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Line 31: − − [[Vox Day|Theodore Beale]] wrote: − {{cquote|The reason the Christian voices are so well-heard is that the Christian community is so large, a much larger "minority" than blacks, Jews or homosexuals. That's why the Left, for all its mantra of "democracy, democracy", fears the Religious Right and needs combat it through the courts instead of the ballot box. The secular Left is so unpopular and so numerically insignificant that it can't even win in the strictly limited democracy of the American political system and so is forced to have its "democracy" at a third remove, by unelected judges.<ref>[http://voxday.blogspot.com/2004/07/empty-doorway-empty-mind.html Vox Day on the secular left in America]</ref>}} Line 66:
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→Skepticism about China remaining a global power
[[Image:Stalin-140508 27880t.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Joseph Stalin]], the Premier of the [[Soviet Union]] from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953, founded the [[League of Militant Atheists]], whose chief aim was to propagate militant [[atheism]] and eradicate [[religion]].<ref name=Hesemann-Strieber>{{cite book|author=Michael Hesemann, Whitley Strieber|title=The Fatima Secret|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tx-BEpkJBq8C&pg=PT107&dq=Joseph+Stalin+militant+atheism&hl=en&ei=-DeRTpLrJoPi0QHo88wi&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=Joseph%20Stalin%20militant%20atheism&f=false|quote=Lenin's death in 1924 was followed by the rise of Joseph Stalin, "the man of steel," who founded the "Union of Militant Atheists," whose chief aim was to spread atheism and eradicate religion. In the following years it devastated hundreds of churches, destroyed old icons and relics, and persecuted the clergy with unimaginable brutality.|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|date=2000|accessdate=9 October 2011}}</ref>]]
[[Image:Stalin-140508 27880t.jpg|right|201px|thumb|[[Joseph Stalin]], the Premier of the [[Soviet Union]] from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953, founded the [[League of Militant Atheists]], whose chief aim was to propagate militant [[atheism]] and eradicate [[religion]].<ref name=Hesemann-Strieber>{{cite book|author=Michael Hesemann, Whitley Strieber|title=The Fatima Secret|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tx-BEpkJBq8C&pg=PT107&dq=Joseph+Stalin+militant+atheism&hl=en&ei=-DeRTpLrJoPi0QHo88wi&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=Joseph%20Stalin%20militant%20atheism&f=false|quote=Lenin's death in 1924 was followed by the rise of Joseph Stalin, "the man of steel," who founded the "Union of Militant Atheists," whose chief aim was to spread atheism and eradicate religion. In the following years it devastated hundreds of churches, destroyed old icons and relics, and persecuted the clergy with unimaginable brutality.|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|date=2000|accessdate=9 October 2011}}</ref>]]
The '''secular left''' consists of [[leftist|left]]-wing secularists who are able to exert their influence in many countries. They support "strict government secularism".<ref>http://www.secularleft.us/about</ref>
The '''secular left''' consists of [[leftist|left]]-wing secularists who are able to exert their influence in many countries. They support "strict government secularism".<ref>http://www.secularleft.us/about</ref>
=== Influence of the secular left in America ===
=== Influence of the secular left in America ===
In 2017, the American atheist [[PZ Myers]], quoting fellow [[leftism|leftist]] Alex Nichols, wrote: "...the growing popularity of jibes associating outspoken atheists with fedoras, neckbeards, and virginity, led to an exodus of [[liberal]]s and [[leftism|leftists]] from the “atheist” tent. Those who remained for the most part [[Atheism and social/interpersonal intelligence|lacked in social skills and self-awareness]], and the results were disastrous."<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2017/10/17/poisoning-of-a-movement/ Poisoning of a movement] by PZ Myers</ref>
In 2017, the American atheist [[PZ Myers]], quoting fellow [[leftism|leftist]] Alex Nichols, wrote: "...the growing popularity of jibes associating outspoken atheists with fedoras, neckbeards, and virginity, led to an exodus of [[liberal]]s and [[leftism|leftists]] from the “atheist” tent. Those who remained for the most part [[Atheism and social/interpersonal intelligence|lacked in social skills and self-awareness]], and the results were disastrous."<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2017/10/17/poisoning-of-a-movement/ Poisoning of a movement] by PZ Myers</ref>
During and subsequent to the rule of [[Nikita Khrushchev]] (1956–64), there was competition between the pro-[[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]ists and anti-Stalinists in terms of how Soviet history was portrayed.<ref>Roger D. Markwick, Rewriting history in Soviet Russia : the politics of revisionist historiography, 1956–1974 New York ; Basingstoke : Palgrave, 2001, on legitimate Soviet Historiography particularly in the post 1956 period.</ref>
