Wikipedia

Atheism in the United States

A 2023 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 4% of Americans in the United States self-identified as atheists.[4] This is an increase from 3.1% of Americans in 2014.[3] However, in 2014, 9% of Americans agreed with the statement "Do not believe in God" while 2% agreed with the statement "Do not know if they believe in God".[3] According to a poll by non-profit PRRI in 2023, 4% of Americans were atheist and 5% were agnostic.[5] Polling by Gallup in 2022 showed that 17% of respondents replied "No" when asked "Do you believe in God?" in a binary fashion, but when worded differently in 2023, Gallup found that 12% of respondents replied they "Do not believe in" God and 14% replied they were "Not sure about" the existence of God.[6] According to Gallup, there are variations in their polling results because they ask about God in three different wordings, each with a different result.[7]

American atheists
Total population
Increase 56,000,000 (17%)
(answered "No" to the question "Do you believe in God?")
(2017)[1]
9,571,112 (3.1%)
(self described atheists)
(2014)[2][3]
Religions

According to the 2014 General Sociological Survey, the number of atheists and agnostics in the U.S. grew over the previous 23 years. In 1991, only 2% identified as atheist, and 4% identified as agnostic; while in 2014, 3.1% identified as atheists, and 5% identified as agnostics.[8]

According to the 2008 ARIS, only 2% the US population was atheist, while 10% were agnostics.[9]

One 2018 research paper using indirect methods estimated that 26% of Americans are atheists, which is much higher than the 3%-11% rates that are consistently found in surveys.[10] However, methodological problems have been identified with this particular study; in particular, it has been posted that many people might not have a binary outlook to the question of the existence of God.[11]

Accurate demographics of atheism are difficult to obtain since conceptions of atheism and self-identification are context dependent by culture.[12] In 2009, Pew stated that only 5% of the US population did not have a belief in a god and out of that small group only 24% self-identified as "atheist", while 15% self-identified as "agnostic" and 35% self-identified as "nothing in particular".[13] In 2023, Pew stated that 23% of atheists believe in a higher power, but not a god.[14]

Demographics (2014)

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Age

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Lack of belief in god/gods among age groups in the United States (2014)
Age group % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
18-29 year olds 16 16
 
 6 6
 
 [3]
30-49 year olds 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
All Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
50-64 year olds 6 6
 
 2 2
 
 [3]
65+ year olds 6 6
 
 2 2
 
 [3]

Education

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Lack of belief in god/gods among education in the United States (2014)
Highest degree earned % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Post-graduate degree 14 14
 
 5 5
 
 [3]
College graduate 14 14
 
 5 5
 
 [3]
All Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Some college 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
High school or less 6 6
 
 2 2
 
 [3]

Gender

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Lack of belief in god/gods among genders in the United States (2014)
Gender % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Male American 12 12
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Female American 6 6
 
 2 2
 
 [3]

Generation

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Lack of belief in god/gods among generations in the United States (2014)
Generation % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Younger Millennial Americans 17 17
 
 6 6
 
 [3]
Older Millennial Americans 13 13
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Generation X Americans 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Greatest Americans 7 7
 
 2 2
 
 [3]
Baby Boomer Americans 6 6
 
 2 2
 
 [3]
Silent Americans 6 6
 
 1 1
 
 [3]

Household income

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Lack of belief in god/gods among household income in the United States (2014)
Cohort % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
$100,000 or more, Americans 14 14
 
 5 5
 
 [3]
$50,000-$99,999, Americans 11 11
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
$30,000-$49,999, Americans 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Less than $30,000, Americans 7 7
 
 2 2
 
 [3]

Immigrant status

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Lack of belief in god/gods among immigrant status in the United States (2014)
Generation % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Second generation Americans 14 14
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Third generation or higher Americans 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Immigrants 8 8
 
 3 3
 
 [3]

Marital status

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Lack of belief in god/gods among marital status in the United States (2014)
Cohort % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Never married Americans 15 15
 
 5 5
 
 [3]
Living with a partner Americans 14 14
 
 5 5
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Married Americans 7 7
 
 2 2
 
 [3]
Divorced/separated Americans 6 6
 
 2 2
 
 [3]
Widowed Americans 3 3
 
 1 1
 
 [3]

