16 Nonbelievers in Damned Surprising Places

Australia’s Atheist Prime Minister

Here’s more evidence that the U.S. needs to get over its atheist allergies.

Shortly after being elected Australia’s PM in 2010, Julia Gillard joked to Barack Obama, “You think it’s tough being the first African-American President? Try being the first atheist, childless, single woman prime minister.”

“I am a great respecter of religious beliefs,” she said, “but they are not my beliefs. For people of faith, I think the greatest compliment I could pay them is to respect their genuinely-held beliefs and not to engage in some pretense about mine.”