[[File:Temple of Reason.jpg|thumbnail|250px|The Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg was turned into a Temple of Reason by the [[Cult of Reason]]. ]]
Within the [[Atheism is a religion|atheist religion]], there are and have been a number of [[atheism|atheist]] [[cult]]s and [[atheist factions]].
Below are some examples of atheist cults:
'''1.''' [[Cult of Reason]] during the [[French Revolution]]. The [[France|French]] atheist Pierre Gaspard Chaumette encouraged the "worship of [[Reason]]".<ref>Pierre Gaspard Chaumette was an atheist, see: ''The English Heiress, Book 1'' By Roberta Gellis, page 211</ref><ref>Pierre Gaspard Chaumette encouraged the "worship of Reason", see: Benjamin Rush's Lectures on the Mind, Volume 144 By Benjamin Rush. page 170</ref>
'''2.''' The [[Creativity Movement]], formerly known as the ''World Church Of The Creator'', is an [[atheistic]], [[white supremacist]] organization.<ref name="Ideology">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=RonIunZ521sC&pg=PA247&dq=atheism+white+supremacy&hl=en&ei=u_OOTaGaM6Xi0gHJztygCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q&f=false|title =Contemporary voices of white nationalism in America|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=World Church of the Creator, an organization that espouses an atheistic and white supremacist religious philosophy known as Creativity.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref><ref name="Atheistic">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=HB1wyFPRGm4C&pg=PA23&dq=atheism+white+supremacy&hl=en&ei=Re-OTfbHHuuD0QHOycm1Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=atheistic&f=false|title =The new white nationalism in America: its challenge to integration|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=For instance, Ben Klassen, founder of the atheistic World Church of the Creator and the author of ''The White Man's Bible'', discusses Christianity extensively in his writings and denounces religion that has brought untold horror into the world and divided the white race.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref><ref name="Atheism">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=rBgn3xB75ZcC&pg=PA493&dq=competing+atheistic+white+racist+movement&hl=en&ei=5uWOTeSkCamw0QH7m92bCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=competing%20atheistic%20white%20racist%20movement&f=false|title =The World's Religions: Continuities and Transformations|publisher = Taylor & Francis|quote=A competing atheistic or panthestic white racist movement also appeared, which included the Church of the Creator/ Creativity (Gardell 2003: 129–134).|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref> The movement has denounced [[Christianity]],<ref name="Atheistic">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=HB1wyFPRGm4C&pg=PA23&dq=atheism+white+supremacy&hl=en&ei=Re-OTfbHHuuD0QHOycm1Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=atheistic&f=false|title =The new white nationalism in America: its challenge to integration|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=For instance, Ben Klassen, founder of the atheistic World Church of the Creator and the author of ''The White Man's Bible, discusses Christianity extensively in his writings and denounces religion that has brought untold horror into the world and divided the white race.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref> and purports to promote [[Agape|love]] for all of mankind.<ref name="Ludwig Feuerbach">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=GTEKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA266&dq=christianity+love+for+mankind&hl=en&ei=CFSbTbyAJcrUgQekjsCSBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=christianity%20love%20for%20mankind&f=false|title =The Essence of Christianity |author=Ludwig Feuerbach|publisher = John Chapman|quote=Christ loved men: he wished to bless and unite them all without distinction of sex, age, rank or nationality. Christ is the love of mankind to itself embodied in an image–in accordance with the nature of religion as we have developed it–or contemplated as a person, but a person who (we mean, of course, as a religious object) has only the significance of an image, who is only ideal. For this reason love is pronounced to be the characteristic mark of the disciples.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref> It denounces religion for bringing horror into the world by dividing the white race.<ref name="Atheistic">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=HB1wyFPRGm4C&pg=PA23&dq=atheism+white+supremacy&hl=en&ei=Re-OTfbHHuuD0QHOycm1Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=atheistic&f=false|title =The new white nationalism in America: its challenge to integration|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=For instance, Ben Klassen, founder of the atheistic World Church of the Creator and the author of ''The White Man's Bible'', discusses Christianity extensively in his writings and denounces religion that has brought untold horror into the world and divided the white race.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref> Adherents of the Creativity Movement are [[evolution]]ists.<ref>[http://creativitymovement.net/books/introduction.pdf What you should know about the Creativity Movement - Creativity Movement website]</ref>
Ben Klassen, the founder of the Creativity Movement, described the organizational structure of the movement as "monolithic and... authoritarian".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmymHdG3Ndo Ben Klassen PM on Race & Reason - Part 2 of 3 - YouTube video]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJeMUbMV8X0 Tom Metzger's Race & Reason with Ben Klassen PM]</ref>
'''3.''' [[Jim Jones]] - [[Marxism|Marxist]], atheist cult leader. Jim Jones' The Peoples Temple became a place where atheism was blended with seeing Jones as a [[Jesus Christ|Christ]]-like figure.<ref>''Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People'' by Tim Reiterman</ref> Under his direction, his followers committed mass suicide (see: [[Atheism and suicide]]).
