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Line 1: − How about you start being smart and realize you can't blame atheism on all the world's problems. Religious nut jobs cause just as many issues or more.+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Undo revision 994810 by Verysaneperson (talk)
[[File:Christian women.jpg|thumbnail|right|255px|[[Christian]] women at a religious retreat. Studies and web traffic data appear to indicate that women in the Western World tend to be more religious than men.<ref>http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.livescience.com/culture/090227-religion-men-women.html</ref> ]]
=== Recent studies concerning [[atheism]] and women ===
==== Surveys by country ====
In November of 2010, ''Discover Magazine'' published survey results published by the World Values Survey which showed significant differences between the percentage of men and women who are atheists for various countries.<ref>[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2010/11/sex-differences-in-global-atheism-part-n/ Sex differences in global atheism, part N]</ref>
==== United States surveys ====
A 2008 study by Trinity College found that women are significantly more religious than men in America.<ref>http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf</ref> In 2007, the Pew Research Center found that American women were more religious than American men.<ref>http://www.livescience.com/culture/090227-religion-men-women.html</ref>
=== Atheist PZ Myers' commentary concerning atheist meetings ===
In June of 2010, the atheist [[PZ Myers]] commented that atheist meetings tend to be significantly more attended by males.<ref>http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/06/the_woman_problem.php</ref>
=== 2010 New York Times description of atheist meeting attendees ===
See also: [[Western atheism and race]]
In October of 2010, an atheists' meeting was organized in the [[United States]] concerning the future direction of the atheist movement and 370 people attended. The ''[[New York Times]]'' described the attendees as "The largely white and male crowd — imagine a [[Star Trek]] convention, but older...". <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/us/16beliefs.html New York Times, October 15, 2010]</ref>
=== Beliefnews report concerning atheists' group membership and demographic makeup of meetings ===
In 2011, Beliefnetnews reported concerning the race and gender of American atheist:
{{cquote|From the smallest local meetings to the largest conferences, the vast majority of speakers and attendees are almost always white men. Leading figures of the atheist movement - [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Sam Harris]], [[Christopher Hitchens]] and [[Daniel Dennett]] -- are all white men.
But making atheism more diverse is proving to be no easy task.
Surveys suggest most atheists are white men. A recent survey of 4,000 members of the Freedom from Religion Foundation found that 95 percent were white, and men comprised a majority.<ref>http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2011/01/atheists-diversity-woes-have-n.php</ref>}}
=== Prominent general atheist websites appear to receive significantly less traffic from women ===
The website run by the organization American Atheist has significantly less women trafficking their website according to Alexa and Quantcast.<ref>http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/atheists.org</ref><ref>http://www.quantcast.com/atheists.org</ref> The [[Internet Infidels]] website has significantly less woman trafficking their website according to [[Alexa]] and Quantcast.<ref>http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/infidels.org</ref><ref>http://www.quantcast.com/infidels.org</ref> The British Website New Humanist Magazine receives significantly less traffic from women according to Alexa and Quantcast.<ref>http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/newhumanist.org.uk</ref><ref>http://www.quantcast.com/newhumanist.org.uk</ref> Atheist Ireland also has significantly less women trafficking their website according to Alexa (there is no web traffic data from Quantcast).<ref>http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/atheist.ie</ref>
=== New Atheism websites appear to receive significantly less traffic from women ===
The four most prominent writers of the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] movement are [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Sam Harris]], [[Christopher Hitchens]] and [[Daniel Dennett]]. Like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris has his own website. According to the website tracking firms [[Alexa]] and Quantcast women frequent the website of Samharris.org and richarddawkins.net significantly less than men.<ref>http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/samharris.org</ref><ref>http://www.quantcast.com/samharris.org</ref><ref>http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/richarddawkins.net</ref><ref>http://www.quantcast.com/richarddawkins.net#demographics</ref>
=== Summary ===
The above data suggest that [[atheism]] in general and the New Atheism movement is significantly less appealing to women in the [[Western World]].
