Essay: Rhythmic, religious Africans vs. atheist wet blankets

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A study conducted by the Washington-based Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life says that Africans are among the most religious people on Earth.[1]

The Ghanese drummers featured above are far too rhythmic to be atheists. See: Atheism and musical–rhythmic intelligence and artistic intelligence

Atheists remain a very small minority in Africa (see also: Atheist population and Global atheism). A study conducted by the Washington-based Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life says that Africans are among the most religious people on Earth.[1] See also: Black atheism and Western atheism and race

Wikipedia, a wiki founded by an atheist and agnostic, declares:

Sub-Saharan African music is characterised by a "strong rhythmic interest" that exhibits common characteristics in all regions of this vast territory, so that Arthur Morris Jones (1889–1980) has described the many local approaches as constituting one main system. C. K. Ladzekpo also affirms the profound homogeneity of approach. West African rhythmic techniques carried over the Atlantic were fundamental ingredients in various musical styles of the Americas: samba, forró, maracatu and coco in Brazil, Afro-Cuban music and Afro-American musical genres such as blues, jazz, rhythm & blues, funk, soul, reggae, hip hop, and rock and roll were thereby of immense importance in 20th century popular music. The drum is renowned throughout Africa.

Many sub-Saharan languages do not have a word for rhythm, or even music. Rhythms represent the very fabric of life and embody the people's interdependence in human relationships. Cross-beats can symbolize challenging moments or emotional stress: playing them while fully grounded in the main beats prepares one for maintaining life-purpose while dealing with life’s challenges.[2]

The atheists in the Western World haven't really produced much, if any, fun/rhythmic songs. That is because Western atheism is dominated by atheist nerds. In addition, many atheists are depressed due to their bleak worldview (see: Atheism and suicide and Atheism and depression and Atheism, agnosticism and pessimism). Furthermore, atheists lean to the left politically (see: Atheism and politics) and secular leftists are frequently humorless killjoys (see: Atheism and humor).

The atheist Dan Barker has written atheist music. In total, he has produced 2 CDs of atheist songs.[3] Given the low market demand for atheist music around the world, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has not reported that Barker's music has achieved widespread appeal. Kanye West converted to Christianity and now produces gospel music. Atheists, be honest, does Kanye West beat Dan Barker hands down when it comes to producing uplifting songs? Of course, he does! Which sells more, Mr. Atheist? Dan Barker's atheist music or Kanye West's gospel music?

The American Humanist Association commenting on Atheism and hip hop music:

It may seem a bit odd, then, that so many major hip-hop artists ...are not only deeply religious but produce music that includes overt tributes to their own faith.

Consider Kanye West, whose new album Yeezus has been the year’s most anticipated release. Aside from the blatantly religious (and ostentatious) title, the record is littered with references to a Christian god. This should be unsurprising for a man who won a Grammy for the song “Jesus Walks” in 2004, but to consider the size and scope of not only West’s audience but also his critical devotion, it’s staggering that in a country of ever-deepening religious skepticism an album as blatantly Christian as Yeezus would be an almost guaranteed best-seller.

But what’s most troubling for the non-believing listeners isn’t the album’s religious content. What’s most troubling is that the religious content is so common in hip-hop that it’s not even mentioned.

So many popular rap artists are vocally religious that it’s become not just acceptable, it’s become the norm... Today, it’s rarer to find a rapper who doesn’t make hay of their faith than to find one who does.

This isn’t to say that religion is the only element that’s frustrating for humanist rap fans. There are prominent atheist rap artists whose content is just as uncomfortable, most notably the controversial LA collective Odd Future, a group of young men who promote atheism but use Satanic imagery on their album covers and rap about rape, murder, and drugs to the point that it’s cartoonish.

Humanists need a place in the hip-hop community.[4]


African, rhythmic music (Notice the lack of white, atheist, nerd males in the video)

Rhythmic Muslims vs. atheist wet blankets

Rhythmic, religious Latinos vs. atheist wet blankets

Atheism and musical–rhythmic intelligence and artistic intelligence

Quotes from and about atheist web blankets

See also: Atheism quotes

"I'm the wet blanket atheist...". - Atheist Siobhan O'Leary[5]

"I don’t want to be a wet blanket...". - Atheist professor at Purdue University[6]

"It's that time of year again. 'T'is the season to be jolly -- or, if you're an atheist activist, to throw a wet blanket over the holidays." - Robert Small, Self-Righteous Atheists Are Misguided Killjoys, American Thinker[7] See: Atheism and Christmas and Santa syndrome

See also

References