Difference between revisions of "Distrust of atheists"

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[[File:Sam Harris 01.jpg|thumbnail|260px|right|The [[New Atheism|new atheist]] [[Sam Harris]] said concerning the label of [[Atheism|atheist]], "It's right next to child molester as a designation."(see also: [[Views on atheists]])<ref name="Harris">Roberts, Jessica, et al. (June 19, 2007).  [http://news21.com/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist "Interview with an atheist"].  News21.  Retrieved on July 30, 2014.</ref><ref name="NEWSWEEK Poll: 90% Believe in God">[http://www.newsweek.com/newsweek-poll-90-believe-god-97611 NEWSWEEK Poll: 90% Believe in God], ''Newsweek'' 2007</ref>]]
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[[File:Sam Harris 01.jpg|thumbnail|260px|right|The [[New Atheism|new atheist]] [[Sam Harris]] said concerning the label of [[Atheism|atheist]], "It's right next to child molester as a designation."(see also: [[Views on atheists]])<ref name="NEWSWEEK Poll: 90% Believe in God">[http://www.newsweek.com/newsweek-poll-90-believe-god-97611 NEWSWEEK Poll: 90% Believe in God], ''Newsweek'' 2007</ref><ref name="Harris">Roberts, Jessica, et al. (June 19, 2007).  [http://news21.com/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist "Interview with an atheist"].  News21.  Retrieved on July 30, 2014.</ref>]]
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Concerning '''distrusts of atheists''', sociological research indicates that atheists are widely distrusted in both religious cultures and nonreligious cultures.<ref name="USATodayviewsonatheists">[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-10/religion-atheism/51777612/1 Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists]</ref><ref name="CPviewsonatheists">[http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheists-widely-distrusted-even-among-themselves-culturally-ingrained-uk-study-finds-160480/ Atheists Widely Distrusted, Even Among Themselves, UK Study Finds], Christian Post, 2015</ref><ref name="Independentviewsonatheists">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/anti-atheist-distrust-deeply-and-culturally-ingrained-study-finds-a6952276.html Anti-atheist distrust ‘deeply and culturally ingrained’, study finds], ''The Independent'', 2015</ref><ref>Edgell, Gerteis & Hartmann 2006</ref>  According to a study published in the ''International Journal for The Psychology of Religion'': "anti-atheist prejudice is not confined either to dominantly religious countries or to religious individuals, but rather appears to be a robust judgment about atheists."<ref name="Independentviewsonatheists"/> The study found that many atheists do not trust other atheists as well.<ref name="Independentviewsonatheists"/>
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Concerning '''distrust of atheists''', sociological research indicates that atheists are widely distrusted in both religious cultures and nonreligious cultures.<ref name="USATodayviewsonatheists">[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-10/religion-atheism/51777612/1 Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists]</ref><ref name="CPviewsonatheists">[http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheists-widely-distrusted-even-among-themselves-culturally-ingrained-uk-study-finds-160480/ Atheists Widely Distrusted, Even Among Themselves, UK Study Finds], Christian Post, 2015</ref><ref name="Independentviewsonatheists">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/anti-atheist-distrust-deeply-and-culturally-ingrained-study-finds-a6952276.html Anti-atheist distrust ‘deeply and culturally ingrained’, study finds], ''The Independent'', 2015</ref><ref>Edgell, Gerteis & Hartmann 2006</ref>  According to a study published in the ''International Journal for The Psychology of Religion'': "anti-atheist prejudice is not confined either to dominantly religious countries or to religious individuals, but rather appears to be a robust judgment about atheists."<ref name="Independentviewsonatheists"/> The study found that many atheists do not trust other atheists as well.<ref name="Independentviewsonatheists"/>
  
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Furthermore, atheism is often associated with immorality (see: [[Atheism and morality]]). In addition, historically atheists have frequently behaved in an immoral manner (see: [[Atheist population and immorality]]) and have committed capital crimes (see: [[Atheism and Mass Murder]] and [[List of atheist shooters and serial killers]]).   
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The [[New Atheism|new atheist]] [[Sam Harris]] said concerning the label of [[Atheism|atheist]], "It's right next to child molester as a designation."(see also: [[Views on atheists]])<ref name="NEWSWEEK Poll: 90% Believe in God">[http://www.newsweek.com/newsweek-poll-90-believe-god-97611 NEWSWEEK Poll: 90% Believe in God], ''Newsweek'' 2007</ref><ref name="Harris">Roberts, Jessica, et al. (June 19, 2007).  [http://news21.com/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist "Interview with an atheist"].  News21.  Retrieved on July 30, 2014.</ref>
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Furthermore, atheism is often associated with immorality (see: [[Atheism and morality]]). In addition, historically atheists have frequently behaved in an immoral manner (see: [[Atheist population and immorality]]) and various atheists have committed capital crimes (see: [[Atheism and Mass Murder]] and [[List of atheist shooters and serial killers]]).   
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A Quartz website article indicates:
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{{Cquote|Evidence suggests that [https://theconversation.com/religiosity-about-reproduction-more-than-cooperation-18935 religion and sexual behavior are often linked]. Many major religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and some traditional religions, promote lifestyles emphasizing fidelity and underscoring the importance of caring for one’s family. And a large body of research suggests that such religions may be especially attractive to people who value such commitments—perhaps precisely because those religions help to reinforce their own lifestyle choices...
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Still, knowing the perceived connection between faith and sexual commitment, we suspected that people may see atheists, relative to believers, as less likely to endorse values like monogamy and caring for one’s family—values associated with being sexually committed.
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In such people’s minds, sexually uncommitted behavior is linked to several other traits and social behavior, such as opportunism and being impulsive—traits that hardly inspire trust
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<ref>[https://qz.com/1776715/research-shows-atheists-are-trusted-less-than-religious-people/ Intense prejudice exists against atheists in the US] by By Jaimie Arona Krems & Jordan W. Moon, December 28, 2019, Quartz website</ref>}}
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Various atheists have attempted to change the public's perception of atheism and atheists, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful (see: [[Attempts to positively rebrand atheism]]).
  
