WSJ—HBO’s “Silicon Valley” won praise during its six-season run for accurately satirizing Northern California’s tech startup culture. A classic episode depicts a meeting in which one of the main characters accidentally “outs” a colleague, leaving the gathered tech leaders uncomfortable. But they’re not upset that their potential partner is gay—rather, they’re shocked to learn that he goes to church. Another character later admits that Christianity “freaks people out in the Valley.”
There’s truth in the show’s satire. Having held tech jobs in Silicon Valley and Seattle, I’ve 
experienced a combination of hesitation and hostility toward my Catholic faith. Eastern Orthodox, Mormon and Protestant colleagues at my company have had similar experiences, leading them to worry about being open with their religious beliefs. The fear is valid. For all its talk of diversity, the tech industry has little room for devout believers. This discomfort with faith cuts off much of tech from the moral foundation it needs.
In avoiding religious believers, the tech industry fails to reflect America’s religious diversity. Around half of tech workers identify as atheist or agnostic, according to a 2018 Lincoln Network survey. That number stands out even in an increasingly secular U.S., yet the gap is no surprise given where tech recruits workers. Seattle and the Bay Area are among the U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest percentages of religiously unaffiliated residents. The University of California, Berkeley, perhaps the top school for tech talent, ended its religious-studies program in 2017.
The dearth of faith-driven tech workers and leaders leads many in the industry to view believers with suspicion. When Google employees discovered that some of their Christian colleagues hold a weekly prayer group, some responded by asking “we employ people who pray?” and “is that really appropriate to do at work?” But people of faith can be seen as much worse than oddballs.
“Silicon Valley” hit that nail on the head. In another episode, a character declares that “Christianity is borderline illegal in Northern California.” Less of a laughing matter is Mozilla’s treatment of Catholic CEO Brendan Eich, who resigned under pressure in 2014 after opposing gay marriage. Others have reported similar treatment, while untold people of faith have hid their beliefs, fearing retaliation or blacklisting. I’ve interviewed candidates who… Read Full, Fascinating and Important article>>
- Finding God in Silicon Valley — by Skip Vaccarello
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