Religion is so important to many people's lives that they can't imagine not sharing it with others, thus preventing them from dating people outside their religion - or with no religion at all. This can be especially problematic for atheists who not only lack religion, but any belief in gods at all. This puts a lot of people off.

Rational Ahmand writes about his experiences:

Anecdotally, I can say that it seems most black and Latina women are of high religiosity. This leaves me with few options in securing a healthy love life. i) I can either persist in hiding or denying my personal views; ii) I can only date nonreligious women (however few I can find); iii) I can try to explain how my beliefs do not make me a bad person; iv) I could try dating mostly (or only) Asian and white women that do not wear their religion on their sleeve 24-7; or v) I could convert. Maybe I have other options, but it seems a combination of options (i-iii) is the most reasonable, at least for right now. The null option is not to date at all, but that would be utterly unsatisfactory.

Online dating services might make it easier for nonbelievers to find one another, but even that option is rather limited. It’s unfortunate, but what Ahmand is describing here is simply a consequence of the widespread bigotry which religious believers have against atheists. It’s a sad commentary on society today that following what appears to one to be the most rational, realistic, and sensible path would be treated as a “character flaw.”

 

Quick Poll: Have you ever had trouble dating because of your atheism?

1. Yes, many people have been prejudiced and rude
2. Occasionally, but not too often
3. No, everyone has been decent

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Read More:

• Atheism 101
• What is Atheism?
• Who Are Atheists?