Category Archives: Atheism

Patheos

Republican rep says religion is 'foolish' and 'denies reality' Sacramento Bee I have had many a discussion and debate with dozens of people on atheism and politics, Phinney told Friendly Atheist. Although fearful I am of this kind of thing affecting my political office, I will always stand firm in my beliefs (or unbelief ... NH Lawmaker Brandon Phinney Defends Church State SeparationPatheos (blog) all 2 news articles »

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Republican rep says religion is 'foolish' and 'denies reality' - Sacramento Bee

The Pew Research Center

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There are a multitude of websites aimed at an atheist audience.Many tend to follow the same lines, talking about problems of religion in society as well as attacking religious apologetics.These sites are tremendously popular, as many atheists were brought up in a religion and have some amount of animosity towards what they see as a repressive ideology that did them harm in the past.Atheists are by no means limited to religious talk, however.A number of sites are devoted to atheist political action, most of which promulgate a highly progressive political agenda.

Many atheists seek to do more online than read someone elses arguments, advice, or calls to action though.As with almost all media endeavors in the modern world, consumers want lots of content and lots of interaction.One of the most popular places on the internet for users to interact is Reddit.While there are numerous subreddits for atheists, skeptics, agnostics, and the like, the top dog is the /r/atheism subreddit. Currently with about 2 million subscribers, it is in the top 100 subreddits (

Some, who are willing to broadcast their atheism to the world, are able to reach hundreds of thousands.There are over 1,000 religious radio stations in the U.S. but I was able to find no atheist stations, and a very small number of broadcast atheist themed shows.That does not mean, of course, that there are no atheists in radio, but rather that a new niche has been created and populated very well, in online atheist radio and podcasts.Some of the most prominent atheists in the world, including Sam Harris, have a weekly podcast, but there are hundreds of others done on different aspects of atheism.Examples include

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Thomas Smith about his take on the online atheist community.Thomas told me that through his podcasting and online activity he has been able to develop meaningful relationships with others.He believes that the internet has provided a place where atheists can congregate without needing to physically go to any location, allowing the scattered atheist community to support each other. The internet is certainly a boon to any minority group, and atheist demographics, which skew young, white, and male, are also some of the biggest internet users.Thomas recently changed the name of his main podcast from Atheistically Speaking to Serious Inquiries Only, a step he said came in part from losing guests because of the societal stigma attached to the word atheist.He says that after the name change he had numerous people tell him they loved it, because now they could share the podcast with friends and family without outing themselves as atheists.

This societal stigma is certainly part of the reason atheists seem so drawn to internet interactions.Anonymity, or at least the safety of separation from those around you, provides the ability to truly speak ones mind.For atheists that means declaring their atheism.For atheists in some parts of the world that anonymity could literally be a matter of life and death, as there are

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Atheists Online: -How Atheists Grew An Active Internet Community- - Conatus News

Jeff Newport can cite the Bible chapter and verse.

He went to Christian schools, attended church every Sunday and delivered his first sermon at 13.

In 1996, he was called to pastor a small Baptist church in Jesup with a congregation of about 30 for Sunday morning services.

Everything revolved around church, Newport said. We would not have even thought of missing a service unless we were ill. Family Bible reading and prayer were normal activities we never had a meal, even in public, for which we didnt say a blessing.

Today, though, the 46-year-old Savannah man considers himself a nonbeliever.

He lost faith in faith.

Its not easy being a nonbeliever or a skeptic in the Bible Belt South.

Move to a new city. Start a new job. Or meet a potential romantic interest.

One of the first things youre asked is: Where do you go to church?

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Religion is big in these parts. It can be the social center of a persons life. Often friendships are built within the walls of a sanctuary. Families worship together. Faith and where you worship not only give people a sense of believing but belonging.

Still, atheism (or at least the acknowledgment of it) appears to be on the rise though slightly.

Pews 2014 Religious Landscape Study found that 3.1 percent of American adults say they are atheists, up from 1.6 percent in a similarly large survey in 2007. An additional 4 percent of Americans call themselves agnostics, up from 2.4 percent in 2007.

The Washington, D.C.-basedSecular Coalition for America, for instance, boasts 29,000 people on its mailing list and more than 130,000 followers on its various social media accounts. Its followers include atheists, agnostics, humanists and other nonbelievers or those who arent sure of the presence of a higher spirit.

Thats an increase in 2016 of more than 5,000 new subscribers on their email list, more than 7,000 new Twitter followers and more than 10,000 Facebook likes.

