Atheists, Agnostics, and Acceptance
Acceptance of Religious Freedom
While secular individuals may criticize religious doctrines, institutions, or claims of the supernatural, the evidence suggests that they are generally strong supporters of religious freedom.
A 2025 Pew Research Center study found that 75% of atheists and 76% of agnostics believe that religious diversity strengthens society in the United States, alongside 73% of Jewish and 79% of Hindu respondents (Smith et al., 2025, page 259). These figures were among the highest of any religious identity demographics measured in the country.
European research reveals similar patterns. A major Pew survey of Western Europe found that religiously unaffiliated Europeans were generally more accepting of religious minorities then those respondents who were religiously affiliated (Pew Research Center, 2018a). Likewise, a broader study across 34 European countries showed a strong correlation between secular populations and openness toward minority groups (Pew Research Center, 2018b).
Acceptance of Immigration
The relationship between religiosity and attitudes toward immigration also follows similar trends to the acceptance of religion.
Pew's survey of Western Europe found that religiously unaffiliated adults were generally less likely than Christians to express anti-immigrant sentiment or to view Islam as incompatible with their national culture (Pew Research Center, 2018a). In the United Kingdom, for example, only 30% of religiously unaffiliated adults viewed Islam as fundamentally incompatible with British values, this percent rises to 45 when respondents identified with Christianity.
Research examining nationalism, religiosity, and immigration attitudes in Europe found significant correlation between higher religiosity, stronger nationalist identification, and increased anti-immigrant sentiment (Bullock et al., 2020).
The European Social Survey has also repeatedly demonstrated that secular, highly educated populations tend to express more favorable attitudes toward immigration and multiculturalism (European Social Survey, 2023).
The evidence suggests that, on average, secular and well educated populations are more likely to view cultural and religious diversity positively and support legal immigration more than a highly religious population, and more importantly, a less educated population.
Comparing Acceptance to Teachings in Faith
It is not really a shock to mention this; the attitudes exhibited by many atheists and agnostics often align closely with the highest ethical teachings of the world's religions.
Judaism teaches:
"When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Leviticus 19:33-34, JPS Tanakh)
Christianity teaches:
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39, NRSVue)
and
"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28, NRSVue)
Islam similarly teaches:
"There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break." (Qur'an 2:256, Abdel Haleem)
and
"People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another." (Qur'an 49:13)
and repeatedly commands mercy, hospitality, and justice toward strangers and minorities.
Buddhism teaches:
"Even as a mother protects with her life her child, her only child, so with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings." (Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta, cited in Bodhi, 2005).
Hinduism teaches:
"That one I love who is incapable of ill will, who is friendly and compassionate. Living beyond the reach of I and mine, and of pleasure and pain, patient, contented," (Bhagavad Gita 12:13, trans. Easwaran, 2007).
Someone might look at the data and assume that religion is not teaching acceptance which would be an untrue conclusion based upon scripture. This observation should not be interpreted as an indictment of religion. Millions of deeply religious individuals embody these virtues every day and work tirelessly for peace, tolerance, and social justice. There are for sure, bad-actors and so-called "leaders" using faith to manipulate or take advantage of others.
The data suggests that compassion, acceptance, and respect for human dignity are not exclusive products of either religion or secularism. One of the shared threads through the statistical references in this article is that faith alone isn't the best indicator for acceptance; education, age, and political affiliation of the respondent play a larger role in their perspective.
Indeed, one of the strongest arguments for interfaith and secular dialogue is that people with vastly different worldviews often arrive at remarkably similar ethical conclusions. These are the areas the world needs to focus and strive to emulate.
References
Abdel Haleem, M. A. S. (Transl.). (2004). The Qur'an. Oxford University Press. (Original work published c. 610–632)
Bullock, A., et al. (2020). Modelling threat causation for religiosity and nationalism in Europe. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.09425
Easwaran, E. (Trans.). (2007). The Bhagavad Gita (2nd ed.). Nilgiri Press.
European Social Survey. (2023). European Social Survey cumulative file, rounds 1–10. https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org
Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta. (Cited in Bodhi, 2005).
Leviticus 19:33-34. (1985). JPS Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures. Jewish Publication Society.
Pew Research Center. (2018a). Being Christian in Western Europe. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2018/05/29/being-christian-in-western-europe/
Pew Research Center. (2018b). Eastern and Western Europeans differ on importance of religion, views of minorities, and key social issues. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2018/10/29/eastern-and-western-europeans-differ-on-importance-of-religion-views-of-minorities-and-key-social-issues/
Smith, J., et al. (2025). Religion, immigration & racial, religious diversity, as Americans see it. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religion-and-views-on-immigration-and-diversity/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23983542891&gbraid=0AAAAA-ddO9GU7iA1--QIUkF_n4IW47LMP&gclid=CjwKCAjwpefSBhBvEiwAzyEtZ6Cx9iI3zTz_EJQZA4iBwwz77BcMaGRo4mqPl4z61qXlbuSUijockxoChWgQAvD_BwE
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