By Blaire Molitor

It appears there is no greater transgression in America than atheism. In his article for U.S. News & World Report, Jay Tolson makes little attempt to hide his distaste for atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. The piece, initially presented as an examination of the current popularity of books with atheist themes, ultimately attempts to undermine every issue atheists explore.

Tolson introduces atheists as“that lonely one percent of the national mix,” branding them, according to a recent study, “the least trusted group in America.” While this statement may reflect perceived public sentiment more than personal bias, it nonetheless suggests that Tolson takes for granted the fact that atheists are confined to an isolated sphere in this country.

Tolson does give atheists some credit, pointing out their “compelling case that moral and socially productive behavior is in no way dependent on religious belief.” However, he ends the piece with the warnings of a Princeton lecturer who worries that atheists “might undercut the very thing that makes America work as a civil society.” This notion complements Tolson’s earlier comments, for example: “Philosophical arguments for or against God are more sophisticated than one might learn from Dawkins, who sometimes comes close to confirming Francis Bacon’s adage that a ‘little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds about to religion.’”

It seems that Tolson is under the impression that the United States was founded as a religious nation. While this viewpoint is often covertly stated, by both journalists and proponents, it is nonetheless found in countless articles discussing religion and morality, and the implications this assumption has for progressive thought are quite discouraging.

While Americans are finally ready to admit a Muslim to Congress, with a Mormon presidential candidate not lagging too far beyond, when will those who have chosen another, equally respectable path of belief be given the same acceptance?

Blaire Molitor is a student at the University of Soutern California