Difference between revisions of "Atheist activist"
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Most atheists are apathetic when it comes to sharing atheism with others - especially when compared to evangelistic religions such as [[Christianity]] (see: [[Atheism and apathy]]). | Most atheists are apathetic when it comes to sharing atheism with others - especially when compared to evangelistic religions such as [[Christianity]] (see: [[Atheism and apathy]]). | ||
| − | Today, there is widespread pessimism about the future of the atheist movement with various people saying the "atheist movement is dead" (see: [[Atheist pessimism about the atheist movement]]).<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/11/01/the-atheist-movement-isnt-dead-because-there-never-was-one/ The Atheist “Movement” Isn’t Dead Because There Never Was One] by HEMANT MEHTA</ref> The atheist activist [[Hemant Mehta]] and other atheists argue that there never was an atheist movement and that people who wanted there to be an atheist movement wrongly | + | Today, there is widespread pessimism about the future of the atheist movement with various people saying the "atheist movement is dead" (see: [[Atheist pessimism about the atheist movement]]).<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/11/01/the-atheist-movement-isnt-dead-because-there-never-was-one/ The Atheist “Movement” Isn’t Dead Because There Never Was One] by HEMANT MEHTA</ref> The atheist activist [[Hemant Mehta]] and other atheists argue that there never was an atheist movement and that people who wanted there to be an atheist movement wrongly assumed "there’s some list of beliefs everyone has to subscribe to."<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/11/01/the-atheist-movement-isnt-dead-because-there-never-was-one/ The Atheist “Movement” Isn’t Dead Because There Never Was One] by HEMANT MEHTA</ref> See: [[Schools of atheist thought]] |
The ''Journal of Contemporary Religion'' says about schisms within atheism: | The ''Journal of Contemporary Religion'' says about schisms within atheism: | ||
Revision as of 13:39, November 2, 2017
According to the atheist activist Greta Christina, the first goal of an atheist activist is “to see atheists be fully accepted into society, and to have our atheism recognized as legitimate.”[1] The second is the demise of religion.[2] See also: Evangelical atheism
Most atheists are apathetic about their atheism (see: Atheism and apathy).
In the United States, from 2006 to 2016, Americans sharpened their negative views towards atheists (see: Views on atheists).[3]
In June 2016, American Interest reported concerning American atheism:
| “ | First of all, religious belief is still very powerful and widespread, and there is nothing inevitable about its decline. In fact, the proportion of people who say they believe in God actually ticked modestly upward, from 86 percent to 89 percent, since Gallup last asked the question in 2014.[4] | ” |
Historically, atheists have had an unrealistic view concerning the endurance of religion (see: Atheists and the endurance of religion).
Pew Research Center declared: "There is a long history of people predicting the demise of religion, but religion has proven more resilient than many people anticipated."[6]
Dr. Rodney Stark, an agnostic, wrote in his book The Triumph of Faith:
| “ | Secularists have been predicting the imminent demise of religion for centuries. They have always been wrong—and their claims today are no different. It is their unshakable faith in secularization that may be the most "irrational" of all beliefs.(p. 212).[7] | ” |
The 21st century (and the foreseeable future) is expected to be a century of desecularization. Global atheism is shrinking in global market share and perhaps in terms of its number of adherents as well (see: Global atheism statistics). In addition, in a great many areas of the developed world, the rate of secularization is now zero (see: Western World areas with stagnant secularization rates).
Atheist movement
See also: Atheist movement and Atheist factions
In 2015, Dr. J. Gordon Melton said about the atheist movement (organized atheism) that atheism is not a movement which tends to create community, but in the last few years there has been some growth of organized atheism.[9]
However, various schisms occurring within the atheism movement and widespread infighting, has had an adverse effect on various atheist organizations (See: Atheist factions). For example, atheist organizations have experienced large drops in donations to their organizations (see: Atheist organizations and fundraising).
Most atheists are apathetic when it comes to sharing atheism with others - especially when compared to evangelistic religions such as Christianity (see: Atheism and apathy).
Today, there is widespread pessimism about the future of the atheist movement with various people saying the "atheist movement is dead" (see: Atheist pessimism about the atheist movement).[10] The atheist activist Hemant Mehta and other atheists argue that there never was an atheist movement and that people who wanted there to be an atheist movement wrongly assumed "there’s some list of beliefs everyone has to subscribe to."[11] See: Schools of atheist thought
The Journal of Contemporary Religion says about schisms within atheism:
| “ | The persistence of internal schisms and regular outbreaks of in-fighting within the atheist movement also ensure that much energy is effectively wasted on parochial concerns and further undermine attempts to establish a genuine sense of group cohesion.[12] | ” |
The Journal of Contemporary Religion say that internal divisions within the American atheist movement have to do with:
| “ | internal divisions within the movement around issues relating to goals, strategies, and direction. These can be seen most notably in debates about the formation of a collective ‘atheist’ identity, in disputes about the effectiveness of confrontationalism and accommodationism, and in concerns about the movement’s ethnic, racial, and gender profile.[13] | ” |
For additional information, please see: Atheist factions
List of atheist activists and/or prominent atheists
Notes
- ↑ The Problem With ‘Atheist Activism’ by Chris Stedman.
- ↑ The Problem With ‘Atheist Activism’ by Chris Stedman.
- ↑ Atheists Remain Most Disliked Religious Minority in the US
- ↑ Atheism is Rising, But…, American Interest
- ↑ Berlinerblau, Jacques (February 4, 2011). "Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast". The Chronicle of Higher Education/Brainstorm blog. Retrieved on May 29, 2015.
- ↑ How we projected the future of world religions
- ↑ Despite What You've Heard, World Is More Religious Than Ever, Christian Post
- ↑ The Atheist Disillusionment by PZ Myers, September 27, 2014
- ↑ Baylor ISR- J. Gordon Melton - End of Religion? (May 5, 2015)
- ↑ The Atheist “Movement” Isn’t Dead Because There Never Was One by HEMANT MEHTA
- ↑ The Atheist “Movement” Isn’t Dead Because There Never Was One by HEMANT MEHTA
- ↑ Divided We Stand: The Politics of the Atheist Movement in the United States by Steven Kettell Journal of Contemporary Religion, Volume 29, Issue 3, 2014
- ↑ Divided We Stand: The Politics of the Atheist Movement in the United States by Steven Kettell, Journal of Contemporary Religion, Volume 29, Issue 3, 2014