In a representative democracy, is there any reason to care about atheists as a demographic?

Question

They only constitute 0.4% of the population. Spending time and money in their interests in the political sphere is mere waste.

http://atheistempire.com/reference/stats/index.html

Red, suck it up and deal with the facts I cited. The category of non-believer, secular, agnostic is not the same as atheist, which is why pollsters trouble themselves to have an atheist category.

Red Guy, moron, what is wrong with you? The atheist population in prison, whatever it is, does not change what the total population is in th US.

Answer 1

Even I, Jesus, know that there are more atheists than less than half of one percent. And lying is a SIN.

A 2004 survey by the Pew Research Center showed that in the United States, 12% of people under 30 and 6% of people over 30 could be characterized as non-religious. http://people-press.org/

Answer 2

What do you have against atheists? Why are you such a dishonest bigot?

Atheists comprise MUCH more than .4% of the population. They comprise about .4% of the PRISON population, as your link shows in vivid color. You didn't even bother to look at it, as it defeats your arguments.

Edit: I think you should suck up the fact that your link pretty much throws your argument out the window. Can't you just say, "I'm sorry, the numbers I cited were WRONG?"
No. You have to resort to ad hominem attacks.

As expected from someone who has probably run out of ideas.
Nonbelievers, agnostics, atheists, and freethinkers comprise about 14% of the US population, and that number is rising every year.

The majority has no right to tyrannize the minority on matters such as race, gender, or religion.

Not only is it unAmerican for the government to promote religion, it is rude. Whenever a public official uses the office to advance religion, someone is offended. The wisest policy is one of neutrality.

Answer 3

I disagree that it's really that small. There are a lot of people in this country that are "on the fence" -- that is, they don't give religion much thought, but they've been led to believe that being religious is "right" and atheism is "wrong", so they'll call themselves Christian (or whatever) just because it looks better. The lack of a belief in God still isn't totally accepted in this country. I guarantee that if you surveyed the entire country and got everyone's honest opinion, a LOT more than .4% would call themselves atheist.

Answer 4

Your question is revealing what atheists fear about religious people. Not all of them, of course. This smoldering frustration and anger against non-believers can easily evolve into hatred and war, especially when combined with ignorance and primitivism. It is actually happening now in the Middle East.
Atheists have a healthy, peaceful approach to reality, to life in general. Their conviction is not based on fear, but on observation of the facts.
Logic and reason are their rulers, not the absurd.
I wonder why atheists don't feel this need to instigate believers.
I think they are very content with their lives.
I can spot a frustrated mind when I hear his or her words.
Excluding atheists in a representative democracy would deny it
smart , peaceful and objective minds.

Answer 5

Where did you get this figure? Certainly not from the people who populate Yahoo! Answers. Seems to me it's more like 40%! And I'll bet you could find an off-beat Christian sect that would number less than athiests - would you ignore them on that basis?

Answer 6

good point. we should do the same for the 0.4% of the population who are schizophrenic, 0.3% of the population with AIDS/HIV etc. You are obviously in the higher percentage of the population who is intolerant of anyone with a different opinion than yours. I think you're scared.

Answer 7

Which country are you speaking of? Certainly not the USA, as we are a Republic, and not as the Dems would have us to believe,as Democracy. Remember the pledge of allegiance?" I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the REPUBLIC for which she stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." I do not have to like you, but I do have to put up with you, that is called forbearance, which is part of citizenship.

Answer 8

I'm an Atheist, and I live in the Netherlands. In my country we are the majority. I'm thankful that in my country I have never heard one Atheist say things like you just said, about whatever minority.

Answer 9

I'm afraid this question completely baffles me. Since when
is an atheist's concerns (crime, employment, pollution, corruption, the war in Iraq, child abuse, etc) any different than any other citizen's?

Answer 10

If you believe that they shouldn't have their interests represented then you must also believe that every other minority group doesn't either.