Metro area

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Lack of belief in god/gods/self described atheists among metro areas in the United States (2014)
State/federal district % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Greater San Francisco Bay Area 21 21
 
 5 5
 
 [3]
Seattle metropolitan area 20 20
 
 10 10
 
 [3]
Boston metropolitan area 17 17
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Providence metropolitan area 15 15
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Baltimore metropolitan area 14 14
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Philadelphia metropolitan area 13 13
 
 5 5
 
 [3]
Tampa metropolitan area 13 13
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
San Diego metropolitan area 12 12
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Washington metropolitan area 12 12
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Greater Los Angeles Area 11 11
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
New York metropolitan area 11 11
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Phoenix metropolitan area 11 11
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Chicago metropolitan area 10 10
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Detroit metropolitan area 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Miami metropolitan area 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Riverside metropolitan area 8 8
 
 1 1
 
 [3]
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex 7 7
 
 1 1
 
 [3]
Atlanta metropolitan area 6 6
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Houston metropolitan area 6 6
 
 2 2
 
 [3]
St. Louis metropolitan area 6 6
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Pittsburgh metropolitan area 5 5
 
 3 3
 
 [3]

Political affiliation

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Lack of belief in god/gods among political affiliation in the United States (2014)
Political affiliation % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Democrat/Lean Democrat Americans 13 13
 
 5 5
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
No lean, Americans 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Republican/Lean Republican Americans 5 5
 
 1 1
 
 [3]

Parental status

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Lack of belief in god/gods among parental status in the United States (2014)
Parental status % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Non-parents of children under 18 year old Americans 10 10
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Parents of children under 18 year old Americans 7 7
 
 2 2
 
 [3]

Political ideology

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Lack of belief in god/gods among political ideology in the United States (2014)
Political ideology % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Liberal Americans 19 19
 
 7 7
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Moderate Americans 9 9
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Don't know, Americans 8 8
 
 [3]
Conservative Americans 3 3
 
 1 1
 
 [3]

Race

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Lack of belief in god/gods among racial groups in the United States (2014)
Racial group % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Asian Americans 19 19
 
 6 6
 
 [3]
White Americans 11 11
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Other/Mixed Americans 8 8
 
 2 2
 
 [3]
Latino Americans 6 6
 
 2 2
 
 [3]
African Americans 2 2
 
 1 1
 
 [3]

Region

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Lack of belief in god/gods/self described atheists among regions in the United States (2014)
State/federal district % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
Northeastern United States 12 12
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Western United States 12 12
 
 4 4
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Midwestern United States 8 8
 
 3 3
 
 [3]
Southern United States 7 7
 
 2 2
 
 [3]

Religion

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Lack of belief in god/gods among religious/belief groups in the United States (2014)
Religious group % of lack of belief in god/gods Source
Atheist Americans 92 92
 
 [3]
Agnostic Americans 41 41
 
 [3]
Nothing in particular (religion not important), Americans 33 33
 
 [3]
Unaffiliated Americans 33 33
 
 [3]
Buddhist Americans 27 27
 
 [3]
New Age movement, Americans 21 21
 
 [3]
Nothing in particular, Americans 20 20
 
 [3]
Unitarians and other liberal faiths in "other faiths", Americans 19 19
 
 [3]
Jewish Americans 17 17
 
 [3]
Hindu Americans 10 10
 
 [3]
Americans 9 9
 
 [3]
Episcopalian (Mainline Protestant) Americans 4 4
 
 [3]
Anglican Church, Americans 3 3
 
 [3]
Episcopal Church, Americans 3 3
 
 [3]
Nothing in particular (religion important), Americans 3 3
 
 [3]
Eastern Orthodox Americans 3 3
 
 [3]
Lutheran (Mainline Protestant) Americans 2 2
 
 [3]
Mainline Protestant Americans 2 2
 
 [3]
Nondenominational (Mainline Protestant) Americans 2 2
 
 [3]
Roman Catholic Americans 2 2
 
 [3]
Baptist (Mainline Protestant) Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Christian Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Muslim Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Pentecostal (Evangelical Protestant) Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Presbyterian (Evangelical Protestant) Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Presbyterian (Mainline Protestant) Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Presbyterian Church in America, Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Presbyterian Church, Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
United Church of Christ, Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
United Methodist Church, Americans 1 1
 
