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''See also:'' [[Militant atheism]] and [[Atheism and intolerance]]

''See also:'' [[Militant atheism]] and [[Atheism and intolerance]]

[[Image:Stalin-140508 27880t.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Joseph Stalin]], the Premier of the [[Soviet Union]] from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953, patronised the [[League of Militant Atheists]], whose chief aim, under the leadership of Yemelyan Yaroslavsky, was to propagate militant [[atheism]] and eradicate [[religion]].<ref name=Hesemann-Strieber>{{cite book|author=Michael Hesemann, Whitley Strieber|title=The Fatima Secret|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=tx-BEpkJBq8C&pg=PT107&dq=Joseph+Stalin+militant+atheism&hl=en&ei=-DeRTpLrJoPi0QHo88wi&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=Joseph%20Stalin%20militant%20atheism&f=false|quote=Lenin's death in 1924 was followed by the rise of Joseph Stalin, "the man of steel," who founded the "Union of Militant Atheists," whose chief aim was to spread atheism and eradicate religion. In the following years it devastated hundreds of churches, destroyed old icons and relics, and persecuted the clergy with unimaginable brutality.|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|date=2000|accessdate=09 October 2011}}</ref><ref name=Steeves>{{cite book|author=Paul D. Steeves|title=Keeping the faiths: religion and ideology in the Soviet Union|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=l7soAAAAYAAJ&q=%22When+a+priest+is+deprived+of+his+congregation,+that+does+not%22&dq=%22When+a+priest+is+deprived+of+his+congregation,+that+does+not%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_ijVUemwOoXRyQGqkICwBA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ|quote=The League of Militant Atheists was formed in 1926 and by 1930 had recruited three million members. Five years later there were 50,000 local groups affiliated to the League and the nominal membership had risen to five million. Children from 8-14 years of age were enrolled in Groups of Godless Youth, and the League of Communist Youth (Komsomol) took a vigorous anti- religious line. Several antireligious museums were opened in former churches and a number of Chairs of Atheism were established in Soviet universities. Prizes were offered for the best 'Godless hymns' and for alternative versions of the Bible from which ... the leader of the League of Militant Atheists, Yemelian Yaroslavsky, said: "When a priest is deprived of his congregation, that does not mean that he stops being a priest. He changes into an itinerant priest. He travels around with his primitive tools in the villages, performs religious rites, reads prayers, baptizes children. Such wandering priests are at times more dangerous than those who carry on their work at a designated place of residence." The intensified persecution, which was a part of the general terror inflicted upon Soviet society by Stalin's policy, ...|publisher=Holmes & Meier|date=1989|accessdate=04 July 2013}}</ref>]]

[[Image:Stalin-140508 27880t.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Joseph Stalin]], the Premier of the [[Soviet Union]] from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953, patronised the [[League of Militant Atheists]], whose chief aim, under the leadership of Yemelyan Yaroslavsky, was to propagate militant [[atheism]] and eradicate [[religion]].<ref name=Hesemann-Strieber>{{cite book|author=Michael Hesemann, Whitley Strieber|title=The Fatima Secret|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=tx-BEpkJBq8C&pg=PT107&dq=Joseph+Stalin+militant+atheism&hl=en&ei=-DeRTpLrJoPi0QHo88wi&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=Joseph%20Stalin%20militant%20atheism&f=false|quote=Lenin's death in 1924 was followed by the rise of Joseph Stalin, "the man of steel," who founded the "Union of Militant Atheists," whose chief aim was to spread atheism and eradicate religion. In the following years it devastated hundreds of churches, destroyed old icons and relics, and persecuted the clergy with unimaginable brutality.|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|date=2000|accessdate=9 October 2011}}</ref><ref name=Steeves>{{cite book|author=Paul D. Steeves|title=Keeping the faiths: religion and ideology in the Soviet Union|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=l7soAAAAYAAJ&q=%22When+a+priest+is+deprived+of+his+congregation,+that+does+not%22&dq=%22When+a+priest+is+deprived+of+his+congregation,+that+does+not%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_ijVUemwOoXRyQGqkICwBA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAQ|quote=The League of Militant Atheists was formed in 1926 and by 1930 had recruited three million members. Five years later there were 50,000 local groups affiliated to the League and the nominal membership had risen to five million. Children from 8-14 years of age were enrolled in Groups of Godless Youth, and the League of Communist Youth (Komsomol) took a vigorous anti- religious line. Several antireligious museums were opened in former churches and a number of Chairs of Atheism were established in Soviet universities. Prizes were offered for the best 'Godless hymns' and for alternative versions of the Bible from which ... the leader of the League of Militant Atheists, Yemelian Yaroslavsky, said: "When a priest is deprived of his congregation, that does not mean that he stops being a priest. He changes into an itinerant priest. He travels around with his primitive tools in the villages, performs religious rites, reads prayers, baptizes children. Such wandering priests are at times more dangerous than those who carry on their work at a designated place of residence." The intensified persecution, which was a part of the general terror inflicted upon Soviet society by Stalin's policy, ...|publisher=Holmes & Meier|date=1989|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref>]]