== Atheism and Marriageability ==
''see also:'' [[Atheism and marriage]]
Studies indicate that [[Atheist_Population|atheists are a minority in the population]]. Studies also indicate that people tend to marry people with similar values or who resemble their parents or themselves.<ref>http://www.physorg.com/news199509031.html</ref><ref>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/6188</ref> In addition, the Bible teaches Christians not to marry a non-Christian (The Bible also teaches a believer to stay married to a non-believer if you are already married).<ref>http://www.gotquestions.org/household-salvation.html</ref> Also, interfaith marriages often have greater marital friction and interfaith marriages historically have had higher rates of divorce.<ref>http://blogs.chron.com/believeitornot/2010/06/interfaith_marriages_more_like_1.html</ref> Therefore, it would not be surprising if atheist/theist marriages also have increased marital friction and higher rates of divorce since these two worldviews are so different.
Given that atheism appears to be significantly less appealing to women, [[atheism|atheists]] are a minority in the population and that people tend to marry people with similar values or who resemble their parents or themselves; this would suggest that male atheists may find it more difficult to find prospective female partners for marriage. And of course, [[militant atheism]] might make matters even more difficult.
=== Atheism and rates of marriage in the United States ===
Christian apologist Michael Caputo wrote:
{{cquote|Recently the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has published its mammoth study on Religion in America based on 35,000 interviews... According to the Pew Forum a whopping 37% of atheists never marry as opposed to 19% of the American population, 17% of Protestants and 17% of Catholics.<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>}}
[[Image:Desperation_man.jpg |thumb|right|200px|Pitzer College sociologist Phil Zuckerman declared concerning suicide rates: "this is the one indicator of societal health in which religious nations fare much better than secular nations." Please see: [[Atheism and depression]] and [[Atheism and suicide]] ]]
[[Vox Day]] declared that according to the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) "more than half of all atheists and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] don’t get married."<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>
The [[Atheist Population|atheist population]] has a higher suicide rate than theists (see: [[Atheism and suicide]]).
=== Atheism, marriage and suicide ===
''See also:'' [[Atheism, marriage and suicide]]
The [[Atheist Population|atheist population]] has a higher suicide rate than theists (see: [[Atheism and suicide]]). Also, as indicated above, atheists have lower marriage rates (see: [[Atheism and marriage]]).
According the website Marriage and Family Encyclopedia:
{{cquote|Marital status has a strong association with rates of completed suicide. Suicide rates are higher in the divorced and widowed than in single people, who in turn have higher suicide rates than married people. This protective effect of marriage on suicide is stronger for men than for women, although it is found for both men and women (Gove 1972).<ref>http://family.jrank.org/pages/1659/Suicide-Marital-Status-Family.html#ixzz1RJRmwSPF</ref>}}
== Atheism and rape ==
''See also:'' [[Atheism and rape]] and [[Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]]
[[Atheism]] offers no condemnation of [[rape]] and it provides no moral basis for a society to attempt to prevent and deter rape. [[Western World|Western]] atheists often assert there are no absolutes in [[morality]] and argue for [[moral relativism]] (see: [[Atheism and morality]]).
Commenting on Western atheism and rape, the [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] [[True Free Thinker|Mariano Grinbank]] wrote:
{{cquote|When considering any and every atheist condemnation of any action whatsoever it is of primary importance to keep in mind that they are expressing personal opinions about the act(s) they are condemning. They are merely telling you their personal preferences in the form of morality borrowed from the Judeo-Christian worldview. They are piling unfounded assertion, upon unfounded assertion, upon unfounded assertion, and building a tel of arguments from outrage, arguments from personal incredulity, arguments for embarrassment, etc.<ref>http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/atheism-bible-rape-evilbiblecom-and-dan-barker-part-1-6</ref>}}
Christian apologist Kyle Butt wrote: "In fact, in my debate with [[Dan Barker]], Barker admitted that fact, and stated that under certain circumstances, rape would be a moral obligation (Butt and Barker, 2009)"<ref>http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2333</ref> (see: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vPW4aZ0BUI Atheist Dan Barker Says Child Rape Could Be Moral]).
