By Bill Donohue
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 5:51 PM EDT
As Christians head to church this Easter weekend, they should pray for those who are struggling with their uneasiness over their apparent loss of faith. I say “apparent” because it appears many of them have not given up altogether.
Working at the Catholic League means we get a chance to study and occasionally interact with agnostics, atheists, and those who have no religious affiliation.
Our impression is more negative than positive, but that may be because we are dealing with activists, not ordinary non-believers.
Activists tend to be highly critical of people of faith. However, from a recent public opinion survey of Vermont adults—the “Green Mountain State Poll,” conducted by researchers at the University of New Hampshire—it seems they are not representative of most non-believers.
Vermont is home to relatively few believers. Two in three never attend religious services. That’s more than double the average number nationwide, which is 31%. Of Vermont adults, 16% are atheist; 14% are agnostic; and 16% have no religious affiliation.
Given this distribution, it’s surprising to learn that half of them combined (50%) profess a belief in God, gods, or supernatural entities. Moreover, seven in ten believe in an afterlife.
If there is one finding that separates activist non-believers from ordinary non-believers, it’s the response that non-believers in this survey gave when asked: “Religious people in the United States are often persecuted for their beliefs.”
Almost half of all agnostics (48%) agree with this observation; exactly half (50%) of atheists agree; and just over half (51%) of those with no religious affiliation agree.
If those without religious convictions acknowledge that people of faith are “often persecuted for their beliefs,” who might they think are to blame?
It suggests they are conceding that much of the problem can be laid at the doorstep of the more militant members of their community. If this is true, and no doubt it is, this would confirm the notion that ordinary non-believers are not the problem; it’s the activists in their ranks who are.
Ergo, we should not give up on non-believers at Easter. Many may, and clearly will, come back to the fold.
Dr. Bill Donohue is president and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and has authored 11 books on civil liberties, social issues, and religion. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from New York University.
