To quote Brian Kinney "It's not lying if they make you do it."

Maybe you aren't "protestant" but "pro-test-ant".

Is that legal?

The "Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster" is a legit "religion" where I live ( New Zealand ). Flash your membership card and you are entitled to be photographed for official I.D. documents like a drivers license garbed in official regalia. In this case wearing an upside down colander on your head.
Wether this would enhance ones employment prospects is a moot point once having been anointed with his noodly appendage.

Probably knowing this was coming up was a major factor in my decision to seek out like-minded groups on the internet like this one. I'm really bothered by this. I feel like I'm lying to my employer but I also feel like if I don't lie, I won't HAVE an employer at this point. :/

Im glad to see nobody giving you shit for that decision. Do what you gotta do.

I do not go around proclaiming my lack of belief but several people at my current location are aware of it. When I was in your area, it became obvious after I had been there a few years but when I decided to relocate down here, I removed most of the stuff from my truck just to keep the shit down.

Im established enough at this point that I could weather it so am not so down low about it but I absolutely kept it quiet at first.

Update: I got the job. I am actually pretty happy in my job. Other than starting the day with a brief reading of a devotional text or bible verse (for which I am only obliged to sit quietly) there isn't anything overly religious in my workday. I am aware I work around a lot of people who buy into the religious underpinnings of our mission but I also find there are many who do not and are simply doing a good job with compassion for reasons of humanity. There are a lot of hills I might be willing to die on, but this job isn't one of them. I'll sit quietly through the morning reading and then be myself the rest of the day.

I completely understand! I worked for a local business and the owner would have prayer circles before our meetings. It always made me so uncomfortable but never said anything because I knew I would lose my job. I dealt with it for almost 6 years and was fired anyways because she prayed to God and he told her to fire me. Looking back, a part of me wishes I said something but I know it would have made my work environment worse than it already was. So short of the long, don't beat yourself up! You did what you needed to do!!!

Oh sorry to you! That should not be on the application, its none of their business!

You got to do what you got to do

?

Realise you're just a worker-droid. Asking your religion is so last century. You could have said you belong to the religion of death....then wait for their reaction...

I hope you get the job.

Sorry but yeah, you did weenie out. That question is totally illegal, I'm surprised you didn't know. Did you at least take a of the question on the application?

This is off topic ... But I am learning from you an others about the deep rooted religiosity of the US of A. Now I understand much better Trump's accusation that he is the victim of a witch hunt.

You are a fundamentally decent person. Is that by religious standards? If not it is an insanely ignorant concept to have on a job application. How do we define a fundamentally decent person? It appears by your post that religion still claims the high ground.