Atheism and culture

A People's Republic of China propaganda poster stating "Destroy the Old World & Forge the New World," with a worker smashing a crucifix, a Buddha murti, and a classical Chinese sacred text; 1967.

Culture consists of the "language, habits, ideas, beliefs, customs, social organization, inherited artifacts, technical processes, and values."

Historians, social scientists and others have discovered a number of ways that atheism can have an effect on a societies culture and these are elaborated on below (See also: Atheism and its anti-civilizational effects and Atheism statistics).

Atheism has not produced any outstanding cultural achievements. For example, relative to Christianity, which has a large collection of art, music and poetry associated it, atheism has a very small collection of art, music and poetry associated with it (see: Atheist art and Atheist music and Atheist poetry).

A common explanation for the relatively small amount of atheist art/music/poetry is the uninspiring nature of atheism. It is often said that atheism is uninspiring, boring, stale and difficult to believe (see: Atheism and inspiration).

For additional information, please see:

• Atheist art
• Atheism and architecture
• Atheist music
• Atheism and linguistic/oratory skills
• Atheist films
• Atheist poetry
• Atheism and dance
• Atheism and humor

The artist Nick Cave declared: "An artist's duty is rather to stay open-minded and in a state where he can receive information and inspiration. You always have to be ready for that little artistic Epiphany." Open-mindedness is important when it comes to creativity. For example, the creativity involved in creating original and inspiring art. Research indicates that atheists have less open-mindedness (see: Atheism and open-mindedness).

Atheism and culture: Art, architecture, language, music, movies, poetry, dance and humor

• Atheist art

• Atheist music

• Atheist poetry

• Atheism and linguistic/oratory skills

• Atheist films

• Atheist poetry

• Atheism and dance

• Atheism and humor

Atheism: Geographic/cultural diversity

See also: Atheism and diversity

In terms of atheism affecting the cultures of the world, as a percentage of the world's population, atheism peaked in 1970. Global atheism is expected to decline in the 21st century and beyond in terms of its global market share. See: Global atheism statistics

As far as the issue of diversity within the atheist population, compared to Christianity, atheism has a significantly less degree of geographic/cultural, racial, gender and personal wealth diversity (see: Atheism and diversity).

Atheist films

See also: Atheist films

IMDb (Internet Movie Database) is an internet based database of information related to films, television programs, home videos, video games, and streaming content and these works rated in terms of their quality.

The IMDb list of atheist/agnostic themed movies indicates in terms of its ratings that there were many that were poorly done and there were many that were certainly not cinematic masterpieces.

Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia founded by an atheist and agnostic, does not have "Atheist films" or "List of atheist films" articles, but it does have a "List of Christian films" article.

Atheism and dance

"Jewish Dance" Alexandr Onishenko, 1999 Judaism has a long tradition of Jewish dancing. For example, dancing is a major part of Jewish weddings.

See also: Atheism and dance

Many cultures have religious dances that people take part in. Dance is deeply a part of African life. According to the book African Dance, "Dance is the soul of Africa". Africa has one of the lowest rates of atheism and nones in the world. See also: Western atheism and race

Western World atheism has no tradition of dancing (See also: Atheism and dance).

Andrew Brown wrote in The Guardian in an article entitled You can't dance to atheism :

“

...a religion is a philosophy that makes you dance. It pleased me because the book itself can be read as a history of how philosophy grew from dance... There aren't any overwhelming and inspiring collective atheist rituals... If I'm right, then liberal, individualistic atheism is impossible as an organising principle of society because any doctrine that actually works to hold society together is indistinguishable from a religion. It needs its rituals.

”

As far as nontheistic Buddism, an article entitled A Rare Day of Buddhist Dances declares:

“

As Buddhism grew and spread from India, its views and practices absorbed, rather than annihilated, the cultural heritage of its host countries, including traditions traditions of dance and movement. Most of the dances are therefore, very old, or at least have very old elements contained within them. Buddhism emphasizes meditation...

”

Atheism and humor

See also: Atheism and humor

The movie The Atheist Delusion features the new atheist Richard Dawkins being the object of audience laughter due to something unreasonable he said. Dawkins indignantly asked the audience, "Why is that funny?". See also: Atheism and humor

Historically, atheists have skewed towards the left side of the political aisle (see: Atheism and politics and Secular left and Atheism and communism).

Although the secular left is known for ridiculing religion since at least the time of French Revolution (see: Atheism and mockery), the secular left is known for its humorlessness when it comes to others mocking of its ideology (See also: Atheism and humor and Atheism and intolerance).

The writer James Thurber declared:

“

The leftists have made a concerted attack on humor as an antisocial, antiracial, antilabor, antiproletarian stereotype,” Thurber wrote in 1960, “and they have left no stereotype unused in their attacks, from ‘no time for comedy’ to the grim warnings that humor is a sickness, a sign of inferiority complex, a shield and not a weapon.

”

Heywood Gould wrote in Heatstreet:

“

The left is trying to remake the world and feels immune to ridicule. It condemns humor as a bourgeois plot to make the oppressed laugh at and accept their exploitation. Bernie Sanders admits he has a “bad sense of humor.” He won’t need it once his Revolution comes, According to Marxist theorist Tom McLaughlin: “Under Socialism there will be no classes and consequently no class conflict. Humor will cease to reflect any objective reality and will wither away.”... When Jerry Seinfeld revealed that fellow comedians had warned him away from colleges because they “were too PC,” he was savaged by the left media. Columnist Amanda Marcotte accused him of making excuses for being “a second rate hack.”

”

Soviet Union and the Department of Jokes

In the former Soviet Union, a popular joke was that the workers pretended to work and the Soviet Union pretended to pay them. See also: Atheism and sloth

The Soviet Union practiced state atheism and the atheism was of a militant atheism variety. See also: Soviet atheism and Atheism and communism

Listverse declares in its article 10 Bizarre Ways The Soviet Union Controlled Its People

“

For comedians in the Soviet Union, every attempt at humor had to be read from a government-approved list of comedic material. Each year, comedians were required to submit every joke they’d written to a section of The Ministry of Culture called The Department of Jokes, and they couldn’t crack a single one until it had been approved. Jokes against the state, of course, were forbidden, as was everything even remotely edgy. Even jokes against the United States had to be tame. When the list came back, comedians were usually left with just a handful of tame jokes about their mother-in-laws. For the next year, they could only tell jokes from their approved list. Improvisation was strictly forbidden. The only way a comedian could keep an act fresh was to steal gags from the competition. Plagiarism was fine, as long as the material you stole was approved.

