Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Bambi

2014-05-16T16:50:02Z

Bambifan:

'''Bambi''' is a character from a novel titled ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' (originally published as ''Bambi. Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde''), written by Austrian author Felix Salten in 1923. Bambi is a male roe deer.

[[Walt Disney]] adapted the novel in an animated movie, named after the character, that was released in 1942. The storyline follows Bambi from the time of his birth to the birth of his fawns.

Tinky Winky

[[Category:Novels]]
[[Category:Children's Literature]]
[[Category:Animated Movies]]
[[category:Walt Disney characters]]

Denmark

2014-05-16T16:48:45Z

Bambifan:

{{Country
|name =''Kongeriget Danmark''
|map =Denmark rel99.jpg
|map2 =Loc of Denmark.jpg
|flag =Flag of Denmark.png
|arms =Arms of Denmark.png
|capital =Copenhagen
|capital-raw =
|government =Parliamentary Democracy, Constitutional Monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =Danish
|king =
|queen =Margrethe II
|monarch-raw =
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Helle Thorning-Schmidt
|pm-raw =
|area =16,639 sq mi
|pop =5,475,791
|pop-basis =2008
|gdp =$198.5 billion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$46,600
|currency =Danish krone
|idd =
|tld =
}}
The '''Kingdom of Denmark''' is a [[Nordic]] country in [[Northern Europe]], located to the north of Germany, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway. The country consists of the northern part of the [[Jutland]] and several islands referred to as the Danish Archipelago. I just happen to be FROM Denmark and STILL hate this site, this country, and the religions of the world. HAPPY? ATEISME ER SUPER FEDT!!!!

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Like its [[Scandinavia]]n neighbours, Norway and Sweden, Denmark is well-known for its socially progressive and [[liberal]] culture. Its seat of government is located in the capital city, Copenhagen.

==Geography==
Denmark proper consists of the Jutland Peninsula plus many adjecent islands in the Baltic Sea.
*Area: 43,094 sq. km. (16,639 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than Vermont and New Hampshire combined.
*Cities: Capital--Copenhagen (pop. 0.5 million in Copenhagen and 1.1 million in the Copenhagen Region). Other cities--Arhus (293,510), Odense (185,206), Aalborg (163,231).
*Terrain: Low and flat or slightly rolling; highest elevation is 173 m. (568 ft.).
*Climate: Temperate. The terrain, location, and prevailing westerly winds make the weather changeable.

Two autonomous provinces with home rule are considered part of Denmark despite their distance from the Jutland Peninsula. They are the [[Faroe Islands]], a small archipelago located in the Norwegian Sea between [[Scotland]] and [[Iceland]]; and [[Greenland]], off northeast [[Canada]], part of the [[North America]]n landmass and the largest island in the world.

==People==
[[File:Moesgard Vikingetraef, Denmark.jpg|thumb|360px|Viking rally.]]
The Danes, a homogenous Gothic-Germanic people, have inhabited Denmark since prehistoric times. Danish is the principal language. English is a required school subject, and fluency is high. A small German-speaking minority lives in southern Jutland; a mostly Inuit population inhabits Greenland; and the Faroe Islands have a Nordic population with its own language. Education is compulsory from ages seven to 16 and is free through the university level.

Although religious freedom is guaranteed, the state-supported Evangelical Lutheran Church accounts for about 95% of those persons claiming religious affiliation. Several other Christian denominations, as well as other major religions, find adherents in Denmark. Islam is now the second-largest religion in Denmark. According to polls some 43-80% of the population are either agnostics, atheists or non-believers in God. <ref>http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html</ref>
*Population (July 2006): 5,434,567.
*Annual growth rate: 0.33%.
*Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali.
*Religion membership: Evangelical Lutheran 95%; other Protestants 2.6%; Muslim 2%; Catholic 0.4%.
*Languages: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (Inuit dialect), some German. English is the predominant second language.
*Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--100%. Literacy--100%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate (2006)--4.51/1,000. Life expectancy--men 75 years, women 80 years.
*Work force (2006): 2.8 million. Employment: Industry, construction, mining and utilities--23%; government--35%; private services--38%; agriculture and fisheries--4%.

====Cultural Achievements====
Denmark's rich intellectual heritage has made multifaceted contributions to modern culture the world over. The discoveries of astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), geologist and anatomist Niels Steensen (1639-86), and the brilliant contributions of Nobel laureates Niels Bohr (1885-1962) to atomic physics and Niels Finsen (1860-1904) to medical research indicate the range of Danish scientific achievement. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (1805-75), the philosophical essays of Soeren Kierkegaard (1813-55), and the short stories of Karen Blixen (pseudonym Isak Dinesen; 1885-1962) have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). Danish applied art and industrial design have won so many awards for excellence that the term "Danish Design" has become synonymous with high quality, craftsmanship, and functionalism. Among the leading lights of architecture and design was Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971), the "father of modern Danish design." The name of Georg Jensen (1866-1935) is known worldwide for outstanding modern design in silver, and "Royal Copenhagen" is among the finest porcelains. No 'short list' of famous Danes would be complete without the entertainer and pianist Victor Borge (1909-2000), who emigrated to the United States under Nazi threat in 1940, and had a worldwide following when he died a naturalized U.S. citizen in Greenwich, Connecticut, at the age of 91.
[[File:Aarhus Theater by Danish architect Hack Kampmann.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Aarhus Theater by Danish architect Hack Kampmann.]]
Visitors to Denmark will discover a wealth of cultural activity. The Royal Danish Ballet specializes in the work of the great Danish choreographer August Bournonville (1805-79). Danish dancers also feature regularly on the U.S. ballet scene, notably Peter Martins as head of New York City Ballet.

The Danish Film Institute, one of the oldest in Scandinavia, offers daily public screenings of Danish and international movies in their original language and plays an active role in the maintenance and restoration of important archival prints. Over the decades, movie directors like Gabriel Axel (Babette's Feast, 1987 Oscar for Best Foreign Film), Bille August (Buster's World, 1984; Pelle the Conqueror, 1988 Oscar for Best Foreign Film; The House of the Spirits, 1993) and Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves, 1996; Dancer in the Dark, 2000 Cannes Golden Palm) have all won international acclaim. In addition, Denmark has been involved virtually from the start in development of the "Dogma film" genre, where small, hand-held digital cameras have permitted greater rapport between director and actor and given a documentary film feel to their increasingly realistic works. Besides von Trier's Dogville (2003) starring Nicole Kidman, and The Idiots (1998), The Celebration (1998 Cannes Special Jury prize) by Thomas Vinterberg, Mifune's Last Song (1999 Berlin Silver Bear award) by Soeren Kragh-Jacobsen, and Italian for Beginners (2000 Berlin Silver Bear award) by Lone Scherfig all are prime examples of the Dogma concept.