TheAmazingAtheist is [[YouTube]]'s most subscribed to YouTube channel produced by an atheist and as of February of 2012 it had over 280,000 subscribers. In 2012, he viciously told a rape victim "you deserved it" and told her that her rapist "deserved a medal". He also told her that she should try to relive the rape in her mind.
=== Atheist Rebecca Watson and post Elevatorgate claim concerning harassment ===
''See also:'' [[Elevatorgate]] and [[New Atheism]]
Post [[Elevatorgate]] controversy, at an atheist convention, [[Rebecca Watson]] claimed:
{{cquote|Hundreds of atheists have informed me that either they wanted to rape me, someone should rape me so that I will loosen up or that no one would ever rape me because I am so ugly".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1mLHdTsmPc PZ Myers and the Art of Shameless Dishonesty]</ref>}}
In addition, Watson declared: "It get regular rape threats. I get regular rape and murder threats".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96FtpDLi_Vw FreeThoughtBlogs and PZ Myers]</ref>
The inappropriate behavior which was has been directed towards Rebecca Watson by atheists is not surprising. In February of 2010, the news organization ''The Telegraph'' reported [[Richard Dawkins]] was "embroiled in a bitter online battle over plans to rid his popular internet forum for atheists of foul language, insults and 'frivolous gossip'."<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7322177/Richard-Dawkins-in-bitter-web-censorship-row-with-fellow-atheists.html</ref> In addition, Richard Dawkins [[Abrasiveness of Richard Dawkins|has a reputation for being abrasive]].
See also:
* [[Women's views of Richard Dawkins]]
* [[Abrasiveness of Richard Dawkins]]
* [[New Atheism]]
== Atheist leaders and immoral relationships ==
''See also:'' [[Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]]
On June 14, 2012, an article entitled ''Atheist leaders and immoral relationships'' published by an advocate of the [[Question evolution! campaign]] declared:
{{cquote|The website ''Submitted to a Candid World'' is written by an [[agnosticism|agnostic]] and the website was praised by the prominent [[atheism|atheist]] [[PZ Myers]] in the past.
On April 20, 2012 an article appeared in ''Submitted to a Candid World'' which declared:
'Several of my close friends — coincidentally, all extremely intelligent, math/science oriented, and leaders in the freethought/rationality/atheist communities — find themselves practicing and promoting an arrangement they term “[[polyamory]].” Essentially, this describes a post-jealousy, highly rationalized state where participants date each other, and several others simultaneously.
In the ideal polyamorous relationship, one man is seriously “dating” several women, each of whom is in turn dating several men.'<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/06/atheism-and-unstable-relationships.html Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]</ref>}}
The article ''Atheist leaders and immoral relationships'' further declares:
{{cquote|Several leaders of the "freethought"/atheist community are practicing and promoting polyamory. This is not going to help the poor reputation that atheism already has among the public. The [[Mormon]]s promoted [[bigamy]] for a while and later retracted their position due to the public outrage.
