Changes

* '''State churches:'''  Rates of atheism are much higher in countries with a state sanctioned religion (such as many European countries), and lower in states without a sanctioned religion (such as the United States).  Some argue this is because state churches become bloated, corrupt, and/or out of touch with the religious intuitions of the population, while churches independent of the state are leaner and more adaptable.  It is important to distinguish "state-sanctioned churches," where participation is voluntary, from "state-mandated churches" (such as Saudi Arabia) with much lower atheism rates because publicly admitted atheism is punishable by death.  <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118434936941966055.html?mod=googlenews_wsj</ref>  

* '''State churches:'''  Rates of atheism are much higher in countries with a state sanctioned religion (such as many European countries), and lower in states without a sanctioned religion (such as the United States).  Some argue this is because state churches become bloated, corrupt, and/or out of touch with the religious intuitions of the population, while churches independent of the state are leaner and more adaptable.  It is important to distinguish "state-sanctioned churches," where participation is voluntary, from "state-mandated churches" (such as Saudi Arabia) with much lower atheism rates because publicly admitted atheism is punishable by death.  <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118434936941966055.html?mod=googlenews_wsj</ref>  

* '''Poor relationship with father:'''  Some argue that a troubled/non-existent relationship with a father may influence one towards becoming an atheist.<ref>http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth12.html</ref>  Dr. Paul Vitz wrote a book entitled ''Faith of the Fatherless'' in which he points out that after studying the lives of more than a dozen leading atheists he found that a large majority of them had a father who was present but weak, present but abusive, or absent.<ref>Vitz, Paul, [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt The Psychology of Atheism], September 24, 1997 (lecture notes taken by an audience member).</ref><ref>Anders, Kerby, [http://www.probe.org/content/view/36/91/ Atheists and Their Fathers]  (Probe Ministries)</ref>  Dr. Vitz also examined the lives of prominent theists who were contemporaneous to their atheist counterparts and from the same culture and in every instance these prominent theists had a good relationship with his father.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref> Dr. Vitz has also stated other common factors he observed in the famous atheists he profiled: they were all intelligent and arrogant.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref>

* '''Poor relationship with father:'''  Some argue that a troubled/non-existent relationship with a father may influence one towards becoming an atheist.<ref>http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth12.html</ref>  Dr. Paul Vitz wrote a book entitled ''Faith of the Fatherless'' in which he points out that after studying the lives of more than a dozen leading atheists he found that a large majority of them had a father who was present but weak, present but abusive, or absent.<ref>Vitz, Paul, [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt The Psychology of Atheism], September 24, 1997 (lecture notes taken by an audience member).</ref><ref>Anders, Kerby, [http://www.probe.org/content/view/36/91/ Atheists and Their Fathers]  (Probe Ministries)</ref>  Dr. Vitz also examined the lives of prominent theists who were contemporaneous to their atheist counterparts and from the same culture and in every instance these prominent theists had a good relationship with his father.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref> Dr. Vitz has also stated other common factors he observed in the leading atheists he profiled: they were all intelligent and arrogant.<ref>http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/vitz.txt</ref>

* '''Division in religion''': According to Francis Bacon, atheism is caused by "divisions in religion, if they be many; for any one main division addeth zeal to both sides, but many divisions introduce atheism."  <ref>http://www.philosophyofreligion.info/ofatheism.html</ref>

* '''Division in religion''': According to Francis Bacon, atheism is caused by "divisions in religion, if they be many; for any one main division addeth zeal to both sides, but many divisions introduce atheism."  <ref>http://www.philosophyofreligion.info/ofatheism.html</ref>

* '''Negative experiences with Christians''' <ref>http://media.www.sdsucollegian.com/media/storage/paper484/news/2006/04/04/OpinionEditorial/The-Single.Greatest.Cause.Of.Atheism-1782085.shtml</ref>

* '''Negative experiences with Christians''' <ref>http://media.www.sdsucollegian.com/media/storage/paper484/news/2006/04/04/OpinionEditorial/The-Single.Greatest.Cause.Of.Atheism-1782085.shtml</ref>

==Atheism and the Existence of Evil==

==Atheism and the Existence of Evil==

[[Image:Ron2.jpg|right|thumbnail|150px|Dr. [[Ron Rhodes]]]]

[[Image:Ron2.jpg|right|thumbnail|150px|Dr. [[Ron Rhodes]]]]