ever notice how whenever a muslim/jewish/sikh/hindu/indigenous person runs for office or holds a position of power, they're always asked "but how do you rectify this position with your religious beliefs?" or "how can you balance your faith with science/law/politics?"

like..our current prime minister is a catholic, but I don't see him being asked these questions

some of the most recognized scientists in white history were christian/catholic but they were never asked to forego their religion

it only really seems to come up when a religiously marginalized (often non-white) person is involved

there is an assumption among white folks that other white people can set aside their religion if need be, or that they shouldn't have to set aside their religion

yet I'm asked how I can believe in science and Allah? because they think my religion blinds me to all else, but that would never happen with white people

we saw it in the last federal election with folks saying that there was no way jagmeet singh could be objective, he's "too religious" because he wears a symbol of his faith. but of course, a white man wearing a cross/believing in god is capable of being objective

white people and athiests: think on this next time you question a marginalized person's ability to balance their faith with their occupation

Being an avid Jagmeet Singh fan who votes NDP at every election in the hope that he becomes PM, I was getting ready to agree and mention that the rhetoric is the same used in regard to other minorities (e.g. women) when I reached the conclusion of your post and came across this:

Cue the vinyl scratch sound.

Say what now?

Careful, @politicsofcanada, your bias and bigotry are showing.

You're telling a marginalized group whose ability to balance faith and their occupation is repeatedly brought into question to the point where most of us aren't even out as being members of that persecuted group to think twice before questioning a marginalized person's ability to balance their faith with their occupation.

I can't afford to tell people I'm atheist because it would affect my job prospects. If you think that most prospective employers wouldn't put me in the "denied" pile the moment they found out I'm an atheist you're grossly misinformed about the situation in Canada.

It's legal in Canada to discriminate against non-Catholics when it comes to public Catholic school admissions and employment, meaning half of my job prospects would immediately disappear if I were to come out as an atheist because employers could legally assume I can't do my job because of my religion or lack thereof.

And in case you think that this religious privilege isn't enforced, here's a job post from the last time I looked for a job:

Being openly an atheist is typically considered the biggest religion-related liability in getting elected as a political leader. It's basically considered political suicide.

It's such a liability that the leaked Democratic party documents showed allies of Hillary Clinton in 2016 considering a plan to paint Bernie Sanders as an atheist, believing it could cost him crucial percentage points in states such as Kentucky and West Virginia.

Granted, in Canada there was one 2017 poll that found that an atheist PM isn't quite as much of an impossibility as an American President would be (alas, Sikhs took the place of atheists in the biggest impossibility spot); but the majority of people aren't aware of this poll and people who vote "strategically" could very well be a hindrance because the public mindset is that atheists are unelectable.

And it's not just our ability to perform our occupation that gets constantly brought into question either.

Atheist parents are disproportionately more likely to be denied custody of their children because the court deems that being placed with someone religious is better for the child's well-being.

We're also repeatedly told that we are dangerous individuals because we have no morals (since one supposedly needs to believe in a deity in order to know right from wrong).

While there are certainly plenty of racist and overall bigoted atheists out there, the majority of atheists question a person's ability to lead when the person makes it blatantly clear that their religion affects their ability to perform their occupation.