 
== Science journal article in Nature on distrusts of atheism in countries ==
 
== Science journal article in Nature on distrusts of atheism in countries ==
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[[Vox Day|Theodore Beale]] says about atheists not trusting other atheists: "The reason most atheists trust fellow atheists less than anyone else is because they recognize their own lack of integrity and morality."<ref>[http://voxday.blogspot.com/2016/06/fun-with-atheists.html Fun with atheists], Theodore Beale/Vox Day</ref>
 
[[Vox Day|Theodore Beale]] says about atheists not trusting other atheists: "The reason most atheists trust fellow atheists less than anyone else is because they recognize their own lack of integrity and morality."<ref>[http://voxday.blogspot.com/2016/06/fun-with-atheists.html Fun with atheists], Theodore Beale/Vox Day</ref>
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== University of Minnesota study indicates that American dislike of atheists grew ==
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A 2016 press release of a University of Minnesota study on atheists reported:
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{{Cquote|Survey data collected in 2014 shows that, compared to data collected in 2003, Americans have sharpened their negative views of atheists...
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The findings of this most recent survey support the argument that atheists are persistent cultural outsiders in the United States because they are perceived to have rejected cultural values and practices understood as essential to private morality, civic virtue, and national identity. Moreover, any refusal to embrace a religious identity of any type is troubling for a large portion of Americans.<ref>[http://cla.umn.edu/news-events/news/atheists-remain-most-disliked-religious-minority-us Atheists Remain Most Disliked Religious Minority in the US]</ref>}}
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The atheist Dan Arel reported:
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{{Cquote|In 2014, [http://www.alternet.org/belief/major-study-americas-overwhelming-mean-streak-toward-atheists-and-muslims Pew Research found that atheists ranked down at the bottom of the list], only 1 point above Muslims as the least trusted religious demographic in the United States...
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Now, according to a [http://sf.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/08/17/sf.sow063.abstract new study released by University of Minnesota sociologists] shows that today, atheists are the most disliked.
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The study compared a previous 2003 study with the new study, originally conducted in 2014, and found that Americans have only sharpened their dislike for atheists and religious nones.<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2016/09/study-atheists-remain-the-most-disliked-religious-minority-in-the-u-s/ Study: Atheists remain the most disliked religious minority in the U.S.]</ref>}}
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According the American atheist author Kevin Davis, atheism has an "unshakeable stigma".<ref>[http://www.peacock-panache.com/2016/11/lifetree-meeting-atheism-26370.html An Atheist Walks into a Christian Meeting about Atheism] by Kevin Davis</ref>
  
 
== 2011 poll: Americans and Canadians distrust atheists as much as rapists ==
 
== 2011 poll: Americans and Canadians distrust atheists as much as rapists ==
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''See also:'' [[Atheism and rape]] and [[Atheism and social outcasts]] and [[American atheism]] and [[Canada and irreligion]]
 
''See also:'' [[Atheism and rape]] and [[Atheism and social outcasts]] and [[American atheism]] and [[Canada and irreligion]]
 
[[File:Women.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|Studies and web traffic data appear to indicate that women in the Western World tend to be more religious than men.<ref>Multiple references:
 
[[File:Women.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|Studies and web traffic data appear to indicate that women in the Western World tend to be more religious than men.<ref>Multiple references:
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*Kosmin, Barry A., et al. (2008).  [http://web.archive.org/web/20110904110346/http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf "American nones:  Profile of the no religion population"].  American Religion Survey website [Trinity College, Hartford, CT].  Retrieved from Internet Archive.
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*Kosmin, Barry A., et al. (2008).  [https://web.archive.org/web/20110904110346/http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf "American nones:  Profile of the no religion population"].  American Religion Survey website [Trinity College, Hartford, CT].  Retrieved from Internet Archive.
 
*Britt, Robert Roy (February 28, 2009).  [http://www.livescience.com/7689-women-religious-men.html "Women more religious than men"].  Live Science website.</ref> See: [[Atheism and women]] ]]  
 
*Britt, Robert Roy (February 28, 2009).  [http://www.livescience.com/7689-women-religious-men.html "Women more religious than men"].  Live Science website.</ref> See: [[Atheism and women]] ]]  
 
On December 10, 2011, USA Today reported in a story entitled ''Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists'':
 
On December 10, 2011, USA Today reported in a story entitled ''Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists'':
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The [[Barna Group]] found that atheists and [[agnostics]] in America were more likely, than [[theist]]s in America, to look upon the following behaviors as morally acceptable:  illegal drug use; excessive drinking; sexual relationships outside of marriage; [[abortion]]; cohabitating with someone of opposite sex outside of marriage; obscene language; gambling; [[pornography]] and obscene sexual behavior; and engaging in [[homosexuality]]/bisexuality.<ref>[https://www.barna.org/component/content/article/5-barna-update/45-barna-update-sp-657/58-practical-outcomes-replace-biblical-principles-as-the-moral-standard#.VumtJuYvK1s Practical outcomes replace biblical principles as the moral standard], Barna Group</ref>  
 
The [[Barna Group]] found that atheists and [[agnostics]] in America were more likely, than [[theist]]s in America, to look upon the following behaviors as morally acceptable:  illegal drug use; excessive drinking; sexual relationships outside of marriage; [[abortion]]; cohabitating with someone of opposite sex outside of marriage; obscene language; gambling; [[pornography]] and obscene sexual behavior; and engaging in [[homosexuality]]/bisexuality.<ref>[https://www.barna.org/component/content/article/5-barna-update/45-barna-update-sp-657/58-practical-outcomes-replace-biblical-principles-as-the-moral-standard#.VumtJuYvK1s Practical outcomes replace biblical principles as the moral standard], Barna Group</ref>  
  
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Given the [[Homosexuality and Health|many diseases associated with homosexuality]], the [[Bible|biblical]] prohibition against homosexuality is quite arguably one of the  many examples where the Bible exhibited [http://creationwiki.org/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge knowledge that was ahead of its time].  See also: [[Atheism and sexual immorality]]  
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Given the [[Homosexuality and health|many diseases associated with homosexuality]], the [[Bible|biblical]] prohibition against homosexuality is quite arguably one of the  many examples where the Bible exhibited [http://creationwiki.org/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge knowledge that was ahead of its time].  See also: [[Atheism and sexual immorality articles|Atheism and sexual immorality]]  
  
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== Atheism and historical revisionism ==
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== Nordic Psychology journal article on public's perception of atheists ==
  
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''See also:'' [[Atheism and historical revisionism]]
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The abstract for the 2016 journal article entitled ''Atheism and how it is perceived: Manipulation of, bias against and ways to reduce the bias'' which was published in the journal ''Nordic Psychology'' indicates: "...atheists are distrusted, elicit disgust and are viewed as immoral both explicitly and implicitly".<ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290472191_Atheism_and_how_it_is_perceived_Manipulation_of_bias_against_and_ways_to_reduce_the_bias Atheism and how it is perceived: Manipulation of, bias against and ways to reduce the bias] by Gerhard Andersson, ''Nordic Psychology'' 68(3):1-10 · January 2016,
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DOI: 10.1080/19012276.2015.1125304</ref>
  
