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T'''Reason Rally 2912''' was billed as the largest [[Atheist conferences|secular event]] in world history.<ref>[http://www.salon.com/2014/12/06/is_mocking_religion_enough_harris_dawkins_and_the_future_of_atheistsecular_politics/ Is mocking religion enough? Harris, Dawkins and the future of atheist/secular politics] by Richard Cimino and Christopher Smith, Salon magazine</ref><ref>[http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2011-11-the-humanist-hour-67-reason-rally Reason Rally - American Humanist Association]</ref>  It was held in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2012.

'''Reason Rally 2912''' was billed as the largest [[Atheist conferences|secular event]] in world history.<ref>[http://www.salon.com/2014/12/06/is_mocking_religion_enough_harris_dawkins_and_the_future_of_atheistsecular_politics/ Is mocking religion enough? Harris, Dawkins and the future of atheist/secular politics] by Richard Cimino and Christopher Smith, Salon magazine</ref><ref>[http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2011-11-the-humanist-hour-67-reason-rally Reason Rally - American Humanist Association]</ref>  It was held in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2012.

According to the ''Religion News Service''  8,000-10,000 people showed up for the rally. <ref>Winston, Kimberly (March 24, 2012). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/24/atheist-rally_n_1377443.html#s811235&title=Reason_Rally_on Atheists Rally On National Mall; The 'Reason Rally' Largest Gathering Of Nonbelievers (PHOTOS)]". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-05-02.</ref> ''The Atlantic'' reported 20,000 individuals were in attendance.<ref>Benjamin Fearnow & Mickey Woods, [http://www.theatlantic.com/national/print/2012/03/richard-dawkins-preaches-to-nonbelievers-at-reason-rally/255012/ "Richard Dawkins Preaches to Nonbelievers at Reason Rally"], ''The Atlantic'', March 24, 2012.</ref>  The documentary ''The Unbelievers'' purports that over 30,000 people attended the rally.<ref>Gus Holwerda, [http://unbelieversmovie.com/ "The Unbelievers"] April 2013</ref>  

According to the ''Religion News Service''  8,000-10,000 people showed up for the rally. <ref>Winston, Kimberly (March 24, 2012). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/24/atheist-rally_n_1377443.html#s811235&title=Reason_Rally_on Atheists Rally On National Mall; The 'Reason Rally' Largest Gathering Of Nonbelievers (PHOTOS)]". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-05-02.</ref> ''The Atlantic'' reported 20,000 individuals were in attendance.<ref>Benjamin Fearnow & Mickey Woods, [http://www.theatlantic.com/national/print/2012/03/richard-dawkins-preaches-to-nonbelievers-at-reason-rally/255012/ "Richard Dawkins Preaches to Nonbelievers at Reason Rally"], ''The Atlantic'', March 24, 2012.</ref>  The documentary ''The Unbelievers'' purports that over 30,000 people attended the rally.<ref>Gus Holwerda, [http://unbelieversmovie.com/ "The Unbelievers"] April 2013</ref>  

Large atheist gatherings such as the Reason Rally are rare due to the apathy of many atheists (see: [[Atheism and apathy]]).  

Large atheist gatherings such as the Reason Rally are rare due to the apathy of many atheists (see: [[Atheism and apathy]]).  

== The Reason Rally was not the largest secular event in world history ==  

== Reason Rally 2012 was not the largest secular event in world history ==  

[[File:Ncvjgfu.jpg|thumbnail|right|175px|[[Mao Zedong]] ]]

[[File:Ncvjgfu.jpg|thumbnail|right|175px|[[Mao Zedong]] ]]

Although the Reason Rally was billed as the largest secular event in world history, strictly speaking that is not accurate. [[Communism|Communist]] countries have embraced [[state atheism]]. And [[Marxism|Marxist]]-[[Vladimir Lenin|Leninism]] along with [[Maoism]] explicitly adhered to the [[atheist worldview]] and communist countries have engaged in [[militant atheism]] and religious persecution (see: [[Atheism and communism]]).<ref>[http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/19567-china-s-communist-party-reaffirms-marxism-maoism-atheism China’s Communist Party Reaffirms Marxism, Maoism, Atheism]</ref>  China [[Atheism and communism|still engages]] in religious persecution. Communist countries had large/massive rallies. For example, at [[Tiananmen Square]] during the [[Cultural Revolution]], the atheist [[Mao Zedong]] greeted 1,500 [[Red Guards|Red Guards]] and waved to 800,000 Red Guards and spectators below.

