Telegraph: It is a fact of American life that even though far fewer than half the adult population attend church on a weekly basis, atheism remains an outright taboo in many corners of the country.
As we discovered on a reporting trip to Virginia earlier, non-belief is something that many Americans are too afraid to even admit to their parents, friend and teachers. Many fear alienation from the communities they grew up in, or even active discrimination from employers and teachers for their non-belief.
But in what is a sign of changing times, perhaps, next week sees the launch of America’s first dedicated TV channel for non-believers. Atheist TV launches in New York and will broadcast 24 hours a day via Roku, the internet streaming service that allows people to watch internet-based channels on their TVs. Roku only has seven million subscribers, but anyone can watch it streamed online at http://www.atheists.tv
Free-thinkers, as atheists style themselves, remain almost bizarrely under-represented in American public life and discourse. There is not a single openly declared atheist among the 535 members of Congress, and it is conventional electoral wisdom that the President of the United States has to be a believer.
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