 [3]
Adventist (Evangelical Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
African Methodist Episcopal Church, Americans <1 [3]
American Baptist Churches, Americans <1 [3]
Assemblies of God, Americans <1 [3]
Baptist (Evangelical Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Baptist (Historically Black Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Church of God, Americans <1 [3]
Church of God in Christ, Americans <1 [3]
Mormon, Americans <1 [3]
Church of the Nazarene, Americans <1 [3]
Churches of Christ, Americans <1 [3]
Evangelical Protestant Americans <1 [3]
Historically Black Protestant, Americans <1 [3]
Holiness (Evangelical Protestant), Americans <1 [3]
Independent Baptist (Evangelical Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Interdenominational (Evangelical Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Interdenominational (Mainline Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Jehovah's Witness, Americans <1 [3]
Lutheran (Evangelical Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Americans <1 [3]
Methodist (Historically Black Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Mormon Americans <1 [3]
National Baptist Convention, Americans <1 [3]
Nondenominational (Evangelical Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Nondenominational (Historically Black Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Nondenominational charismatic Americans <1 [3]
Nondenominational evangelical Americans <1 [3]
Nondenominational fundamentalist Americans <1 [3]
Pentecostal (Historically Black Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Restorationist (Evangelical Protestant) Americans <1 [3]
Seventh-day Adventist Americans <1 [3]
Southern Baptist Convention, Americans <1 [3]

Sexual orientation

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Self described atheists among sexual orientations in the United States (2014)
Sexual orientation % of self described atheists Source
LGBT Americans 8 8
 
 [3]
Americans 3.1 3.1
 
 [3]
Straight Americans 3 3
 
 [3]

State/federal district

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Disbelief in god/gods in the United States by state/territory in 2014
  >20%
  15–19
  10–14
  7–9%
  4–6%
  <4%
Lack of belief in god/gods/self described atheists among states/local district in the United States (2014)
State/federal district % of lack of belief in god/gods % of self described atheists Source
# of population # of population
  Vermont 131,406 21 21
 
 43,802 7 7
 
 [3][2]
  Massachusetts 1,178,573 18 18
 
 327,381 5 5
 
 [3][2]
  Maine 212,538 16 16
 
 26,567 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  New Hampshire 210,635 16 16
 
 78,988 6 6
 
 [3][2]
  District of Columbia 84,241 14 14
 
 24,069 4 4
 
 [3][2]
  Oregon 498,040 13 13
 
 191,554 5 5
 
 [3][2]
  Washington 874,190 13 13
 
 336,227 5 5
 
 [3][2]
  Alaska 85,228 12 12
 
 35,512 5 5
 
 [3][2]
  California 4,470,475 12 12
 
 1,490,158 4 4
 
 [3][2]
  Connecticut 427,834 12 12
 
 178,264 5 5
 
 [3][2]
  Nevada 324,066 12 12
 
 135,028 5 5
 
 [3][2]
  Wisconsin 682,438 12 12
 
 170,610 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  New York 2,131,591 11 11
 
 968,905 5 5
 
 [3][2]
  Idaho 172,434 11 11
 
 31,352 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  New Mexico 226,510 11 11
 
 61,775 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Rhode Island 115,782 11 11
 
 42,103 4 4
 
 [3][2]
  Arizona 639,202 10 10
 
 191,761 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Colorado 502,920 10 10
 
 201,168 4 4
 
 [3][2]
  Florida 1,880,131 10 10
 
 564,039 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Indiana 648,380 10 10
 
 194,514 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Maryland 577,355 10 10
 
 173,207 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Pennsylvania 1,270,238 10 10
 
 381,071 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Hawaii 122,427 9 9
 
 27,206 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Illinois 1,154,757 9 9
 
 384,919 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Iowa 274,172 9 9
 
 121,854 4 4
 
 [3][2]
  Michigan 889,528 9 9
 
 296,509 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Minnesota 477,353 9 9
 
 159,118 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Nebraska 164,371 9 9
 