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[[File: Voroshilov, Molotov, Stalin, with Nikolai Yezhov.jpg|right|225px]]
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== Atheism and historical revisionism ==
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[[File: The Commissar Vanishes 2.jpg|thumbnail|right|220px|Nikolai Yezhov walking with [[Joseph Stalin]] in the top photo taken in the mid 1930s. Subsequent to his execution in 1940, Yezhov was edited out of the photo by [[Soviet Union]] censors.<ref>[http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/commissar_vanishes/vanishes.htm The Commissar Vanishes]</ref>]]
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Historically and presently, most [[atheism|atheists]] lean [[leftism|politically left]] (See: [[Atheism and politics]]).
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[[Vox Day|Theodore Beale]] wrote about [[secular left]]ists and leftists in general:
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See: [[Atheism and historical revisionism]]
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{{cquote|Regardless of whether it is...[[Richard Dawkins]], [[PZ Myers]], or the vast and [[Lesbianism and obesity|corpulent mass]] of [[feminism|feminists]], the Left has an observable tendency to shun debate.  They assert many different reasons for doing so, but the truth is always revealed by their seemingly contradictory willingness to debate the incompetent and the overmatched....
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One of the things that has been interesting to observe over time is the way that the heated attacks on me, both in public and via email, have all but disappeared even though my overall readership has never been larger.  Why is this?  My theory is this is because most of my critics, be they atheists, feminists, [[evolution]]ists, or free traders, have learned they simply cannot win in a direct confrontation.  They can't openly criticize my ideas because they have learned, much to their surprise, that they cannot adequately defend their own.
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As [[Aristotle]] pointed out more than two thousand years ago, even at the rhetorical level, the side more closely approximates the truth will tend to win out, because it is easier to argue when your arguments are based on truth rather than falsehood.  Events will always ultimately prove the arguments of the [[global warming|global warmers]], the godless, the female supremacists, the [[socialism|socialists]], the [[Keynesian economics|Keynesians]], and the monetarists to be false because their ideas are false.  This is why a good memory is one of the most lethal weapons against them and why it is so easy to win debates against them, as given enough time, they are going to contradict themselves.
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Why?  Because they have no choice.  Being false, their positions have to be dynamic, which means they can never hope for any significant degree of consistency.  This is why ex post facto revision and double-talk are the hallmarks of the Left, and is why the first thing Leftists do when they are in a position of power is to erase history and attempt to silence any voices capable of calling attention to their fictions and contradictions.<ref>[http://voxday.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-distaste-for-debate.html The distaste for debate], Theodore Beale</ref>}}
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See also:
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*[[Atheism and cowardice]]
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*[[Instances of Richard Dawkins ducking debates]]
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*[[Atheism and debate]]
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*[[Rebuttals to atheist arguments]]
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*[[Atheist hypocrisy]]
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=== Soviet Union and historical revisionism ===
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In terms of academic and popular history, the Communist Party of the [[Soviet Union]] (CPSU) often engaged in [[historical revisionism]] via their control of political/ideological public discourse (media, education, etc.) and via the monitoring/silencing/imprisonment/persecution of citizens through the [[KGB]].<ref>Klaus Mehnert, Stalin Versus Marx: the Stalinist historical doctrine (Translation of Weltrevolution durch Weltgeschichte) Port Washington NY: Kennikat Press 1972 (1952), on the illegitimate use of history in the 1934–1952 period</ref> 
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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>
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=== Richard Dawkins, atheist atrocities, and historical revisionism ===
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[[File:Richard Dawkins at Global Atheism Convention.jpg|alt=Richard Dawkins|thumbnail|200px|left|[[Richard Dawkins]] ]]
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''See also:'' [[Richard Dawkins, atheist atrocities, and historical revisionism]] and [[Atheism and communism]]
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[[Militant atheism]] was a part of [[Communism|communist]] ideology and this is still the case in communist China (See: [[Atheism and communism]]).  For example, in 2014, the Communist Party of China reaffirmed that members of their party must be atheists.<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], ''New American'', 2014</ref><ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/02/china-communist-party-atheism-zhejiang-ban-religious-members-christianity_n_6599722.html China's Communist Party Bans Believers, Doubles Down On Atheism]</ref>
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Dr.  R. J. Rummel, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Hawaii, is the scholar who first coined the term [[democide]] (death by government).  Dr. R. J. Rummel's mid estimate regarding the loss of life due to communism is that communism caused the death of approximately 110,286,000 people between 1917 and 1987.<ref>http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM</ref>  See also: [[Atheism and Mass Murder|Atheism and mass murder]]
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[[Dinesh D'Souza]] took [[Richard Dawkins]] to task for engaging in historical revisionism when it comes to the atrocities of [[atheism|atheist]] regimes and declared Dawkins "reveals a complete ignorance of history".[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmrRC6zD4Zk VIDEO].
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In a recent interview D'Souza declared:
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{{cquote|Richard Dawkins argues that at least the atheist regimes didn't kill people in the name of atheism. Isn't it time for this biologist to get out of the lab and read a little history? Marxism and [[Communism]] were atheist ideologies. [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] and [[Mao Zedong|Mao]] weren't dictators who happened to be atheist; atheism was part of their official doctrine.
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It was no accident, as the Marxists liked to say, that they shut down the churches and persecuted the clergy...<ref>http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1053&Itemid=48</ref>}} 
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See also:
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*[[Atheists and historical illiteracy]]
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*[[History of Atheism|History of atheism]]
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Dinesh D'Souza stated in another interview:
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{{cquote|As one writer put it, “Leaders such as Stalin and Mao persecuted religious groups, not in a bid to expand atheism, but as a way of focusing people’s hatred on those groups to consolidate their own power.” Of course I agree that murderous regimes, whether [[Christian]] or atheist, are generally seeking to strengthen their position. But if Christian regimes are held responsible for their crimes committed in the name of Christianity, then atheist regimes should be held accountable for their crimes committed in the name of atheism. And who can deny that Stalin and Mao, not to mention [[Pol Pot]] and a host of others, all committed atrocities in the name of a Communist ideology that was explicitly atheistic? Who can dispute that they did their bloody deeds by claiming to be establishing a “new man” and a religion-free utopia? These were mass murders performed with atheism as a central part of their ideological inspiration, they were not mass murders done by people who simply happened to be atheist.<ref>http://www.churchinhistory.org/pages/atheism/805-answering-atheists-regarding-war.htm</ref>}}
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[[Image:Khvhkgfiy.jpg|right|thumb|[[Vladimir Lenin]] ]]
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[[Karl Marx]] said "[Religion] is the opium of the people".  Marx also stated: "[[Communism]] begins from the outset (Owen) with atheism; but atheism is at first far from being communism; indeed, that atheism is still mostly an abstraction."<ref>http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/comm.htm</ref>
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[[Vladimir Lenin]] similarly wrote regarding atheism and communism: "A Marxist must be a [[materialism|materialist]], i. e., an enemy of religion, but a dialectical materialist, i. e., one who treats the struggle against religion not in an abstract way, not on the basis of remote, purely theoretical, never varying preaching, but in a concrete way, on the basis of the [[class struggle]] which is going on in practice and is educating the masses more and better than anything else could."<ref>http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1909/may/13.htm</ref>
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In 1955, [[China|Chinese]] communist leader Zhou Enlai declared, "We Communists are atheists".<ref>Noebel, David, The Battle for Truth, Harvest House, 2001.</ref>
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=== Atheist Daniel Dennet's commentary on Joseph Stalin ===
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The new atheist [[Daniel Dennett]] attempted to minimize the atheism of the [[Militant atheism|militant atheist]] Joseph Stalin.  Dennett said, “ …it occurred to me—let’s think about Stalin for a moment. Was he an atheist? You might say well of course he was an atheist. No, on the contrary. In a certain sense, he wasn’t an atheist at all. He believed in god. Not only that, he believe in a god whose will determined what right and wrong was. And he was sure of the existence of this god, and the god’s name was Stalin.”<ref>[http://creation.com/atheism Atheism]</ref>
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=== Atheist historical revisionism about the birth of modern science ===