"I was an atheist even then, and at that funeral parlor they held me up to look at her, and when I got down, I was bitter." - Jim Jones <ref>[http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=13143 An untitled collection of reminiscences by Jim Jones]</ref>
"So on down the road, I became even more alienated by that event. I decided, how can I demonstrate my Marxism? The thought was, infiltrate the church." - Jim Jones
'''4.''' [[Raelism]]
'''5.''' [[Objectivism]] ([[Ayn Rand]]) - Has a cult like following of atheist narcissists who generally subscribe to the political ideology of [[libertarianism]]. <ref>[http://www.2think.org/02_2_she.shtml THE UNLIKELIEST CULT IN HISTORY] by [[Michael Shermer]]</ref><ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/11/09/091109fa_fact_mallon?currentPage=all POSSESSED: Did Ayn Rand’s cult outstrip her canon? BY THOMAS MALLON], ''The New Yorker'', NOVEMBER 9, 2009</ref><ref>''The Ayn Rand Cult'' by Jeff Walker</ref>
'''6.''' Cult of personality surrounding [[Communism|communist]], atheist leaders or thought leaders such as [[Mao Zedong]], [[Vladimir Lenin]], [[Karl Marx]], [[Joseph Stalin]], [[Kim Il-sung]] and [[Kim Jong-un]]
'''7.''' Atheistic/[[Naturalism (philosophy)|naturalistic]] [[Darwinism]] - In his book ''Rivals: Conflict as the fuel of science'', Michael White wrote: "Of course today, for biologists, [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]] is second only to [[God]], and for many he may rank still higher." The atheist [[Michael Ruse]], an evolutionist science philosopher, admitted, “Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today.”
Ardent followers of [[Charles Darwin]] have Darwin Day celebrations and repeatedly endeavor to get government imposed Charles Darwin holidays.
Evolutionists primarily spread their religion via public school indoctrination and via [[Suppression of alternatives to evolution|censorship of opposing views]]. They rarely engage in public debates and when they did more widely debate in the 1970s, they generally lost their debates (see: [[Creation scientists tend to win debates with evolutionists]]).
[[File:Richard Dawkins pic.jpg|alt=Richard Dawkins|thumbnail|260px|right|[[Richard Dawkins]] ]]
'''8.''' Small cultish following of the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] [[Richard Dawkins]] (See: [[Richard Dawkins' cult of personality]]).
On August 16, 2014, Andrew Brown wrote an article for The Spectator entitled ''The bizarre – and costly – cult of Richard Dawkins'' which declared:
{{cquote|...the Richard Dawkins website offers followers the chance to join the ‘Reason Circle’, which, like [[Dante]]’s [[Hell]], is arranged in concentric circles. For $85 a month, you get discounts on his merchandise, and the chance to meet ‘Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science personalities’. Obviously that’s not enough to meet the man himself. For that you pay $210 a month — or $5,000 a year — for the chance to attend an event where he will speak...
But the $85 a month just touches the hem of rationality. After the neophyte passes through the successively more expensive ‘Darwin Circle’ and then the ‘Evolution Circle’, he attains the innermost circle, where for $100,000 a year or more he gets to have a private breakfast or lunch with Richard Dawkins, and a reserved table at an invitation-only circle event with ‘Richard’ as well as ‘all the benefits listed above’, so he still gets a discount on his Richard Dawkins T-shirt saying ‘Religion — together we can find a cure.’
The website suggests that donations of up to $500,000 a year will be accepted for the privilege of eating with him once a year: at this level of contribution you become a member of something called ‘The Magic of Reality Circle’. I don’t think any irony is intended.
