[[File:David Silverman Reason Rally.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|[[David Silverman]] at Reason Rally 2012.]]The first '''Reason Rally''' held in 2012 was billed as the largest [[Atheist conferences|secular event]] in world history, but this claim was not accurate (see: [[Reason Rally 2012 was not the largest secular event in world history]]).<ref>
*[https://www.salon.com/2014/12/06/is_mocking_religion_enough_harris_dawkins_and_the_future_of_atheistsecular_politics/ Is mocking religion enough? Harris, Dawkins and the future of atheist/secular politics] by Richard Cimino and Christopher Smith, Salon magazine
*[http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2011-11-the-humanist-hour-67-reason-rally Reason Rally - American Humanist Association]</ref> It was held in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2012. [[Reason Rally 2012]] was followed by [[Reason Rally 2016]].
According to the ''Religion News Service'' 8,000-10,000 people showed up for Reason Rally 2012.<ref>Winston, Kimberly (March 24, 2012). "[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/24/atheist-rally_n_1377443.html#s811235&title=Reason_Rally_on Atheists Rally On National Mall; The 'Reason Rally' Largest Gathering Of Nonbelievers (PHOTOS)]". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-05-02.</ref> ''The Atlantic'' reported 20,000 individuals were in attendance.<ref>Benjamin Fearnow & Mickey Woods, [https://www.theatlantic.com/national/print/2012/03/richard-dawkins-preaches-to-nonbelievers-at-reason-rally/255012/ "Richard Dawkins Preaches to Nonbelievers at Reason Rally"], ''The Atlantic'', March 24, 2012.</ref> The documentary ''The Unbelievers'' purports that over 30,000 people attended the rally.<ref>Gus Holwerda, [http://unbelieversmovie.com/ "The Unbelievers"] April 2013</ref>
Large atheist gatherings such as the Reason Rally are rare due to the apathy of many atheists (see: [[Atheism and apathy]]). In addition, in recent years, international cooperation among atheists has been low (see: [[Atheism and international cooperation among atheists]]).
== Reason Rally 2016 ==
=== Reason Rally 2012 related incident involving David Silverman and Richard Dawkins ===
[[File:David Silverman Reason Rally.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|[[David Silverman]] ]]
''See also:'' [[Feminist quotes about Richard Dawkins]] and [[Atheist factions]]
[[File:David Silverman.JPG|thumbnail|right|150px|David Silverman took feminist [[Rebecca Watson]] off the speakers list for the Reason Rally after [[Richard Dawkins]] objected to her speaking at the event.<ref>[http://skepchick.org/2013/09/my-time-with-richard-dawkins-or-why-you-should-never-meet-your-idols/ My Time With Richard Dawkins (Or, Why You Should Never Meet Your Idols)] by Sarah at [[Skepchick]], September 5, 2013</ref> See: [[Elevatorgate]] ]]
An article by Sarah posted at [[Skepchick]] about a conversation between Richard Dawkins and [[David Silverman]] (ex-president of the [[American Atheists]] organization), which took place during the planning phase of the Reason Rally:
{{cquote|Richard was standing behind the podium, and he asked Dave something along the lines of, “What exactly is the Reason Rally?” Dave started explaining it, and as he did, someone who was waiting in the line outside opened the door to peek inside and we could all hear a lot of noise. I rushed up the aisle and made frantic “shut the door” gestures at the people peeking inside, and they did. As I walked the ten feet back, I couldn’t hear everything Dave was saying, but I heard the name “[[Rebecca Watson]].” Richard suddenly had a very angry look on his face and I heard him almost shout, “No, absolutely not! If she’s going to be there, I won’t be there. I don’t want her speaking.” and then Dave immediately replied, “You’re absolutely right, we’ll take her off the roster. It’s done.” Richard huffed for a moment, Dave continued to placate him, and then he made the video.