International collections of modern art enjoy unusually attractive settings at the Louisiana Museum north of Copenhagen, "Arken" south of Copenhagen, and the North Jutland Art Museum in Aalborg. The State Museum of Art and the Glyptotek, both in Copenhagen, contain masterpieces of Danish and international art. Denmark's National Museum building in central Copenhagen harbors most of the state's anthropological and archeological treasures with especially fine prehistoric and Viking Age collections; two of its finest satellite collections are the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde west of the metropolis and the Open Air Museum in a near northern suburb where original buildings have been transported from their original locations around the country and reassembled on plots specially landscaped to evoke the original site. The Museum of Applied Art and Industrial Design in Copenhagen exhibits the best in Danish design. The world-renowned Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Factory exports worldwide. The ceramic tradition is carried on by designers such as Bjoern Wiinblad, whose whimsical creations remain as popular today as when they burst on the scene in the 1950s, and is carried on by younger talents such as Gertrude Vasegaard and Michael Geertsen.

Denmark has more than its share of impressive [[castles]], many of which have been converted to [[museum]]s. Frederiksborg Castle, on a manmade island in a lake north of Copenhagen, was restored after a catastrophic fire in the 1800s and now houses important collections in awe-inspiring splendor amidst impeccably manicured gardens. In Elsinore, Kronborg (or Hamlet's) Castle that once exacted tribute from passing ships now houses important furniture and art collections of the period, while hosting in its courtyard many touring summer productions of Shakespearean works. In Copenhagen, Rosenborg Castle houses the kingdom's crown jewels and boasts spectacular public gardens in the heart of the city.

Among today's Danish writers, probably the best-known to American readers is Peter Hoeg (Smilla's Sense of Snow; Borderliners), while the most prolific is Klaus Rifbjerg--poet, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. Benny Andersen writes poems, short stories, and music. Poems by both writers have been translated into English by the Curbstone Press. Suzanne Broegger focuses on the changing roles of women in society. Kirsten Thorup's "Baby" won the 1980 Pegasus Prize and is printed in English by the University of Louisiana Press. The psychological thrillers of Anders Bodelsen and political thrillers by Leif Davidsen also appear in English.

In music, Hans Abrahamsen and Per Noergaard are the two most famous living composers. Abrahamsen's works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. Other international names are Poul Ruders, Bo Holten, and Karl Aage Rasmussen. Danes such as bass player Niels Henning Oersted Petersen have won broad international recognition, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival held each year in July has acquired a firm place on the calendar of international jazz enthusiasts.

====Cultural Policy====
[[File:Skuldelev III Viking boat.jpg|thumb|300px|Skuldelev III, Viking boat.]]
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs was created in 1961. Cultural life and meaningful leisure time were then and remain now subjects of debate by politicians and parliament as well as the general public. The democratization of cultural life promoted by the government's 1960s cultural policy recently has come to terms with the older "genteel culture;" broader concepts of culture now generally accepted include amateur and professional cultural, media, sports, and leisure-time activities.

Denmark's cultural policy is characterized by decentralized funding, program responsibility, and institutions. Danish cultural direction differs from that of other countries with a Ministry of Culture and a stated policy in that special laws govern each cultural field--e.g., the Theater Act of 1990 (as amended) and the Music Law of 1976 (as amended).

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs includes among its responsibilities international cultural relations; training of librarians and architects; copyright legislation; and subsidies to archives, libraries, museums, literature, music, arts and crafts, theater, and film production. During 1970-82, the Ministry also recognized protest movements and street manifestations as cultural events, because social change was viewed as an important goal of Danish cultural policy. Different governments exercise caution in moderating this policy and practice. Radio and TV broadcasting also fall under the Ministry of Culture.

Although government expenditures for culture totaled about 1.0% of the budget in 1996, in 2006 government expenditures for culture totaled 0.66% of gross domestic product (GDP). Viewed against the new government's firm objective to limit public expenditures, contributions are unlikely to increase in the future. Municipal and county governments assume a relatively large share of the costs for cultural activities in their respective districts. Most support goes to libraries and archives, theater, museums, arts and crafts training, and films.

==Government==
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Margrethe II has largely ceremonial functions; probably her most significant formal power lies in her right to appoint the prime minister and cabinet ministers, who are responsible for administration of the government. However, she must consult with parliamentary leaders to determine the public's will, since the cabinet may be dismissed by a vote of no confidence in the Folketing (parliament). Cabinet members are occasionally recruited from outside the Folketing.

The 1953 constitution established a unicameral Folketing of not more than 179 members, of whom two are elected from the Faroe Islands and two from Greenland. Elections are held at least every 4 years, but the prime minister can dissolve the Folketing at any time and call for new elections. Folketing members are elected by a complicated system of proportional representation; any party receiving at least 2% of the total national vote receives representation. The result is a multiplicity of parties (seven represented in the Folketing after the February 2005 general election), none of which holds a majority. Electorate participation normally is around 80-85%.

The judicial branch consists of about 100 local courts, two high courts, several special courts (e.g., arbitration and maritime), and a Supreme Court of 15 judges appointed by the crown on the government's recommendation.

Since a structural reform of local government was passed by the Folketing in 2004 and 2005, Denmark has been divided into five regions and 98 municipalities. The regions and municipalities are both led by councils elected every four years, but only the municipal councils have the power to levy taxes. Regional councils are responsible for health services and regional development, while the municipal councils are responsible for day care, elementary schools, care for the elderly, culture, environment and roads.

The Faroe Islands and Greenland enjoy home rule, with the Danish Government represented locally by high commissioners. These home rule governments are responsible for most domestic affairs, with foreign relations, monetary affairs, and defense falling to the Danish Government.

