Changes

New atheism has fallen out of public favor and at least one of the new atheist lost their outspokeness (see: [[New Atheism#Decline of New Atheism|Decline of New Atheism]] and [[Decline of militant atheism in the West]]).<refname="patheos.com">[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> <refname="Even atheists bash 'Reason Rally'">[http://www.wnd.com/2016/06/even-atheists-bash-reason-rally/ Even atheists bash 'Reason Rally']</ref>

{{cquote|...since the death of Hitchens: angry atheism lost its most charismatic champion. Call it what you like: New Atheism, fire-brand atheism, etc., had a surge with the Four Horsemen in the middle of the last decade and in the last four years has generally peetered out to a kind that is more docile, [[Political correctness|politically correct]], and even apologetic.<refname="patheos.com">[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>}}

{{Cquote|I'm not sure there is anything in this movement worth saving. Hitchens is dead. Dawkins simply doesn't have the energy for this sort of thing anymore. Harris went his own way. And [[Daniel Dennett|Dennett]] just kind of blended into the background. So what do you think when the largest gathering of the nonreligious in history pulls in... I don't know. Maybe 2,000 people. Is there anything worth saving?<refname="Even atheists bash 'Reason Rally'">[http://www.wnd.com/2016/06/even-atheists-bash-reason-rally/ Even atheists bash 'Reason Rally']</ref>}}

[[File:Blue Marble.jpg|thumbnail|right|220px|Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020.<refname="cnsnews.com">[http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/global-study-atheists-decline-only-18-world-population-2020 Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020]</ref> See: [[Global atheism]] ]]

{{cquote|[[Atheism]] is in [[Global atheism|decline worldwide]], with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020, according to a new report by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass."<refname="cnsnews.com">[http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/global-study-atheists-decline-only-18-world-population-2020 Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020]</ref>}}

In April 2010, Kaufmann declared "the rate of secularisation has flattened to zero in most of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[Europe]] and [[France]]."<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2013/03/british-academic-eric-kaufmann-says.html British academic Eric Kaufmann says "the rate of secularisation has flattened to zero in most of Protestant Europe and France".]</ref> In April 2012, French scholars reported that [[evangelicalism|evangelical Christianity]] was likely the fastest growing religion in France.<refname="csmonitor.com">[http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2012/0712/In-a-France-suspicious-of-religion-evangelicalism-s-message-strikes-a-chord France and evangelicalism - Christian Post]</ref>

In April 2012, French scholars reported that [[evangelicalism|evangelical Christianity]] was likely the fastest growing religion in France.<ref>[http://www.name="csmonitor.com"/World/2012/0712/In-a-France-suspicious-of-religion-evangelicalism-s-message-strikes-a-chord France and evangelicalism - Christian Post]</ref>

In addition, France has Europe's second largest Muslim population.<refname="pewresearch.org">[http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/19/5-facts-about-the-muslim-population-in-europe/ 5 facts about the Muslim population in Europe]</ref>

Germany also has Europe's largest Muslim population.<refname="pewresearch.org">[http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/19/5-facts-about-the-muslim-population-in-europe/ 5 facts about the Muslim population in Europe]</ref>

{{Cquote|In recent decades, the Muslim share of the population throughout Europe grew about 1 percentage point a decade, from 4% in 1990 to 6% in 2010. This pattern is expected to continue through 2030, when Muslims are projected to make up 8% of Europe’s population.<refname="pewresearch.org">[http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/19/5-facts-about-the-muslim-population-in-europe/ 5 facts about the Muslim population in Europe]</ref>}}

In 2012, a [[Georgetown University]] study was published indicating that in the United States only about 30 percent of those who grow up in an [[Atheism|atheist]] household remain atheists as adults.<refname="christianpost.com">[http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-atheists-have-lowest-retention-rate-compared-to-religious-groups-78029/ Study: Atheists Have Lowest 'Retention Rate' Compared to Religious Groups]</ref> According to Dr. Mark Gray, "of those raised as atheists, 30% are now affiliated with a [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denomination, 10% are Catholic, 2% are Jewish, 1% are Mormon, and 1% are Pagan."<ref>[http://www.name="christianpost.com"/news/study-atheists-have-lowest-retention-rate-compared-to-religious-groups-78029/ Study: Atheists Have Lowest 'Retention Rate' Compared to Religious Groups]</ref> See also: [[Atheism and poor relationships with parents]]

[[File:67275975 vVzy1OLk PICT0158.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left|The atheist Georgetown professor Jacques Berlinerblau likens the strength of the American atheist movement to a "gimpy little zebra".<refname="christiancentury.org">[http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-09/professor-jacques-berlinerblau-tells-atheists-stop-whining Professor Jacques Berlinerblau tells atheists: Stop whining!], Christian Century, Sep 14, 2012 by Kimberly Winston</ref>]]

{{cquote|American atheist movements, though fancying themselves a lion, are more like the gimpy little zebra crossing the river full of crocs. In terms of both political gains and popular appeal, nonbelievers in the United States have little to show. They are encircled by cunning, swarming [religious] Revivalist adversaries who know how to play the atheist card. The gimpy zebra remark was a little goofing on this over-the-top chest-thumping that emerges from Movement Atheists. They [[Nones#Atheists attempting to falsely inflate their numbers via the nones|wildly overestimate]] their numbers. They tend to overestimate the efficacy of their activism. They underestimate how disciplined and organized their adversaries in the religious right are, too. They fail to recognize that mocking religious people in public is entirely inimical to the goals they wish to achieve."<refname="christiancentury.org">[http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-09/professor-jacques-berlinerblau-tells-atheists-stop-whining Professor Jacques Berlinerblau tells atheists: Stop whining!], Christian Century, Sep 14, 2012 by Kimberly Winston</ref>}}

In 2012, the organization PolitiFact Rhode Island accused American Atheists president [[David Silverman]] of wildly exaggerating the number of atheists in America by attempting to included the Unaffiliated (also called [[Nones]]) who made up about 15% of the United States population at the time (despite the fact that only 15 percent of "nones" identify as atheists) and by also attempting to lump agnostics with the [[Atheist Population|atheist population]].<refname="politifact.com">[http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2012/feb/26/david-silverman/american-atheists-president-david-silverman-says-t/ American Atheists President David Silverman says there are twice as many atheists in U.S. as Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists combined] By C. Eugene Emery Jr. on Sunday, February 26th, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.</ref><ref>[http://www.pressdemocrat.com/csp/mediapool/sites/PressDemocrat/News/story.csp?cid=2501462&sid=555&fid=181 Meet the 'Nones:' Spiritual but not religious]</ref>

{{cquote|When the American Religious survey asked people what they thought of the existence of God, 2.3 percent said 'There is no such thing.'...When Pew asked a broader question -- "Do you believe in God or a universal spirit?" -- 5 percent said "No."<refname="politifact.com">[http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2012/feb/26/david-silverman/american-atheists-president-david-silverman-says-t/ American Atheists President David Silverman says there are twice as many atheists in U.S. as Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists combined] By C. Eugene Emery Jr. on Sunday, February 26th, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.</ref>}}