Although the rally was billed as "the largest gathering of the secular movement in world history" and many [[American atheism|American atheists]] claiming that they are an oppressed minority (See [[Atheist whining]]), atheists/agnostics appear not to have been able to generate the crowd at the Reason Rally that [[Glenn Beck]] was able to gather for his [[Restoring Honor Rally]].<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/03/24/reason-rally-is-coming-out-party-for-secular-movement.html]</ref> KCCI8 News reported concerning the Restoring Honor Rally, "A scientific estimate placed the crowd size around 87,000, while media reports varied dramatically from tens of thousands to 500,000."<ref>[http://www.kcci.com/national/on-this-day-august-28/16279278 KCCI8 News - On this day: August 28, UPDATED 1:00 AM CDT Aug 28, 2014]</ref>
=== Reason Rally 2012 was not the largest secular event in world history ===[[File:Ncvjgfu.jpg|thumbnail|right|175px|[[Mao Zedong]] ]]Although the Reason Rally was billed as the largest secular event in world history, strictly speaking that is not accurate. [[Communism|Communist]] countries have embraced [[state atheism]]. And [[Marxism|Marxist]]-[[Vladimir Lenin|Leninism]] along with [[Maoism]] explicitly adhered to the [[atheist worldview]] and communist countries have engaged in [[militant atheism]] and religious persecution (see: [[Atheism and communism]]).<ref>[https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/asia/item/19567-china-s-communist-party-reaffirms-marxism-maoism-atheism China’s Communist Party Reaffirms Marxism, Maoism, Atheism]</ref> China [[Atheism and communism|still engages]] in religious persecution. Communist countries had large/massive rallies. For example, at [[Tiananmen Square]] during the [[Cultural Revolution]], the atheist [[Mao Zedong]] greeted 1,500 [[Red Guards]] and waved to 800,000 Red Guards and spectators below.<ref>(Chinese) [http://dangshi.people.com.cn/GB/85039/14329784.html 倪天祚, "毛主席八次接见红卫兵的组织工作" 中国共产党新闻网] 2011-04-07</ref> During the Cultural Revolution, a new form of militant atheism made great efforts to eradicate religion completely.<ref name="Revolt">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mofX6zdChgcC&pg=PA132&dq=china+militant+atheism&hl=en&ei=I_z2TZmePMGW0gGr_5CHCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=china%20militant%20atheism&f=false|title =The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Persecution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge Studies in Social Theory, Religion and Politics)|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=Seeking a complete annihilation of religion, places of worship were shut down; temples, churches, and mosques were destroyed; artifacts were smashed; sacred texts were burnt; and it was a criminal offence even to possess a religious artifact or sacred text. Atheism had long been the official doctrine of the Chinese Communist Party, but this new form of militant atheism made every effort to eradicate religion completely.|accessdate = 2011-03-05}}</ref><ref name="Contrast">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jn-kcJc47m4C&pg=PA129 |page=129 |title =Religion and Modern Society: Citizenship, Secularisation and the State |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|author=Bryan S. Turner|quote=The contrast between religion in American and militant atheism in China could not have been more stark or profound. While the Red Guards under Mao Zedong's leadership were busy destroying Buddhist pagodas, Catholic churches and Daoist temples, the Christian Right were equally busy condemning the communists.}}</ref> Under this militant atheism espoused by Mao Zedong, houses of worship were shut down; Buddhist pagodas, Daoist temples, Christian [[church]]es, and Muslim [[mosque]]s were destroyed; artifacts were smashed; and sacred texts were burnt.<ref name="Revolt"/><ref name="Contrast"/> Moreover, it was a criminal offence to even possess a religious artifact or sacred text.<ref name="Revolt"/> The death toll in 20th Cenutry China attributable to Mao Tse-Tsung's "[[Great Leap Forward]]" is estimated by reputable sources "to be as high as forty million."<ref name="Leap">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rbgK8wA7ubgC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=China+number+of+people+perished+militant+atheism&source=bl&ots=bN8QWuhcq2&sig=X2BB0iKRJbWNA8DlHzJeT2yS6to&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZZNXUOP1KcaDywHEvYCIDg&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=China%20number%20of%20people%20perished%20militant%20atheism&f=false|page=125|title=No, We Can't: Radical Islam, Militant Secularism and the Myth of Coexistence|publisher=Chosen Books|date=1 October 2011|isbn=0800795202|author=Robert Stearns|quote=Reputable sources estimate the death toll in twentieth-century China to be as high as forty million, attributed directly to Mao Tse-Tung's "Great Leap Forward."