New Atheism

2011-06-20T21:44:16Z

PJPickle:

The term New Atheism which first appeared in the November 2006 edition of ''Wired'' magazine, is frequently applied to a series of six best-selling books by five authors that appeared in the period between 2004–2008. These authors include [[Sam Harris]], [[Daniel Dennett]], [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Victor J. Stenger]] and [[Christopher Hitchens]].<ref>http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/battle.html</ref> The four most prominent writers of the New Atheist movement are [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Sam Harris]], [[Christopher Hitchens]] and [[Daniel Dennett]].

Dissent Magazine declared concerning the New Atheism:
{{cquote|A number of prominent authors and scientists have published books in the past year that advocate a "New Atheism." The books, which include [[Daniel Dennett]]'s ''Breaking the Spell'', [[Richard Dawkins]]'s ''[[The God Delusion]]'', and [[Christopher Hitchens]]'s ''God is Not Great'', have sparked considerable public controversy across the political spectrum.<ref>http://dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=928</ref>}}
[[Image:Mohler.jpg‎|thumbnail|200px|right|Dr. Albert Mohler Jr.]]
Dr. Alfred Mohler Jr. describes some of the key attributes of the "New Atheism":
{{cquote|Now, WIRED magazine comes out with a cover story on atheism for its November 2006 issue. In "The New Atheism," WIRED contributing editor Gary Wolf explains that this newly assertive form of atheism declares a very simple message: "No heaven. No hell. Just science."...

Wolf accomplishes a great deal in his article, thoughtfully introducing the work of [[Militant atheism|militant atheists]] such as Dawkins, [[Sam Harris|Harris]], and [[Daniel Dennett|Dennett]]. At the same time, he probes more deeply into the actual meaning of the New Atheism as a movement and a message.

At the beginning of his article, he gets right to the point: "The New Atheists will not let us off the hook simply because we are not doctrinaire believers. They condemn not just belief in God but respect for belief in God. Religion is not only wrong; it's evil. Now that the battle has been joined, there's no excuse for shirking."<ref>http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-11-21</ref>}}

===Impact of the New Atheism===
The "New Atheism" has not had much of an impact in terms of gaining new adherents to [[atheism]]. In a March 10, 2008 [[USA Today]] article Stephen Prothero stated the following regarding the impact of the "New Atheism":
{{cquote|Numbers lie, but they also tell tales untrustworthy and otherwise. So the key question stirring around the much discussed U.S Religious Landscape Survey released in late February by the [[Pew Forum]] on Religion & Public Life is what tale does it state about the state of the union.

For some, the story of this survey, based on interviews in multiple languages with more than 35,000 adults, is the strength of American Religion.

Not too long ago, I wrote that American atheism was going the way of the freak show. As books by Christopher Hitchens and other "new atheists" climbed the best seller lists, I caught a lot of flak for that prophecy. But atheist make up only 1.6% of respondents to this survey....<ref>American Faith: A Work In Progress by Stephen Prothero, USA Today, March 10, 2008, page 11A</ref>}}

A prime reason for the ineffectiveness of the "new atheism" is the shallowness of its material. For example, even atheist philosopher [[Michael Ruse]] stated that that Richard Dawkins' book ''The God Delusion'' made him "embarrassed to be an atheist".<ref name="TDD3">http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/47052/?page=3</ref>

The "New Atheism" largely has a unfavorable view outside the United States as well. The [[liberal]] leaning British publication [[The Guardian]] stated the following regarding the "New Atheism":
{{cquote|Anti-[[faith]] proselytising is a growth industry. But its increasingly hysterical flag-bearers are heading for a spectacular failure...

These increasingly hysterical books may boost the pension, they may be morale boosters for a particular kind of American atheism that feels victimized - the latest candidate in a flourishing American tradition - but one suspects that they are going to do very little to challenge the appeal of a phenomenon they loathe too much to understand.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2074076,00.html</ref>}}

== Gender and racial demographic data concerning the New Atheist movement ==

Survey data and website tracking data of prominent [[atheism|atheists]]' websites indicate that in the [[Western World]], [[Western atheism and race|the New Atheism movement appears to be significantly less appealing to women and racial minorities]].<ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/Western_atheism_and_race</ref><ref>http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.livescience.com/culture/090227-religion-men-women.html</ref><ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/Atheism_appears_to_be_significantly_less_appealing_to_women</ref>

== New Atheism leaders and problems with being overweight ==
What does being overweight have to do with New Atheism? Absolutely nothing. What a piece of shit, pointless website this is. Please stop making the world a stupider place to live in.

== See also ==

*[[History of Atheism|History of atheism]]
*[[Atheism 3.0]]
*[[Essay: Richard Dawkins, obesity has enveloped your marketing campaign|Richard Dawkins, obesity has enveloped your marketing campaign]] - [[satire]]
*[[Essay: Where was Sam Harris when the New Atheists needed him?| Where was Sam Harris when the New Atheists needed him?]] - satire

==External Links==

*[http://www.svchapel.org/resources/articles/22-contemporary-issues/587-the-new-atheism The New Atheism] by Gary Gilley
*[http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/02/07/the-new-atheism-and-the-dogma-of-darwinism/ The New Atheism and the Dogma of Darwinism] by Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr.
*[http://www.evolutionnews.org/2010/11/if_nature_abhorred_a_vacuum_ne039891.html New Atheist atheology] by Michael Egnor
*[http://www.rzim.org/GlobalElements/GFV/tabid/449/ArticleID/10020/CBModuleId/881/Default.aspx The New Atheism and Morality] by J.M. Njoroge at Ravi Zacharias Ministries
*[http://www.firstthings.com/article/2010/04/believe-it-or-not New Atheists] - by David B. Hart, First things
*[http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010341 The New Atheism] ''Wall Street Journal'', Peter Berkowitz, June 16, 2007
*[http://articles.cnn.com/2006-11-08/world/atheism.feature_1_new-atheists-new-atheism-religion?_s=PM:WORLD The Rise of the New Atheists] - [[CNN]], 2006

'''Video:'''

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13AjsFRR9Mk The New Atheist Movement] - [[YouTube]] video
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3lWXFoBrzM New Atheism] by [[William Lane Craig]]

{{Nb Atheism}}

==Notes==
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[[Category: New Atheism]]

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New Atheism