Historically, atheists have often used oppressive governmental actions to promote their ideology/[[Atheist worldview|worldview]] (see:  [[Militant atheism]] and [[Suppression of alternatives to evolution]] and [[Atheism and Mass Murder|Atheism and mass murder]]). In addition, atheists are not known for the empathy and charitableness (see: [[Atheism and charity|Atheism and uncharitableness]]).  And in many cases atheists organizations have acted in a manner that displays [[Atheism and interpersonal intelligence|an emotional tone deafness]] for the consequences it will have on public opinion (lawsuit to remove a grieving mother's roadside cross erected in memory of her late son who died in an accident, attempted removal of the World Trade Center cross, lawsuits to remove beloved community [[War on Christmas|Christmas manger scenes]], etc.).<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheists-demand-grieving-mom-take-down-cross-remembering-her-son-116097/ Atheists Demand Grieving Mom Take Down Cross Remembering Her Son] by  David French, ''Christian Post'', March 13, 2014</ref><ref>http://articles.cnn.com/2011-07-26/us/new.york.wtc.cross_1_atheist-group-american-atheists-cross?_s=PM:US</ref>

Historically, atheists have often used oppressive governmental actions to promote their ideology/[[Atheist worldview|worldview]] (see:  [[Militant atheism]] and [[Suppression of alternatives to evolution]] and [[Atheism and Mass Murder|Atheism and mass murder]]). In addition, atheists are not known for the empathy and charitableness (see: [[Atheism and charity|Atheism and uncharitableness]]).  And in many cases atheists organizations have acted in a manner that displays [[Atheism and interpersonal intelligence|an emotional tone deafness]] for the consequences it will have on public opinion (lawsuit to remove a grieving mother's roadside cross erected in memory of her late son who died in an accident, attempted removal of the World Trade Center cross, lawsuits to remove beloved community [[War on Christmas|Christmas manger scenes]], etc.).<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheists-demand-grieving-mom-take-down-cross-remembering-her-son-116097/ Atheists Demand Grieving Mom Take Down Cross Remembering Her Son] by  David French, ''Christian Post'', March 13, 2014</ref><ref>http://articles.cnn.com/2011-07-26/us/new.york.wtc.cross_1_atheist-group-american-atheists-cross?_s=PM:US</ref>

== American reporter Natalie Rothschild irritated by atheist whining ==

== American reporter Natalie Rothschild irritated by atheist whining ==

[[File:Fra Angelico Lamentacion por la muerte de Cristo.jpg|thumbnail|right|180px|The [[War on Christmas]] refers to the controversy surrounding the celebration or acknowledgment of the [[Christmas]] [[holiday]] in government, media, advertising and other [[atheist| secular]] environments.]]

[[File:Fra Angelico Lamentacion por la muerte de Cristo.jpg|thumbnail|right|180px|The [[War on Christmas]] refers to the controversy surrounding the celebration or acknowledgment of the [[Christmas]] [[holiday]] in government, media, advertising and other [[atheist|secular]] environments.]]