”

North Korean ban on sarcasm

Sketch of Kim Jong-un

North Korea practices state atheism and belief in God is actively discouraged. Open Doors, an organization based in the United States, has put North Korea at the very top of its list of countries where Christians face significant persecution - for 12 years in a row.

Tina Nguyen wrote about North Korea at Vanity Fair:

“

Kim Jong Un just can’t take a joke. The last time the North Korean dictator found himself on the receiving end of some gentle ribbing, as the subject of James Franco and Seth Rogen’s assassination comedy The Interview, Kim’s repressive regime allegedly hacked Sony Pictures, apparently in retaliation. Now, the absolutist leader is taking his hostility toward humor to a farcical new extreme, banning all sarcasm throughout the Hermit Kingdom in an attempt to crack down on dissent and quash any further laughs at his expense.

”

The Finnish news organization Gbtimes says about North Korea in their article Laughing at the humorless, "No one really knows anything about North Korea, except that it’s a funny country where hardly anyone ever laughs."

Atheism and humor: Additional information

• Atheism and humor

Culinary/dietary practices of atheists

A food science laboratory

See: Dietary practices of atheists (Dietary habits of various irreligious regions)

Atheism, culinary arts, food science, inspiration and innovation

See also: Atheism and food science and Atheism and culinary science and Atheism, culinary arts, inspiration, innovation and food science

The Institute of Food Technologists defines food science as "the discipline in which the engineering, biological, and physical sciences are used to study the nature of foods, the causes of deterioration, the principles underlying food processing, and the improvement of foods for the consuming public".

Despite the efforts of food scientists and chefs in irreligious cultures to develop more flavorful food, there have been a significant amount of irreligious cultures with bland food that is not exciting from a culinary point of view (See also: Atheism and food science and Atheism and culinary science).

Atheism, culture and morality

See also: Atheist population and immorality and Atheism and morality

Atheistic ideology has a variety of effects on a culture including a lowering of its morality (see: Atheist population and immorality).

Atheism and mass murder

Joseph Stalin's atheistic regime killed tens of millions of people.

See also: Atheism and mass murder

It is estimated that in the past 100 years, governments under the banner of atheistic communism have caused the death of somewhere between 40,472,000 and 259,432,000 human lives. Dr. R. J. Rummel, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Hawaii, is the scholar who first coined the term democide (death by government). Dr. R. J. Rummel's mid estimate regarding the loss of life due to communism is that communism caused the death of approximately 110,286,000 people between 1917 and 1987. See: Atheism and mass murder

Theodore Beale notes concerning atheism and mass murder:

“

Apparently it was just an amazing coincidence that every Communist of historical note publicly declared his atheism … .there have been twenty-eight countries in world history that can be confirmed to have been ruled by regimes with avowed atheists at the helm … These twenty-eight historical regimes have been ruled by eighty-nine atheists, of whom more than half have engaged in democidal acts of the sort committed by Stalin and Mao… The total body count for the ninety years between 1917 and 2007 is approximately 148 million dead at the bloody hands of fifty-two atheists, three times more than all the human beings killed by war, civil war, and individual crime in the entire twentieth century combined. The historical record of collective atheism is thus 182,716 times worse on an annual basis than Christianity’s worst and most infamous misdeed, the Spanish Inquisition. It is not only Stalin and Mao who were so murderously inclined, they were merely the worst of the whole Hell-bound lot. For every Pol Pot whose infamous name is still spoken with horror today, there was a Mengistu, a Bierut, and a Choibalsan, godless men whose names are now forgotten everywhere but in the lands they once ruled with a red hand. Is a 58 percent chance that an atheist leader will murder a noticeable percentage of the population over which he rules sufficient evidence that atheism does, in fact, provide a systematic influence to do bad things? If that is not deemed to be conclusive, how about the fact that the average atheist crime against humanity is 18.3 million percent worse than the very worst depredation committed by Christians, even though atheists have had less than one-twentieth the number of opportunities with which to commit them. If one considers the statistically significant size of the historical atheist set and contrasts it with the fact that not one in a thousand religious leaders have committed similarly large-scale atrocities, it is impossible to conclude otherwise, even if we do not yet understand exactly why this should be the case. Once might be an accident, even twice could be coincidence, but fifty-two incidents in ninety years reeks of causation!

”

The lowering of a societies morality produces crassness and vulgarity in a societies written and spoken word (see: Atheism and profanity) and its art and music.

Soviet Union and culture

See also: Soviet Union and morality and Atheism and morality

Christopher Hitchens

Peter Hitchens is the ex-atheist brother of atheist Christopher Hitchens. In an article entitled Britain needs God Creation Ministries International wrote about Peter Hitchens:

“

Peter wrote that his views changed slowly, as he came to see the fruit of atheism. Part of this realisation came when he was working as a journalist in Moscow, during the final years of the Soviet Union. His depiction of this godless society was sobering. He wrote of the riots that broke out when the vodka ration was cancelled one week; the bribes required to obtain anaesthetics at the dentist or antibiotics at the hospital; the frightening levels of divorce and abortion; the mistrust and surveillance; the unending official lies, manipulation and oppression; the squalor, desperation and harsh incivility. Peter wrote of how traffic stops dead in Moscow when rain begins to fall, as every driver fetches wind-screen wipers from their hiding places and quickly fits them to their holders. Any wipers left in place when the car is parked are stolen as a matter of course. The atheist, humanistic ideology of the state, he believed, had even affected the Russian language. Peter spoke to a descendant of an exile, whose grandparents had fled Moscow in the days of Lenin. Having been brought up to speak pure Russian in his American home—the elegant, literary language of his parents—he was shocked when he visited Russia to hear the coarse, ugly, slang-infested and bureaucratic tongue that was now spoken, even by educated professionals.

”

Atheism and uncharitableness

See also: Atheism and charity and Atheist organizations and scandals and Atheism, uncharitableness and depression

A child in Thailand where the nontheistic form of Buddhism called the Theravada school of Buddhism is prevalent. In 2010, the Pew Research Forum indicated that 93.2% of the people of Thailand were Buddhists.