}}</ref> However, following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, many former policies towards religious freedom returned although they are limited and tenuous, as religion is closely regulated by the government.<ref name="Revolt"/> Historically, the [[Atheist Population|atheist population]] has tended to lean leftward in their politics (See: [[Atheism and politics]] and [[Secular left]]). According to the [[University of Cambridge]], the "most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power."<ref name="Marxism-Leninsim">{{cite web|url = http://www.investigatingatheism.info/marxism.html|title =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 = 2011–03–15}}</ref> ==== Atheist activists exaggerating the number of atheists in America ==== In 2012, the organization PolitiFact Rhode Island accused American Atheists president David Silverman of wildly exaggerating the number of atheists in America by attempting to included the Unaffiliated (also called [[Nones]]) who made up about 15% of the United States population at the time (despite the fact that only 15 percent of "nones" identify as atheists) and by also attempting to lump agnostics with the [[Atheist Population|atheist population]].<ref name="politifact.com">[https://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2012/feb/26/david-silverman/american-atheists-president-david-silverman-says-t/ American Atheists President David Silverman says there are twice as many atheists in U.S. as Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists combined] By C. Eugene Emery Jr. on Sunday, February 26th, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.</ref><ref>[http://www.pressdemocrat.com/csp/mediapool/sites/PressDemocrat/News/story.csp?cid=2501462&sid=555&fid=181 Meet the 'Nones:' Spiritual but not religious]</ref> According to PolitiFact Rhode Island:{{cquote|When the American Religious survey asked people what they thought of the existence of God, 2.3 percent said 'There is no such thing.'...When Pew asked a broader question -- "Do you believe in God or a universal spirit?" -- 5 percent said "No."<ref name="politifact.com">[https://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2012/feb/26/david-silverman/american-atheists-president-david-silverman-says-t/ American Atheists President David Silverman says there are twice as many atheists in U.S. as Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists combined] By C. Eugene Emery Jr. on Sunday, February 26th, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.</ref>}} The 2008 [[American Religious Identification Survey]] (ARIS) found that only 0.7% of U.S. adults identified as atheist, but at the same time 2.3% said there is no such thing as a god.<ref>Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar, [http://b27.cc.trincoll.edu/weblogs/AmericanReligionSurvey-ARIS/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf], March 2009, American Religious Identification Survey [ARIS 2008], Trinity College</ref> The reluctance of Americans to self-identify as atheists is likely due to the American public's low opinion of atheists (See: [[Views on atheists|Americans have a low opinion of atheists]]). [[File:67275975 vVzy1OLk PICT0158.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|The atheist Georgetown professor Jacques Berlinerblau likens the strength of the American atheist movement to a "gimpy little zebra".<ref name="christiancentury.org">[http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-09/professor-jacques-berlinerblau-tells-atheists-stop-whining Professor Jacques Berlinerblau tells atheists: Stop whining!], Christian Century, Sep 14, 2012 by Kimberly Winston</ref>]] The atheist Georgetown professor Jacques Berlinerblau declared:{{cquote|American atheist movements, though fancying themselves a lion, are more like the gimpy little zebra crossing the river full of crocs. In terms of both political gains and popular appeal, nonbelievers in the United States have little to show. They are encircled by cunning, swarming [religious] Revivalist adversaries who know how to play the atheist card. The gimpy zebra remark was a little goofing on this over-the-top chest-thumping that emerges from Movement Atheists. They wildly overestimate their numbers. They tend to overestimate the efficacy of their activism. They underestimate how disciplined and organized their adversaries in the religious right are, too. They fail to recognize that mocking religious people in public is entirely inimical to the goals they wish to achieve."<ref name="christiancentury.org">[http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-09/professor-jacques-berlinerblau-tells-atheists-stop-whining Professor Jacques Berlinerblau tells atheists: Stop whining!], Christian Century, Sep 14, 2012 by Kimberly Winston</ref>}}
== See also ==