On  March 6, in an article entitled ''[[God]] save us from atheist whining'', the reporter Natalie Rothschild wrote:

On  March 6, in an article entitled ''[[God]] save us from atheist whining'', the reporter Natalie Rothschild wrote:

{{cquote|This idea that closet atheists need to be coaxed out into the open, and that they need to claim the right to rally together as proud non-believers, has become a central tenet of the ‘[[New Atheism|new atheist]]’ movement. The approach comes across as a curious blend of therapeutic thinking and fearmongering, and it is expressed with a kind of fervour that would not be altogether alien to the deeply devout. [[David Silverman|Silverman]], for instance, believes that the Christian right ‘has unleashed an unparalleled slew of efforts aimed at [[American atheism|Christianising the country’]]. The same kind of shrillness is heard among those religious people who imagine that atheists are tearing down the social fabric of America and are conducting a ‘war on religion’.

{{cquote|This idea that closet atheists need to be coaxed out into the open, and that they need to claim the right to rally together as proud non-believers, has become a central tenet of the ‘[[New Atheism|new atheist]]’ movement. The approach comes across as a curious blend of therapeutic thinking and fearmongering, and it is expressed with a kind of fervour that would not be altogether alien to the deeply devout. [[David Silverman|Silverman]], for instance, believes that the Christian right ‘has unleashed an unparalleled slew of efforts aimed at [[American atheism|Christianising the country’]]. The same kind of shrillness is heard among those religious people who imagine that atheists are tearing down the social fabric of America and are conducting a ‘war on religion’.

The so-called ‘new atheism’ movement has been headed up by esteemed writers like [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Dennett]], [[Sam Harris]] and the late [[Christopher Hitchens]], and supported by famous people like [[Bill Maher]], Tim Minchin and - unsurprisingly - the band Bad Religion. In other words, this is an outspoken crowd that does not need to cower in fear or meet behind closed doors. The Reason Rally will take place on the Mall, for god’s sake, on the doorsteps of the US political establishment.<ref>[http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/12215#.VvQlI-Zri1t God save us from atheist whining by Natalie Rothschild]</ref>}}

The so-called ‘new atheism’ movement has been headed up by esteemed writers like [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Daniel Dennett]], [[Sam Harris]] and the late [[Christopher Hitchens]], and supported by famous people like [[Bill Maher]], Tim Minchin and - unsurprisingly - the band Bad Religion. In other words, this is an outspoken crowd that does not need to cower in fear or meet behind closed doors. The Reason Rally will take place on the Mall, for god’s sake, on the doorsteps of the US political establishment.<ref>[http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/12215#.VvQlI-Zri1t God save us from atheist whining by Natalie Rothschild]</ref>}}

See also: [[Atheism and social outcasts]]

{{See also|Atheism and social outcasts}}

== Mary Kochran's article at Belief.net declares that whiny atheists are pathetic  ==

== Mary Kochran's article at Belief.net declares that whiny atheists are pathetic  ==

</ref>   

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On June 20th, 2011, Rebecca Watson of [[Skepchick]] uploaded a YouTube video in which she complained about a man in an elevator asking her up to his room for coffee at an atheist conference in Dublin, Ireland.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKHwduG1Frk#t=376 About Mythbusters, Robot Eyes, Feminism, and Jokes]</ref>  The incident occurred at around 4am in the morning.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKHwduG1Frk#t=376 About Mythbusters, Robot Eyes, Feminism, and Jokes]</ref>  Watson was upset by this incident and subsequently blogged about it.  

On June 20, 2011, Rebecca Watson of [[Skepchick]] uploaded a YouTube video in which she complained about a man in an elevator asking her up to his room for coffee at an atheist conference in Dublin, Ireland.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKHwduG1Frk#t=376 About Mythbusters, Robot Eyes, Feminism, and Jokes]</ref>  The incident occurred at around 4am in the morning.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKHwduG1Frk#t=376 About Mythbusters, Robot Eyes, Feminism, and Jokes]</ref>  Watson was upset by this incident and subsequently blogged about it.  

Dawkins commented about Watsons' incident in an insensitive way and was widely criticized for it. Richard Dawkins lost a very large amount of public influence after the incident (see: [[Richard Dawkins' loss of influence]]).  

Dawkins commented about Watsons' incident in an insensitive way and was widely criticized for it. Richard Dawkins lost a very large amount of public influence after the incident (see: [[Richard Dawkins' loss of influence]]).  

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[[Category: Atheism]]

[[Category:Atheism]]

[[Category: New Atheism]]

[[Category:New Atheism]]

[[Category: Liberal Traits]]

[[Category:Liberal Traits]]