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[[Image:Bacon5.jpg|thumb|right|175px|In his essay ''Of Atheism'' Sir [[Francis Bacon]] wrote: "I had rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the [[Talmud]], and the [[Koran|Alcoran (Koran)]], than that this universal frame is without a mind."<ref>Bacon, Francis, [http://www.authorama.com/essays-of-francis-bacon-17.html Of Atheism]</ref>  ]]
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A notable fact in relation to [[Christianity and science]] is that the [[Scientific revolution|birth of modern science]] occurred in the geographic area of [[Christianity|Christianized]] [[Europe]].<ref>http://www.ldolphin.org/bumbulis/#anchor5343749</ref>  Christians awed by the grandeur of [[God]]'s creative work have long striven to understand His creativity through [[Science|scientific]] study.
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[[Sociology|Sociologist]] [[Rodney Stark]] investigated the individuals who made the most significant scientific contributions between 1543 and 1680 A.D., the time of the Scientific Revolution.
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In Stark's list of 52 top scientific contributors,<ref name="Origins">Williams, Alex,[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1581/ The biblical origins of science], ''Journal of Creation'' 18(2):49–52, August 2004.</ref> only one ([[Edmund Halley]]) was a skeptic and another ([[Paracelsus]]) was a [[pantheism|pantheist]].
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The other 50 were Christians, 30 of whom could be characterized as being devout Christians.<ref name="Origins" />
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Stark believes that the [[Enlightenment]] was a ploy by [[Militant atheism|militant atheists]] to claim credit for the rise of science.<ref name="goliath.ecnext.com">http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3274629/False-conflict-Christianity-is-not.html</ref>
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In ''False conflict: Christianity is not only compatible with Science - it created it''. Stark writes:
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{{cquote|Recent historical research has debunked the idea of a "Dark Ages" after the "fall" of [[Roman Empire|Rome]]. In fact, this was an era of profound and rapid technological progress, by the end of which Europe had surpassed the rest of the world. Moreover, the so-called "Scientific Revolution" of the sixteenth century was a result of developments begun by religious scholars starting in the eleventh century. In my own academic research I have asked why these religious scholastics were interested in science at all. Why did science develop in Europe at this time? Why did it not develop anywhere else? I find answers to those questions in unique features of Christian [[theology]].
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Even in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the leading scientific figures were overwhelmingly devout Christians who believed it their duty to comprehend God's handiwork. My studies show that the "Enlightenment" was conceived initially as a propaganda ploy by militant atheists attempting to claim credit for the rise of science. The falsehood that science required the defeat of religion was proclaimed by self-appointed cheerleaders like [[Voltaire]], [[Denis Diderot|Diderot]], and [[Edward Gibbon|Gibbon]], who themselves played no part in the scientific enterprise......<ref name="goliath.ecnext.com">http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3274629/False-conflict-Christianity-is-not.html</ref>}}
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There is abundant amount of historical evidence which demonstrates a causal relationship between the Christian world of ideas and the rise of modern science.<ref name="streetapologist.wordpress.com">[https://streetapologist.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/the-history-of-science-vs-historical-revisionism/ THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE vs. HISTORICAL REVISIONISM]</ref><ref>[http://www.ldolphin.org/bumbulis/#anchor5343749 Christianity and the birth of modern science]</ref>
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Professor [[Eric Kaufmann]], who specializes in demography and politics (and is an agnostic), wrote:
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{{cquote|Worldwide, the [[Desecularization|march of religion]] can probably only be reversed by a renewed, self-aware secularism. Today, it appears exhausted and lacking in confidence... Secularism's greatest triumphs owe less to science than to popular social movements like nationalism, socialism and 1960s anarchist-liberalism. Ironically, secularism's demographic deficit means that it will probably only succeed in the twenty-first century if it can create a secular form of 'religious' enthusiasm." <ref>[http://www.sneps.net/uploadsepk/JQR%20Demography.pdf Shall the religious inherit the earth? - Eric Kaufmann]</ref>}}
+
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+
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Internet atheists frequently engage in historical revisionism as far as the rise of modern science in Christianized Europe.<ref name="streetapologist.wordpress.com"/>
+
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+
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For more information, please see: [[Christianity and science]]
+
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+
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=== North Korea and the start of the Korean War ===
+
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+
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Since the beginning of the Korean War (1950–53), the communist government of North Korea, which practices [[state atheism]],<ref>Elizabeth Raum. North Korea. Series: Countries Around the World. Heinemann, 2012. ISBN 1432961330. p. 28: "North Korea is an atheist state. This means that people do not pray in public or attend places of worship. Buddhist temples exist from earlier times. They are now preserved as historic buildings, but they are not used for worship. A few Christian churches exist, but few people attend services. North Koreans do not celebrate religious holidays"</ref> has repeatedly falsely denied that the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched the attack which began the war.
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+
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=== Evolutionary pseudoscience and historical revisionism ===
+
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+
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Since [[World War II]] a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the [[evolution]]ary position which employs methodological naturalism have been atheists and [[agnosticism|agnostics]].<ref>
+
−
* Dr. Don Batten, [http://creation.com/a-whos-who-of-evolutionists A ''Who’s Who'' of evolutionists] ''Creation'' 20(1):32, December 1997.
+
−
* [[Jonathan Sarfati]], Ph.D.,F.M., [http://www.creation.com/content/view/3830 ''Refuting Evolution'', Chapter 1, Facts and Bias]
+
−
</ref>
+
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+
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The [[creation]] vs. evolution issue is a matter which deals with historical science and not experimental science.<ref>[http://johnhartnett.org/2014/06/17/evolution-is-not-operational-science/ Evolution is not operational science]</ref>
+
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[[File:Ernst Mayr.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Ernst Mayr]] ]]
+
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The atheist [[Ernst Mayr]] was a [[Harvard]] biologist and served as director of Harvard's Museum of Comparative [[Zoology]] from 1961 to 1970.<ref>http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/bios/mayr.html</ref><ref>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/06/2/l_062_01.html</ref> Mayr was a prominent [[evolutionist]] and was referred to as "the [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]] of the 20th century".<ref>http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/daily/2005/02/04-mayr.html</ref>
+
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+
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Mayr wrote:
+
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{{cquote|Evolutionary biology, in contrast with physics and chemistry, is a historical science—the evolutionist attempts to explain events and processes that have already taken place.
+
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+
−
Laws and experiments are inappropriate techniques for the explication of such events and processes. Instead one constructs a historical narrative, consisting of a tentative reconstruction of the particular scenario that led to the events one is trying to explain.<ref>Ernst Mayr, Darwin’s Influence on Modern Thought, Lecture 1999, ScientificAmerican .com, 2009.</ref>}}
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+
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=== Evolution and fraud/speculation posing as fact  ===
+
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[[Image:Nebraska Man.jpg|thumb|alt=human evolution|150px|left|[[Nebraska man]] was made famous by Henry Osborn of the American Museum of Natural History. Nebraska man turned out to be nothing more than a single pig-like tooth.]]
+
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Evolution is a [[pseudoscience]] that engages in historical revisionism and often has speculation posing as historical fact (see: [[Evolution and Cases of Fraud, Hoaxes and Speculation]] and [[Atheism and deception]] and [[Evolution and just so stories]]). In January 2012, the  ''Journal of Research in Science Teaching'' published a study indicating that evolutionary belief is significantly based on gut feelings.<ref>
+
−
*[http://www.livescience.com/18051-belief-evolution-gut-feeling.html Belief in Evolution Boils Down to a Gut Feeling]
+
−
*[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tea.20449/abstract Feeling of Certainty: Uncovering a Missing Link Between Knowledge and Acceptance of Evolution]</ref> See also: [[Causes of evolutionary belief]]
+
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+
−
A notable case of a scientists using fraudulent material to promote the theory of evolution was the work of German scientist and atheist [[Ernst Haeckel]]. Noted evolutionist and [[Stephen Gould]], who held a [[agnostic]] worldview<ref>http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2007/03/20/a-review-of-the-dawkins-delusion-by-alister-mcgrath/</ref> and promoted the notion of [[Non-Overlapping Magisteria|non-overlapping magesteria]], wrote the following regarding Ernst Haeckel's work in a March 2000 issue of ''Natural History'':
+
−