During and subsequent to the rule of [[Nikita Khrushchev]] (1956–64), there was competition between the pro-[[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]]ists and anti-Stalinists in terms of how Soviet history was portrayed.<ref>Roger D. Markwick, Rewriting history in Soviet Russia : the politics of revisionist historiography, 1956–1974 New York ; Basingstoke : Palgrave, 2001, on legitimate Soviet Historiography particularly in the post 1956 period.</ref>
== Secular left and socialism ==
''See also:'' [[Atheism and socialism]]
The Acton Institute states concerning [[atheism and socialism]]:
{{Cquote|...a growing body of research reveals that as the welfare state grows, the church shrinks. Adam Kay of Duke University discovered that church and state have a “[https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ed70/6904ff2959ec495fb0816dcbf2c19b967fdd.pdf hydraulic relationship]”: Events “that lower [[faith]] in one of these external systems (e.g., the government) lead to subsequent increases in faith in the other (e.g., [[God]]).” Another study found that increased welfare spending “in a specific year predicted lower religiosity one to two years later.” It [https://blog.acton.org/archives/101251-gods-power-can-be-outsourced-to-the-government-study.html concluded], “The power and order emanating from God can be outsourced to the government.”...
...faith in the transcendent gets crowded out by faith in [[socialism]]’s [[utopia]]n promise of equality-of-outcome on earth. This path transformed Michael Harrington from a daily communicant volunteering in the Catholic Worker movement to the [[atheism|atheistic]] founder of the Democratic Socialists of America.<ref>[https://www.eurasiareview.com/21122019-how-socialism-causes-atheism-oped/ How Socialism Causes Atheism – OpEd]</ref>}}
== Secular left and authoritarianism ==
See: [[Atheism and authoritarianism|Secular left and authoritarianism]]
== Leading American atheist organizations lean to the left politically ==
== Leading American atheist organizations lean to the left politically ==
According to [[Republican]] Atheists' President Lauren Ell, the leading [[atheist organizations]] such as [[American Atheists]], [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]] and [[Secular Student Alliance]] lean [[leftism|left]] politically.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9JKS-HBqms Atheist and humanist organizations are prioritizing left-leaning political views above all else]</ref>
According to [[Republican]] Atheists' President Lauren Ell, the leading [[atheist organizations]] such as [[American Atheists]], [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]] and [[Secular Student Alliance]] lean [[leftism|left]] politically.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9JKS-HBqms Atheist and humanist organizations are prioritizing left-leaning political views above all else]</ref>
== Political weakness of the secular left in the United States ==
See also: [[Political weakness of the secular left in the United States]]
John J. DiIulio, Jr., Professor of Politics, Religion, and Civil Society at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in the Claremont Review of Books about the [[political weakness of the secular left in the United States]]:
{{Cquote|I would bet against traditional Democratic base voters getting steamrolled by Secularists, and I would bet the house on Americans remaining a predominantly religious people for decades to come. First, as Campbell, Layman, and Green note, “nonbelief in God” remains “a political nonstarter” in both parties. Indeed, the most loyal Democratic base constituency is black Americans, 97% of whom “believe in God or a higher power,” according to a March 2021 Pew report. So do 97% of all religiously affiliated adults and 72% of all religiously unaffiliated adults. Even major tragedies steeped in partisan politics do not shake most Americans’ faith. For example, a Pew report released in January 2021 indicated that, by a 7 to 1 margin, Americans who say their own faith has been strengthened as a result of the coronavirus outbreak (28%) outnumber those who say it has made their faith weaker (4%).
Second, the authors speculate about the “birth of a Secular Left analogous to the Religious Right,” but they have “reason to think that secularism will remain inchoate and thus politically ineffectual.” Amen, but only if the Democratic Party’s faith-friendly majority pushes back. In 2008, I joined clergy and other leaders, including other “pro-life, pro-family, and pro-poor” Democrats, as a speaker at the 2008 Democratic National Convention’s “Faith Caucus.” The ballroom was so full of people and energy that it scared the hell out of the convention’s anti-religious zealots. Unfortunately, those zealots currently hold sway in the party, and they made sure nothing similar happened again in 2012, 2016, or 2020. They also scrubbed all talk of God from the party’s platforms. But look for 2024 to be a year when the party’s more moderate and religious constituents have their say, show up, and pray out loud.
