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*[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 2012]] was followed by [[Reason Rally 2016]].  

*[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 2012]] was followed by [[Reason Rally 2016]].  

According to the ''Religion News Service''  8,000-10,000 people showed up for Reason Rally 2012.<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 Reason Rally 2012.<ref>Winston, Kimberly (March 24, 2012). "[https://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, [https://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 news website Vox reported about Reason Rally 2016:

The news website Vox reported about Reason Rally 2016:

{{Cquote|It is clear, too, that almost nobody who takes the stage at Reason Rally was ever trained as a preacher. The whole thing is languid, urgent words in measured tones. The goal is an "end to bigotry," in the pitch of a polite request, to "reject" a supernatural worldview with all the force of tepid applause. Jamie Raskin says the job of politicians is to "listen to scientists" and closes with "Put your thinking caps on America!" Penn Jillette struggles to get a video playing, chokes up over Hitchens, then plays a Bob Dylan knockoff about his love for all people. The Amazing Randi devotes half an hour to a muted jeremiad against the obscure "facilitated communication" hoax. Peter says he does not know what "FC" is, but he'll look into it.<ref>[http://www.vox.com/2016/6/29/12051872/reason-rally American atheists are on the rise. They have radically different visions of the future], Vox</ref>}}

{{Cquote|It is clear, too, that almost nobody who takes the stage at Reason Rally was ever trained as a preacher. The whole thing is languid, urgent words in measured tones. The goal is an "end to bigotry," in the pitch of a polite request, to "reject" a supernatural worldview with all the force of tepid applause. Jamie Raskin says the job of politicians is to "listen to scientists" and closes with "Put your thinking caps on America!" Penn Jillette struggles to get a video playing, chokes up over Hitchens, then plays a Bob Dylan knockoff about his love for all people. The Amazing Randi devotes half an hour to a muted jeremiad against the obscure "facilitated communication" hoax. Peter says he does not know what "FC" is, but he'll look into it.<ref>[https://www.vox.com/2016/6/29/12051872/reason-rally American atheists are on the rise. They have radically different visions of the future], Vox</ref>}}

=== Reason Rally and lack of diversity ===

=== Reason Rally and lack of diversity ===

=== Reason Rally 2012 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]] 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>[https://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]] and waved to 800,000 Red Guards and spectators below.

<ref>(Chinese) [http://dangshi.people.com.cn/GB/85039/14329784.html 倪天祚, "毛主席八次接见红卫兵的组织工作" 中国共产党新闻网] 2011-04-07</ref>

<ref>(Chinese) [http://dangshi.people.com.cn/GB/85039/14329784.html 倪天祚, "毛主席八次接见红卫兵的组织工作" 中国共产党新闻网] 2011-04-07</ref>

During the Cultural Revolution, a new form of militant atheism made great efforts to eradicate religion completely.<ref name="Revolt">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=mofX6zdChgcC&pg=PA132&dq=china+militant+atheism&hl=en&ei=I_z2TZmePMGW0gGr_5CHCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=china%20militant%20atheism&f=false|title =The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Persecution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge Studies in Social Theory, Religion and Politics)|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=Seeking a complete annihilation of religion, places of worship were shut down; temples, churches, and mosques were destroyed; artifacts were smashed; sacred texts were burnt; and it was a criminal offence even to possess a religious artifact or sacred text. Atheism had long been the official doctrine of the Chinese Communist Party, but this new form of militant atheism made every effort to eradicate religion completely.|accessdate = 2011-03-05}}

During the Cultural Revolution, a new form of militant atheism made great efforts to eradicate religion completely.<ref name="Revolt">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mofX6zdChgcC&pg=PA132&dq=china+militant+atheism&hl=en&ei=I_z2TZmePMGW0gGr_5CHCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=china%20militant%20atheism&f=false|title =The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Persecution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge Studies in Social Theory, Religion and Politics)|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=Seeking a complete annihilation of religion, places of worship were shut down; temples, churches, and mosques were destroyed; artifacts were smashed; sacred texts were burnt; and it was a criminal offence even to possess a religious artifact or sacred text. Atheism had long been the official doctrine of the Chinese Communist Party, but this new form of militant atheism made every effort to eradicate religion completely.|accessdate = 2011-03-05}}