Turning away

For Newport, it was a gradual change. For most of his early life, he never doubted the existence of God or the doctrines of Christianity.

The more he attempted to learn and weigh evidence pro and con, the more that faith began to unravel.

He left the Baptist ministry in 1999 and converted to the Eastern Orthodox Church. During his 12 years in this tradition, he gradually laid aside some of the dogmas of Christianity the reality of a literal hell, the inerrancy of the Bible, the exclusivity of Christianity as the only way to God, among others.

At the same time, he developed a love of science and the reliability of an evidence-based approach to find truth.

In 2012, he took a job that required work on Sundays. It gave him time and space to re-evaluate his faith. My faith couldnt stand up to this scrutiny. By the middle of 2014, I had quietly, but firmly, decided I no longer believed in God or the supernatural.

He has never approached the topic with his parents, who are dyed-in-the-wool Christians.

I think they would be disappointed, and would certainly worry about my soul if they knew I no longer believed, Newport said.

Newport is a member ofthe Clergy Project, which was formed in 2011 to create a safe and secure online community for former and current religious leaders who no longer believed in God. Many of the former pastors and church leaders prefer to remain anonymous, in part because of fear of being ostracized by family and friends. For pastors, stepping away from the pulpit can also mean loss of income.

The organization has more than 750 members in 34 countries.

Initially, all were from Christian backgrounds, but its members now include Muslims and Buddhists.

About a third of its members still serve in religious leadership positions, although they no longer believe in a higher power. It runs the gamut from more scientific stuff to more theological questions, said Drew Bekius, president of the Clergy Project. They see tragedy in the world, yet you see people claiming God just got them a parking space. So God will answer the prayer for a parking space while millions of people are in poverty?

For others, its more personal. Perhaps there was a personal heartbreak or death of a loved one. Perhaps they saw immense suffering and wondered how could God allow people to suffer?

A large part of it is that people are dissatisfied with the moral teachings of some of the religions they belong to, said Casey Brescia, a spokesman forSecular Coalition for America. For instance, a lot of people are turned off by their churchs position on LGBTQ equality. But also people are beginning to find community elsewhere. Churches dont play the same role in the community they used to. Its just a wide variety of factors.

He sees a growing number of younger Americans who eschew any religions, and that, he said, is a tectonic shift. That means that people are walking away from church and walking away from institutions that used to play such an important role.

In what has become an annual holiday tradition,American Atheistslaunches billboards nationwide urging viewers to celebrate an atheist Christmas by skipping church. Several of the locations in Southern states will be up later this year to promote the solar eclipse convention the atheists will host in Charleston, S.C., in August 2017.

It is important for people to know religion has nothing to do with being a good person, and that being open and honest about what you believe and dont believe is the best gift you can give during the holiday season, David Silverman, president of American Atheists, said in a release about the holiday billboard campaign.

Doubts and discomfort

Its hard to say how many atheists there are in the United States. Even the Pew Research Center has trouble giving an exact number. Why?

Its complicated.Some people who describe themselves as atheists also say they believe in God or a universal spirit, according to Pew. Conversely, some people who identify as Catholic, Protestant or Jewish also say they dont believe in God.

According to a survey by theAtheist Alliance International, most people who identify as atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, nonreligious or secularists are male, college-educated and more than a third are between the ages of 25 and 34.

Mandisa Thomas, the founder and president of theBlack Nonbelievers, a 3,000-member organization based in Atlanta, grew up in a black nationalist household.

In this age of information, she said, a lot of traditional notions are not holding up anymore. We are beginning to see the world is not right. Were told to just have faith or pray on it. Thats just not enough for people anymore.

Its especially hard for African-Americans, she said.

Religion is still so ingrained in the black identity that to openly state that one is atheist means that youre rejecting your race and culture.

Nonbelievers often talk about how uncomfortable it can be to navigate a world that can be largely faith-based.

You get a lot of unnecessary attention, and most of it is negative, said Deric McNealy, 28, a machine operator who lives in Jonesboro. People always try to come up and save you. They try to speak to you about God all the time or badger you, and that makes work very uncomfortable.

McNealy grew up in a Christian family that included church leaders.

He began to question things in the Bible at an early age.

As McNealy became older, he began to apply critical thought to all aspects of my life, and religion just happened to be one of the main things.

His family wasnt too happy.

I think its a lot easier today than in the past because of the internet, he said. In the past, there was no community, no communications for people who questioned their beliefs. Now we go online and link with like-minded individuals.

