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Gayle Trotter wrote in ''First Things'' about Mary Eberstadt's satirical book on [[New Atheism]]:

Gayle Trotter wrote in ''First Things'' about Mary Eberstadt's satirical book on [[New Atheism]]:

{{Cquote|In an anything-but-apologetic apologia, [http://www.hoover.org/bios/eberstadt.html Mary Eberstadt] challenges the many spokesmen (and they are almost all men) for the New Atheism in her satire, ''The [http://www.amazon.com/Loser-Letters-Mary-Eberstadt/dp/1586174312 Loser Letters]''...

{{Cquote|In an anything-but-apologetic apologia, [http://www.hoover.org/bios/eberstadt.html Mary Eberstadt] challenges the many spokesmen (and they are almost all men) for the New Atheism in her satire, ''The [https://www.amazon.com/Loser-Letters-Mary-Eberstadt/dp/1586174312 Loser Letters]''...

Why does she take on the New Atheists?  As Eberstadt said at her book launch, “their movement has repeatedly assailed religious people as self-righteous, ignorant of history, and humorless, all the while remaining self-righteous, ignorant of history, and humorless itself to a quite remarkable degree.”  As a result, “this movement aids and abets our cultural dumbing down.”  On another level, you might call The Loser Letters a defense of [[western civilization]] itself.<ref>[https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/03/intimidating-intelligence-dims-the-brights-1 Intimidating Intelligence Dims the Brights] by Gayle Trotter</ref>}}

Why does she take on the New Atheists?  As Eberstadt said at her book launch, “their movement has repeatedly assailed religious people as self-righteous, ignorant of history, and humorless, all the while remaining self-righteous, ignorant of history, and humorless itself to a quite remarkable degree.”  As a result, “this movement aids and abets our cultural dumbing down.”  On another level, you might call The Loser Letters a defense of [[western civilization]] itself.<ref>[https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/03/intimidating-intelligence-dims-the-brights-1 Intimidating Intelligence Dims the Brights] by Gayle Trotter</ref>}}

''See also:'' [[Soviet atheism]] and [[Atheism and communism]]

''See also:'' [[Soviet atheism]] and [[Atheism and communism]]

According to the [[University of Cambridge]], historically, the "most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 [[Russian Revolution]], which brought the [[Marxism-Leninism|Marxist-Leninists]] to power."<ref name="Marxism-Leninism">{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20130728215151/http://www.investigatingatheism.info/marxism.html|title=Investigating atheism: 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=July 17, 2014}}</ref> Vitalij Lazarʹevič Ginzburg, a Soviet physicist, wrote that the "[[Bolshevik]] communists were not merely atheists but, according to [[Lenin]]'s terminology, [[militant atheism|militant atheists]]."<ref name="Lenin & militant atheism">{{cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ufC9Ar8iuDcC&pg=PA161&dq=The+Bolshevik+communists+were+not+merely+atheists+but,+according+to+Lenin%27s+terminology,+militant+atheists.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1oFUUdj6PIiK0QGvq4CAAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=The%20Bolshevik%20communists%20were%20not%20merely%20atheists%20but%2C%20according%20to%20Lenin's%20terminology%2C%20militant%20atheists.&f=false|title =''On Superconductivity and Superfluidity: A Scientific Autobiography'' |author=Vitalij Lazarʹevič Ginzburg|publisher = Springer Science+Business Media|pages=161|year=2009|quote=The Bolshevik communists were not merely atheists but, according to Lenin's terminology, militant atheists.|accessdate = July 17, 2014}}</ref> [[Soviet atheism]]/[[communism]] advocated the spread of atheistic communism around the world and efforts were made to spread communism outside of Russia.

According to the [[University of Cambridge]], historically, the "most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 [[Russian Revolution]], which brought the [[Marxism-Leninism|Marxist-Leninists]] to power."<ref name="Marxism-Leninism">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728215151/http://www.investigatingatheism.info/marxism.html|title=Investigating atheism: 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=July 17, 2014}}</ref> Vitalij Lazarʹevič Ginzburg, a Soviet physicist, wrote that the "[[Bolshevik]] communists were not merely atheists but, according to [[Lenin]]'s terminology, [[militant atheism|militant atheists]]."<ref name="Lenin & militant atheism">{{cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ufC9Ar8iuDcC&pg=PA161&dq=The+Bolshevik+communists+were+not+merely+atheists+but,+according+to+Lenin%27s+terminology,+militant+atheists.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1oFUUdj6PIiK0QGvq4CAAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=The%20Bolshevik%20communists%20were%20not%20merely%20atheists%20but%2C%20according%20to%20Lenin's%20terminology%2C%20militant%20atheists.&f=false|title =''On Superconductivity and Superfluidity: A Scientific Autobiography'' |author=Vitalij Lazarʹevič Ginzburg|publisher = Springer Science+Business Media|pages=161|year=2009|quote=The Bolshevik communists were not merely atheists but, according to Lenin's terminology, militant atheists.|accessdate = July 17, 2014}}</ref> [[Soviet atheism]]/[[communism]] advocated the spread of atheistic communism around the world and efforts were made to spread communism outside of Russia.

=== Soviet Union and the Department of Jokes ===

=== Soviet Union and the Department of Jokes ===

Asia Week wrote:

Asia Week wrote:

{{Cquote|Khieu Samphan, 67. French-educated, his thesis provided ideological basis for the Khmer Rouge. Studious and humorless, was appointed prime minister of KR government in 1979. Has the highest international profile among the KR leaders. Sends faxes to Sihanouk. One recently warned of an assassination plot.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/96/0823/nat2.html A Rogues' Gallery], Asia Week</ref>}}

{{Cquote|Khieu Samphan, 67. French-educated, his thesis provided ideological basis for the Khmer Rouge. Studious and humorless, was appointed prime minister of KR government in 1979. Has the highest international profile among the KR leaders. Sends faxes to Sihanouk. One recently warned of an assassination plot.<ref>[https://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/96/0823/nat2.html A Rogues' Gallery], Asia Week</ref>}}

== Fidel Castro: Humorless as a child and as an adult  ==

== Fidel Castro: Humorless as a child and as an adult  ==