Although the Reason Rally was billed as the largest secular event in world history, strictly speaking that is not accurate. [[Communism|Communist]] countries have embraced [[state atheism]]. And [[Marxism|Marxist]]-[[Vladimir Lenin|Leninism]] along with [[Maoism]] explicitly adhered to the [[atheist worldview]] and communist countries have engaged in [[militant atheism]] and religious persecution (see: [[Atheism and communism]]).<ref>[http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/19567-china-s-communist-party-reaffirms-marxism-maoism-atheism China’s Communist Party Reaffirms Marxism, Maoism, Atheism]</ref>  China [[Atheism and communism|still engages]] in religious persecution. Communist countries had large/massive rallies. For example, at [[Tiananmen Square]] during the [[Cultural Revolution]], the atheist [[Mao Zedong]] greeted 1,500 [[Red Guards|Red Guards]] and waved to 800,000 Red Guards and spectators below.

Historically, the [[Atheist Population|atheist population]] has tended to lean leftward in their politics (See: [[Atheism and politics]] and [[Secular left]]).  According to the [[University of Cambridge]], the "most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power."<ref name="Marxism-Leninsim">{{cite web|url = http://www.investigatingatheism.info/marxism.html|title =Marxism|publisher = [[University of Cambridge]]|quote=The most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power. For the first time in history, atheism thus became the official ideology of a state.|year=2008|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref>

Historically, the [[Atheist Population|atheist population]] has tended to lean leftward in their politics (See: [[Atheism and politics]] and [[Secular left]]).  According to the [[University of Cambridge]], the "most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power."<ref name="Marxism-Leninsim">{{cite web|url = http://www.investigatingatheism.info/marxism.html|title =Marxism|publisher = [[University of Cambridge]]|quote=The most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power. For the first time in history, atheism thus became the official ideology of a state.|year=2008|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref>

== Reason Rally and the mocking of religious beliefs ==

== Reason Rally 2012 and the mocking of religious beliefs ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and mockery]]

''See also:'' [[Atheism and mockery]]

{{cquote|Right from the start, the 2012 Reason Rally in Washington, D.C., set the tone that was to dominate the rest of the day. As the crowd was filtering in to the National Mall, a band fired up the crowd with a rousing song that lampooned the belief in “[[Jesus]] coming again,” mixing it with sexual innuendo. As the assembled crowd clapped and sang along to other songs satirizing religion, a large costumed puppet figure of Jesus danced among spectators. “We’re not here to bash anyone’s faith, but if it happens, it happens,” comedian and master of ceremonies Paul Provenza announced to laughter and applause at the outset of the event. The bashing and attacks on religion, mainly Christianity (in its evangelical and Catholic forms), happened as much if not more than positive portrayals of secularism and were in sync with [[New Atheism|new atheist]] leader and scientist [[Richard Dawkins]]’s advice to “mock and ridicule” people’s beliefs. When one of the authors asked an official from the Secular Students Alliance, a group prominent in organizing the event, about whether the ridiculing of religion was productive, he answered, “This is what we do.”<ref>[http://www.salon.com/2014/12/06/is_mocking_religion_enough_harris_dawkins_and_the_future_of_atheistsecular_politics/ Is mocking religion enough? Harris, Dawkins and the future of atheist/secular politics] by Richard Cimino and Christopher Smith, Salon magazine</ref>}}