A comprehensive study by Harvard University professor Robert Putnam found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts. See: Atheism and uncharitableness

Concerning the issue of atheism and uncharitableness, the evidence indicates that per capita charitable giving by atheists and agnostics in America is significantly less than by theists, according to a study by the Barna Group:

“

The typical no-faith American donated just $200 in 2006, which is more than seven times less than the amount contributed by the prototypical active-faith adult ($1500). Even when church-based giving is subtracted from the equation, active-faith adults donated twice as many dollars last year as did atheists and agnostics. In fact, while just 7% of active-faith adults failed to contribute any personal funds in 2006, that compares with 22% among the no-faith adults.

”

A comprehensive study by Harvard University professor Robert Putnam found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts. The study revealed that forty percent of worship service attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly as opposed to 15% of Americans who never attend services. Moreover, religious individuals are more likely than non-religious individuals to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%).

See also: Atheism, social justice and hypocrisy

Atheism and pornography

See also: Atheism and pornography

One of the causes of atheism is a hedonistic lifestyle. See: Atheism and hedonism.

The infamous pornographers Hugh Hefner and Larry Flynt are both atheists.

In 2003, Arena magazine magazine listed Flynt as #1 on the "50 Powerful People in Porn" list. Flynt is paralyzed from the waist down due to injuries sustained from a 1978 assassination attempt by the serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin.

Atheism and child pornography

See: Atheism and child pornography and Atheistic Denmark and child pornography and Netherlands and child pornography

Atheistic Denmark and child pornography

See also: Atheistic Denmark and child pornography and Denmark and bestiality

Denmark is the third most atheistic country in the world and the website adherents.com reports that 43 - 80% of Danes are agnostics/atheists/non-believers in God. In 2009, Suzanne Ost reported in her book published by Cambridge University Press, that the child pornography material produced in Denmark (and Holland) still constituted the largest part of child pornography that was currently available, having been transferred into digital format and uploaded onto the internet.

In 2005 Denmark was ranked the third most atheistic country in the world and the website adherents.com reported that in 2005 43 - 80% of Danes are agnostics/atheists/non-believers in God.

The 2003 book entitled Overcoming Violence Against Women and Girls: The International Campaign to Eradicate a Worldwide Problem written by authors Rahel Nardos; Mary K. Radpour; William S. Hatcher and Michael L. Penn, declared:

“

The largest source of commercial child pornography is Denmark. Denmark became the world's leading producer of child pornography when, in 1969, it removed all restrictions on the production and sale of any type of pornographic material. "The result," notes Tim Tate, "was a short-lived explosion in adult pornography, and the birth of commercial child pornography. In his work, Tate links the global spread of child pornography to two men: Willy Strauss, founder of Bambina Sex, the world's first child-pornography magazine, founded in 1971; and Peter Theander, founder of Colour Climax Corporation and the producer of a short, professionally made pornographic film series entitled Lolita. Lolita depicts the sexual abuse of prepubescent boys and girls. Although Danish law at the time rendered the work of Strauss and Theander legal, by 1979 when Denmark finally banned the production and sale of child pornography it had already become such a financial success on the international market that it has proven to be nearly impossible to bring its spread under control.

”

Suzanne Ost, in her 2009 book Child Pornography and Sexual Grooming: Legal and Societal Responses published by Cambridge University Press, wrote about the child pornography created by Denmark/Holland during this period: "Taylor and Quayle note that the material produced during this period still constitutes the largest part of child pornography that is currently available, having been transferred into digital format and uploaded onto the internet."

Other atheistic countries and child pornography/child prostitution

• Atheistic Thailand and child prostitution

• Netherlands and child pornography

• Irreligious Britain and child pornography

• Atheistic Czech Republic and child pornography

• Atheistic Sweden and child pornography

Atheism, pedophilia/pederasty and NAMBLA

Many consider atheist Harry Hay to be the founder of the American homosexual movement.

see also: Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA and Teenage homosexuality and Homosexuality and pedophilia

The North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) was founded in December 1978 and is an activist homosexuality and pedophilia/pederasty coalition group.

Some of the well known atheist advocates of the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) are:

1. The atheist and homosexual David Thorstad was a founding member of the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA).

2. Harry Hay (1912 - 2002) was an liberal advocate of statutory rape and the widely acknowledged founder and progenitor of the activist homosexual agenda in the United States. Hay joined the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) in 1934. Harry Hay was an atheist. He was a vociferous advocate of man/boy love. In 1986, Hay marched in a gay parade wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words "NAMBLA walks with me."

3. The writer Samuel R. Delany is an atheist and a homosexual. Delaney said he was a supporter of NAMBLA.

See also: Richard Dawkins on child molestation and so called "gentle pedophiles" and John Maynard Keynes and pederasty

Immorality of prominent atheists

See also: Atheism, polyamory and other immoral relationships

James Randi

James Randi is a leader within the atheist community. Brian Thompson, former James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) Outreach Coordinator, wrote:

“

But I no longer identify with this community of benevolent know-it-alls, because not all of them are the best folks in the world. In fact, a good percentage of the top ten worst humans I’ve ever met are prominent members of the skeptics’ club. They’re dishonest, mean-spirited, narcissistic, misogynistic. Pick a personality flaw, and I can probably point you to someone who epitomizes it. And that person has probably had a speaking slot at a major skeptical conference. I grew particularly disgusted with the boys’ club attitude I saw among skeptical leaders and luminaries. The kind of attitude that’s dismissive of women, sexually predatory, and downright gross. When I first started going to skeptical conferences as a fresh-faced know-it-all, I started hearing things about people I once admired. Then I started seeing things myself. Then I got a job with the JREF, and the pattern continued.

”

See also:

• Atheism, polyamory and other immoral relationships

• Richard Carrier, adultery, divorce and polyamory

• Atheist conferences and inappropriate sexual activity

Irreligion and domestic violence

See also: Irreligion and domestic violence and Secular Europe and domestic violence

Sweden is one of the most atheistic countries in the world. In Sweden, 81 percent of women said they had been harassed at some point after the age of 15 - compared to the EU average of 55 percent.

The abstract for the 2007 article in the journal Violence Against Women entitled Race/Ethnicity, Religious Involvement, and Domestic Violence indicated:

“

The authors explored the relationship between religious involvement and intimate partner violence by analyzing data from the first wave of the National Survey of Families and Households. They found that: (a) religious involvement is correlated with reduced levels of domestic violence; (b) levels of domestic violence vary by race/ethnicity; (c) the effects of religious involvement on domestic violence vary by race/ethnicity; and (d) religious involvement, specifically church attendance, protects against domestic violence, and this protective effect is stronger for African American men and women and for Hispanic men, groups that, for a variety of reasons, experience elevated risk for this type of violence.