Atlantan Ross Llewallyn, who identifies as atheist, grew up in a Methodist household in Atlanta. I had a good time going to Sunday school and the service, said the 28-year-old software engineer. Over time, he began to think more about the presence of God.

I was always someone of science and reason and tried to be true and accurate in my understanding of the world, he said.

Take prayer, for instance. He was always told that before going to bed, he should get on his knees by the side of his bed and pray. He prayed for good things to happen to family, friends and himself. Soon he questioned whether he really needed to be on his knees. Why not just in bed? And why did he have to say his prayers aloud? Couldnt God just hear his thoughts? I started thinking more critically about things like that, he said.

EVERY DAY IS SUNDAY

Sunday may be the prominent day of worship in Atlanta, but thats changing as a growing number of other religions establish congregations in our global city. This is an occasional series that examines how religion impacts life in Atlanta. You can read the earlier entries in the series onmyajc.com.

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As atheism rises, nonbelievers find one another - MyAJC

Is AAs God as we understand Him as inclusive today as it was intended in 1939? A debate over the sacredness of AA language and rituals started in Toronto Intergroup and landed at the doorstep of the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. The Fixcovers the press release here.

I couldnt grasp what seemed to be the integral concept: the concept of God. I began to consider God as an acronym for Great Others Divine, Sharon, a Toronto AA member tells The Fix. However, in my cognitive struggle, there was the literature so chock full of Him with the capital H. I was unable to reconcile what I saw to be a rift too incongruent. I could not shake the ever-present notion that I was failing to grasp something key and, by extension, that I was a failure.

Sharon first came to Toronto AA in 1975, and a 38-year in-and-out struggle began. Sharons first agnostic meeting was in 2014. When I was walking out of that first We Are Not Saints secular meeting, This could work for meas incredulous as it seemedfilled my mind. Seeds of connection were planted. Sharon has remained sober and active in her agnostic group and as a regular in hospital and other AA meetings.

Lawrence was a member of We Agnostics in Toronto. His group was de-listed by Intergroup in 2011. Sincere efforts were made by Toronto AAs broader-path members to restore unity. A vote to re-list the two agnostic groups in 2012 failed and Torontos third secular group was de-listed, too. In 2014, while Sharon was finding lasting sobriety in agnostic AA, Lawrence filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Both the Greater Toronto Area Intergroup (GTAI) and AA World Services (AAWS) were named in the discrimination complaint. AA came under the microscope of the Human Rights law which states:

The Ontario Human Rights Code (the Code) states that it is public policy in Ontario to recognize the dignity and worth of every person and to provide equal rights and opportunities without discrimination. The aim is to create a climate of understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of each person, so that each person feels a part of and able to contribute to the community.

In AA, member rights, or AAs Code, is found in the six warranties contained in Concept XII in the AA Service Manual.

The AA Traditions accord the individual member and the AA group extraordinary liberties ... Because we set such a high value on our great liberties and cannot conceive that they will need to be limited, we here specially enjoin our General Service Conference to abstain completely from any and all acts of authoritative government which could in any way curtail AAs freedom

So there seems to be no conflict between AAs individual and group rights vs. the Human Rights Code. Anyone with a desire to stop drinking can declare themselves a member. There is no vetting. Bill W. expressed AAs radical inclusion policy in AA Grapevinein 1946:

AA membership[does not] depend on money or conformity. Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobrietymay call themselves an AA Group.This clearly implies that an alcoholic is a member ifhesays so; that we cant deny him his membership; that we cant demand from him a cent; that we cant force our beliefs or practices upon him; that he may flout everything we stand for and still be a member So long as there is the slightest interest in sobriety, the most unmoral, the most anti-social, the most critical alcoholic may gather about him a few kindred spirits and announce to us that a new Alcoholics Anonymous Group has been formed. Anti-God, anti-medicine, anti-our recovery program, even anti-each otherthese rampant individuals are still an AA Group ifthey think so!

Lets compare how 1940s early AA America looked? Judeo/Christian adherents were 95% of Americans, 5% had no religion and 0% were other religions.Statistically, this means that less than half of 1% of 1940 Americans practiced a faith that wasnt monotheistic.

Statistically, God as we understand Him resonated with 95% of early AA members. In more fluid AA language, our narrative would use more contemporary language that would include a growing population of members who have more progressive spiritual or secular views. Heres some data from Pew Research:

The religiously unaffiliated population is expected to nearly double in size, growing from 59 million in 2010 to 111 million in 2050. The number of Muslims is expected to nearly triple, from more than 3 million as of 2010 to more than 10 million in 2050, making Muslims the third largest religious group in the region by mid-century.