{{cquote|"Haeckel’s forceful, eminently comprehensible, if not always accurate, books appeared in all major languages and surely exerted more influence than the works of any other scientist, including Darwin…in convincing people throughout the world about the validity of evolution... Haeckel had exaggerated the similarities [between embryos of different species] by idealizations and omissions. He also, in some cases — in a procedure that can only be called fraudulent — simply copied the same figure over and over again.…Haeckel’s drawings never fooled expert embryologists, who recognized his fudgings right from the start. Haeckel’s drawings, despite their noted inaccuracies, entered into the most impenetrable and permanent of all quasi-scientific literatures: standard student textbooks of biology... Once ensconced in textbooks, misinformation becomes cocooned and effectively permanent, because…textbooks copy from previous texts.... [W]e do, I think, have the right to be both astonished and ashamed by the century of mindless recycling that has led to the persistence of these drawings in a large number, if not a majority, of modern textbooks!"<ref name="haeckel">[http://www.creationism.org/wakefield/haeckel.htm "Another Evolution Fraud Exposed"] - Creationism.org, INVESTIGATING GENESIS SERIES.</ref>}}
+
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+
−
An irony of history is that the March 9, 1907 edition of the [[NY Times]]  refers to Ernst Haeckel as the "celebrated Darwinian and founder of the Association for the Propagation of Ethical Atheism."<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03EFDD123EE033A2575AC0A9659C946697D6CF</ref>
+
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+
−
Stephen Gould continues by quoting Michael Richardson of the St. George’s Hospital Medical School in London, who stated: "I know of at least fifty recent biology texts which use the drawings uncritically".<ref name="haeckel" />
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+
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==== Paleoanthropology, speculation and intellectual dishonesty ====
+
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[[Image:piltdownman_quennell_1922.png|thumb|right|A rendering of "[[Piltdown Man]]", already entrenched in scientific literature in 1922.]]
+
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[[Paleoanthropology]] is an interdisciplinary branch of [[anthropology]] that concerns itself with the origins of early humans and it examines and evaluates items such as fossils and [[artifact]]s.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9058075/paleoanthropology Encyclopedia Britannica (online): Paleoanthropology]</ref>
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Dr. David Pilbeam is a paleoanthropologist who received his Ph.D. at [[Yale]] University and Dr. Pilbeam is presently Professor of Social Sciences at [[Harvard]] University and Curator of Paleontology at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. In addition, Dr. Pilbeam served as an advisor for the Kenya government regarding the creation of an international institute for the study of human origins.<ref>[[Answers in Genesis]], [http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i4/fossils.asp Those Fossils Are A Problem]</ref>
+
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+
−
Dr. Pilbeam wrote a review of Richard Leakey's book ''Origins'' in the journal ''American Scientist'':
+
−
{{cquote|...perhaps generations of students of human evolution, including myself, have been flailing about in the dark; that our data base is too sparse, too slippery, for it to be able to mold our theories. Rather the theories are more statements about us and ideology than about the past. Paleoanthropology reveals more about how humans view themselves than it does about how humans came about. But that is heresy.<ref name="thoughtsonEvo">Sean Pitman, M.D., [http://www.creationapologetics.org/refuting/quotes.html Thoughts on Evolution From Scientists and Other Intellectuals]</ref>}}
+
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+
−
Dr. Pilbeam wrote the following regarding the theory of evolution and paleoanthropology:
+
−
{{cquote|I am also aware of the fact that, at least in my own subject of paleoanthropology, "theory" - heavily influenced by implicit ideas almost always dominates "data". ....Ideas that are totally unrelated to actual fossils have dominated theory building, which in turn strongly influence the way fossils are interpreted.<ref name="thoughtsonEvo" />}}
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[[File:Paul gosselin.JPG|thumbnail|left|165px|The Canadian [[anthropology|anthropologist]] [[Paul Gosselin]] points out that evolution is a [[secular]] origins [[myth]].<ref>[http://www.samizdat.qc.ca/cosmos/origines/myth.htm Myths of Origin and the Theory of Evolution]</ref> See: [[Evolution as a secular origins myth]] ]]
+
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Evolutionist and Harvard professor [[Richard Lewontin]] wrote in 1995 that "Despite the excited and optimistic claims that have been made by some paleontologists, no fossil hominid species can be established as our direct ancestor...."<ref>Brad Harrub, Ph.D., Bert Thompson, Ph.D., and Eric Lyons, M.Min., [https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=9&article=153 ''Human Evolution and the “Record of the Rocks”'']</ref> In the September 2005 issue of [[National Geographic]], Joel Achenbach asserted that human evolution is a "fact" but he also candidly admitted that the field of paleoanthropology "has again become a rather glorious mess."<ref>Brad Harrub, Ph.D., [http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=126&article=1555 ''The “Glorious Mess” of Human Origins'']</ref><ref name="bonesrightplaces">[[National Geographic]] (online edition), Joel Achenbach, [http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0509/resources_who.html PALEOANTHROPOLOGY, Out of Africa, Are we looking for bones in all the right places?]</ref> In the same National Geographic article Harvard paleoanthropologist Dan Lieberman states, "We're not doing a very good job of being honest about what we don't know...".<ref name="bonesrightplaces" />
+
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+
−
Concerning pictures of the supposed ancestors of man featured in science journals and the news media Boyce Rensberger wrote in the journal ''Science'' the following regarding their highly speculative nature:
+
−
{{cquote|Unfortunately, the vast majority of artist's conceptions are based more on imagination than on evidence. But a handful of expert natural-history artists begin with the fossil bones of a hominid and work from there…. Much of the reconstruction, however, is guesswork. Bones say nothing about the fleshy parts of the nose, lips, or ears. Artists must create something between an ape and a human being; the older the specimen is said to be, the more apelike they make it.... Hairiness is a matter of pure conjecture.<ref>Frank Sherwin, M.A., [http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=823 "Human Evolution" An Update]</ref><ref>Bert Thompson, P.H.D. and Brad Harrub, P.H.D., [http://www.apologeticspress.org/pdfs/dc-02-safull.pdf 15 Answers to John Rennie and ''Scientific American's'' Nonsense]</ref>}}
+
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+
−
Creation scientists concur with Dr. Pilbeam regarding the speculative nature of the field of paleoanthropology and assert there is no compelling evidence in the field of paleoanthropology for the various theories of human evolution.<ref>
+
−
*[http://creation.com/anthropology-and-apemen-questions-and-answers Anthropology and Apeman Questions and Answers - Creation Ministries International]
+
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*[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/Anthropology.asp Anthropology and Apeman Questions and Answers - Answers in Genesis]
+
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*[http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/127 ''Human Evolution and the “Record of the Rocks”'']</ref>
+
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+
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==== Evolution and just so stories ====
+
−
[[File:Question-Evolution-Campaign.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|The [http://creation.com/question-evolution Question evolution! campaign] by [[Creation Ministries International]] is a worldwide campaign which poses 15 questions that evolutionists cannot satisfactorily answer.<ref>[http://creation.com/question-evolution Question evolution! campaign] by [[Creation Ministries International]]</ref> The 15 questions posed to evolutionists can be found [http://creation.com/15-questions HERE] ]]
+
−
The [[Question evolution! campaign]] poses 15 questions for [[evolution]]ists.<ref name="15 questions for evolutionists">[http://creation.com/15-questions 15 questions for evolutionists]</ref>
+
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+
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Question 12 is:
+
−
{{cquote|Why is evolutionary ‘just-so’ story-telling tolerated? Evolutionists often use flexible story-telling to ‘explain’ observations contrary to evolutionary theory. NAS (USA) member Dr Philip Skell wrote, “Darwinian explanations for such things are often too supple: Natural selection makes humans self-centered and aggressive—except when it makes them altruistic and peaceable. Or natural selection produces virile men who eagerly spread their seed—except when it prefers men who are faithful protectors and providers. When an explanation is so supple that it can explain any behavior, it is difficult to test it experimentally, much less use it as a catalyst for scientific discovery.”<ref name="15 questions for evolutionists">[http://creation.com/15-questions 15 questions for evolutionists]</ref>}}
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+
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For more information please see:
+
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+
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*[http://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j18_3/j18_3_17.pdf ‘Just-so’ stories of sex and family life]
+
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+
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*[http://creation.com/genesis-unleashed?page=1&fileID=YuKJPlWIP3o Video on Question 12]
+
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+
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*[http://creation.com/15-questions 15 questions for evolutionists]
+
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=== Richard Dawkins lost a debate to a rabbi and then denied the debate ever took place===
+
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''See also:'' [[Richard Dawkins and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach]] and [[Atheism and Debate]] and [[Atheism and cowardice]]
+
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[[Image:2402173645 c8e6168fe7.jpg|alt=Richard Dawkins|thumbnail|200px|right|Richard Dawkins]]
+
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The [[New Atheism|new atheist]] Richard Dawkins had a debate with Rabbi [[Shmuley Boteach]]. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach was named the London Times Preacher of the Year 2000 and is the author of 20 books.<ref name="beliefnet.com">http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Judaism/2008/05/Richard-Dawkins-Shameful-Attack.aspx</ref>
+
−
 
