how heartless and moral-less atheists are, then it bothers me.

Yang was Jewish.   [a style="height:20px;width:40px;opacity:0.85;border:none;background-color:transparent;background-
image:url(data:image/png;"]

[/a][/quote]


That's right! I totally forgot that!

[Dumbledork]

Mar 29, 2015 19:18:49 GMT -5 rvan0905 said:

Mar 29, 2015 17:51:26 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Also an agnostic/atheist and I was also thinking, isn't Yang an atheist? And Jackson? In fact, aren't most of the Greys characters atheists, or at least non believers?

Unless they're shown going to church or talking about their beliefs, I don't even think about what their religion is and it doesn't bother me that atheisism isn't much mentioned. Well, unless they're assholes and spouting about how heartless and moral-less atheists are, then it bothers me.

Yang was Jewish.  

Just in terms of like culture or something though, right? Her stepdad was Jewish, so she acknowledges it as part of her identity but I'm pretty sure she's said several times she doesn't believe in God.

And there's always Jackson. Of the two, he disproves the op point more anyway because he's charming, good with kids, yadda yadda yadda while Cristina is more of the House-type asshole- even though she is completely awesome and the best part of the show.

[Dumbledork]

Mar 29, 2015 19:53:29 GMT -5 rvan0905 said:

Mar 29, 2015 19:30:04 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Just in terms of like culture or something though, right? Her stepdad was Jewish, so she acknowledges it as part of her identity but I'm pretty sure she's said several times she doesn't believe in God.

And there's always Jackson. Of the two, he disproves the op point more anyway because he's charming, good with kids, yadda yadda yadda while Cristina is more of the House-type asshole- even though she is completely awesome and the best part of the show.

I don't remember her atheism, but I wouldn't pay attention to it unless it was a major plot point like Jackson.  Her mentioning that she was Jewish was a big deal with Burke, and I do remember it coming up a few other times.

See and it was Burke that made me think she was an atheist. He talks about how he's spiritual and believes in God and she laughs it off and says he can't be serious, she believes in medicine. It was a point of contention between them.

[Dumbledork]

americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-07-top-10-atheist-characters-on-television

She's listed here as a nontheisy and Jewish humanist.

And, duh. Kurt! Oscar! Britta! Bones!

[redwino]

Mar 29, 2015 16:13:07 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

So, maybe it's bias talking because I am an atheist, but unless a character specifically mentions religion and church being part of who they are I assume the character is not a believer.

The conservative Christians I know assume the same thing. They avoid most mainstream media because it's full of heathens.

I never put much thought into it but I guess I assume most characters are Christian lite. That's my default assumption about people in real life too because most of the people I know fall into that category.

[Queen Mamadala]

With hope and dread, therefore, I sat down to watch “CNN Special Report: Atheists: Inside the World of Non-Believers.”

Almost as bad as "un-believers." *eye roll*

The show begins with sharply angled shots of church spires in a darkening sky, swiftly shifting clouds behind, dramatic synth percussion below the voice-over: “Americans losing faith every day. They say there is no God. And the stigma is stifling. Paralyzing pastors. Fracturing families.” Dunh-dunh-dunh-dunnnh.

Yes, because "faith" is much like keys, it's so easy to misplace. I didn't (and other apostates can agree) lose my faith, I voluntarily, consciously, gave it up. It was willful and deliberate, and not due to circumstance like "something" happening that made me bitter or angry.

Of course I see myself as "normal." My lack of belief in deities is as normal to me as my introversion or love for bacon and butter. I also don't spend my free time plotting and planning world domination... unlike dominionists. And I don't kick puppies and eat kittens. I just don't believe in gods in the same way I don't believe in Jedi magic and other fanciful and fantastical concepts.

I totally love the heathen characters in the article, though they may not be representative of most nontheists. My kids (10 and 8) totally watched House and TBBT. My 10 year old loved House. And she's also gotten into Sherlock.

[jln]

Mar 29, 2015 20:36:12 GMT -5 redwino said:

Mar 29, 2015 16:13:07 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

So, maybe it's bias talking because I am an atheist, but unless a character specifically mentions religion and church being part of who they are I assume the character is not a believer.

The conservative Christians I know assume the same thing. They avoid most mainstream media because it's full of heathens.

I never put much thought into it but I guess I assume most characters are Christian lite. That's my default assumption about people in real life too because most of the people I know fall into that category.

This is where I am, as well.  I'm an atheist, but most people I know believe in something so I just assume that unless they say otherwise, they belong to some religion or believe in some sort of god.