The first group(s)like Larrys We Agnosticsthat took God out of the 12 Steps were Buddhists. In 1955 on page 81 of AA Comes of Age,Bill found himself defending non-theists' AA Steps to AA traditionalists:

To some of us, the idea of substituting good for God in the Twelve Steps will seem like a watering down of AAs message. But here we must remember that AAs Steps are suggestions only. A belief in them, as they stand, is not at all a requirement for membership among us.

Celebrating 30 years of atheism in AA, original-six member Jim B., in a 1968AA Grapevine, coaches other AA non-believers. Jims article shared that The AA Fellowship became my Higher Power for the first two years, and, Gradually, I came to believe that God and Good were synonymous and were found in all of us.

The first North American AA for atheists and agnostics group (Quad-A) started in 1975 in Chicago. In 2017, around the world, secular AA gatherings happen about 400 times a week. The first international gathering for Secular AA was in Santa Monica in 2014, then Austin in 2016, and Toronto welcomes the world of AA non-believers in 2018.

How does Toronto Intergroup defend doing their own thing? Conceived by an unelected Ad Hoc Sub-Committee Re: Human Rights Complaint in Toronto Intergroup, the following legal defense was made as public record which included:

In order to be part of GTAI [Intergroup], a group must be prepared to practice the 12 steps and thus the members of the group must have a belief in God GTAI also submits that it is a bona fide requirement that groups that wish to be part of this Intergroup must have a belief in the higher power of God.1

Imposing requirements for a belief-in-God for AAs violates the Ontario Human Rights Code. People are free to believe in God in Ontario, but they cant impose views on others.

The right to be free from discrimination based on creed reflects core Canadian constitutional values and commitments to a secular, multicultural and democratic society. People who follow a creed, and people who do not, have the right to live in a society that respects pluralism and human rights and the right to follow different creeds.

What was AAWSs role in all of this? In the 2016 interim decision, it was still to be determined if AAs General Service Office was guilty of willful blindness. Delegates and concerned AAs, including Lawrence, made GSO aware that an unlawful practice was probably going on in Toronto, and an intervention was sought to encourage Intergroup inclusivity and toleranceand follow the rule of law. Heres where GSO may have been off-side, per the Code:

Organizations must ensure that they are not unconsciously engaging in systemic discrimination. This takes vigilance and a willingness to monitor and review numerical data, policies, practices and decision-making processes and organizational culture. It is not acceptable from a human rights perspective for an organization to choose to remain unaware of systemic discrimination or to fail to act when a problem comes to its attention.

Around AA, from coffee shops to secret Facebook groups, GTA Intergroups mandatory obedience to God requirement was a hot topic. Even the most adamant anti-agnostic deacons couldnt get behind Toronto Intergroups religious requirements for inclusion in AA.

The showdowns next step was mediation.

Kate Sellar, a lawyer with the Human Rights Legal Support Centre explained the process to The Fix regarding how the Tribunal can order remedial action if a respondent is found to violate the Code.

First, the Tribunal wants to put the applicant back in the position that he or she would have been in if the discrimination hadnt happened.

Secondly, the Tribunal can do what they call "remedies for future compliance." The Tribunal can order a respondent to put a human rights policy in place where policies and procedures were not in place before, or to participate in human rights training.

In the eleventh hour, mediation succeeded and a hearing was averted. AAWS appeared to side with Lawrences wish to have his group included without Intergroup governance. AAWS did not side with Intergroups view that the 12 Steps are sacred and a belief in God is mandatory. AAWS was released by the complainant.

GTA Intergroup agreed to return agnostic groups as rights-bearing equals. In a report to Intergroup, GTA Intergroup acknowledgesthat the manner in which individual AA members or groups of AA members interpret and apply the Steps and Traditions in their own lives is a matter for those individuals alone."

Is there a place for secular AA? Sharon, who recently celebrated three years of sobriety, deserves the final word: Now there are no thoughts that I am failing in any way. Now I have a firm foothold in the fellowship and I reap the same rewards as recognized by and accessible to others for decades. I credit agnostic Alcoholics Anonymous with saving my life and then giving me a life very much worth living.

Jesse Beach is a researcher/columnist for Rebellion Dogs Publishing.