+
−
Recently Rabbi Shmuley Boteach wrote:
+
−
{{cquote|...Dawkins attacked me on his website and denied that he and I had ever debated. My office quickly posted the full footage of a two hour debate which took place on October 23, 1996, a debate which Dawkins actually lost after a vote taken by the students as to which side, science or religion, caused more students to change their minds. In my article on the subject responding to his attack I was extremely respectful of Dr. Dawkins and was therefore shocked to receive a letter in return in which he accused me of speaking like Hitler. Had the noted scientist lost his mind? Hitler? Was this for real?<ref name="beliefnet.com">http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Judaism/2008/05/Richard-Dawkins-Shameful-Attack.aspx</ref>}}
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+
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[[WorldNetDaily]] offers the following quotes of Rabbi Boteach about debate and the initial denial by Dawkins that the debate never took place:
+
−
{{cquote|That is a particularly bold untruth. Our debate, which took place at St. Catherine's College, Oxford on Oct. 23, 1996, attracted hundreds of students and featured, on the atheist side, Prof. Dawkins and chemistry Prof. Peter Atkins, and on the religion side, me and Prof. Keith Ward, Oxford's Regius Professor of Divinity. Student president Josh Wine was in the chair," the rabbi explained.
+
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+
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"In a vote at the end of the debate as to how many students had changed their minds after hearing the arguments, Dawkin's side was defeated and religion prevailed, which might account for his selective memory," he wrote.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=61565</ref>}}
+
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[[File:Shmuley Boteach.jpg|thumbnail|150px|left|Shmuley Boteach
+
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+
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<small>(see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RebShmuley.jpg license agreement])</small> ]]
+
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Rabbi Boteach reported at Beliefnet:
+
−
{{cquote|I also gave Dr. Dawkins the opportunity to even score by accepting a further debate, at the time and place of his choosing (within reason, of course), to which he has yet to respond.<ref name="beliefnet.com">http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Judaism/2008/05/Richard-Dawkins-Shameful-Attack.aspx</ref>}}
+
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+
−
A video of the debate that Dawkins lost to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is available at Rabbi Schely Boteach's website.
+
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+
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A supporter of the [[Question evolution campaign]] wrote:
+
−
{{cquote|We don't believe a word Richard Dawkins says and for good reason. For example, he claimed to have never debated Rabbi Schmuley Boteach, but then he had to admit a debate took place as it was videotaped. According to the student audience, the rabbi won the debate as he convinced more students of the validity of his position concerning the existence of God.
+
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+
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Furthermore, an angry and embarrassed Dawkins then claimed the rabbi shrieked like Adolf Hitler. Now tell me, how do you forget a debate with a rabbi who supposedly shrieks like Adolf Hitler? Obviously, Dawkins exposed himself for the clown and fraud he is.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/07/richard-dawkins-and-rabbi-shmuley.html Richard Dawkins and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach debate ]</ref>}}
+
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=== Richard Dawkins' historical revisionism about whether or not he was ever an atheist ===
+
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+
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Despite arguing for the position of militant atheism previously, the agnostic Richard Dawkins deceptively gave the Archbishop Dr. [[Rowan Williams]] the impression that he never was an atheist.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2105834/Career-atheist-Richard-Dawkins-admits-fact-agnostic.html 'I can't be sure God DOES NOT exist': World's most notorious atheist Richard Dawkins admits he is in fact agnostic], ''Daily Mail'', 24 February 2012</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfk7tW429E4 Richard Dawkins: I can't be sure God does not exist]</ref><ref>[http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkins_on_militant_atheism.html Richard Dawkins on militant atheism]</ref> 
+
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+
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Dawkins has exhibited a history of erratic behavior in terms of his public persona and whether or not he is an atheist or an agnostic (see: [[Richard Dawkins and agnosticism]] and [[Richard Dawkins and agnosticism#Publisher's notice of his upcoming book and the issue of inconsistency and flip-flopping|Richard Dawkins' Publisher's notice of his upcoming book and the issue of inconsistency and flip-flopping]]).
+
  