 18,263 1 1
 
 [3][2]
  United States 27,787,098 9 9
 
 9,571,112 3.1 3.1
 
 [3][2]
  Montana 79,153 8 8
 
 39,577 4 4
 
 [3][2]
  New Jersey 703,352 8 8
 
 175,838 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  North Dakota 53,807 8 8
 
 13,452 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Utah 221,111 8 8
 
 82,917 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Virginia 640,082 8 8
 
 160,020 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Kentucky 303,756 7 7
 
 173,574 4 4
 
 [3][2]
  Delaware 62,855 7 7
 
 17,959 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Kansas 199,718 7 7
 
 57,062 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  North Carolina 667,484 7 7
 
 190,710 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Ohio 807,555 7 7
 
 230,730 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  South Dakota 56,993 7 7
 
 24,425 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  Georgia 581,259 6 6
 
 193,753 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Louisiana 272,002 6 6
 
 90,667 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Missouri 359,336 6 6
 
 119,779 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Texas 1,508,734 6 6
 
 502,911 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Wyoming 33,818 6 6
 
 16,909 3 3
 
 [3][2]
  South Carolina 231,268 5 5
 
 46,254 1 1
 
 [3][2]
  West Virginia 92,650 5 5
 
 18,530 1 1
 
 [3][2]
  Arkansas 116,637 4 4
 
 58,318 2 2
 
 [3][2]
  Mississippi 118,692 4 4
 
 29,673 1 1
 
 [3][2]
  Tennessee 190,383 3 3
 
 63,461 1 1
 
 [3][2]
  Alabama 95,595 2 2
 
 47,797 1 1
 
 [3][2]

Public officials

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United States Representatives

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Photo Name State Position Party Term Source
  Pete Stark California United States Representative from California's 8th district, 9th district, 13th district Democratic 1973–2013 [15]
  Jared Huffman California United States Representative from California's 2nd district Democratic 2013–present [16]
  Barney Frank Massachusetts United States Representative from Massachusetts's 4th district Democratic 1981–2013 [17]

United States Senators

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Photo Name State Position Party Term Source
  Thomas Gore Oklahoma United States Senator from Oklahoma Democratic 1907–1921

1931, 1937

[18]
  Kyrsten Sinema Arizona United States Senator from Arizona Independent 2019– [19]

Governors

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Photo Name State Position Party Term Source
  Culbert Olson California 29th Governor of California Democratic 1939–1943 [20]
  Jesse Ventura Minnesota 38th Governor of Minnesota Reform
(1998-2000)		 Independence
(2000-2003)		 1999–2003 [21]

State legislators

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Photo Name State Position Party Term Source
  Timothy Smith New Hampshire New Hampshire State Representative Democratic 2012-Present [22]
  Culbert Olson California California State Senator Democratic 1934–1938 [20]
  Jared Huffman California California State Assembly, 2nd district Democratic 2006–2012 [16]
  Sean Faircloth Maine Maine Representative, 17th and 117th districts

Maine State Senator

Democratic 1992–1994
2002–2008
1994–1996
  Barney Frank Massachusetts Massachusetts State Representative, 5th and 8th Suffolk districts Democratic 1973–1981 [17]
  Ernie Chambers Nebraska Nebraska State Senator, 11th district Independent 1971–2009
2013–2021		 [23]
  Megan Hunt Nebraska Nebraska State Senator, 8th district Democratic 2019–present [24]
  Lori Lipman Brown Nevada Nevada State Senator Democratic 1992–1994 [25]
Andrew Zwicker New Jersey New Jersey General Assembly, 16th District Democratic 2016–present [26]
  Culbert Olson Utah Utah State Senator Democratic 1916–1920 [20]

Mayors

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Photo Name State Position Party Term Source
  Jesse Ventura Minnesota Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Independent 1991–1995 [21]
  Rocky Anderson Utah 33rd Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah Democratic 2000–2008 [27]

City councils

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Photo Name State Position Party Term Source
  Sean Faircloth Maine Chair of the City Council of Bangor Democratic 2016–present
  Cecil Bothwell North Carolina City councilor of Asheville Democratic 2009–2017

Political views

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Rocky Anderson, founder of the Justice Party
 