”

Research suggests that irreligiousity is a causal factor for domestic violence.

A September 9, 2012 article at Atlantic Wire wrote about the noted atheist John Lennon:

“

But people have mostly forgotten that Lennon was also physically abusive towards women. "I used to be cruel to my woman," he said, citing the lyrics to "Getting Better" in a Playboy interview near the end of his life. "Physically—any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women." In his biography The Lives of John Lennon, Albert Goldman also maintains that Lennon was guilty of spousal abuse.

”

Atheism and profanity

See also: Atheism and profanity

Studies indicate that atheists engage in more profanity than Christians/theists and are more likely to believe that obscene language is acceptable to engage in. Use of profanity by individuals is negatively correlated with conscientiousness and agreeableness.

For more information, please see: Atheism and profanity

Atheism and bestiality

See also: Atheism and bestiality

On July 1, 2013 the Daily Mail reported that bestiality brothels were spreading quickly through Germany. In addition, there "are even 'erotic zoos' which people can visit to abuse animals ranging from llamas to goats." See: Atheism and bestiality

Bestiality is the act of engaging in sexual relations with an animal. In addition to being repulsive and being a sexual taboo in societies, bestiality can cause harm to both animals and humans.

In areas of the Western World where there is a significant amount of atheists and evolutionary belief, there have been notable problems related to bestiality (see: Atheism and bestiality and Evolutionary belief and bestiality and Bestiality and secular Europe).

Vice News, a global news channel which broadcasts documentaries about current topics, reported in 2014 concerning secular Europe:

“

Bestiality is having a weird renaissance in Europe. Perhaps ironically, it kicked off when activists succeeded in banning the practice in places like Germany and Norway. In the background, something else emerged simultaneously: an animal-sex-tourism industry, which has been blossoming in Denmark.

”

A 2015 Jerusalem Post article indicates "Copenhagen has for long been the bestiality capital of Europe and has attracted many tourists mainly visiting to have sex with animals. Legislation against this practice was only enacted this year."

On July 1, 2013 the Daily Mail reported that bestiality brothels were spreading quickly through Germany. In addition, the Daily Mail reported that there "are even 'erotic zoos' which people can visit to abuse animals ranging from llamas to goats."

In 2014, according to Danish journalist Margit Shabanzahen, a Danish man who ran a business catering to people who have sex with horses said that he had buses of people arriving at his business.

In February 2010, the UK news website Metro reported:

“

Given the illicit nature of the product, precise figures on animal pornography video sales are difficult to find, but the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, in a 2007 survey, found that distributors in the Netherlands were responsible for some 80 percent of bestiality videos worldwide.

”

Below is a list of areas where bestiality has recently posed notable problems and has been reported in news outlets:

• Secular Europe and bestiality
• Denmark and bestiality
• Germany and bestiality
• Netherlands and bestiality
• Sweden and bestiality
• Britain and bestiality
• Australia and bestiality
• Washington state and bestiality

First "bestiality rights" organization was founded in secular Europe

The first "bestiality rights" group, called Equality for All, has its roots in secular Europe and formed in the '90s. See: Atheism and bestiality

The first so called "bestiality/zoophile rights" group, called Equality for All, has its roots in secular Europe and formed in the '90s. It is located in the Czech Republic. According to a 2010 Eurobarometer poll, 16% of Czech citizens responded that "they believe there is a God" which the lowest rate among the countries of the European Union.

In 2005, the Pew Forum reported:

“

According to a 2002 Pew Global Attitudes survey, there are striking differences in public opinion between the U.S. and European countries on issues such as the importance people attach to religion in their lives and the linkage they perceive between belief in God and morality. The survey shows that a large majority of Americans consider religion important in their personal lives and closely associate religion and morality. Furthermore, Pew Forum surveys over several years show that Americans are generally more comfortable with religion playing a major role in public life. In contrast, Europeans generally place much less importance on religion in their lives, and general indicators show that major churches in Europe are declining in terms of membership, recruitment of clergy, financial contributions and overall public influence. The Pew Forum convened distinguished experts Peter Berger, John Judis and Walter Russell Mead to analyze these differences between the U.S and Europe and to assess their impact on transatlantic relations.

”

Atheist worldview/Atheist beliefs

See: Atheist worldview and Atheism and beliefs

Atheism and sub-replacement fertility rates

See also: Atheism and fertility rates

Over 60% of Czech citizens can be identified as irreligious. In 2012, the Czech Republic had 1.45 births per woman. A societal replacement level of births is 2.1 births per woman.

Atheistic/irreligious populations/countries in the world currently have a below replacement levels of births (see: Atheism and fertility rates).

Michael Blume, a researcher at the University of Jena in Germany, wrote about the sub-replacement level of fertility among atheistic populations: "Most societies or communities that have espoused atheistic beliefs have not survived more than a century." Blume also indicated concerning concerning his research on this matter: "What I found was the complete lack of a single case of a secular population, community or movement that would just manage to retain replacement level." See also: Atheism and sexuality

According to an international study done by William Bainbridge, atheism is frequent among people whose interpersonal social obligations are weak and is also linked to lower fertility rates in advanced industrial nations (See also: Atheism and social skills). See also: Atheism, women and children

Replacement fertility is the level of fertility that is required to sustain a population without any external inputs (see also: Population crash).

In human populations, replacement fertility is 2.1 children born per woman in a given population.

Caspar Melville wrote in The New Humanist: "Firstly secular liberalism is individualistic, and therefore it goes hand in hand with delayed child bearing and lower fertility rates.

Atheism and social organization

Atheism and marriage

• Atheism and marriage

• Atheist marriages

• Atheism and divorce

Atheism and politics

• Atheism and politics

• Decline of the secular left

• Atheism and communism (China, North Korea and Vietnam are communist countries)

• Atheism and authoritarianism

According to the University of Cambridge, historically, the "most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power."

The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (CADC) declared about irreligion and politics:

“

Because politics is downstream from culture, once the people become irreligious and corrupt, the politicians will reflect their ethos. No representative form of government can be preserved once the people are given over to selfishness and moral corruption.