 
== Atheism and morality ==
 
== Atheism and morality ==
Line 288: Line 133:
  
 
* [[Atheism and culture]]
 
* [[Atheism and culture]]
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== Atheist nonprofit scandals ==
+
== Atheist organizations and scandals ==
  
−
See: [[Atheist nonprofit scandals]]
+
See: [[Atheist organizations and scandals]]
  
−
=== Atheism and theft crimes ===
+
== Atheism and theft crimes ==
  
 
See: [[Atheism and stealing|Atheism and theft crimes]]
 
See: [[Atheism and stealing|Atheism and theft crimes]]
 +
 +
== Atheist mass shooters and serial killers ==
 +
 +
*[[Atheist mass shooters]]
 +
 +
*[[List of atheist shooters and serial killers]]
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
 +
 +
*[[Stigma of atheism]]
  
 
*[[Desecularization and social conformity]]
 
*[[Desecularization and social conformity]]
 +
 +
*[[Atheists and unreasonableness]]
  
 
*[[Atheist indoctrination]]
 
*[[Atheist indoctrination]]
Line 305: Line 160:
  
 
*[[Atheism and Christmas]]
 
*[[Atheism and Christmas]]
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*[[Atheist stereotypes]]
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
  
−
*[http://examiningatheism.blogspot.com/2017/08/everyones-suspicious-of-atheists-even.html New study: So MANY people are suspicious of atheists — even other atheists]
 
−
*[http://theconversation.com/how-distrust-of-unbelievers-runs-deep-in-american-history-71776 How distrust of unbelievers runs deep in American history]
 
 
*[https://digest.bps.org.uk/2016/03/24/distrust-of-atheists-is-deeply-and-culturally-ingrained-even-among-atheists/ Distrust of atheists is "deeply and culturally ingrained" even among atheists], ''Research Digest''
 
*[https://digest.bps.org.uk/2016/03/24/distrust-of-atheists-is-deeply-and-culturally-ingrained-even-among-atheists/ Distrust of atheists is "deeply and culturally ingrained" even among atheists], ''Research Digest''
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*[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/09/12/a-decade-after-atheists-were-found-to-be-the-most-disliked-group-in-the-country-little-has-changed/ A Decade After Atheists Were Found to be the Most Disliked Group in the Country, Little Has Changed] by [[Hemant Mehta]]
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*[http://theconversation.com/how-distrust-of-unbelievers-runs-deep-in-american-history-71776 How distrust of unbelievers runs deep in American history]
−
*[http://www.salon.com/2014/07/21/the_numbers_are_in_america_still_distrusts_atheists_and_muslims_partner/ The numbers are in: America still distrusts atheists and Muslims], ''Salon''
+
*[https://www.salon.com/2014/07/21/the_numbers_are_in_america_still_distrusts_atheists_and_muslims_partner/ The numbers are in: America still distrusts atheists and Muslims], ''Salon''
−
*[http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/08/10/431205042/should-we-distrust-atheists Would Voters Entrust The White House To An Atheist?], NPR
+
*[https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/08/10/431205042/should-we-distrust-atheists Would Voters Entrust The White House To An Atheist?], NPR
 +
*[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22477103 Reminders of secular authority reduce believers' distrust of atheists], ''Psychological Science'', 2012
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==

Revision as of 16:55, January 2, 2020

The new atheist Sam Harris said concerning the label of atheist, "It's right next to child molester as a designation."(see also: Views on atheists)[1][2]

Concerning distrust of atheists, sociological research indicates that atheists are widely distrusted in both religious cultures and nonreligious cultures.[3][4][5][6] According to a study published in the International Journal for The Psychology of Religion: "anti-atheist prejudice is not confined either to dominantly religious countries or to religious individuals, but rather appears to be a robust judgment about atheists."[5] The study found that many atheists do not trust other atheists as well.[5]

The new atheist Sam Harris said concerning the label of atheist, "It's right next to child molester as a designation."(see also: Views on atheists)[1][2]

Furthermore, atheism is often associated with immorality (see: Atheism and morality). In addition, historically atheists have frequently behaved in an immoral manner (see: Atheist population and immorality) and various atheists have committed capital crimes (see: Atheism and Mass Murder and List of atheist shooters and serial killers).

A Quartz website article indicates:

“ Evidence suggests that religion and sexual behavior are often linked. Many major religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and some traditional religions, promote lifestyles emphasizing fidelity and underscoring the importance of caring for one’s family. And a large body of research suggests that such religions may be especially attractive to people who value such commitments—perhaps precisely because those religions help to reinforce their own lifestyle choices...

Still, knowing the perceived connection between faith and sexual commitment, we suspected that people may see atheists, relative to believers, as less likely to endorse values like monogamy and caring for one’s family—values associated with being sexually committed.

In such people’s minds, sexually uncommitted behavior is linked to several other traits and social behavior, such as opportunism and being impulsive—traits that hardly inspire trust [7]

”

Various atheists have attempted to change the public's perception of atheism and atheists, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful (see: Attempts to positively rebrand atheism).

Science journal article in Nature on distrusts of atheism in countries

The Special Broadcasting Service reported:

“ According to a new study published last week in Nature, people all over the world connect immorality with atheism. In fact, the moral prejudice against atheists is so strong that it holds even in countries like the Netherlands, where most people aren’t religious. Even atheists themselves, according to the study, are inclined to see nonbelievers as more wicked than the faithful.,..

“Entrenched moral suspicion of atheists suggests that religion’s powerful influence on moral judgements persists, even among non-believers in secular societies,” the authors wrote.

The study, led by University of Kentucky psychology professor Will Gervais, surveyed more than 3,000 people in 13 countries, including nations with Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, and non-religious majorities: Australia, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. As they had hypothesised, the researchers found a universal suspicion of atheist morality across all 13 countries. “People overall are roughly twice as likely to view extreme immorality as representative of atheists, relative to believers,” they wrote. “Consistent with predictions, extreme intuitive moral distrust of atheists is both globally evident and variable in its magnitude across countries.”

The association was somewhat stronger in more religious countries, but even in very secular countries in the study — Australia, China, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom — people were more likely to associate serial killing with atheism, although the gap was narrower. The survey also asked participants to describe their religious beliefs, which allowed the research team to determine that even atheists connected immoral acts to atheism more often than to religious belief.[8]

”

UK study finds atheists widely distrusted - even among themselves

See also: Views on atheists and Atheism and deception

In 2015, the Christian Post reported in a story entitled Atheists Widely Distrusted, Even Among Themselves, UK Study Finds:

“ Distrust of atheists is "deeply and culturally ingrained" among people, and even many atheists are not able to trust each other, according to a new study carried out by the psychology department at Nottingham Trent University in England.