At this point it is obvious to everyone except the participants that what we have here is a religion without the good bits.<ref>[http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9286682/the-bizarre-and-costly-cult-of-richard-dawkins/ The bizarre – and costly – cult of Richard Dawkins], The Spectator, Andrew Brown 16 August 2014</ref>}}
[[Vox Day]] noted that the Richard Dawkins cult has some similarity to the cult of [[Scientology]].<ref>[http://voxday.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-cult-of-dicky-dawk.html The Cult of Dicky Dawkins]</ref> Dawkins is a leading figure in the [[New Atheism]] movement. The [[New Atheism]] movement, which has waned in recent years, was called a cult by the [[agnosticism|agnostic]], journalist Bryan Appleyard in a 2012 article in the ''New Statesman'' in which he describes the abusive behavior of New Atheists.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/religion/2012/02/neo-atheism-atheists-dawkins ''The God wars'' by Bryan Appleyard], ''New Statesman''</ref> Although the New Atheism movement does not perfectly fit the various characteristics of a cult, it does fit some of the characteristics.<ref>[http://shadowtolight.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/how-cultish-is-new-atheism/ How cultish is the New Atheism?]</ref>
The number of Dawkian atheists has significantly diminished post [[Elevatorgate]] and due to his generally [[Abrasiveness of Richard Dawkins|abrasive manner]]. Dawkins does retain a small cult following though (See: [[Richard Dawkins' loss of influence]]). The Dawkian atheists have been able to to retain Richard Dawkins being labeled as an atheist in his [[Wikipedia]] article despite Dawkins repeatedly and adamantly declaring that he is an agnostic and/or flip-flopping his public persona between atheism and [[agnosticism]] (See: [[Richard Dawkins and agnosticism]]).
Richard Dawkins wrote a book entitled ''The Selfish Gene'' and Dawkins' fans tend to be arrogant, socially challenged, naive men (see: [[Richard Dawkins and pseudoscience]] and [[Richard Dawkins, atheist atrocities, and historical revisionism|Richard Dawkins and historical revisionism]] and [[Richard Dawkins and women]]).<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7322177/Richard-Dawkins-in-bitter-web-censorship-row-with-fellow-atheists.html Richard Dawkins is in a bitter censorship row with fellow atheist - The Telegraph]</ref><ref>[http://voxday.blogspot.com/2014/01/mailvox-distribution-of-atheist.html MailVox: The distribution of atheist intelligence]</ref><ref>[http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/women-are-afraid-of-atheism/51fae2acfe344467f2000596 Calling All Female Atheists - Huffington Post - video]</ref> In February of 2010, the news organization ''The Telegraph'' reported Richard Dawkins was "embroiled in a bitter online battle over plans to rid his popular internet forum for atheists of foul language, insults and 'frivolous gossip'."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7322177/Richard-Dawkins-in-bitter-web-censorship-row-with-fellow-atheists.html Richard Dawkins is in a bitter censorship row with fellow atheist - The Telegraph]</ref> In 2013, [[Rebecca Watson]] said she still receives harassment from male fans of Richard Dawkins.<ref>[http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/women-are-afraid-of-atheism/51fae2acfe344467f2000596 Calling All Female Atheists - Huffington Post - video]</ref>
[[Image:freud-thumb.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[Sigmund Freud]] in his study]]
'''9.''' [[Sigmund Freud]] and the atheistic and pseudoscientific [[Sigmund Freud|Freudian]] [[psychoanalysis]] has had a cultish following.<ref>[http://www.csulb.edu/~kmacd/paper-CrewsFreud.html The Freudian psychoanalysis cult] by Kevin MacDonald, Ph.D.</ref><ref>[http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/5th-october-1985/32/the-pretensions-of-the-freudian-cult The pretensions of the Freudian cult by Thomas Szasz, ''The Spectator'', 4 OCTOBER 1985, Page 32]</ref> Freud maintained that belief in God fostered an unhealthy and dysfunctional frame of mind, but the social sciences now have an extensive collection of studies showing that theistic religion is a positive factor in relation to mental and physical well-being <ref>[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/march/21.36.html The Twilight of Atheism] by Alister McGrath, ''Christianity Today''</ref> (See: [[Atheism and depression]] and [[Atheism and health]] and [[Sports performance: Religious faith vs. atheism]]).
'''10.''' [[LaVeyan Satanism]] is a form of atheism which extolls the values of [[Satan]] which are described in the [[Bible]]. It is a very [[pride|prideful]] and [[hedonism|hedonistic]] worldview. Some specific characteristics of Leveyan Satanism is that it incorporates egoism, self-deification, the [[occult]]/magic, [[Social Darwinism]] and [[Naturalism (philosophy)|naturalism]].