”

Atheism and economics

• Atheism and economics

• Atheists and income

• Atheism and economic productivity

Atheism and social dysfunction

In terms of its social organization and in terms of social harmony, the atheist population currently has a number of deficiencies and historically has had a number of deficiencies as is covered in the articles below:

• Secular Europe's economic crisis

• Atheism and poor social skills

Secular societies commonly have significant levels of loneliness. See: Atheism and loneliness

• Atheism and loneliness

• Atheist factions

• Irreligion and domestic violence

• Atheism and marriage

• Atheism and leadership

• Atheism and forced labor

• Irreligious Britain and low social mobility

Atheism and gender/racial issues

• Atheism and women

• Atheism and sexism

• Atheism and rape

• Western atheism and race

Atheism vs. Islam

Due to atheists/irreligious populations having sub-replacement levels of birth, secular European countries have engaged in a high amount of immigration in terms of Muslims. In several of these countries, there is now conflict between native ethnic populations and Muslims (see: Atheism vs. Islam).

Communist countries that currently practice torture

• Atheistic, Chinese communism and torture

• Atheistic communist North Vietnam and torture

Atheism and history

• History of atheism

• Atheism and mass murder

• Atheism and historical revisionism

• Atheism and historical illiteracy

• Atheistic communism and torture

• Mass rape of German women by the Soviet army

Atheism and sexuality

See also: Atheism and sexuality

As a group, atheists have sub-replacement levels of fertility. Global atheism is expected to decline in the 21st century as a percentage of the world's population.

Research shows that religious women (especially evangelical/low-church Protestant women) are more sexually satisfied than irreligious women.

A social science study also reports that Hispanic men are more sexually satisfied than other ethnic groups in the United States. Hispanics are known for their religiosity (See also: Western atheism and race).

In addition, atheist/agnostic populations have sub-replacement levels of fertility (see: Atheism and sexuality).

On December 23, 2012, Professor Eric Kaufmann who teaches at Birbeck College, University of London wrote:

“

I argue that 97% of the world's population growth is taking place in the developing world, where 95% of people are religious. On the other hand, the secular West and East Asia has very low fertility and a rapidly aging population... In the coming decades, the developed world's demand for workers to pay its pensions and work in its service sector will soar alongside the booming supply of young people in the third world. Ergo, we can expect significant immigration to the secular West which will import religious revival on the back of ethnic change. In addition, those with religious beliefs tend to have higher birth rates than the secular population, with fundamentalists having far larger families. The epicentre of these trends will be in immigration gateway cities like New York (a third white), Amsterdam (half Dutch), Los Angeles (28% white), and London, 45% white British.

”

Michael Blume, a researcher at the University of Jena in Germany, wrote "Most societies or communities that have espoused atheistic beliefs have not survived more than a century." Blume also indicated concerning concerning his research on this matter: "What I found was the complete lack of a single case of a secular population, community or movement that would just manage to retain replacement level."

Atheists and conflict resolution

• Atheists and conflict resolution

Atheism and linguistic/oratory development

See also: Atheist community and verbal–linguistic intelligence and Atheism and public speaking

Christianity with its belief in the brotherhood of Christian believers and missionary activities, encourages greater harmony between cultures and cultural exchange. The benefits of being multilingual are a greater understanding of language and being multilingual has beneficial effects on the brain.

In addition, Christianity is pro-natal/family, so there is the speaking and social skills that develop within larger families and between families via marriages. In addition, Christians via sermons and teaching develop oratory skills. See also: Atheism and public speaking

Atheism does none of these things. According to an international study done by William Bainbridge, atheism is common among people whose interpersonal social obligations are weak and is also connected to lower fertility rates in advanced industrial nations (See also: Atheism and loneliness and Atheism and fertility rates).

Atheism and public speaking

See also: Atheism and public speaking and Atheist conferences

The atheist Jerry Coyne speaking at a 2013 atheist meeting entitled The Amazing Meeting (TAM). TAM is an annual meeting. In 2011, Coyne said about the atheist conferences which he attended that they had an air of self-congratulation. He also indicated about atheist meetings: "But to me the speakers and talks have often seemed repetitive: the same crew of jet-set skeptics giving the same talks."

The news website Vox reported about Reason Rally 2016:

“

It is clear, too, that almost nobody who takes the stage at Reason Rally was ever trained as a preacher. The whole thing is languid, urgent words in measured tones. The goal is an "end to bigotry," in the pitch of a polite request, to "reject" a supernatural worldview with all the force of tepid applause. Jamie Raskin says the job of politicians is to "listen to scientists" and closes with "Put your thinking caps on America!" Penn Jillette struggles to get a video playing, chokes up over Hitchens, then plays a Bob Dylan knockoff about his love for all people. The Amazing Randi devotes half an hour to a muted jeremiad against the obscure "facilitated communication" hoax. Peter says he does not know what "FC" is, but he'll look into it.

”

The atheist Jerry Coyne said about atheist conferences which he attended:

“

But to me the speakers and talks have often seemed repetitive: the same crew of jet-set skeptics giving the same talks. ...a few things bothered me, most notably the air of self-congratulation (which I excused on the grounds of enthusiastic people finding like-minded folks for the first time), the “fanboyness” directed at some of the famous atheists (they hardly let poor Richard alone, and I’m not sure he liked that!), and the lameness of quite a few of the talks. Again, how much new can you say about atheism?

”

Atheist population and linguistic diversity

The Bible has been translated into 518 languages and 2,798 languages have at least some portion of the Bible. Charles Darwin's book The Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life has merely been translated into 35 languages.

Atheist population and its geographic distribution

See also: Atheist population and Global atheism

The current atheist population mostly resides in East Asia (particularly China) and in secular Europe/Australia primarily among whites. See: Western atheism and race

Multilingual Europe

Europe has 23 officially recognized languages. In addition, it has migrants who tend to come from religious countries.

An essay entitled Multilingual Europe declares:

“

The 2012 Eurobarometer Report “Europeans and their languages” was published last month and makes fascinating reading. To begin with, it’s always heartening to see the value the European Union places on linguistic and cultural diversity: There are 23 officially recognised languages, more than 60 indigenous regional and minority languages, and many non-indigenous languages spoken by migrant communities. The EU, although it has limited influence because educational and language policies are the responsibility of individual Member States, is committed to safeguarding this linguistic diversity and promoting knowledge of languages, for reasons of cultural identity and social integration and cohesion, and because multilingual citizens are better placed to take advantage of the economic, educational and professional opportunities created by an integrated Europe. A mobile workforce is key to the competitiveness of the EU economy. (p. 2) It is even more heartening to see that this vision is shared by the majority of Europeans: almost all Europeans (98%!) think that learning at least one foreign language is important for the future of their children. And the current generation is itself well on the way towards that goal: with 46% of the population, monolingual Europeans are now in the minority. 19% of Europeans are bilingual, 25% are trilingual and 10% speak four or more languages.

