Persecution of atheists

Atheists have experienced persecution throughout history. Persecution may refer to unwarranted arrest, imprisonment, beating, torture, or execution. It also may refer to the confiscation or destruction of property.

Historical persecution

Roman Empire

During the late Roman Empire, atheism — a capital crime — was a common legal prosecution against Christians by henotheists.^{citation needed} Christians rejected the Roman gods, and henotheists rejected the exclusivity of Christian monotheism.

Middle Ages

In the European Middle Ages people were persecuted for apostasy, especially in countries where the Inquisition was active. Medieval impiety and godlessness were closer to weak atheism than avowed strong atheism, and hardly any expression of strong atheism is known from this period. Medieval beliefs that most closely approach strong atheism were probably held by some members of the pantheistic Brethren of the Free Spirit. A man called Löffler, who was burned in Bern in 1375 for confessing adherence to this movement, is reported to have taunted his executioners that they would not have enough wood to burn "Chance, which rules the world."^{citation needed}

18th to 20th Century Europe

Among those imprisoned for atheism was Denis Diderot (1713–1784), one of the Enlightenment's most prominent philosophers, and editor-in-chief of the Encyclopédie, which sought to challenge religious (particularly Catholic) dogma: "Reason is to the estimation of the philosopher what grace is to the Christian", he wrote. "Grace determines the Christian's action; reason the philosopher's". ^[1]

Nazi Germany

Once appointed to the Chancellorship of Germany, Adolf Hitler banned freethought organizations and launched an “anti-godless” movement. In a 1933 speech he declared: “We have . . . undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not merely with a few theoretical declarations: we have stamped it out.”^[2]

Current persecution

Iran

In Iran, Irreligious people are not recognized as citizens. While Jews, Christians and other minorities have the right to take part in university entrance exams and can become members of parliament or city councils, irreligious people are not granted even their basic rights. Most irreligious people, however, hide their beliefs and pretend to be Muslims. Non-believers—atheists—under Islam do not have "the right to life". Apostasy in Iran is punishable by death.^[3]

United States

One of the greatest examples of anti-atheist discrimination in the USA is anti-atheist provisions in the state constitutions of seven of the United States of America. The state constitutions of Arkansas,^[4] Maryland,^[5] North Carolina,^[6] Pennsylvania,^[7] South Carolina,^[8] Tennessee,^[9] and Texas^[10] all have anti-atheist statements of varying provisions.

In some states, atheists are banned outright from holding public office and being witnesses and jurors. Others require religious tests for public duty that require a profession of belief in God or a Supreme Being. Others, such as the State Constitution of Pennsylvania give anti-discrimination rights only to those acknowledging "the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments".^[11] Constitutions of other states, such as Delaware, granted freedom of religion with the additional clause that “it is the duty of all men frequently to assemble together for the public worship of Almighty God” and that “the prosperity of communities” depends on “piety and morality.”^[12] Though anti-atheist language exists in many state constitutions, legal precedent holds the statements and religious tests as unenforceable. The 1961 Supreme Court case Torcaso v. Watkins established this precedent by ruling that religious tests of any kind are a violation of the first Amendment of the US Constitution and the protection from state infringement on the Constitution granted by the fourteenth amendment.^[13]

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