===Principal Government Officials===
*Monarch--Queen Margrethe II
*Prime Minister--Helle Thorning-Schmidt

===Political Conditions===
Political life in Denmark is orderly and democratic. Political changes occur gradually through a process of consensus, and political methods and attitudes are generally moderate. Growing numbers of immigrants and refugees throughout the 1990s, and less than successful integration policies, however, have in recent years led to growing support for populist anti-immigrant sentiments in addition to several revisions of already tight immigration laws, with the latest revision taking effect July 1, 2002.

The Social Democratic Party, historically identified with a well-organized labor movement but today appealing more broadly to the middle class, held power either alone or in coalition for most of the postwar period except from 1982 to 1993. From February 1993 to November 2001, Social Democratic Party chairman Poul Nyrup Rasmussen led a series of different minority coalition governments, which all included the centrist Social Liberal Party. However, with immigration high on the November 2001 election campaign agenda, the Danish People's Party doubled its number of parliamentary seats; this was a key factor in bringing into power a new minority right-of-center coalition government led by Liberal Party chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen (no relation to Nyrup Rasmussen).

Parliamentary elections held February 8, 2005 returned the coalition to government for another term of up to four years. The coalition consists of the Liberal Party ("Venstre") and the Konservative Party, holding 71 of the 179 seats in the Folketing, and has the parliamentary support of the Danish People's Party, holding another 24 seats. The opposition Social Democrats hold 47 seats and the Social Liberals hold 16 seats. Addressing the costs and benefits of the Denmark's comprehensive social welfare system, restraining taxes, and immigration are among the key issues on the current domestic political agenda.

On October 24, 2007 prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced an early election to be held on November 13, 2007. Between the 2005 elecion and the 2007 a new party made by members of parliament from different parties was created. This party had the name New Alliance and its leader was Nasser Khader, an immigrant from Syria. In the early days of this new party polls showed massive support for it, however at the election the party earned far less seats in parliament than expected from these early polls. The Liberal and Konservative parties together earned 64 seats, and their supporting party, the Danish People's Party earned 25 seats, so combined these three parties were just one seat short of ensuring the majority. After the election Edmund Joensen elected on the Faroe Islands pledged his support to the the government of Denmark giving them exactly the 90 seats required for a majority, and thus the new alliance didn't have the determining seats they had hoped for, but never the less they pledged their support to Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

In late 2008 rumours began that prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen aspired for an unspecified big international post. Amongst the mentioned possibilities were the Presidency of the European Union and the Secretary General of NATO, but the Presidency of the European Union depended on the ratification of the Lissabon Treaty, which needed to be ratified by all EU members, wasn't ratified by Ireland, so this post was no longer in question. The rumours persisted throughout the spring of 2009, but Anders Fogh Rasmussen attempted to deny the rumours by claiming not to be a candidate for anything. On April 4, 2009 Anders Fogh Rasmussen finally did tender his candidacy to become the next Secretary General of NATO, but he was met with reluctance from Turkey, seemingly because of the Muhammad cartoons controversy. This reluctance was overcome and on April 5, 2009 during the NATO summit in Strassbourg, Anders Fogh Rasmussen was appointed the Secretary General of NATO.

After having been appointed Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen resigned as Prime Minister of Denmark and member of the Danish Parliament. He was then replaced by the vice president of the Liberal Party, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who became the new Prime Minister of Denmark. Though Denmark has had three consecutive prime ministers by the name of Rasmussen, neither of them is related, as the name Rasmussen is fairly common in Denmark.
[[File:Muslims in Europe map.jpg|thumb|290px|Muslims in Europe by country.]]
Denmark's role in the European Union (EU) remains an important political issue. Denmark emerged from two referenda (June 2, 1992 and May 18, 1993) on the Maastricht Treaty on the European Union with four exemptions (or "opt-outs"): common defense, common currency, EU citizenship, and certain aspects of legal cooperation, including law enforcement. The Amsterdam Treaty was approved in a referendum May 28, 1998, by a 55% majority. Still, the electorate's fear of losing national identity in an integrated Europe and lack of confidence in long-term stability of European economies run deep. These concerns were at the forefront of the September 28, 2000 referendum on Denmark's participation in the third phase of the Economic and Monetary Union, particularly the common currency, the euro; more than 53% voted "no," and Denmark retained its "krone" currency unit. The government and the pro-EU opposition have agreed, and Denmark has received an EU green light, to maintain the four opt-outs throughout the process of approving and ratifying a new EU constitutional treaty, with the ambition to eliminate all opt-outs in the longer term. The government intended to put Danish approval of the new [[EU Constitution|EU constitution]] to the public in a referendum, but that process has been put on hold until further discussion of the constitution has taken place in the European Council.

Denmark's relatively quiet and neutral role in international affairs was abruptly changed on September 30, 2005, when the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten printed 12 caricatures of Mohammed. Islamic law prohibits any visual portrayal of Mohammed, and Muslims viewed the caricatures as offensive. Muslims worldwide were infuriated with the Danes, beginning a boycott of Danish products and burning several Danish embassies. The Danish Government defended freedom of expression while it chastised the newspaper for inconsideration. The newspaper apologized, and the Danish Government repeatedly reiterated its support for freedom of religion, but the Islamic community still holds much animosity toward the Danes.

===Foreign Relations===
[[File:Leaders at a United Nations Conference in Copenhagen.jpg|thumb|300px|Leaders at a United Nations conference in Copenhagen, 2009.]]
Danish foreign policy is founded upon four cornerstones: the United Nations, NATO, the EU, and Nordic cooperation. Denmark also is a member of, among others, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; the World Trade Organization (WTO); the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); the Council of Europe; the Nordic Council; the Baltic Council; and the Barents Council. Denmark emphasizes its relations with developing nations. Although the government has moved to tighten foreign assistance expenditures, it remains a significant donor and one of the few countries to exceed the UN goal of contributing 0.7% of GNP to development assistance.

In the wake of the Cold War, Denmark has been active in international efforts to integrate the countries of Central and Eastern Europe into the West. It has played a leadership role in coordinating Western assistance to the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). The country is a strong supporter of international peacekeeping. Danish forces were heavily engaged in the former Yugoslavia in the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR), as well as in NATO's Operation Joint Endeavor/Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (IFOR/SFOR), and currently in the Kosovo Force (KFOR).

Denmark has been a member of NATO since its founding in 1949, and membership in NATO remains highly popular. There were several serious confrontations between the U.S. and Denmark on security policy in the so-called "footnote era" (1982-88), when a hostile parliamentary majority forced the government to adopt specific national positions on nuclear and arms control issues. With the end of the Cold War, however, Denmark has been supportive of U.S. policy objectives in the Alliance.