”

Translation of the Origin of the Species

Since World War II a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the evolutionary position which employs methodological naturalism have been atheists and agnostics (see also: Causes of evolutionary belief). Charles Darwin's evolutionary book The Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life has been translated into 35 languages. See also: Social Darwinism and Evolutionary racism

Christianity and linguistic diversity

See also: Global Christianity

In terms of its geographic distribution, Christianity is the most globally diverse religion (See also: Global Christianity). The Bible has been translated into 518 languages and 2,798 languages have at least some portion of the Bible. In addition, the Christian community is far more evangelistic than the atheist community and Christian missionaries are throughout the world.

Due to its wider geographical diversity and its missionary and Bible translation efforts, collectively speaking, the Christian community has a greater degree of linguistic and cultural intelligence than the atheist community.

Atheism and architecture

See also: Atheism and architecture

The Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University was the first postmodern architecture building. The architect of the first postmodern modern building said that he designed it with no design in mind.

Postmodernism is an antichristian, far-left, 20th century worldview and academic movement characterized by denial of objective truth, and which asserts that assertions of objective knowledge are essentially impossible.

The Christian apologist Norman Geisler wrote about postmodernism: "In short, the root of Post-modernism is atheism and the fruit of it is relativism — relativism in every area of life and thought." Atheists played a significant role in terms of postmodernist leadership and its following (see: Postmodernism and atheists).

The architect of the first postmodern modern building said that he designed it with no design in mind.

Jackie Craven, a writer who writes on architecture, indicates about postmodern architecture:

“

Postmodern architecture evolved from the modernist movement, yet contradicts many of the modernist ideas. Combining new ideas with traditional forms, postmodernist buildings may startle, surprise, and even amuse. Familiar shapes and details are used in unexpected ways. Buildings may incorporate symbols to make a statement or simply to delight the viewer.

”

Ravi Zacharias on postmodern architecture

Ravi Zacharias

The Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias said about postmodern architecture:

“

I remember lecturing at Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in this country. I was minutes away from beginning my lecture, and my host was driving me past a new building called the Wexner Center for the Performing Arts. He said, “This is America’s first postmodern building.” I was startled for a moment and I said, “What is a postmodern building?” He said, “Well, the architect said that he designed this building with no design in mind. When the architect was asked, ‘Why?’ he said, ‘If life itself is capricious, why should our buildings have any design and any meaning?’ So he has pillars that have no purpose. He has stairways that go nowhere. He has a senseless building built and somebody has paid for it.” I said, “So his argument was that if life has no purpose and design, why should the building have any design?” He said, “That is correct.” I said, “Did he do the same with the foundation?” All of a sudden there was silence. You see, you and I can fool with the infrastructure as much as we would like, but we dare not fool with the foundation because it will call our bluff in a hurry.

”

Soviet Union and Museums of Atheism

The Soviet Union closed down many churches and converted some of them into Museums of Atheism rather than attempt to build magnificent buildings dedicated to promoting atheistic ideology.

Wikipedia on church architecture

Christ Church in Shimla, India is the second oldest church in North India.

On April 23, 2016, Wikipedia, a wiki founded by an atheist and agnostic, declares in its church architecture article:

“

These large, often ornate and architecturally prestigious buildings were dominant features of the towns and countryside in which they stood. But far more numerous were the parish churches scattered across the Christian world, the focus of Christian devotion in every town and village. While a few are counted as sublime works of architecture to equal the great cathedrals, the majority developed along simpler lines, showing great regional diversity and often demonstrating local vernacular technology and decoration.

”

Wikipedia on postmodern architecture

In its April 23, 2016 article on postmodern architecture, Wikipedia does not describe postmodern architecture in terms of it being sublime, great or prestigious.

In fact, Wikipedia's article on postmodern architecture indicates that Alex Todorow says:

“

When [he] was young, a sure way to distinguish great architects was through the consistency and originality of their work...This should no longer be the case. Where the Modern masters' strength lay in consistency, ours should lie in diversity.

”

Secular leftists often put an excessive focus on diversity and often fail to focus on excellence.

Secular left's denial of objective beauty

See also: Argument from beauty and Secular left

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then there is no difference between fine art as opposed to mere decoration, no difference between Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and wallpaper.

Author John C. Wright wrote in his 2014 essay How We’ve Been Robbed of Beauty by the Left:

“

There is no discussion of it because by convincing the public that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the Left has placed it beyond the realm of discussion. According to the Left, beauty is a matter of taste, and arbitrary taste at that. There is no discussion of taste because to give reasons to prefer tasteful to tasteless things is elitist, nasty, uncouth and inappropriate. To have taste implies that some cultures produce more works of art and better than others, and this raises the uncomfortable possibility that love of beauty is Eurocentric, or even racist. To admire beauty has become a hate crime. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then there is no difference between fine art as opposed to mere decoration, no difference between Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and wallpaper. Obviously there is a difference: we decorate an otherwise useful tool to make it more pleasing to look at or handle, like painting details on a car or putting embroidered images on fabric. Popular art is meant for entertainment; it is meant to please the eye and wile away the time. But an episode of I Love Lucy is not made for the same purpose as Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Art is not meant to be useful. When you hold a baby in your arms and look at him, merely look at the wonder and miracle of new life, you don’t do that because the baby is useful. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then there is no such thing as training the taste. One can sit down and watch well done popular entertainment – for example, a Mickey Mouse cartoon – with pleasure and enjoyment, and no study is needed to prepare you to appreciate and understand it. But to sit down and read Milton’s Paradise Lost for pleasure, one needs a passing familiarity with classical and Biblical figures to which he alludes, and one’s pleasure is increased if one is familiar with the epic models, the Virgil and Homer, on whose themes Milton plays out so creative and striking a variation. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then anything, anything at all, can be declared to be beautiful merely by the artist... The strongest argument against the atheism so beloved of the Left is not an argument that can be put in words, for it is the argument of beauty.

”

Depressing nature of French atheist art

See also: Atheist art and Atheism and depression and Atheist worldview

Atheists have a higher suicide rate than theists. Please see: Atheism and suicide

Atheism is a depressing worldview (see: Hopelessness of atheism and Atheism and depression and Atheism and suicide).