{{cquote|Right from the start, the 2012 Reason Rally in Washington, D.C., set the tone that was to dominate the rest of the day. As the crowd was filtering in to the National Mall, a band fired up the crowd with a rousing song that lampooned the belief in “[[Jesus]] coming again,” mixing it with sexual innuendo. As the assembled crowd clapped and sang along to other songs satirizing religion, a large costumed puppet figure of Jesus danced among spectators. “We’re not here to bash anyone’s faith, but if it happens, it happens,” comedian and master of ceremonies Paul Provenza announced to laughter and applause at the outset of the event. The bashing and attacks on religion, mainly Christianity (in its evangelical and Catholic forms), happened as much if not more than positive portrayals of secularism and were in sync with [[New Atheism|new atheist]] leader and scientist [[Richard Dawkins]]’s advice to “mock and ridicule” people’s beliefs. When one of the authors asked an official from the Secular Students Alliance, a group prominent in organizing the event, about whether the ridiculing of religion was productive, he answered, “This is what we do.”<ref>[http://www.salon.com/2014/12/06/is_mocking_religion_enough_harris_dawkins_and_the_future_of_atheistsecular_politics/ Is mocking religion enough? Harris, Dawkins and the future of atheist/secular politics] by Richard Cimino and Christopher Smith, Salon magazine</ref>}}

== Reason Rally related incident involving David Silverman and Richard Dawkins ==

== Reason Rally 2012 related incident involving David Silverman and Richard Dawkins ==

[[File:David Silverman Reason Rally.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|[[David Silverman]] ]]

[[File:David Silverman Reason Rally.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|[[David Silverman]] ]]

For more information, please see: [[Elevatorgate]]

For more information, please see: [[Elevatorgate]]

== Rain and the Reason Rally ==

== Rain and the Reason Rally 2012 ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and the suppression of science]] and [[List of atheist and agnostic pseudosciences]] and [[Christianity and science]]

''See also:'' [[Atheism and the suppression of science]] and [[List of atheist and agnostic pseudosciences]] and [[Christianity and science]]

According to CNN, the Reason Rally experienced rain due to thunderstorms moving through the area at the time of the event.<ref>[http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/24/atheist-rally-continues-in-spite-of-rain-students-highlighted-throughout/ Atheist rally continues in spite of rain; students highlighted throughout] by By Dan Merica, CNN</ref> Despite the wide availability of weather forecasts provided by [[meteorology|meteorological scientists]], pictures from the rally show that a large percentage of the crowd was rain soaked due to a great many of the attendees not having umbrellas and/or rain gear for the event.<ref>[http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/109842 Rain soaked crowd at the Reason Rally], Digital Journal, photographer: Sean Fraser, date: 3/24/2012</ref><ref>[http://www.examiner.com/article/reason-rally-30k-godless-undeterred-by-rain Reason Rally: 30k godless undeterred by rain], ''Examiner'', March 25, 2012</ref>

According to CNN, the Reason Rally experienced rain due to thunderstorms moving through the area at the time of the event.<ref>[http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/24/atheist-rally-continues-in-spite-of-rain-students-highlighted-throughout/ Atheist rally continues in spite of rain; students highlighted throughout] by By Dan Merica, CNN</ref> Despite the wide availability of weather forecasts provided by [[meteorology|meteorological scientists]], pictures from the rally show that a large percentage of the crowd was rain soaked due to a great many of the attendees not having umbrellas and/or rain gear for the event.<ref>[http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/109842 Rain soaked crowd at the Reason Rally], Digital Journal, photographer: Sean Fraser, date: 3/24/2012</ref><ref>[http://www.examiner.com/article/reason-rally-30k-godless-undeterred-by-rain Reason Rally: 30k godless undeterred by rain], ''Examiner'', March 25, 2012</ref>

== Attendees weight management practices compared to African gospel crusade attendees ==

== Reason Rally 2012 Attendees weight management practices compared to African gospel crusade attendees ==

[[File:African open air Christian meeting.jpg|thumbnail|right|320px|[[Africa]]n Christians clapping at an open air meeting.  

[[File:African open air Christian meeting.jpg|thumbnail|right|320px|[[Africa]]n Christians clapping at an open air meeting.  

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</ref> See also: [[Atheism and health]]

</ref> See also: [[Atheism and health]]

== Reason Rally crowd size ==

== Reason Rally 2012 crowd size ==

''See also:'' [[Global atheism]] and [[Atheist movement]]  

''See also:'' [[Global atheism]] and [[Atheist movement]]