Atheists remain the only American group that cannot win majority approval

Evidence

This is likely because although religious people might infer that ethnic outgroup members or gays hold norms that differ from their own, atheists might be seen as holding norms that are directly antithetical to their own. Or, it could be that atheists may be distrusted because people are unsure what exactly atheists believe. A Christian or a Hindu, for example, might be able to infer some of the norms of a Muslim, but an atheist might be viewed as a wildcard; religious people might distrust atheists not only for the norms they are perceived to follow, but also for their perceived lack of norms. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 295 (#expands, via linked claim)

Despite their considerable worldwide numbers, atheists are not a particularly cohesive group, nor are they visible, or powerful. Unlike religious or ethnic groups who imagine themselves in communities united in faith and destiny, most atheists do not see themselves as a community at all. What they share in common is absence of a particular belief. As the comedian and atheist Ricky Gervais jokes, “Atheism is a worldview like not skiing is a hobby.” — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 243 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: An openly atheist US congressman was elected only once; Atheists lack the cohesive community that belief-based groups share — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 243; Atheists rank as more rejected than Muslims in American surveys (+1 more)

Related

• Atheists remain the only US group most voters refuse to support (similarity 0.87)
• Atheists lack the cohesive community that belief-based groups share (similarity 0.86)
• Atheists are distrusted as norm-wildcards whose beliefs cannot be inferred (similarity 0.85)
• Atheists remain the only US minority group that lacks majority social acceptance (similarity 0.85)
• Americans reject only atheist candidates, not racial and religious minorities. (similarity 0.82)
• Anti-atheist bias is America’s one socially accepted prejudice (similarity 0.82)
• Atheism is more disqualifying for US voters than race, gender, or sexuality (similarity 0.82)
• Atheism is perceived as a public threat to cooperation, not a private belief (similarity 0.80)
• Outgroup prevalence reduces distrust-based prejudice even as it raises fear-based prejudice (similarity 0.80)
• Atheists are distrusted more than other stigmatized groups even amid rising tolerance (similarity 0.79)
• American atheist distrust stems from anomalous high religiosity (similarity 0.79)
• Anti-atheist hostility is not simply generalized prejudice (similarity 0.79)
• Religiosity does not moderate fear of atheists the way it moderates racial views (similarity 0.79)
• Atheists are intuitively distrusted as much as convicted rapists (similarity 0.79)
• Anti-atheist prejudice is socially accepted while racial prejudice is not (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Atheists rank as more rejected than Muslims in American surveys #corroborates (0.85)
• Atheists are distrusted as norm-wildcards whose beliefs cannot be inferred #expands (0.80) — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 295
• Atheists lack the cohesive community that belief-based groups share #expands (0.75) — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 243