Michael C. Sullivan wrote in his book In Search of a Perfect World: A Historical Perspective on the Phenomenon of Millennialism and Dissatifaction with The World As It Is:

“

Yet, the communications media of the 1990s still expressed a end-of-age weariness, cynicism and apprehension. Savvy media watchers and art critics resurrected the French literary term Fin de siecle (end of a century, age or period) from the 1890s to describe certain aspects of contemporary art and society. The historic meaning of the term, which originated from an 1888 French play, encompasses an attitude that is free of social or moral traditions or conventions — even decadent. It also expressed a general malaise in French society, in which in which alcoholism, atheism, crime and immorality were rampant.

”

Irreligion and superstition

See also: Irreligion and superstition

The Wall Street Journal reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows ...that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience than evangelical Christians."

In September 2008, the Wall Street Journal reported:

“

The reality is that the New Atheist campaign, by discouraging religion, won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass superstition. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith -- it's what the empirical data tell us. "What Americans Really Believe," a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that traditional Christian religion greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of astrology. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in pseudoscience than evangelical Christians.... This is not a new finding. In his 1983 book "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener," skeptic and science writer Martin Gardner cited the decline of traditional religious belief among the better educated as one of the causes for an increase in pseudoscience, cults and superstition. He referenced a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer that showed irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born-again Christian college students were the least likely.

”

Atheism and science/technology

See also: Atheism and science

Atheism and the foundation of modern science

See also: Christianity and science

In his essay Of Atheism Sir Francis Bacon wrote: "I had rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran (Koran), than that this universal frame is without a mind."

The birth of modern science occurred in Christianized Europe. Sociologist Rodney Stark investigated the individuals who made the most significant scientific contributions between 1543 and 1680 A.D., the time of the Scientific Revolution. In Stark's list of 52 top scientific contributors, only one (Edmund Halley) was a skeptic and another (Paracelsus) was a pantheist. The other 50 were Christians, 30 of whom could be characterized as being devout Christians. Sir Francis Bacon, sometimes referred to as "the Father of Modern Science", wrote in his essay entitled Of Atheism the following: "I had rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a mind."

Atheism and the physical and social sciences

In the both the physical sciences and social sciences atheism has had a negative effect on science (see: Atheism and science).

Atheism and health habits

Numerous studies report that athletes to be more religious than non-athletes.

• Atheism and health
• Atheism and alcoholism
• Atheism and drug addiction
• Sports performance: Religious faith vs. atheism
• Atheism and obesity

Atheism and mental health habits

• Atheism and depression
• Religiousity and larger frontal lobes
• Atheism and the brain
• Atheism and irrationality
• Atheism and logical fallacies
• Atheism and apathy

Atheism and a lack of holidays

See also: Atheism and Christmas

Research suggests that those who celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas are on the whole likely to be happier.

The Jewish comedian Henny Youngman joked about atheism, "I once wanted to become an atheist but I gave up . . . they have no holidays."

In December 2003, the University of Warwick reported:

“

Dr. Stephen Joseph, from the University of Warwick, said: "Religious people seem to have a greater purpose in life, which is why they are happier. Looking at the research evidence, it seems that those who celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas are on the whole likely to be happier.

”

Intelligence trends in religious countries and secular countries

See: Intelligence trends in religious countries and secular countries

Irreligion and the treatment of dogs/cats and dog ownership statistics

• Atheists and dog meat eating
• Communist China and cat meat eating
• USA states: Religion/irreligion and percentage of dog owners
• Atheism and bestiality

Atheism, rites and rituals

• Atheism, rites and rituals

• Atheist weddings

• Atheist funerals

• Secular leftist governments and baby names

Atheism, rites and rituals

Stain glass depiction of the Apostle John

• Atheism, rites and rituals

• Atheist weddings

• Atheist funerals

• Secular leftist governments and baby names

Ritualistic atheists

Ritualistic atheists find beauty in certain religious traditions, symbols or rituals. See also: Atheists and church attendance

See also: Atheism, rites and rituals

The Christian Post reported:

“

In a new study of the various types of nonbelievers, researchers from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga say "one of the most interesting and unexpected" types they examined is the "ritual" atheist or agnostic, who finds some value in religious teachings and practices. Those who fall into this category, according to the researchers, are nonbelievers who may have a philosophical appreciation for certain religious teachings, who like being part of a community, who want to stay in touch with their ethnic identity or who simply find beauty in certain religious traditions, symbols or rituals. "The implication of this particular typology is that you could be sitting next to somebody in church right now who may, in fact, not buy into the theology that the rest of the congregation buys into," said principal researcher Christopher F. Silver in an interview with The Christian Post.

”

See also: Atheists and church attendance

Secular Europe and inherited cultural artifacts from Christianity

Secular Europe has a large collection of excellent art, music, literature and architecture which it inherited from its past culture when Christianity was more dominant.

See also:

• Christian art
• Christian paintings
• Famous Cathedrals
• Johann Sebastian Bach
• George Frideric Handel
• T.S. Eliot (American born and moved to England at age 25)
• C.S. Lewis

Secular nations with Protestant cultural legacies

Niall Ferguson

See also: Irreligious countries with Protestant cultural legacies

The atheist and Harvard University historian Niall Ferguson declared: "Through a mixture of hard work and thrift the Protestant societies of the North and West Atlantic achieved the most rapid economic growth in history." See: Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

The article The Surprising Discovery About Those Colonialist, Proselytizing Missionaries published in Christianity Today notes:

“

In his fifth year of graduate school, Woodberry created a statistical model that could test the connection between missionary work and the health of nations. He and a few research assistants spent two years coding data and refining their methods. They hoped to compute the lasting effect of missionaries, on average, worldwide... One morning, in a windowless, dusty computer lab lit by fluorescent bulbs, Woodberry ran the first big test. After he finished prepping the statistical program on his computer, he clicked "Enter" and then leaned forward to read the results. "I was shocked," says Woodberry. "It was like an atomic bomb. The impact of missions on global democracy was huge. I kept adding variables to the model—factors that people had been studying and writing about for the past 40 years—and they all got wiped out. It was amazing. I knew, then, I was on to something really important." Woodberry already had historical proof that missionaries had educated women and the poor, promoted widespread printing, led nationalist movements that empowered ordinary citizens, and fueled other key elements of democracy. Now the statistics were backing it up: Missionaries weren't just part of the picture. They were central to it... Areas where Protestant missionaries had a significant presence in the past are on average more economically developed today, with comparatively better health, lower infant mortality, lower corruption, greater literacy, higher educational attainment (especially for women), and more robust membership in nongovernmental associations. In short: Want a blossoming democracy today? The solution is simple—if you have a time machine: Send a 19th-century missionary."

