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→Silverman intentionally exaggerating the number of atheists in the USA
For more information, please see: [[Elevatorgate]]
For more information, please see: [[Elevatorgate]]
== Silverman's questionable research on the effectiveness of firebrand atheism ==
In 2015, the ''Daily Beast'' reported about [[David Silverman]], the president of the [[American Atheists]] organization in an article entitled ''The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism'':
{{Cquote|Like any good marketer, Silverman says he has sales figures proving his approach is working. In a [http://youtu.be/oX9x_952Pt4 talk] he gave about firebrand atheism, he claimed that his data, based on an analysis of Google searches for the word “atheist” performed over the past several years, shows that his in-your-face approach is working.<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/04/the-case-against-in-your-face-atheism.html ''The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism'']</ref>}}
However, according to Google trends data for the USA/world, searches for the word "atheist" have been plunging since April of 2012 and continue to plunge downwards (See also: [[Google trends - Atheism and agnosticism terms]]). <ref>[https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=atheist&geo=US&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT%2B4 Google trends - Atheist - USA]</ref><ref>[https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=atheist&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT%2B4 Google trends - Atheist - Global searches]</ref> Silverman still does not recognize that [[New Atheism]] was merely a fad and now a more docile atheism has taken its place (see: [[Decline of militant atheism in the West]]).<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2011/01/19/3116506.htm The poverty of the new atheism] by Scott Stephens</ref><ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2015/12/uproar-against-dawkins-is-sign-of-new-atheism-retrogression/ Uproar Against Dawkins Is Sign of New Atheism Retrogression] by Joshua Kelly</ref><ref>[http://www.firstthings.com/article/2010/05/believe-it-or-not Believe It or Not] by David Bentley Hart</ref>
== Silverman intentionally exaggerating the number of atheists in the USA ==
== Silverman intentionally exaggerating the number of atheists in the USA ==