'''11.''' [[Cryonics]] - [[Pseudoscience]] that tries to achieve immortality in a non-theistic way.<ref>[http://thehumanist.com/july-august-2011/heaven-for-atheists/ Heaven for atheists - TheHumanist.com]</ref> In 2011, ''The Telegraph'' in an article entitled ''On Larry King and an atheist's fear of death'' reported about the atheist [[Larry King]], "Larry King, the former [[CNN]] broadcaster, made the news this morning after saying he wants to be frozen after his death, so that he can be revived when medical technology improves.<ref>[http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100122576/on-larry-king-and-an-atheists-fear-of-death/ On Larry King and an atheist's fear of death]</ref>
'''12.''' The atheist [[Gene Roddenberry]]'s [[Star Trek]] [[science fiction]] show has had a cult following - especially within the [[liberal]], [[utopia]]n, [[Atheist nerds|atheist nerd]] community.<ref>[http://thriceholy.net/cults.html Atheist cults]</ref>
The actor [[William Shatner]], who played the lead character of Captain Kirk in the early Star Trek series, mocked the cultish, [[nerd]] "Trekkies" and their Star Trek conventions during a guest appearance on the comedy show [[Saturday Night Live]] and told them to "Get a life" during a comedic skit.<ref>[http://www.myvideo.de/watch/127096/Star_Trek_TOS_William_Shatner_SNL_Get_A_Life William Shatner William Shatner - Saturday Night live clip - "Get a life"]</ref>
== Cults, social outcasts and atheism ==
People who join cults are prepared to be social outcasts.<ref>''The Manipulated Mind: Brainwashing, Conditioning, and Indoctrination'' by Denise Winn, page 34</ref> Within theistic societies such as the United States, social outcasts are more likely to be the types of individuals who become atheists (see: [[Atheism and social outcasts]]). In addition, in the [[United States]] and other religious countries, atheists have a bad reputation and are often social outcasts (see: [[Views on Atheists|Views on atheists]]).
Dr. [[Sam Harris]] is one of the founders of the [[New Atheism]] movement. [[Sam Harris]] is quite aware of the stigma surrounding atheism and has even advocated that atheists no longer call themselves atheists.<ref>http://newsinitiative.org/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist</ref> In fact, Dr. Harris has said concerning the label of atheist, "It's right next to child molester as a designation."<ref>http://newsinitiative.org/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist</ref>
== Atheism and state indoctrination ==
''See also:'' [[State atheism]] and [[Causes of atheism]] and [[Atheism and communism]]
[[Judaism|Jewish]] columnist [[Dennis Prager]] has stated that a causal factor of atheism is the "secular indoctrination of a generation."<ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=43734</ref> Prager stated that "From elementary school through graduate school, only one way of looking at the world – the secular – is presented. The typical individual in the [[Western World|Western world]] receives as secular an indoctrination as the typical European received a religious one in the [[Middle Ages]]." <ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=4373</ref> [[Dinesh D'Souza]] has pointed out that atheists have focused considerable efforts on the public schools in order to indoctrinate young people into atheistic beliefs.<ref>[http://townhall.com/columnists/dineshdsouza/2007/10/22/the_atheist_indoctrination_project/page/full The atheist indoctrination project]</ref>
In the United States, due to: poor public school performance; increasing popularity of charter schools, vouchers for private schooling including private religious schools and homeschooling; and local government budget problems, the percentage of students being educated through public schools has been decreasing.
In addition, in communist countries (such as the former Soviet Union) atheistic indoctrination occurred in the educational system through such venues as schools, atheist museums, and clubs (see also: [[Militant atheism]]).<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=BGJtDwJ7aPwC&pg=PA325&lpg=PA325&dq=atheistic+upbringing+and+atheism&source=bl&ots=eQlq1dZfMj&sig=Xm__18YZpV5L0O8VVzgAc9YiSCc&hl=en&ei=yOy1S76CGcWAlAedg5FR&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBIQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=atheistic%20upbringing%20and%20atheism&f=false Marxist-Leninist 'Scientific Atheism' and the Study of Religion and Atheism By James Thrower, page 325]</ref><ref>[http://www.lituanus.org/1963/63_1_01.htm Communism's Struggle with Religion in Lithuania]</ref>
Atheists and secularists rarely point out that universities such as [[Harvard]], [[Princeton]], [[Oxford]], [[Cambridge]], and many others were founded by Christians.<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v2/n3/harvard-yale-princeton-oxford-once-christian</ref><ref>http://www.tysknews.com/Depts/Educate/history_part3.htm</ref>
== Atheist cults and atheist denialism ==
Whenever bizarre, atheist cults are brought up within the secular [[Atheism is a religion|religion of atheism]], atheists commonly engage in [[denialism]] concerning atheism cultism using the [[logical fallacy]] of the [[No true Scotsman]] fallacy.<ref>[http://thriceholy.net/cults.html Atheist cults]</ref> Yet, the historical record is clear that atheist cults have existed since at least the time of the French Revolution.
== See also ==
*[[Atheist indoctrination]]
*[[Irreligion and superstition]]
*[[List of atheist and agnostic pseudosciences]]
*[[Schools of atheist thought]]
*[[Atheist population]]
*[[Global atheism]]
== External links ==
*[http://shadowtolight.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/how-cultish-is-new-atheism/ How cultish is the New Atheism?]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category: Atheism]]
