New atheist critiques of religion selectively excused US imperial violence

Evidence

At this point, you the reader might be wondering, what about the United States, which is characterized with both high levels of rule of law but also high levels of atheist distrust? Interestingly, the United States is an outlier. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, 39 percent percent of Americans strongly agree or agree that politicians who do not believe in God are unfit for public office. This high number is lower than other highly religious but much poorer countries such as Pakistan (95 percent), but comparable to its very religious southern neighbor Mexico (39 percent). In America’s northern neighbor and close cultural cousin Canada, this distrust is much less pronounced (21 percent). But Canada’s atheist distrust is higher than comparably developed nations with high human development and strong rule of law, but much less religious, such as the UK (11 percent), Denmark (8 percent), and Sweden (4 percent), where distrust of atheists is virtually nonexistent. Why is it that the United States has levels of atheist distrust that are so out of step with other wealthy advanced democracies? This is a complex issue, but there is at least one answer to this puzzle that has to do with two oddities about the United States: for interesting reasons, America, despite being an economic powerhouse, has anomalously high religiosity levels, and we have seen that religiosity is the single most important determinant of atheist distrust. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 306 (#complicates, via linked claim)

In the weeks leading up to the “Freedom Sunday” service at First Baptist Church, Dallas, on June 24, 2018, senior pastor Robert Jeffress arranged for two billboards advertising the event to be posted on the North Dallas Tollway. While it is certainly not uncommon for churches to hold events like this around Independence Day, what ignited some controversy was his “special message” for the occasion, prominently displayed in all caps: “AMERICA IS A CHRISTIAN NATION.” — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 108 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Hitchens’ selective atheist critique of religion legitimated US war policies; Selective atheist critique of religion can covertly serve US empire — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 710; New atheist critiques of religion functioned as liberal cover for imperial war policy — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 722 (+12 more)

Broader Connections

• American atheist distrust stems from anomalous high religiosity #complicates (45.00) — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 306
• Religious disputation could itself be framed as defensive aggression #complicates (1.00) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 673
• A religion’s violence depends on context, not inherent character #complicates (1.00)
• Popular blame of religious belief for violence remains scientifically untested #complicates (1.00)
• New imperialist narratives retained older Christian justifications within their form #expands (1.00) — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 98
• Christian nationalist claims about America provoke backlash even from devout Christians #expands (1.00) — Andrew L. Whitehead; Samuel L. Perry, Taking America Back for God, 108
• Hierarchical religions were judged antithetical to American self-governance ideals #complicates (1.00)
• Religious justification adds disinhibitory force to legal commands to kill #complicates (1.00)
• Religious violence shifts historically within traditions, so no religion is inherently violent #expands (1.00) — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 515
• Religion in settler conflict operates as a differential marker, not as doctrine #complicates (1.00) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 2064
• Christians judged the inner religious enemy worse than the foreign one #complicates (1.00) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 59
• Radical Enlightenment critique targets religion rather than reason itself #complicates (1.00)