Douglas Campbell, co-founder of the Godless Americans Political Action Committee
 
Emma Goldman, founder of anarcho-feminism
 
James P. Cannon, co-founder of the Communist League of America
 
Abbie Hoffman, co-founder of the Youth International Party
 
Richard B. Spencer, founder of the alt-right
 
Murray Rothbard, founder of anarcho-capitalism
 
Cenk Uygur, co-founder of the Justice Democrats

Views of atheists

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A June–September 2014 Pew Research Center survey found that 69% of atheist Americans identity as Democratic or lean Democratic, 17% have no lean, 15% identify as Republican, 56% liberal, 29% moderate, 10% conservative, and 5% don't know. Among Americans who don't believe in god/gods, 65% identity as Democratic or lean Democratic, 17% have no lean, 18% identity as Republican, 50% liberal, 31% moderate, 13% conservative, and 6% don't know. That makes atheist and nonbelievers in god/gods Americans as belief groups to be the most politically liberal belief group in America and the least politically aligned belief group with Republicans and conservatism in the United States.[3]

Views about atheists

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In 2014, a Pew survey found that 53% of Americans claimed they would be less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who was an atheist.[28]

Groups that include atheists

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An October 2013 Public Religion Research Institute American Values Survey found 58% of American libertarians report they believe in a personal god, 25% believe god is an impersonal force in the universe, and 16% report that they do not believe in a god. It also found 73% of Americans who identify with the Tea Party report they believe in a personal god, 19% believe god is an impersonal force in the universe, and 6% report that they do not believe in a god. It also found 90% of white evangelical Protestants report they believe in a personal god, 8% believe god is an impersonal force in the universe, and less than 1% report that they do not believe in a god.[29]

List of atheist Americans

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Main articles: List of American atheists and List of fictional atheists and agnostics