In 2013, Rebellion Dogs Published the first secular daily reflection book for addicts/alcoholics, Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life by Joe C., foreword by Ernest Kurtz http://rebelliondogspublishing.com

Ontario Human Rights File Number: 2014-18832-1, Adjudicator Laurie Letheren, Interim Decision February 17, 2016

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No God? No Problem: Atheism in AA as a Human Right - TheFix.com

When I was a boy, so long ago the New Atheists were young men, atheism was sold to us in many a science fiction book as freedom from the sexual repression that was killing us all. Someday, writers like Isaac Asimov promised, sex would be less of a mystery and a great deal more available. Meetings of atheists were proudly freewheeling.

They were governed by science and reason so they were going to get rid of archaic sex rules. At least in their conferences and sub-culture they did.

How did it go?

It did not go well. A new generation has arisen to suggest that the end result was using women like tissue paper. I know this is true, since my students had to deal with atheist big shots who seemed to think every female worker was a dating opportunity. A new generation of atheists rightly challenges the ugliness, but good luck prevailing.

The alpha males have no reason to do more than give lip service to any system you create. On the other hand, as they age, they might worry about an ethical system that might suggest they have a duty to die and stop using up resources. A Christian leader who has lived his life consistently with Christian values knows he can find a Christian place to let him die with dignity. An atheist leader has no such promise.

Our morality endures. Atheist morality keeps trying to say we ought when all they have is this is. Atheist morality changes all the time and yesterdays virtue (free love!), becomes todays vice. Sadly, there is no reasontothink that atheist leaders will listen to critics for now.

Is still does not give an ought and people with power in a system without transcendent morals will find reasons to ignore any barriers to their desires. Fighting the good fight is hard enough for those of us who believe in a real hell and moral absolutes. . . we have our own hypocrites, but at least they are hypocrites. Religion helps buttress morality.

Expose a pastor as a hypocrite and you harm his ministry. If you are creating your own meaning, you cannot be a hypocrite, just sly. You might be a cretin, and some of the leading atheists plainly are, but that judgment is based only on someone elses self-created meaning. When a traditional Christian sins, he might try to hide it, but he cannot claim it is virtue. The same thing has not been true with theStar Trek: the Original Series generation of atheist leaders.

They meant to set up a system where middle aged white men got power and women.

They are those who fame got them accessto the liquor cabinet as a localized celebrity and then they abused the liquor and the power. There is a reason that atheists lose more of their own children than any other group: the movement is ugly to the core. Findone atheist, secular, or non-religious web site that isnot dominated by being against everyone else and you have found the black swan. They exist, but they are rare.

When atheism is mostly white people angry with bad religious childhoods, there is not much future to the movement.Atheism is the only mostly white, mostly Western phenomenon in the world that gets good press as the cutting edge of history and that is not enough. Atheist kids get it and most leave as a result.They know the truth: the whiter the town, the more secular it is. The more diverse the town, the more religious it is.

Atheism cuts you off from African culture, Indian culture, and the parts of Chinese culture that are not running atheist motivated concentration camps. What do you have? The truncated bits of the West that does not include Shakespeare, Bach, Newton, Handel, or Michelangelo. You do get Isaac Asimov, the Amazing Randi, and Daniel Dennett.

It is all a bit sad.

If you inherited a Christian culture from your folks, you might leave, because you think you can keep the good and get rid of perceived evils. What do you inherit as an atheist? Read the Atheist Net. Eliminate rants against religion and you are left with almost nothing. . . except a population shrinking in every part of the world that is not mostly white. You are angry white males that hate Trump.

Thats not much on which to base a culture. Christians can be scientists, philosophers, and (mostly) ignore atheists. Periodically atheists get control of a country and start killing people, but fortunately, our American brand of atheists seem far from powerand more benign.

The second generation of atheists, the converts from some religion and the few kids who stayed, are busy trying to deeply reform the misogynistic, exploitative culture of the old atheist boysnetwork. I wish them luck. However, they should be warned: they too have a morality based on nothing other than what they prefer. They will be radically rebooted by the next generation, because all atheism has culturally been against something. When it is not us, they have to have the last generation of atheists.

They are a culture of repudiation and anger based on hurt. If religious people were not bad, there would soon be no atheists. For that reason, all of us who love God, Love Himself, cannot be triumphant in the rise of a second atheism. Mostly we look to our own problems. . . except when a cock a doodle doo from some new atheist reminds us that atheism has not been harmless. You can be moral without religion, though most agree religion helps, but there is vanishingly little evidence that an atheist can stay moral without religion.