Danes have had a reputation as "reluctant" Europeans. When they rejected ratification of the Maastricht Treaty on June 2, 1992, they put the European Community's (EC) plans for the European Union on hold. In December 1992, the rest of the EC agreed to exempt Denmark from certain aspects of the European Union, including a common defense, a common currency, EU citizenship, and certain aspects of legal cooperation. On this revised basis, a clear majority of Danes approved continued participation in the EU in a second referendum on May 18, 1993, and again in a referendum on the Amsterdam Treaty on May 28, 1998.

Since September 11, 2001, Denmark has been highly proactive in endorsing and implementing United States, UN, and EU-initiated counter-terrorism measures, just as Denmark has contributed substantially to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and the neighboring countries. In 2003, Denmark was among the first countries to join the "Coalition of the Willing" and supplied a submarine, Corvette-class ship, and military personnel to the coalition's effort in Iraq to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1441. Since that time it has provided 500 troops to assist with stabilization efforts in Iraq. Prime Minister Rasmussen announced in February 2007 that most Danish troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by August 2007, as Iraqi forces had become capable of taking over security responsibilities in the Basra area, where the Danish troops had been concentrated.

==Defense==
Although Denmark remained neutral during the First World War, its rapid occupation by Nazi Germany in 1940 persuaded most Danes that neutrality was no longer a reliable guarantee of Danish security. Danish security policy is founded on its membership in NATO. Since 1988, Danish budgets and security policy have been set by multi-year agreements supported by a wide parliamentary majority, including government and opposition parties. In 2006, Danish defense expenditures were 1.4% of GDP according to a NATO estimate.

==Economy==
Denmark's industrialized market economy depends on imported raw materials and foreign trade. Within the European Union, Denmark advocates a liberal trade policy. Its standard of living is among the highest in the world, and the Danes devote about 1% of gross national product (GNP) to foreign aid to less developed countries. In addition, Denmark in 2006 devoted 0.81% of GNP for overseas development, including for peace and stability purposes, refugee pre-asylum costs, and for environmental purposes in central and eastern Europe and developing countries.
*GDP (2006): $275.24 billion.
*Annual growth rate (real terms, 2006 est.): 3.2%.
*Per capita GDP: $50,625.
*Agriculture and fisheries (2.4% of GDP at gross value added): Products--meat, milk, grains, seeds, hides, fur skin, fish and shellfish.
*Industry (21.0% of GDP at gross value added): Types--industrial and construction equipment, food processing, electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, furniture, textiles, windmills, and ships.
*Natural resources: North Sea--oil and gas, fish. Greenland--fish and shrimp, potential for hydrocarbons and minerals, including zinc, lead, molybdenum, uranium, gold, platinum. The Faroe Islands--fish, potential for hydrocarbons.
*Trade (2006 .): Exports--$90.97 billion: manufactured goods 81% (of which machinery and instruments 35%); agricultural products 10% (of which pork and pork products cover 48%), fuels 2%, fish and fish products 3%, other 4%. Imports--$84.23 billion: raw materials and semi-manufactures 43%, consumer goods 29%, capital equipment 14%, transport equipment 7%, fuels 5%, other 2%. Partners (percent of total trade in goods)--Germany 21%, Sweden 13%, U.K. 8%, U.S. 5%, Norway 5%, Japan 2%, east European countries 5%.
*Official exchange rate: 5.70 kroner=U.S. $1 as of late February 2007.
[[File:Vejle Fjord Bridge.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Vejle Fjord Bridge.]]
Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy. Its principal exports are machinery, instruments, and food products. The United States is Denmark's largest non-European trading partner, accounting for about 6% of total Danish merchandise trade. Aircraft, computers, machinery, and instruments are among the major U.S. exports to Denmark. Among major Danish exports to the United States are industrial machinery, chemical products, furniture, pharmaceuticals, canned ham and pork, [[windmills]], and [[plastic]] [[LEGO|LEGO bricks]]. In addition, Denmark has a significant services trade with the U.S., a major share of it stemming from Danish-controlled ships engaged in container traffic to and from the United States (notably by Maersk-SeaLand). There are some 375 U.S.-owned companies in Denmark.

The Danish economy is fundamentally strong. Since the mid-1990s, economic growth rates have averaged close to 3%, the formerly high official unemployment rate stands at around 4%, and public finances have been in surplus. Except for one year--1998--Denmark since 1989 has had comfortable balance-of-payments current account surpluses, in 2006 corresponding to 2.45% of GDP. The former Social Democratic-led government coalition lowered marginal income tax rates but at the same time reduced tax deductions, increased environmental taxes, and introduced a series of user fees, thus increasing overall revenues. Under the tax reform plan agreed upon by the government and the Danish People's Party on March 31, 2003, taxpayers received tax relief in 2004, albeit at a lesser rate than the government proposed originally. Denmark has maintained a stable currency policy since the early 1980s, with the krone fomerly linked to the Deutschmark and since January 1, 1999, to the euro. Denmark meets, and even exceeds, the economic convergence criteria for participating in the third phase (a common European currency--the euro) of the European Monetary Union (EMU). Although a referendum on EMU participation held on September 28, 2000 resulted in a firm "no" and Denmark, therefore, has not yet adopted the euro, opinion polls show support for EMU membership now exceeds 60%.

Danes are generally proud of their welfare safety net, which ensures that all Danes receive basic health care and need not fear real poverty. However, at present the number of working-age Danes living mostly on government transfer payments amounts to more than 800,000 persons (roughly 23% of the working-age population). Although this number has been reduced in recent years, the heavy load of government transfer payments burdens other parts of the system. Health care, other than for acute problems, and care for the elderly and children have particularly suffered, while taxes remain at a painful level. More than one-fourth of the labor force is employed in the public sector.