”

Emancipation of slaves in the British Empire became a major cause by the 1800s, when abolitionists such as William Wilberforce and John Wesley began speaking out against the evils of the system. Wilberforce was supported in his efforts by John Newton, a slave trader who became a Christian and then opposed the slave trade.

Thomas Sowell

The African-American author and political columnist Thomas Sowell wrote:

“

While slavery was common to all civilizations, as well as to peoples considered uncivilized, only one civilization developed a moral revulsion against it, very late in hits history…not even the leading moralists in other civilizations rejected slavery at all…. Moreover, within Western civilization, the principle impetus for the abolition of slavery came first from very conservative religious activists – people who would today be called ‘the religious right.’…this story is not ‘politically correct’ in today’s terms. Hence it is ignored, as if it never happened.”

”

Cultural legacies

The website Cultural Front notes:

“

In chapter 6 of Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell highlights cultural legacies. He opens with disturbing descriptions of how longstanding cultural patterns and beliefs influenced violent conflicts among generations of families in Kentucky during the 19th century. The compelling research findings concerning long-term and deeply held values led Gladwell to the conclusion that cultural legacies are powerful forces. They have deep roots and long lives. They persist, generation after generation, virtually intact, even as the economic and social demographic conditions that spawned them have vanished, and they play such a role in directing attitudes and behavior that we cannot make sense of our world without them. He goes on to note the possibilities of “taking cultural legacies seriously” in order to learn “why people succeed and how to make people better.”

”

Atheist apologists and the issue of Protestant cultural legacies

When atheist apologists cite various favorable economic statistics of irreligious countries which formerly had a strong presence of Protestantism (typically in Northern Europe), they generally do not mention the issue of the effects of cultural legacies (see: Irreligious countries with Protestant cultural legacies).

Increased wealth in a society or for individuals positively affects a number of areas such as health.

Richard Dawkins positively commenting on Christian culture

Christianity may be our best defense against aberrant forms of religion

The new atheist Richard Dawkins declared "Christianity may actually be our best defence against aberrant forms of religion that threaten the world". See also: Richard Dawkins and Islam

Richard Dawkins on the King James Bible

Richard Dawkins declared "Christianity may actually be our best defence against aberrant forms of religion that threaten the world". See also: Richard Dawkins and Islam

Richard Dawkins wrote:

“

For some reason the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (UK) was not approached for a donation in support of Michael Gove's plan to put a King James Bible in every state school. We would certainly have given it serious consideration, and if the trustees had not agreed I would gladly have contributed myself. In the event, it was left to "millionaire Conservative party donors". I am a little shocked at the implication that not every school library already possesses a copy. Can that be true?... Ecclesiastes, in the 1611 translation, is one of the glories of English literature (I'm told it's pretty good in the original Hebrew, too). The whole King James Bible is littered with literary allusions, almost as many as Shakespeare (to quote that distinguished authority Anon, the trouble with Hamlet is it's so full of clichées). In The God Delusion I have a section called "Religious education as a part of literary culture" in which I list 129 biblical phrases which any cultivated English speaker will instantly recognise and many use without knowing their provenance: the salt of the earth; go the extra mile; I wash my hands of it; filthy lucre; through a glass darkly; wolf in sheep's clothing; hide your light under a bushel; no peace for the wicked; how are the mighty fallen. A native speaker of English who has never read a word of the King James Bible is verging on the barbarian.

”

Richard Dawkins sings Christmas carols

Richard Dawkins sings traditional Christmas carols each Christmas season.

See also: Atheism and Christmas

The Daily Mail declared about the new atheist Richard Dawkins:

“

Scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins has admitted he does celebrate Christmas - and enjoys singing traditional Christmas carols each festive season. The writer and evolutionary biologist told singer Jarvis Cocker that he happily wishes everyone a Merry Christmas - and used to have a tree when his daughter was younger.

”

Dawkins wrote at the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science website:

“

Nor do I shy aware from singing the familiar and much loved Christmas songs that I sang for years in choir or at home. Silent Night still can bring a tear to my eye because it recalls memories of childhood.

”

Christian leaders or the leaders of other theistic religions do not sing the relatively few atheist songs which exist.

Views on atheists: Distrust among atheists and by theists

See: Views on atheists

UK study finds atheists widely distrusted - even among themselves

See also: Atheist factions

In 2015, the Christian Post reported in a story entitled Atheists Widely Distrusted, Even Among Themselves, UK Study Finds:

“

Distrust of atheists is "deeply and culturally ingrained" among people, and even many atheists are not able to trust each other, according to a new study carried out by the psychology department at Nottingham Trent University in England. Published in the International Journal for The Psychology of Religion, the study, "The Robustness of Anti-Atheist Prejudice as Measured by Way of Cognitive Errors," was conducted with 100 participants from the U.K. .... The study shows that "anti-atheist prejudice is not confined either to dominantly religious countries or to religious individuals, but rather appears to be a robust judgment about atheists."

”

The Independent reports about the participants of the study:

“

Professor Leah Giddings and Thomas Dunn led the study with 100 online participants from the United Kingdom, 70 of whom were women and whose average age was 21. A total of 43 per cent of the contributors were atheist, 33 per cent were Christian and the remainder belonged to other faiths.

”

Americans and Canadians distrust atheists as much as rapists

See also: Atheism and rape and Atheism and social outcasts

Studies and web traffic data appear to indicate that women in the Western World tend to be more religious than men. See: Atheism and women

On December 10, 2011, USA Today reported in a story entitled Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists:

“

The study, conducted among 350 Americans adults and 420 Canadian college students, asked participants to decide if a fictional driver damaged a parked car and left the scene, then found a wallet and took the money, was the driver more likely to be a teacher, an atheist teacher, or a rapist teacher? The participants, who were from religious and nonreligious backgrounds, most often chose the atheist teacher. The study is part of an attempt to understand what needs religion fulfills in people. Among the conclusions is a sense of trust in others. "People find atheists very suspect," Shariff said. "They don't fear God so we should distrust them; they do not have the same moral obligations of others. This is a common refrain against atheists. People fear them as a group."

”

See also:

• Irreligion and domestic violence

• Atheism and rape

See also

• Darwinism as one of the causes of the collapse of the British Empire
• Culture war