Religious minorities all over the world have left and formed new cultures. Atheists stay and hope to hijack what is there. If not, they have never succeeded in making a culture.

It has been damnable, even by the standards of this generation of atheists. Because of reason and experience, I am a Christian. Maybe I am wrong and some other interpretation of reality is better, but this much is relatively sure: atheism is a dead end. They did not get ought from is in 1970 and my bet is they are doing no better now.

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The Two Atheisms: How to Know Smart People Cannot Get Is From Ought - Patheos (blog)

In the modern era, atheists, agnostics and other religiously unaffiliated persons have made great strides in gaining acceptance in society. One recent milestone was when President Obama signed an amendment to the International Religious Freedom Act to include protections for nonbelievers. A panel created by the law has criticized those countries that continue to persecute atheists, some of which even consider atheism an act of terrorism. Despite this, atheists at home still face large pockets of resistance in society and are one of the most underrepresented groups in the country in terms of political power.

According to polls taken by the Pew Research Center, more than one in five Americans are religiously unaffiliated. It should seem safe to assume that this ratio holds in government. Out of a Congress with 535 members, we should expect to see around 100 that are religiously unaffiliated. The number is close to 100 in a way, because its what we get if we take out the two zeroes. Only Democratic Representative Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona is unaffiliated.

There are many reasons why atheists face such severe underrepresentation. Historically, of course, atheists were not trusted and were treated as heretics. Religious people who formed the majority of the nation in its earlier days clearly did not like atheists, as eight states still have unenforceable provisions banning atheists from public office. Of course, thats just history. Nowadays, people are more accepting of views that differ from their own. Thats why a whopping 58 percentof people say they would vote for a qualified presidential candidate who was atheist.

This is disappointing, to say the least. If a person is qualified for office, you should at least be willing to vote for them no matter their religion or lack thereof. This holds especially true in a country where we are supposed to have a separation of church and state. In fact, you could argue that atheists would be the best for satisfying this vision, and would indeed be the best group for maintaining proper freedom of religion.

Why would an atheist, someone who doesnt believe in God, be the best for preserving freedom of religion? Because freedom of religion also includes equality and consistency in the law among different religions. In other words, no one law can be made that derives from the beliefs of just one religion. So banning something like shellfish or pork would be putting the interests of one religion above others and would be unconstitutional. While there are many religions in this country, the religiously unaffiliated are, well, unaffiliated. That makes them the ideal group to make laws that will ensure equality between different belief systems, sort of like a third party arbiter.

This ties into one of the major problems regarding new religious freedom laws. Because the overwhelming majority of politicians are Christian, these laws are often skewed. For example, laws have been passed that allow businesses to refuse service to homosexuals. These are unconstitutional acts, because religious belief does not give you the right to discriminate and because such acts deny equality among religions. Homosexual marriage may be considered a sin by some Christians, but if other religions dont consider it so then a law against it does not meet constitutional requirements.

Our country was born out of a desire to have fair representation in our government. The underrepresentation of the religiously unaffiliated is one of the most blatant cases of the continuing failure to realize this ideal. One way to remedy this would be for more religiously unaffiliated people to put themselves out there and run for office. But a lot of the responsibility lies on our society to stop being so hostile towards them. 49 percent of Americans would be unhappy if a family member married an atheist. And when 42 percent of the population is unwilling to vote for even a qualified atheist, very few will be willing to run. Those that do will likely feel coerced to hide or downplay their beliefs out of fear of opposition, in comparison to Christian politicians who are allowed and even encouraged to flaunt their beliefs for the public. No citizen should be effectively prevented from a political career because of their beliefs.

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Atheists and religiously unaffiliated need more representation - UConn Daily Campus

Pop goes the philosophyits time fortop 10 ancient atheist philosophers and their quotes.

Philosophers arent always atheists. The one I dated for 7 years was thoughI still tease her by saying God is controlling the universe. It seems like a weird thing to tease someone about I knowbut she often teases me by telling me that everyones brain is just existing in a vat someone and the universe isnt real. As the philosophers say,people do weird things. Then I make her reassure me that it is because Hilary Putnam made many arguments against the theory we are all brains in vats. Also, my man Ned Block said that we have no reason to think we are living in a simulation. Take that, the Matrix.

