Last modified on December 23, 2018, at 14:22

Essay: Mr. "Spud" Atheist is put through the potato grinder

Commenting on some commentary related to the article Atheism and the Me Too Movement, an atheist going by the moniker of "Spud" wrote: "...unlike you, we don't have unrealistic expectations. You may believe that you will destroy atheism single-handed by next Wednesday... We don't expect to do the same to sexism."

Numerous atheists have declared that the "atheist movement is dead" or that it is dying (see: Decline of the atheist movement)[1]

Mr. "Spud" Atheist, the atheist movement has been destroyed.

Atheists and their unrealistic expectations

See also: Desecularization and Atheists and the endurance of religion

In 2011, atheist Jacques Berlinerblau declared: "The Golden Age of Secularism has passed."[2]

Dr. Rodney Stark, an agnostic, wrote in his book The Triumph of Faith:

“ Secularists have been predicting the imminent demise of religion for centuries. They have always been wrong—and their claims today are no different. It is their unshakable faith in secularization that may be the most "irrational" of all beliefs.(p. 212).[3] ”

Britain's Financial Times published an article in 2018 with the title/subtitle of: "The return of religion. Among atheists as well as believers, strident secularism is giving way to a renewed sense of faith’s hold."[4] See also: British atheism and UK and secularism and Decline of militant atheism in the West

In 2018, The Week reported:

“ Not only has secularism failed to continue its steady global march but countries as varied as Iran, India, Israel, Algeria, and Turkey have either had their secular governments replaced by religious ones, or have seen the rise of influential religious nationalist movements. Secularization, as predicted by the social sciences, has failed....

Religion is not going away any time soon, and science will not destroy it. If anything, it is science that is subject to increasing threats to its authority and social legitimacy.[5]

”

See also: Atheism and science

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, 2% of the world's population self-identifies as atheist and the average annual global change for atheism from 2000 to 2010 was −0.17%.[6]

Atheists as a percentage of the world's population have declined since 1970 and global atheism is expected to face long term decline.[7] See also: Global atheism statistics and Desecularization

On July 24, 2013, CNS News reported:

“ Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020, according to a new report by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass."[8] ”

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.[9] [10]

”

On August 8, 2018, Michael Clune wrote in The Atlantic: "There’s been a lot of talk in literary and philosophical circles of a new “post-secular” age."[11] See also: Postsecularism

American atheism and fundraising problems

See also: Atheist factions and Atheist organizations and fundraising and Atheist fundraising vs. religious fundraising

In 2017, the atheist activist Lee Moore declared about American atheist organizations:

“ If you look at the major atheist groups right now, like the national groups, the ones that are doing the real activist work... They are not bringing in the kind of donations they used to. Most of them are starved for cash. They're downsizing left and right. Because people aren't just giving like they used to. And I talked to a lot of the major donors out there and they said, "Well, we're kind of tired of seeing the atheist community just fight amongst itself and not really get anything done. We'd rather not give money if we don't think it's going to go somewhere."[12] ”

Mr. "Spud" Atheist

The icing on the cake is that Mr. "Spud" Atheist, who was easily put through the potato grinder, is on the board of an atheistic foundation. Sad! See also: Atheism and leadership and Atheist organizations

No wonder we have seen a decline of the atheist movement.

A message for Mr. "Spud" Atheist

A message for Mr. "Spud" Atheist: I know you are an Englishman who has had a fondness for mashed potatoes earlier in your life.

Next time you see a potato dish or see the word "spud", remember that numerous atheists have indicated that the "atheist movement is dead" or that it is dying![13]

Mr. "Spud" Atheist in his native habitat

Paralyzed with fear, Mr. "Spud" Atheist retreats to his intellectual bunny hole which unfortunately has become his native habitat. See also: Atheism and cowardice

If only Mr. "Spud" Atheist could refute the material presented on this web page with recent and relevant information that is well-sourced.

Mr. "Spud" Atheist confers with his fellow atheists

Mr. "Spud" Atheist confers with his fellow atheist at their so-called "Rational" website. Yet, no material which refutes the material on this web page is offered by his fellow atheists.

Conservapedia's effect on American atheists?

See also: American atheism

"I've slowly started to understand why American atheists look so frustrated and angry all the time from a European point of view...". - YouTuber Elod Marton commenting on Conservapedia in December of 2018

See also

Essays:

Notes

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Berlinerblau, Jacques (February 4, 2011). "Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast". The Chronicle of Higher Education/Brainstorm blog. Retrieved on May 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ Despite What You've Heard, World Is More Religious Than Ever, Christian Post
  4. ↑ FT.com Friday, 30 March 2018
  5. ↑ Sorry, scientists. Religion is here to stay. by Peter Harrison, The Week, September 12, 2017
  6. ↑ Religion: Year in Review 2010: Worldwide Adherents of All Religions. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.. Retrieved on 2013-11-21.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020
  9. ↑ London: A Rising Island of Religion in a Secular Sea by Eric Kaufmann, Huffington Post, 2012
  10. ↑ 97% of the world's population growth is taking place in the developing world, where 95% of people are religious, Tuesday, April 30, 2013
  11. ↑ I Don’t Believe in Aliens Anymore by Michael Clune, The Atlantic, August 8, 2018
  12. ↑ Lee Moore and Steve Shives Talk About the Future of the Atheist Movement, - video quote comes 21 minutes and 13 seconds into the video
  13. ↑