Published in the International Journal for The Psychology of Religion, the study, "The Robustness of Anti-Atheist Prejudice as Measured by Way of Cognitive Errors," was conducted with 100 participants from the U.K. ....

The study shows that "anti-atheist prejudice is not confined either to dominantly religious countries or to religious individuals, but rather appears to be a robust judgment about atheists."[4]

”

The Independent reports about the participants of the study:

“ Professor Leah Giddings and Thomas Dunn led the study with 100 online participants from the United Kingdom, 70 of whom were women and whose average age was 21.

A total of 43 per cent of the contributors were atheist, 33 per cent were Christian and the remainder belonged to other faiths.[5]

”

Theodore Beale says about atheists not trusting other atheists: "The reason most atheists trust fellow atheists less than anyone else is because they recognize their own lack of integrity and morality."[9]

University of Minnesota study indicates that American dislike of atheists grew

A 2016 press release of a University of Minnesota study on atheists reported:

“ Survey data collected in 2014 shows that, compared to data collected in 2003, Americans have sharpened their negative views of atheists...

The findings of this most recent survey support the argument that atheists are persistent cultural outsiders in the United States because they are perceived to have rejected cultural values and practices understood as essential to private morality, civic virtue, and national identity. Moreover, any refusal to embrace a religious identity of any type is troubling for a large portion of Americans.[10]

”

The atheist Dan Arel reported:

“ In 2014, Pew Research found that atheists ranked down at the bottom of the list, only 1 point above Muslims as the least trusted religious demographic in the United States...

Now, according to a new study released by University of Minnesota sociologists shows that today, atheists are the most disliked.

The study compared a previous 2003 study with the new study, originally conducted in 2014, and found that Americans have only sharpened their dislike for atheists and religious nones.[11]

”

According the American atheist author Kevin Davis, atheism has an "unshakeable stigma".[12]

2011 poll: Americans and Canadians distrust atheists as much as rapists

See also: Atheism and rape and Atheism and social outcasts and American atheism and Canada and irreligion

Studies and web traffic data appear to indicate that women in the Western World tend to be more religious than men.[13] See: Atheism and women

On December 10, 2011, USA Today reported in a story entitled Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists:

“ The study, conducted among 350 Americans adults and 420 Canadian college students, asked participants to decide if a fictional driver damaged a parked car and left the scene, then found a wallet and took the money, was the driver more likely to be a teacher, an atheist teacher, or a rapist teacher?

The participants, who were from religious and nonreligious backgrounds, most often chose the atheist teacher.

The study is part of an attempt to understand what needs religion fulfills in people. Among the conclusions is a sense of trust in others.

"People find atheists very suspect," Shariff said. "They don't fear God so we should distrust them; they do not have the same moral obligations of others. This is a common refrain against atheists. People fear them as a group."[3]

”

See also:

2015 poll: Canadians' view of atheists

See also: Views on atheists

A 2015 poll of 3,041 Canadians conducted by Angus Reid Institute and Dr. Reginald Bibby of the University of Lethbridge found that 27% of Canadians had an unfavorable view of atheists while 27% of Canadians had an favorable view of atheists (the remainder were neutral).[14]

Barna Group studies related to atheism and morality

Barna Group study on behavior of atheists vs. evangelical Christians

Richard Deem wrote:

“ A random sample of 1003 adults were surveyed in May, 2008 by The Barna Group for their participation in a number of negative behaviors within the previous week. The results showed that there were vast differences in the behaviors of evangelicals compared to agnostics/atheists.

These results show that atheists/agnostics participate in morally questionable behaviors to a much greater degree than evangelical Christians - an average of nearly five times the frequency![15]

”

Barna Group study related to atheist beliefs about behaviors

The Barna Group found that atheists and agnostics in America were more likely, than theists in America, to look upon the following behaviors as morally acceptable: illegal drug use; excessive drinking; sexual relationships outside of marriage; abortion; cohabitating with someone of opposite sex outside of marriage; obscene language; gambling; pornography and obscene sexual behavior; and engaging in homosexuality/bisexuality.[16]

Given the many diseases associated with homosexuality, the biblical prohibition against homosexuality is quite arguably one of the many examples where the Bible exhibited knowledge that was ahead of its time. See also: Atheism and sexual immorality

Nordic Psychology journal article on public's perception of atheists

The abstract for the 2016 journal article entitled Atheism and how it is perceived: Manipulation of, bias against and ways to reduce the bias which was published in the journal Nordic Psychology indicates: "...atheists are distrusted, elicit disgust and are viewed as immoral both explicitly and implicitly".[17]

Atheism and historical revisionism

See: Atheism and historical revisionism

Atheism and morality

The perverse and cruel atheist Marquis de Sade in prison, 18th century line engraving.

See also: Atheism and morality

Not possessing a religious basis for morality, which can provide a basis for objective morality, atheists are fundamentally incapable of having a coherent system of morality.[18]

For example, atheists have been the biggest mass murderers in history (see: Atheism and mass murder). Dr. R. J. Rummel's mid estimate regarding the loss of life due to atheistic communism is that communism caused the death of approximately 110,286,000 people between 1917 and 1987.[19]

See also:

Atheist organizations and scandals

See: Atheist organizations and scandals

Atheism and theft crimes

See: Atheism and theft crimes

Atheist mass shooters and serial killers

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 NEWSWEEK Poll: 90% Believe in God, Newsweek 2007
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Roberts, Jessica, et al. (June 19, 2007). "Interview with an atheist". News21. Retrieved on July 30, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Atheists Widely Distrusted, Even Among Themselves, UK Study Finds, Christian Post, 2015
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Anti-atheist distrust ‘deeply and culturally ingrained’, study finds, The Independent, 2015
  6. ↑ Edgell, Gerteis & Hartmann 2006
  7. ↑ Intense prejudice exists against atheists in the US by By Jaimie Arona Krems & Jordan W. Moon, December 28, 2019, Quartz website
  8. ↑ Everyone’s suspicious of atheists — even other atheists, The Special Broadcasting Service, 2017
  9. ↑ Fun with atheists, Theodore Beale/Vox Day
  10. ↑ Atheists Remain Most Disliked Religious Minority in the US
  11. ↑ Study: Atheists remain the most disliked religious minority in the U.S.
  12. ↑ An Atheist Walks into a Christian Meeting about Atheism by Kevin Davis
  13. ↑ Multiple references:
  14. ↑ A God? That's complicated. Canadians hanging on to personal faith as organized religion declines: poll , National Post, 2015
  15. ↑ Atheism Doesn't Lead to Immoral Behavior - Or Does It? by Richard Deem
  16. ↑ Practical outcomes replace biblical principles as the moral standard, Barna Group
  17. ↑ Atheism and how it is perceived: Manipulation of, bias against and ways to reduce the bias by Gerhard Andersson, Nordic Psychology 68(3):1-10 · January 2016, DOI: 10.1080/19012276.2015.1125304
  18. ↑ Paul Copan
  19. ↑ Rummel, R. J. (November 1993). "How many did communist regimes murder?" University of Hawaii website; Freedom, Democracy, Peace; Power, Democide, and War. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
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