Lucian Milasan/Shutterstock.com

Atheism, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a lack of belief or a strong disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods. Atheistsstress that atheism is not a religion. It is not a disbelief in a god or any gods, but is rather a lack of belief. Its as if you reach into your pockets to see if you have any belief on you, turn them inside out, and theyre empty. That being said, atheists are also very diverse in what they believe inthere can be a multitude of subtle differences to a belief or non-belief. They have different reasons for their lack of belief. The only commonality in their belief is that there is no god nor supernatural beings.

If you are wondering where atheism came from, or how long it has been existing, here is the answer. Atheism is believed to trace back its origins to Ancient Greecewhich is why we have what we call the ancient atheist philosophers.Atheism also has roots in the Vedic period of India. There are also ancient atheists hailing from pre-Socratic Greece, like Thales and Anaximenes. In the ancient time,atheist philosophers were persecuted and punished for what they believed and did not believe in. There were philosophers who were thrown out of their cities and some were even executed.

At one point in history, Christians were tagged as atheists by non-Christians because of their lack of belief in the Roman gods. When Christianity became well-established, their positions shifted, and soon enough non-Christians were dubbed as either pagans or atheists.

18 Most Famous Atheists in the World

There have been several ancient atheist philosophers who had their mark in history over the years. They were most popular because of their quotes that defined what they did and did not believe in. Here, we enumerate the top 10 ancient atheist philosophers and their quotes, and we have also prepared 18 Most Famous Atheists in the World. No ranking is necessary, as there is simply no way to really rank them from greatest to least. They were all great in their own right. We just searched for the 10 great ones who made an impact with their arguments through the quotes they once have said in their lifetime. We used data from Arguments For Atheismand BBCas well as the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyand the Internet Encyclopedia ofPhilosophy.

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Top 10 Ancient Atheist Philosophers and Their Quotes - Insider Monkey (blog)

FEBRUARY 10 Humankind has been searching for the truth since time immemorial. Apart from looking for the best way to live and indeed what that way would constitute, they have also been asking what lies in The Great Beyond, past the threshold of death.

Various answers have emerged in the form of what we know as global religions. Each religion has its own postulation about what happens to us after we die.

And there are those who say nothing happens. When our bodies cease to function, so do our consciousness. It is then a total blackout forever.

That is what atheists postulate and this view is not something new. In The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, we find plenty of examples of atheism in history. However, they were very marginal back then, owing to the fact that Europe had a strong religious presence.

In recent times, however, atheism has exploded in terms of numbers.

What has brought about the rise in atheism? By some estimates, and I have noticed this on social media myself, even in the very conservative Saudi Arabia 15 per cent of its population are atheists.

This is possibly due to excessive religious authoritianism which has put many young people off religion. Not only that, the presence of social media has enabled the internet savvy to consolidate with one another and moreover, absorb ideas from abroad.

When the allegedly atheist Raif Badawi was jailed and sentenced to whipping, he received tremendous support from atheists all over the world, thanks to social media.

The question now is, can atheism become a world religion? For a start, it definitely has the rhetorical capacity to do so.

While some religions claim to be a personal relationship with God and others a complete way of life, atheisms slogan is that it is a non-belief.

In other words, it alleges that our primordial state, our psychological tabula rasa as it were, is one of non-belief. Atheists tell me that if one were to ask a baby if he or she believes in God, the answer would be no.

The problem is, if one were to ask a baby that, one would first have to explain the concept of God. In doing so, one would undoubtedly fertilise the babys mind with the idea of a deity.

Hence, the baby would no longer be able to retain the purity of innocence from that idea and lose his or her objectivity.

It is the same problem with the questions of ethics. In his book The Moral Landscape, Sam Harris sets forth a scientific methodology in determining ethics.

This is another one of atheisms proclivities, by the way, scientism. Scientism is not the same as being scientific. Being scientific is a methodology for deriving information.

Scientism is rather the ideology that science is a means of attaining truths. I am not saying that science cannot yield truths but that the truths it produces is subjective to the experiments it conducts.

This is why, there was a time when science was used to prove racial superiority! It all boils down on how an experiment is set up and more importantly, why it is set up to begin with.

Another issue which concerns me is New Atheism, a political movement which is very anti-theist and anti-religion. While I welcome their criticisms of the existence of God and religion, the language they employ is decidedly lacking in nuance.

The aforementioned Sam Harris, for example, called Islam the motherlode of bad ideas without deigning to acknowledge aspects of the religion which even the vilest of racists would find acceptable. This may appeal to his neo-colonialist masters but it is intellectually dishonest and moreover, only serves to deepen the conflicts between civilizations.