====Greenland and the Faroe Islands====
[[File:Columnar-Basalt von Frooba Faroe.jpg|thumb|Columnar-Basalt von Froðba, Färöer]]
The Greenland economy has increased by an average of some 3% to 4% annually since 1993, the result of increasing catches and exports of shrimp, Greenland halibut and, more recently, crab. However, it was not until 1999 that the economy had fully recovered from the economic downturn in the early 1990s. During the last decade the Greenland Home Rule Government (GHRG) has pursued a fiscal policy with mostly small budget surpluses and low inflation. The GHRG has taken initiatives to increase the labor force and thus employment by, among other things, raising the retirement age from 60 to 63 years. However, structural reforms are still needed in order to create a broader business base and economic growth through more efficient use of existing resources in both the public and the private sector. Due to the continued critical dependence on exports of fish, the economy remains very vulnerable to foreign developments. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in Greenland's economy. Close to one-half of the government revenues come from Danish Government grants, an important supplement of GDP. Greenland has registered a foreign trade deficit since the closure of the last remaining lead and zinc mine in 1989. Despite several interesting hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities, it will take several years before production can materialize. Two major aluminum producers reportedly have expressed interest in building smelters in Greenland to take advantage of abundant hydropower potential. Besides a continued increase in local content, i.e., using a Greenlandic rather than Danish work force in both the public and private sectors, tourism appears to be the sector that offers the best near-term potential, and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs. Air Greenland has announced it will begin its first scheduled service to North America in May 2007, with summer season flights to Baltimore.

Politically, the Greenland Home Rule Government has had increasing autonomy since its creation in 1979. An independent commission from Greenland made recommendations for greater self-rule in 2003. In May 2003, the Danish and Greenland Home Rule governments reached agreement on a set of power-sharing principles on Greenland's involvement in Danish foreign and security policy. The so-called Itilleq Declaration provides that Greenland will have foreign policy involvement with a view toward having equal status on questions of concern to both Denmark and Greenland. The Danish Government intends to form, together with Greenland, a new Danish-Greenlandic Commission to make joint recommendations to the Danish parliament on ways to update the Home Rule Act of 1979.

The Faroese economy has performed strongly since the mid-1990s with annual growth rates averaging close to 6%, mostly as a result of increasing fish landings and salmon farming and high and stable export prices. Unemployment is insignificant and there are labor shortages in several sectors. Most of the Faroese who emigrated in the early 1990s (some 10% of the population) due to the economic recession have now returned. The positive economic development also has helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget surpluses that in turn help to reduce the large public debt, most of it to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing and salmon farming makes the Faroese economy very vulnerable, and the present fishing efforts appear in excess of what is required to ensure a sustainable level of fishing in the long term. Initial discoveries of oil in the Faroese area give hope for eventual oil production, which may lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus less dependence on Denmark and Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy from Denmark, albeit reduced from some 10% of GDP to about 6% in 2002, the Faroese have a standard of living comparable to that of the Danes and other Scandinavians.

Politically, the present Faroese Home Rule Government has initiated a process toward greater independence from Denmark, if not complete secession from the realm, a project the outcome of which it is too early to predict. In that respect, agreement on how to phase out the Danish subsidy plays a crucial role.

==History==
[[File:Sirenita The Little Mermaid Statue Copenhagen Denmark.jpg|thumb|The Little Mermaid Statue, Copenhagen, 1913.]]
During the Viking period (9th-11th centuries), Denmark was a great power based on the Jutland Peninsula, the Island of Zealand, and the southern part of what is now Sweden. In the early 11th century, King Canute united Denmark and England for almost 30 years.

Viking raids brought Denmark into contact with Christianity, and in the 12th century, crown and church influence increased. By the late 13th century, royal power had waned, and the nobility forced the king to grant a charter, considered Denmark's first constitution. Although the struggle between crown and nobility continued into the 14th century, Queen Margrethe I succeeded in uniting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland under the Danish crown. Sweden and Finland left the union in 1520; however, Norway remained until 1814. Iceland, in a "personal union" under the king of Denmark after 1918, became independent in 1944.

The Reformation was introduced in Denmark in 1536. Denmark's provinces in today's southwestern Sweden were lost in 1658, and Norway was transferred from the Danish to the Swedish crown in 1814, following the defeat of Napoleon, with whom Denmark was allied.

The Danish liberal movement gained momentum in the 1830s, and in 1849 Denmark became a constitutional monarchy. After the war with Prussia and Austria in 1864, Denmark was forced to cede Schleswig-Holstein to Prussia and adopt a policy of neutrality. Toward the end of the 19th century, Denmark inaugurated important social and labor market reforms, laying the basis for the present welfare state.

Denmark remained neutral during World War I. Despite its declaration of neutrality at the beginning of World War II, it was invaded by the Germans in 1940 and occupied until liberated by the Allied forces in May 1945. Resistance against the Germans was sporadic until late 1943. By then better organized, the resistance movement and other volunteers undertook a successful rescue mission in which nearly the entire Jewish population of Denmark was shipped to Sweden (whose neutrality was honored by Germany). However, extensive studies are still being undertaken for the purpose of establishing a clearer picture of the degree of Danish cooperation--official and corporate--with the occupying power. Denmark became a charter member of the United Nations and was one of the original signers of the North Atlantic Treaty.

{| style="width: 100%; background:transparent; border: 2px solid #000099;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1"
!colspan=2 style="width: 100%; text-align: center; background-color: #000088; color: white; "|'''Copyright Details'''
|-
!style="background-color: #000088; color:white;"|License:
|style=" background-color: none;"| This work is in the [[Public Domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the U.S. Code
|-
!style=" background-color: #000088; color:white;"|Source:
|style="background-color: none;border-top: 2px solid black"| File available from the {{{1|[[United States Federal Government]] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3167.htm]}}}.
|}

==References==
<references />

{{European Union}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:Scandinavian Countries]]
[[Category:Denmark]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]

Religion

2014-05-16T16:47:29Z

Bambifan:

"'''Religion'''" refers to a set of core beliefs that was made up by some crazy alcoholics from thousands of years ago. Beyond this general definition, the word "religion" is used in several ways:

* '''Formal definition''': "The service and worship of [[God]] or the [[supernatural]];"<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=religion "Religion"] in Merriam Webster dictionary.</ref> Under this definition, [[atheism]], [[agnosticism]], and [[secular humanism]] are not "religions." <ref>Religious Groups Participating in Religious Congregations & Membership Study 2000. [http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/alldenoms.asp]</ref>.
* '''Functional definition''': "A cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith"<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=religion "Religion"] in Merriam Webster dictionary.</ref> By this definition, non-theistic belief systems such as [[atheism]], [[humanism]], and [[agnosticism]] could be considered religions. Indeed, the Supreme Court of the [[United States of America]] has acknowledged that "religion" does not need to include a belief in a god or gods, and included Secular Humanism as an example of a non-theistic religion.<ref>"Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in the existence of God, are Buddhism, Taoism, Ethical Culture, Secular Humanism, and others.". [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=367&invol=488#t11 Torcaso v. Watkins, (1961)]</ref><ref>"A federal court of appeals ruled ... Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate's rights because they did not treat [[atheism]] as a religion." [http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45874 Court rules [[atheism]] a religion] WorldNet Daily</ref> In 2014, Afghan citizen has been granted asylum in Britain on religious grounds because he declared himself to be an atheist.<ref>{{cite web |title=Afghan Atheist Wins Asylum In Britain On Religious Grounds |publisher=DPA |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/uk-afghanistan-asylum-atheism-religion/25229702.html |accessdate=14 January 2014 |quote=...The legal team submitted the case to the Home Office under the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which aims to protect people from persecution on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinions, or membership in a particular social group.}}</ref>
**'''Mathematics as religion.''' Based on [[Gödel]]'s Second Incompleteness Theorem, [[John Lennox]] explains that if a religion is something whose foundations are based on faith, then [[mathematics]] is the only religion that can prove its status as a religion.<ref name="LENNOX">{{cite book
|author=John C. Lennox
|title=God's undertaker. Has science buried God?
|publisher=Lion Hudson
|location=Oxford, England
|year=2009
|pages=53
|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=yiTvBXHZwpwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=God%27s+undertaker&hl=sk&sa=X&ei=jj7-UeHxNorb4QSV2oHICg&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=%22only%20religion%22&f=false
|isbn=978-0-7459-5371-7
|quote=He proved that one of the statements that cannot be proved in a sufficiently strong formal system is the consistency of the system itself...we can only believe...}}</ref>
* '''Organisational definition''': Under the definition, the term refers to a particular religious organisation or movement, such a [[Roman Catholic|Catholicism]], [[Methodist|Methodism]], or [[Lutheran]]ism. These groups generally consist of a central creed or body of beliefs, an ethical component (i.e. a code of morals), a body of literature or holy texts or stories, and a set of individual and communal practices. Under this definition, a person might say, "I'm not religious, because I don't go to church—but I believe in God."
* '''Practical definition''': Under this definition, the term refers to a set of practices, rites, or rituals observed by followers. Under this definition, a person might say, "I'm not religious, because I'm not into rituals. My relationship with God is enough."

== List of religions ==
Religions can be classified according to how many gods the religion recognises.
=== Monotheistic religions ===

Monotheistic ("one god") religions are followed by the vast majority of the world's population.

* [[Bahai|Bahá'í]]
* [[Christianity]]
* [[Messianic Judaism]]
* [[Islam]]
* [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
* [[Judaism]]
* [[Rastafari movement]]
* [[Sikhism]]
* [[Zoroastrianism]]

=== Polytheistic religions ===
Polytheistic ("many gods") religions believe in and worship multiple gods or spirits or other supernatural beings. Polytheism has declined since the rise of Christianity, but has seen a recent resurgence among pagan cults in developed nations.

* [[Cao Dai]]
* [[Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints|Mormonism]]
* [[Paganism]]

* [[Shamanism]]
* [[Shinto]]
* [[Wicca]]

=== Pantheistic religions ===
Pantheistic ("all is god") religions believe that all of creation or nature is divine.

* [[Hinduism]]
* [[Jainism]]
* [[New Age]] beliefs

It is also worth noting the existence of 'Panentheism' and the importance of distinguishing it from Pantheism. Panentheism is the belief that God is ''in'' all things and is chiefly manifest in [[Animism]]. Nonetheless, Pantheism and Panentheism have also been shown to feature in some outlooks generally defined as 'Monotheistic' (cf. [[Baruch Spinoza]]).

=== Non-theistic religions and philosophies===
Non-theistic religions do not have a belief in God or gods. Some consider the existence of God to be unknown or irrelevant, while (strong) [[Atheism]] is the belief that asserts it is false.
* [[Agnostic]]ism
* [[Atheism]]
** [[Strong atheism]]
** [[Weak atheism]]
* [[Buddhism]] (though with elements of [[Polytheism]]. The ''devas'' that are found in a supporting role in the Tipitika are not strictly comparable to gods, as they are ultimately mortal.)
* [[Secular Humanism]]
* [[Scientology]] Has stories containing extraterrestrials though none are claimed to be divine.
* The [[Raelism|Raëlian Church]], base on the [[Ancient astronaut theory]].

=== Parody and joke religions ===
Several "religions" have been invented in an effort to denigrate or parody traditional religions. While most adherents of these "religions" are not serious believers, there are inevitably a few people who take the tenets seriously.

* [[Flying Spaghetti Monster|The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster]] - A joke religion created to parody Christianity
* [[Discordianism]] - More likely than the rest of these to be taken seriously, due to parallels with actual religions and a more unified philosophical view than the rest on this list.
* [[Jedi]] - Based on the Star Wars universe, best known for the Australian census prank where large groups of pranksters claimed to be Jedi adherents
* [[Last Thursdayism]] - Another joke religion aimed at parodying Christianity, specifically aimed at Young Earth Creationism
* [[Church of the SubGenius|SubGeniism]] - Parodies both aspects of Christianity and Scientology

== Faith in organised religion ==

The percentage of respondents answering they had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in organised religion has decreased in the [[United States]] according to a [[Gallup]] poll taken in 2007. Only 46% of respondents selected either of the choices above. The numbers peaked at 68% in May 1975.<ref>Christian Examiner, Sept. 2007, Vol 25, No 9, Pg. 24</ref>

== Development of religion ==

Secular scholars and liberals, in order to justify their own postmodernist ideal that religious faith is a subjective issue, all religions are equally valid, there are no absolutes and consequently morality is relative, tend to take an evolutionary approach to the development of religion in human societies.

They usually suscribe to the idea that religion first started off as a primitive form of Animism or Spirit Worship, then evolved into polytheistic tribal/national religions, and then from one of these religions emerged Zoroastrianism which saw a gradual decrease in its number of gods until it eventually was transformed into a monotheistic religion, which in turn evolved into the well organized, theologically complex and philosophically deep monotheistic faiths of today such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

This idea regarding the development of religion continues to appear in liberal publications, despite the fact that it has little real substantiation and is merely an assumption by liberal scholars, who often hold a certain kind of prejudice towards organized religion.

