Changes

== Reason Rally 2016 ==

== Reason Rally 2016 ==

The [[Reason Rally 2016]] is a followup to the 2012 Reason Rally.  Like the the original Reason Rally in 2012, it was held in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2012.  

The [[Reason Rally 2016]] is a followup to the 2012 Reason Rally.  Like the original Reason Rally in 2012, it was held in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2012.  

=== Far smaller turnout than 2012 Reason Rally ===

=== Far smaller turnout than 2012 Reason Rally ===

That wasn’t supposed to happen. ...there was no rain this time around, and there were big-name celebrities on the speaking roster (though some of the most famous people on the list, including Johnny Depp, Margaret Cho, and [[Richard Dawkins]], couldn’t ultimately participate for a variety of reasons).

That wasn’t supposed to happen. ...there was no rain this time around, and there were big-name celebrities on the speaking roster (though some of the most famous people on the list, including Johnny Depp, Margaret Cho, and [[Richard Dawkins]], couldn’t ultimately participate for a variety of reasons).

No official crowd estimates have been released. But even in the early afternoon, when the crowd was likely at its peak, nothing I saw suggested “[http://religionnews.com/2016/06/04/atheists-gather-on-the-mall-to-demonstrate-their-political-muscle/ 15,000 to 20,000]” in attendance, as the organizers told Religion News Service. I’d put the range at about half of that, but we’ll see.</ref>}}

No official crowd estimates have been released. But even in the early afternoon, when the crowd was likely at its peak, nothing I saw suggested “[http://religionnews.com/2016/06/04/atheists-gather-on-the-mall-to-demonstrate-their-political-muscle/ 15,000 to 20,000]” in attendance, as the organizers told Religion News Service. I’d put the range at about half of that, but we’ll see.}}

YouTube atheist [[Thunderfoot]] said about the [[atheist movement]] after [[Reason Rally 2016]] had a very low turnout:

YouTube atheist [[Thunderfoot]] said about the [[atheist movement]] after [[Reason Rally 2016]] had a very low turnout:

[[File:Richard Dawkins at Reason Rally.jpg|alt=Richard Dawkins|thumbnail|200px|right|[[Richard Dawkins]] speaking at the Reason Rally. ]]

[[File:Richard Dawkins at Reason Rally.jpg|alt=Richard Dawkins|thumbnail|200px|right|[[Richard Dawkins]] speaking at the Reason Rally. ]]

''Salon'' magazine described the Reason Rally thusly:

''Salon'' magazine described the Reason Rally thusly:

{{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 2012 related incident involving David Silverman and Richard Dawkins ===

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

=== Reason Rally 2012 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|220px|[[Africa]]n Christians clapping at an open air meeting.  

[[File:African open air Christian meeting.jpg|thumbnail|right|220px|[[Africa]]n Christians clapping at an open-air meeting.  

In 2005, there were four times as many non-[[Western World]] Christians as there were Western World Christians.<ref name="wnd.com">[http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077 Is Christianity taking over the planet?]</ref>

In 2005, there were four times as many non-[[Western World]] Christians as there were Western World Christians.<ref name="wnd.com">[http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077 Is Christianity taking over the planet?]</ref>

*[https://pmaurer7.wordpress.com/2014/09/ CfaN Burundi, Africa gospel crusade… part 2]</ref>  According to [[medical science]], excess weight/obesity poses [[Physical and mental health related problems associated with obesity|serious health risks]].   

*[https://pmaurer7.wordpress.com/2014/09/ CfaN Burundi, Africa gospel crusade… part 2]</ref>  According to [[medical science]], excess weight/obesity poses [[Physical and mental health related problems associated with obesity|serious health risks]].   

The traditional [[Africa]]n diet is healthier than many [[Western World]] invividuals' diets and Africa has some of the lowest obesity rates in the world.<ref name="World's fattest countries"/><ref name="todaysdietitian.com"/> In recent years, [[Christianity]] has seen a rapid growth in Africa.<ref name="gratefultothedead.wordpress.com"/>  In 2005, there were four times as many non-[[Western World]] Christians as there were Western World Christians.<ref name="wnd.com"/>

The traditional African diet is healthier than many [[Western World]] invividuals' diets and Africa has some of the lowest obesity rates in the world.<ref name="World's fattest countries"/><ref name="todaysdietitian.com"/> In recent years, [[Christianity]] has seen a rapid growth in Africa.<ref name="gratefultothedead.wordpress.com"/>  In 2005, there were four times as many non-[[Western World]] Christians as there were Western World Christians.<ref name="wnd.com"/>

In the journal article ''Religion, self-regulation, and self-control: Associations, explanations, and implications'', psychologists McCullough and Willoughby theorize that many of the positive links of religiousness with health and social behavior may be caused by religion's beneficial influences on [[self-control]]/self-regulation.<ref>[http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/Papers/Relig_self_control_bulletin.pdf Religion, Self-Regulation, and Self-Control: Associations, Explanations, and Implications]</ref><ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19210054</ref> Furthermore, a 2012 Queen's University study published in ''Psychological Science'' found that religion replenishes self-control.<ref>

In the journal article ''Religion, self-regulation, and self-control: Associations, explanations, and implications'', psychologists McCullough and Willoughby theorize that many of the positive links of religiousness with health and social behavior may be caused by religion's beneficial influences on [[self-control]]/self-regulation.<ref>[http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/Papers/Relig_self_control_bulletin.pdf Religion, Self-Regulation, and Self-Control: Associations, Explanations, and Implications]</ref><ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19210054</ref> Furthermore, a 2012 Queen's University study published in ''Psychological Science'' found that religion replenishes self-control.<ref>