Third, America’s religious individuals and institutions are enormously civic-minded in ways that tangibly benefit people of all faiths and none. In a 2001 report titled Better Together, I joined Harvard University’s Robert D. Putnam in documenting how the nation’s churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based organizations “build and sustain more social capital…than any other type of institutions in America,” whether “measured by association memberships, philanthropy, or volunteering.” In stark contrast, as Secular Surge notes, Secularists and their organizations “specialize in politics”—in fact, Secularists do so little by way of “nonpolitical engagement” that the authors are obliged to caution against damning them as “civic deadbeats.”<ref>[https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/from-nuns-to-nones/ ''From Nuns to Nones: Americans will remain a religious people for decades to come.''] by John J. DiIulio, Claremont Review of Books, Fall of 2021</ref>}}
== Secular left vs. secular right ==
== Secular left vs. secular right ==
See: [[Western atheism, schisms and political polarization]] and [[SJW atheists|Social justice warrior atheists]]
See: [[Western atheism, schisms and political polarization]] and [[SJW atheists|Social justice warrior atheists]]
With the [[atheist population]] the [[secular right]] has been growing and this is partly due to the growth of the [[alt-right]] movement (see also: [[Atheism and the alt-right]]).
With the [[atheist population]] the [[secular right]] has been growing (See: [[Secular right]]).
This has contributed to infighting within the [[atheist movement]] (see: [[Western atheism, schisms and political polarization]] and [[Atheist factions]]).
This has contributed to infighting within the [[atheist movement]] (see: [[Western atheism, schisms and political polarization]] and [[Atheist factions]]).
*[http://www.albertmohler.com/2015/04/07/this-is-how-religious-liberty-dies-the-new-rules-of-the-secular-left/ https://www.sonshi.com/martin-van-creveld-interview.html Martin van Creveld interview]
*[http://www.albertmohler.com/2015/04/07/this-is-how-religious-liberty-dies-the-new-rules-of-the-secular-left/ https://www.sonshi.com/martin-van-creveld-interview.html Martin van Creveld interview]
*[http://www.albertmohler.com/2015/04/07/this-is-how-religious-liberty-dies-the-new-rules-of-the-secular-left/ The New Rules of the Secular Left] by [[Albert Mohler]], Jr.</ref>
*[http://www.albertmohler.com/2015/04/07/this-is-how-religious-liberty-dies-the-new-rules-of-the-secular-left/ The New Rules of the Secular Left] by [[Albert Mohler]], Jr.</ref>
Professor [[Eric Kaufmann]] says about a graph showing the correlation between the projected growth of the Muslim propulation and the rise of right-wing nationalism in a country:
{{Cquote|Figure 1 shows an important relationship between projected Muslim population share in 2030 and support for the populist right across 16 countries in Western Europe. Having worked with IIASA World Population Program researchers who generated cohort-component projections of Europe’s Muslim population for Pew in 2011, I am confident their projections are the most accurate and rigorous available. I put this together with election and polling data for the main West European populist right parties using the highest vote share or polling result I could find. Note the striking 78 percent correlation (R2 of .61) between projected Muslim share in 2030, a measure of both the level and rate of change of the Muslim population, and the best national result each country’s populist right has attained."<ref>[https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/03/18/why-the-fear-of-islamization-is-driving-populist-right-support-and-what-to-do-about-it/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Europp+%28EUROPP+-+European+Politics+and+Policy+at+LSE%29 Why the fear of Islamization is driving populist right support – and what to do about it], Eric Kaufmann</ref>}}
Samuel P. Huntington's thesis on the ''The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order'' keeps getting vindicated.
In the United States, the secular left has lost significant ground in the culture war relating to [[abortion]] and many states are restricting access to abortion.
In the United States, the secular left has lost significant ground in the culture war relating to [[abortion]] and many states are restricting access to abortion.
In 2010, Kaufmann reported that the rate of secularisation flattened to zero in most of Protestant Europe and France.<ref>[http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/shall_the_religious_inherit_the_earth/ Shall the religious inherit the earth]</ref>
In 2010, Kaufmann reported that the rate of secularisation flattened to zero in most of Protestant Europe and France.<ref>[http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/shall_the_religious_inherit_the_earth/ Shall the religious inherit the earth]</ref>
== Secular left and Donald Trump's election ==
== Secular left and Donald Trump's election ==