At least in America, most homosexuals and atheists have encountered some sort of bias or opposition from fundamentalists. Gays are usually slandered as child molesters (despite the fact that the vast majority of child molesters are heterosexual [Source: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/HTML/facts_molestation.html]) and overly promiscuous, and atheists are usually portrayed as “fag-loving baby killers.” Now, granted, most atheists are usually okay with homosexuality, as they don’t have an archaic book telling them to hate someone based on who they sleep with, so that offense-sounding charge is usually accurate. As for the “baby killer” accusation, not all atheists are pro-choice. I know atheists who value all forms of life, and they oppose what they see as murder on all levels. This, of course, includes war, the death penalty, and abortion. That I can understand, it’s the acceptance of war and capital punishment while decrying abortion that befuddles me.

However, I digress. Why is there such a strong bias against gays and atheists? Let’s go back a few years to when I was attending Catholic school. I remember seeing a few Gay Pride parades on TV, and of course, rather than showing the entire parade, the highlights only include the men in spandex or assless leather chaps. My father reaffirmed this view of mine that gay people are all flamboyant and pushy about their “lifestyle choice” (his words, not mine). Now that I’m an adult, I’ve actually attended gay rallies, and there were no assless chaps present. Why, I’ve even befriended gay people, and not once have I seen them in spandex underwear. Who knew that gays would actually wear normal clothes, just like…*gasp* heterosexuals!? Clearly, the “all gays are flamboyant and wear assless chaps” argument is a weak one portrayed by a few images.

Now, again at Catholic school, I had some pretty mixed up views of atheists. What I’m going to say may sound like a joke, and you can laugh because it is funny, but I am in no way exaggerating. When I was younger, I fought my parents so they would send me to a Catholic high school. We couldn’t afford it, so to public school I went. I was absolutely terrified, because I was taught that if I brought a Bible into a public school, I would be ridiculed and beaten up by my peers, then expelled from the school (like I said, this is no exaggeration, I honestly believed this). If only I had known that 70% of this country is Christian, even people who attend public schools. Or, if only I had known that atheists are not terrible people. Since I was Catholic, I was very pro-life. I once asked someone older, wiser, and more knowledgeable in the ways of Catholicism than myself, “How can people be pro-choice? Don’t they realize it’s a baby?” The reply I received from this supposedly older and wiser person was… “They like killing babies because they don’t have God to guide their lives.” What?! I wish at the time I had known to be appalled at that answer, but unfortunately I was utterly convinced that no God meant no morals. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only lie I received during my religious studies.

This anti-atheist bias followed me until I saw a note that someone I very much respected and admired posted a note about atheism online. I didn’t realize he was an atheist, or as he liked to say, a secular humanist (I had never heard the term “humanist” before, either). I wish I could find the note for reference, because it was quite poignant. In any case, it said something to the affect of, “Why are atheists bad? Is it because they don’t want one way of life forced on everyone?” except it was much more elegant than that. I remember it making the point about not having the government force prayer or Christmas on people, as—get this—not everyone is Christian. I believe it also said something about caring about people for the sake that they are human, too…not because they fear punishment from some supposedly omniscient being. The note (which I will try to find) really shook my beliefs to their core. Atheists…love people? Not because someone tells them to, but for no reason other than the fact that they’re sentient beings? Woah, man…woah. That was literally a defining moment in my life.

I have no evidence to support this assertion other than my own experience, but I feel the anti-atheist bias is propagated by religious leaders. If people knew they could lead a moral and fulfilling life without God, how many would leave their church? If the church keeps portraying “the enemy” (atheists, or anyone who disagrees with their belief) as terrible, moral-less people, they’ll secure their target population forever.

As atheists, we do need to stand up and prove that atheists are not the scum of the earth, and that one can lead a meaningful life without worrying about post-life judgment. We also need to fight all stereotypes, including those against Christians. Just because we’ve been stereotyped doesn’t make it right for us to do to others. I’ve now met many Christians who realize that atheists are decent people and who are not opposed to homosexuality. No matter whom they’re about, generalizations and biases should be ended.