Of course, atheist leaders engaging in and promoting practices such as polyamory is one of the many reasons why atheism has such a bad reputation in the world.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/06/atheism-and-unstable-relationships.html Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]</ref>}}
For more information please see: [http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/06/atheism-and-unstable-relationships.html Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]
== Elevatorgate ==
''See also:'' [[Elevatorgate]] and [[Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]]
[[Elevatorgate]] is a term commonly used to describe a scandal involving [[Richard Dawkins]]' inappropriate comments made to fellow atheist Rebecca Waston. In 2011, Richard Dawkins was widely criticized within the atheist community plus criticized in various press outlets for his insensitive comments made to atheist Rebecca Watson about an incident which occurred in an elevator.<ref>
*[http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/07/08/atheist_flirting Richard Dawkins: Skeptic of women? - Salon, July 8, 2011]
*[http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/david-allen-green/2011/07/richard-dawkins-chewing-gum Sharing a lift with Richard Dawkins by David Allen Green - New Stateman - 06 July 2011]
*[http://gawker.com/5818993/richard-dawkins-torn-limb-from-limbby-atheists Richard Dawkins Torn Limb From Limb—By Atheists - Gawker]
*[http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-09-15/atheist-sexism-women/50416454/1 Atheists address sexism issues - USA Today]</ref> Specifically, Watson was propositioned after an atheist event in an elevator by a man who apparently was a fellow atheist during the early hours of the morning and she was upset about the incident. Watson has written about widespread [[misogny]] within the atheist community and she has received threats of rape.<ref>[http://skepchick.org/2011/07/the-privilege-delusion/ The Privilege Delusion by Rebecca Watson - Skepchick]</ref> Prior to the Elevatorgate incident, ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' magazine made the observation that atheists tend to be quarrelsome, socially challenged men.<ref>http://voxday.blogspot.com/2007/08/socially-autistic-atheist.html</ref>
For more information please see: [[Elevatorgate]]
== New Atheism movement and contention between men and women ==
''See also: [[Abrasiveness of Richard Dawkins]]''
Within the militant [[New Atheism]] movement, there appears to be a significant amount of contention between men and women with complaints from women that there is a significant amount of misogny within the atheist community and its leadership is too heavily populated with men.<ref>http://atheism-analyzed.blogspot.com/2011/07/dawkins-drives-skepchick-into-feminism.html</ref><ref>http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/11/01/will-new-atheism-make-room-for-women/</ref> This may partly explain why Western atheism is less appealing to Western women. In addition, the significant amount of contention between men and women may apply to Western atheism as a whole. As noted earlier, ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' magazine made the observation that atheists tend to be quarrelsome, socially challenged men.
== Prominent atheists whose wives believe in the existence of God ==
''See also:'' [[Prominent atheists whose wives believe in the existence of God]] and [[Atheism and marriage]]
Below is a list of prominent [[atheism|atheist]] who have wives that believe in the [[Arguments for the existence of God|existence of God]]:
*[[David Silverman]], president of [[American Atheists]]<ref>[http://www.mastermediaspeakers.com/davidsilverman/index.html David Silverman]</ref>
*[[Austin Cline]], atheist blogger <ref>[http://www.atheist-community.org/library/newsletters/2008-03.pdf About Austin Cline]</ref>
== See also ==
*[[Resources for leaving atheism and becoming a Christian]]
Atheism and women:
*[[Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]]
*[[Women's views of Richard Dawkins]]
*[[Prominent atheists whose wives believe in the existence of God]]
Atheist population:
*[[Atheist Population]]
*[[Atheism and obesity]]
*[[Atheism]]
*[[Atheism and Mental and Physical Health]]
*[[Psychology, obesity, religiosity and atheism]]
*[[Atheism and suicide]]
*[[Western atheism and race]]
*[[Atheism and bestiality]]
Comedy/Satire:
*[[Essay: The atheist and evolutionist helpline|The atheist and evolutionist helpline]] - [[satire]]
*[[Essay: Ponies vs. atheism - Ponies win|Ponies vs. atheism - Ponies win!]] - satire
*[[Essay: Atheists say the darnedest things!|Atheists say the darnedest things!]] - satire
*[[Essay: Does Richard Dawkins have machismo?|Does Richard Dawkins have machismo?]] - satire
*[[Essay: Richard Dawkins' lack of appeal to the Asian women audience|Richard Dawkins' lack of appeal to the Asian woman audience]] - satire
*[[Essay: Atheists' meetings|Atheists' meetings]] - satire
{{Nb Atheism}}
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category: Atheism]]