Organizations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Religion". 8 June 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az Bureau, U.S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2017-03-22. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du dv dw dx dy dz ea eb ec ed ee ef eg eh ei ej ek el em en eo ep eq er es et eu ev ew ex ey ez fa fb fc fd fe ff fg fh fi fj fk fl fm fn fo fp fq fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl gm gn go gp gq gr gs "Religious Landscape Study". Pew Research Center. 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  4. ^ Lipka, Michael; Tevington, Patricia; Starr, Kelsey (7 February 2024). "8 facts about Atheists". Pew Research Center.
  5. ^ "Religious Change in America". PRRI. 27 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Religion". Gallup. 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  7. ^ Saad, Lydia; Hrynowski, Zach (24 June 2022). "How Many Americans Believe in God?". Gallup. The answer to how many Americans believe in God depends on how the question is asked. Gallup has measured U.S. adults' belief in God three different ways in recent years, with varying results.
  8. ^ Hout, Michael; Smith, Tom (March 2015). "Fewer Americans Affiliate with Organized Religions, Belief and Practice Unchanged: Key Findings from the 2014 General Social Survey" (PDF). General Social Survey. NORC. The percentage answering 'no religion' was 21 percent in 2014, 20 percent in 2012, just 14 percent as recently as 2000, and only 8 percent in 1990." & "In 2014, 3 percent of Americans did not believe in God and 5 percent expressed an agnostic view; the comparable percentages were 2 percent and 4 percent in 1991. More people believed in a 'higher power' in 2014 (13%) than in 1991 (7%).
  9. ^ Kosmin, Barry; Keysar, Ariela (2009). "American Nones: The Profile of the No Religion Population" (PDF). Trinity College.
  10. ^ Gervais, Will M.; Najle, Maxine B. (2018). "How many atheists are there?". Social Psychological and Personality Science. 9: 3–10. doi:10.1177/1948550617707015.
  11. ^ Resnick, Brian (13 April 2017). "How many American atheists are there really?". Vox. Vox Media. Vox Media. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  12. ^ Zuckerman, Phil (2007), "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns", Cambridge Companion to Atheism, pp. 47–66, doi:10.1017/CCOL0521842700.004
  13. ^ "Not All Nonbelievers Call Themselves Atheists | Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project". Pewforum.org. 2009-04-02. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  14. ^ Lipka, Michael; Tevington, Patricia; Starr, Kelsey (7 February 2024). "8 facts about Atheists". Pew Research Center. Archived from the original on 2024-05-10. About three-quarters of U.S. atheists (77%) do not believe in God or a higher power or in a spiritual force of any kind, according to our summer 2023 survey. At the same time, 23% say they do believe in a higher power of some kind.
  15. ^ Stark called himself "a Unitarian who does not believe in a supreme being" and has been identified as an atheist. Rep. Stark applauded for atheist outlook: Believed to be first congressman to declare nontheism, Associated Press, March 13, 2007 (Accessed June 15, 2007)
  16. ^ a b "lawmaker isn't sure that God exists. Now, he's finally decided to tell people". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06.
  17. ^ a b Wong, Curtis (2013-08-09). "Barney Frank's 'Pot-Smoking Atheist' Revelation Discussed On 'The Rubin Report'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
  18. ^ "FFRF & Tulsa nontheists salute Gore as first atheist senator". September 7, 2010.
  19. ^ "Democrat Senator Kyrsten Sinema takes oath on U.S. Constitution instead of Bible - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  20. ^ a b c The Hon. Atheist Governor: Culbert L. Olson Archived 2008-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ a b "Jesse Ventura". NNDB.com. Retrieved 25 April 2012. Formerly a Lutheran, Ventura generally considers himself an atheist.
  22. ^ ""Humanist PAC Marks Gains for Atheists and Freethinkers – and Hope for All Americans in Future Elections"". Freethought Equality. 2020. Retrieved Dec 20, 2020.
  23. ^ Hammel, Paul. "Ernie Chambers targets 'so help me God' in oaths". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  24. ^ Gunz, Rafaella (May 11, 2019). "Meet Megan Hunt: bisexual single mom and first-term Nebraska state senator". Gay Star News. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  25. ^ ""You can be elected as an openly gay politician in this country, but you can't be elected as an openly atheistic one", said Lori Lipman Brown, who was hired last fall to be the Washington, D.C., lobbyist for an organization devoted to atheist causes, the Secular Coalition for America. She's believed to be the first paid lobbyist for the unbelievers in the nation's capital, the front lines of the culture wars. Now, all Brown is seeking is a constituency willing to go public. "Think of where the LGBT movement was 25 years ago", said Brown, who has worked on gay and lesbian rights issues as a legislator and attorney. "That's where atheists are today." [...] Brown, who is married and was raised a "humanistic Jew", talks about how she "came out" as an atheist several years ago, and how most atheists aren't "out yet" at work. She says atheist kids—like many gay children—are made to feel outcasts at school, and explains that she wants to erase the negative connotation to the word "atheist" just as homosexuals have reclaimed slurs like "queer" and "dyke."" Joe Garofoli, 'Atheists hoping to assert rights in religious era', San Francisco Chronicle, February 20, 2006 (accessed June 16, 2008).
  26. ^ "I'm an atheist, but I don't believe that science and religion are by definition incompatible." Andrew Zwicker, Reddit AMA, 13 May 2014 (accessed 9 November 2017).
  27. ^ voterocky.org
  28. ^ "For 2016 Hopefuls, Washington Experience Could Do More Harm than Good". Pew Research Center - U.S. Politics & Policy. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  29. ^ "In Search of Libertarians in America" (PDF).

Further reading

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  • Casey Cep, "Without a Prayer: Why are Americans still uncomfortable with atheism?", The New Yorker, October 29, 2018, pp. 66–71. Discusses R. Laurence Moore and Isaac Kramnick, Godless Citizens in a Godly Republic: Atheists in American Public Life, Norton, 2018; and John Gray, Seven Types of Atheism, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2018, which defines "atheist" as "anyone with no use for a divine mind that has fashioned the world" (a category that includes nontheist religions with no creator god, such as Buddhism and Taoism).
  • Schmidt, Leigh Eric, Village Atheists: How America's Unbelievers Made Their Way in a Godly Nation, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 2016.
  • Michael Shermer, "Silent No More: The rise of the atheists", Scientific American, vol. 318, no. 4 (April 2018), p. 77. Studies suggest that some 26 percent of Americans – more than 64 million people – are atheists. "[W]e should continue working on grounding our morals and values on viable secular sources such as reason and science."
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