</ref><ref name="Contrast">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jn-kcJc47m4C&pg=PA129 |page=129 |title =Religion and Modern Society: Citizenship, Secularisation and the State |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|author=Bryan S. Turner|quote=The contrast between religion in American and militant atheism in China could not have been more stark or profound. While the Red Guards under Mao Zedong's leadership were busy destroying Buddhist pagodas, Catholic churches and Daoist temples, the Christian Right were equally busy condemning the communists.}}</ref> Under this militant atheism espoused by Mao Zedong, houses of worship were shut down; Buddhist pagodas, Daoist temples, Christian [[church]]es, and Muslim [[mosque]]s were destroyed; artifacts were smashed; and sacred texts were burnt.<ref name="Revolt"/><ref name="Contrast"/> Moreover, it was a criminal offence to even possess a religious artifact or sacred text.<ref name="Revolt"/> The death toll in 20th Cenutry China attributable to Mao Tse-Tsung's "[[Great Leap Forward]]" is estimated by reputable sources "to be as high as forty million."<ref name="Leap">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=rbgK8wA7ubgC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=China+number+of+people+perished+militant+atheism&source=bl&ots=bN8QWuhcq2&sig=X2BB0iKRJbWNA8DlHzJeT2yS6to&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZZNXUOP1KcaDywHEvYCIDg&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=China%20number%20of%20people%20perished%20militant%20atheism&f=false|page=125|title=No, We Can't: Radical Islam, Militant Secularism and the Myth of Coexistence|publisher=Chosen Books|date=1 October 2011|isbn=0800795202|author=Robert Stearns|quote=Reputable sources estimate the death toll in twentieth-century China to be as high as forty million, attributed directly to Mao Tse-Tung's "Great Leap Forward."}}</ref> However, following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, many former policies towards religious freedom returned although they are limited and tenuous, as religion is closely regulated by the government.<ref name="Revolt"/>

</ref><ref name="Contrast">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jn-kcJc47m4C&pg=PA129 |page=129 |title =Religion and Modern Society: Citizenship, Secularisation and the State |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|author=Bryan S. Turner|quote=The contrast between religion in American and militant atheism in China could not have been more stark or profound. While the Red Guards under Mao Zedong's leadership were busy destroying Buddhist pagodas, Catholic churches and Daoist temples, the Christian Right were equally busy condemning the communists.}}</ref> Under this militant atheism espoused by Mao Zedong, houses of worship were shut down; Buddhist pagodas, Daoist temples, Christian [[church]]es, and Muslim [[mosque]]s were destroyed; artifacts were smashed; and sacred texts were burnt.<ref name="Revolt"/><ref name="Contrast"/> Moreover, it was a criminal offence to even possess a religious artifact or sacred text.<ref name="Revolt"/> The death toll in 20th Cenutry China attributable to Mao Tse-Tsung's "[[Great Leap Forward]]" is estimated by reputable sources "to be as high as forty million."<ref name="Leap">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rbgK8wA7ubgC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=China+number+of+people+perished+militant+atheism&source=bl&ots=bN8QWuhcq2&sig=X2BB0iKRJbWNA8DlHzJeT2yS6to&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZZNXUOP1KcaDywHEvYCIDg&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=China%20number%20of%20people%20perished%20militant%20atheism&f=false|page=125|title=No, We Can't: Radical Islam, Militant Secularism and the Myth of Coexistence|publisher=Chosen Books|date=1 October 2011|isbn=0800795202|author=Robert Stearns|quote=Reputable sources estimate the death toll in twentieth-century China to be as high as forty million, attributed directly to Mao Tse-Tung's "Great Leap Forward."}}</ref> However, following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, many former policies towards religious freedom returned although they are limited and tenuous, as religion is closely regulated by the government.<ref name="Revolt"/>

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>