Can atheism be a world religion? Not yet, I surmise. Strong counter currents from religious movements will keep atheism on the side for the time being but maybe in the next generation, things will change. Atheism can perhaps stem the tide of religious fundamentalism.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

See the article here:
Can atheism be a world religion? - Malay Mail Online

Atheists of Kenya. Photo credit: BBC

Atheists in Kenya(AIK) have called on the government to devote a national holiday for the celebration of non-religious belief.

AIK is an umbrella society for free thinkers and the non-religious in Kenya. The association was officially registered on February 17, 2016, after a long battle to get the authorities to recognize it. It is believed to be the first atheist society to be registered in all of Africa.

The societys president,Harrison Mumia, said although atheists and the non-religious only constitute a minority group within Kenya, they deserve a national holiday to celebrate their beliefs.

We will petition Parliament to legislate that public holiday; we have religious holidays. Why not us? We will move to court if they discriminate against us. Under Article 8 of the Constitution, the government cannot run the country based on any religion, Mumia said.

Consequently, according to Standard Media, atheists have asked that February 17th be declared Atheist Day, a public holiday to celebrate the freedom and responsibility that the non-religious have.

In a recent letter addressed to the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery, the society also demanded equal treatment, equal protection, and benefits of the law as provided by the constitution.

Harrison Mumia. Photo credit: Nairobi News

On the 17th of February, we want to celebrate the fact that atheism frees up a lot of time that would otherwise be wasted in worship. We want to celebrate atheism, because it prevents one from being ripped off by religious charlatans, Mumia added.

We want to celebrate atheism because it provides great freedom and at the same time great responsibility, since we are not looking forward to the promise of heaven or the punishment of hell.

We want to celebrate atheism because we can now do things without worrying about metaphysical reward or punishment. We want to celebrate the fact that the results of our actions as atheists are our responsibility and we cant blame it on sin.

The society also wants authorities to scrap the teaching of religion in all Kenyan public schools and believes the study of the three major religions (Islam, Christianity and Hinduism) amounts to discrimination of all other religions.

Last October, the society also demanded that the word God be removed from the Kenyan national anthem, arguing that it was inherently unfair as not all Kenyans believed in a God. They emphasized that Kenya was a secular state and the concept of God was alien to the constitution.

As non-believers, we feel that the National Anthem is not representative of us and goes against the spirit of the Kenyan Constitution. Removing God from the National Anthem will make it inclusive, the society said in a statement.

View post:
Kenyan Atheists Demand National Holiday To Celebrate Non-Religious Belief - Face 2 Face (press release) (registration) (blog)

Stephen Colbert and Ricky Gervais discuss atheism, science, and the supposed existence of God.

In Wednesdays episode of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, host and devout Catholic Stephen Colbert asked his guest, comedian and atheist Ricky Gervais, about faith, be

Colbert began the conversation by asking:

I know that youre an atheist. Do you want to debate the existence of god?

After Gervais agreed, Colbert continued:

Why there is something instead of nothing?

Gervais replied:

Surely, the bigger question is not why but how. Why is irrelevant, isnt it?

Gervais went on to explain atheism to Colbert:

Atheism is only rejecting the claim that there is a god. Atheism isnt a belief system. This is atheism in a nutshell: You say theres a god. I say can you prove that? You say no. I say I dont believe you then.

After Colbert said he did believe in a God, Gervais continued:

Okay. But there are about 3,000 to choose from Basically, you deny one less God than I do. You dont believe in 2,999 gods. And I dont believe in just one more.

By way of explaining the intellectual superiority of atheism over theism, Gervais compared science to religion:

Science is constantly proved all the time. If we take something like any fiction, any holy book, and destroyed it, in a thousand years time that wouldnt come back just as it was.

Whereas if we took every science book and every fact and destroyed them all, in a thousand years theyd all be back, because all the same tests would be the same result.

So I dont need faith in science. I dont need faith to know that, probably, if I jump out of a window, every other time somebody jumps out of the window, they smash to the ground because of this thing called gravity.

Bottom line: Colbert and Gervais engaged in a frank and friendly discussion concerning the serious topics of atheism, faith, and belief in God. More important, Gervais did a nice job of clearly outlining important points about atheism in a friendly, light-hearted, and non-threatening manner.

Watch the exchange below:

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Colbert (Image via Screen Grab)

Follow this link:
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Colbert Debate Atheism - Patheos (blog)