In reality, the exact opposite viewpoint has more substantiating anthropological evidence. Namely, the viewpoint that Monotheism (faith in one sole creator deity) was the original form of religion, but gradually corrupted until it fragmented into various polytheistic religions, which in turn decayed further giving rise to pantheistic and atheistic religions.

For example, expert egyptologist Flinders Petrie suggests there is sufficient archaological evidence to conclude that the religion of the ancient Egyptians, which is normally categorized as a typical polytheistic religion, was not originally polytheistic, but in fact a monotheistic faith, which only in the later years of the Egyptian empire shifted from monotheism to polytheism.

similarly, doctor Steven Rangdon of Oxford University based on his research of ancient Babylonian inscriptions concludes that the ancient Babylonian religion like the ancient Egyptian religion was also originally monotheistic, and only in the later stages of the Babylonian civilization did it start to transform into a polytheistic and idolatrous religion. Interestingly, this was also the case with the ancient Sumerian religion. The Sumerians believed in over 5000 gods at the time of the end of their civilization. At the start of their history, however, they only worshiped one god, the god of the sky. It is more than likely that the Sumerian god of the sky is the same God of the heavens of the Hebrew Bible.

Interestlingly, this trend can also be seen in far Eastern religions. Shinto (神道), a native polytheistic religion of Japan which now believes in the existence of thousands of deities, was in fact originally a religion with only three gods. As time passed, however, the religion started to fall into a state of decay as believers started to arbitrarily created more and more new gods of their own. The further one goes back in Japanese history the number of gods in Shinto lessens significantly. In addition, some Japanese scholars, for example evangelical theologian Kubo Arimasa, postulate that it is possible that Shinto was in fact originally monotheistic, and the three originals gods decribed in the opening of the oldest known Shinto text ''Kojiki'' were, in fact, originally one creator God, identical to the creator of the Old Testament.

This monotheism → polytheism → pantheism religion curruption hypothesis is also in concordance with the scriptures of the Old Testament which tells explicitly that the origin of polytheistic, idolatrous and pagan religions was the rebellion of sinners who sought to free themselves from the laws of the true creator, the Lord Yahaweh.

==References==
<references/>

==See also==
* [[World Religions by Number of Followers]]
*[[Christianity in Conservapedia]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/religion/ What Liberals Say - Category: Religion], [[Accuracy In Media]]
*[http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/is-there-a-god Opposing Views: Is There a God?]

{{Virtues}}

[[Category:Religion]]

Atheism

2014-05-16T16:44:33Z

Bambifan:

[[File:Atheism.jpg|thumb|alt=atheism|right|226px|[[Portrait]] of [[Paul-Henri Thiry]], Baron d'Holbach (1723 - 1789) was an early advocate of atheism in [[Europe]].]]
'''Atheism''', as defined by the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the ''Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', and other [[philosophy]] reference works, is the denial of the existence of [[God]].<ref>[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism Stanford Encyclopedia of Philisophy - Atheism and Agnosticism]</ref><ref name="cw">[http://creation.com/atheism-is-more-rational Is Atheism More Rational?] by [[Creation Ministries International]]</ref><ref>[http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm Atheism - Etymology]</ref>

Concerning individuals adopting an atheistic worldview, atheism has a number of causal factors that influence its origination in individuals which will be addressed. In addition, an examination of atheism will be offered and some of the historical events relating to atheism will also be covered. For example, since [[World War II]] a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the [[evolution|theory of evolution]] which employs [[methodological naturalism]] have been atheists or [[agnosticism|agnostics]].<ref>
* Dr. Don Batten,[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/737/ A ''Who’s Who'' of evolutionists] ''Creation'' 20(1):32, December 1997.
* [[Jonathan Sarfati]], Ph.D.,F.M., [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3830 ''Refuting Evolution'', Chapter 1, Facts and Bias]
</ref>

==Types of atheism==

''See also:'' [[Schools of atheist thought]] and [[Atheist factions]]

There are different types of atheism, based on different answers to the following questions:
* What [[God]] or gods does the atheist deny?
* Why does the atheist deny? Because GOD DOESN'T EXIST YOU CONSERVER IDIOTS
* How does the atheist's denial manifest itself?
=== Atheism and Which God or gods? ===
[[Image:Socrates.jpg|thumb|right|160px|The [[Greece|Greek]] philosopher [[Socrates]]]]
Since atheism is denial of the existence of God or gods, it is important first to identify in which God and/or gods the atheist denies. In ancient times, for example, Christians were accused of being atheists because of their denial of the pagan gods, even though they believed in the ''Christian'' God.<ref>Athenagoras, ''A Plea for the Christians, 2d century A.D.[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/athenagoras-plea.html]</ref> [[Socrates]] was also accused of atheism, although references to God run throughout his recorded statements.<ref>Plato, Apol., 26,c.</ref> Also, [[Albert Einstein]] and [[Baruch Spinoza]] professed belief in "God," but they defined "God" as the cosmos as a whole, and without personality.

===Atheism and why do atheists state they disbelieve?===
Atheists claim there are two main reasons for their denial of the existence of God and/or disbelief in God: the conviction that there is positive evidence or argument that God does not exist ([[Strong atheism]] which is also sometimes called positive atheism), and their claim that theists bear the burden of proof to show that God exists, that they have failed to do so, and that belief is therefore unwarranted ([[Weak atheism]]).

=== Some common manifestations of atheism ===
Below are three common ways that atheism manifests itself:
* [[Militant atheism]] which continues to suppress and oppress religious believers today (see also: [[Atheism and communism]]).
* [[Philosophy|Philosophical]] atheism - Atheist philosophers assert that God does not exist. (See also: [[Naturalism (philosophy)|Naturalism]])
* Practical atheism: atheism of the life - that is, ''living'' as though God does not exist.<ref>Dr. [[Martin Luther King]] in his sermon ''Rediscovering Lost Values'' spoke of "practical atheism".[http://www.globatron.org/truth/rediscovering-lost-values-martin-luther-king-early-sermon]</ref>

=== Atheist factions ===

''See also:'' [[Atheist factions]] and [[Schools of atheist thought]]

Jacques Rousseau wrote in the ''Daily Maverick'': "[[Elevatorgate]]..has resulted in three weeks of infighting in the secular community. Some might observe that we indulge in these squabbles fairly frequently."<ref>[http://dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2011-07-13-sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-can-rip-my-soul Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can rip my soul]</ref> An ex-atheist wrote: "As an Atheist for 40 years, I noticed that there is not just a wide variety of [[Schools of atheist thought|Atheist positions]], but there exists an actual battle between certain [[Atheist factions]]."<ref>[http://www.atheism-analyzed.net/The%20Reasoning%20Atheist.htm Atheism Analyzed]</ref>

==== Testimony of Blair Scott about atheist infighting ====

Blair Scott serves on the [[American Atheists]] board of directors.<ref>http://www.atheists.org/about/Board_of_Directors</ref> Mr. Scott formerly served as a State Director for the [[American Atheists]] organization in the state of [[Alabama]]. On December 1, 2012 he quit his post as a director of outreach for the American Atheist due to infighting within the American atheist movement.<ref>[http://news.atheists.org/2012/12/01/an-open-letter-from-blair-scott/ An Open Letter from Blair Scott]</ref>

Mr. Blair wrote:
{{cquote|I have spent the last week mulling over what I want to do at this point in the movement. I’m tired of the in-fighting: at every level. I am especially tired of allowing myself to get sucked into it and engaging in the very behavior that is irritating..me.<ref>[http://news.atheists.org/2012/12/01/an-open-letter-from-blair-scott/ An Open Letter from Blair Scott]</ref>}}

=== Attempts to dilute the definition of atheism ===

See :[[Attempts to dilute the definition of atheism]]

== Biblical statements concerning atheism ==

''see also:'' [[Resources for leaving atheism and becoming a Christian]]

[[File:Psalmist David2.jpg|thumb|115px|left|The psalmist [[David]] wrote: "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'"]]
The writers of the [[Bible]] considered the existence of God to be self-evident and [[Moses]] simply wrote: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." ([[Genesis]] 1:1).<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/Home/Area/AnswersBook/existence1.asp</ref>

Accordingly, the psalmist [[David]] declared:

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." - [[Psalms]] 14:1 ([[King James Bible|KJV]])

The psalmist David also wrote "The heavens declare the glory of God..." - Psalms 19:1

In his letter to the Romans the [[Apostle Paul]] declared:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse..." - [[Romans]] 1:19-20 (NKJV)

== Atheists have a low retention rate compared to other worldviews ==
[[File:Georgetown 2.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|In 2012, a [[Georgetown University]] study was published indicating that only about 30 percent of those who grow up in an atheist household remain atheists as adults.<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-atheists-have-lowest-retention-rate-compared-to-religious-groups-78029/ Study: Atheists Have Lowest 'Retention Rate' Compared to Religious Groups]</ref>]]
''See also:'' [[Atheism has a lower retention rate compared to other worldviews]] and [[Desecularization]]

In 2012, a [[Georgetown University]] study was published indicating that only about 30 percent of those who grow up in an atheist household remain atheists as adults.<ref>[http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-atheists-have-lowest-retention-rate-compared-to-religious-groups-78029/ Study: Atheists Have Lowest 'Retention Rate' Compared to Religious Groups]</ref> Similarly, according to recent research by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, in the United States, a majority of those surveyed who were raised in atheist or [[agnosticism|agnostic]] households, or where there was no specific religious attachment, later chose to join a religious faith.<ref>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/defectors-to-faith-mark-a-growing-trend/story-e6frg7ko-1225710667095</ref><ref>http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1204/religion-changes-affiliations-survey</ref> A 2012 study by the General Social Survey of the social science research organization NORC at the University of Chicago found that belief in God rises with age, even in atheistic nations<ref>[http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2012/04/18/belief-god-rises-age-even-atheist-nations Belief in God rises with age, even in atheist nations]</ref> (see also: [[Atheism and immaturity]]).

In addition, in atheistic [[Communism|Communist]] China, Christianity is experiencing explosive growth.<ref>http://www.millennialstar.org/christianity-exploding-in-china/</ref><ref>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/2008/August/Christianity-Growing-in-China-/</ref> On July 3, 2005, the [[New York Times]] reported concerning many countries in the former [[Soviet Union]]: "A return to religion in [[Romania]] and the region's other formerly Communist countries has in many places outrun the speed at which the church can screen and train clergy..."<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/international/europe/03romania.html</ref> See also: [[Desecularization]]

== Atheism has an inverse relationship to education ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and education]]

Atheism is [[Proportion|inversely proportional]] to education; a scholarly study published in an academic journal titled the ''Review of Religious Research'' demonstrated that increased education is correlated with belief in God and that "education positively affects religious participation, devotional activities, and emphasizing the importance of religion in daily life."<ref>{{cite book|url=http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13644-011-0007-4|quote=education positively affects religious participation, devotional activities, and emphasizing the importance of religion in daily life; (3) education positively affects switching religious affiliations, particularly to a mainline Protestant denomination, but not disaffiliation; (4) education is positively associated with questioning the role of religion in secular society but not with support for curbing the public opinions of religious leaders; and (5) the effects of education on religious beliefs and participation vary across religious traditions. Education does influence Americans’ religious beliefs and activities, but the effects of education on religion are complex.|title=The Effects of Education on Americans’ Religious Practices, Beliefs, and Affiliations|last=Schwadel|first=Philip|year=2011|journal=Review of Religious Research|volume=53|issue=2|doi=10.1007/s13644-011-0007-4|}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Study: More educated tend to be more religious, by some measures|author=Jim Kavanagh|date=11 August 2011|publisher=[[CNN]]|url=http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/11/study-more-educated-tend-to-be-more-religious-by-some-measures/|quote=“With more years of education, you aren’t relatively more likely to say, ‘I don’t believe in God,’” he said. “But you are relatively more likely to say, ‘I believe in a higher power.’”}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The more education people receive, the more religious they become?|date=12 August 2011|publisher=[[Daily Mail]]|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2025166/The-education-people-receive-religious-become.html|quote=By analyzing data from a large national survey, sociologist Philip Schwadel of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that people tend to become more religious - by certain definitions - as they further their education. The survey also qualified what concept of God or a 'higher power' individuals held, as well as whether they had any doubts. Mr Schwadel said that: 'With more years of education, you aren’t relatively more likely to say, "I don’t believe in God," but you are relatively more likely to say, "I believe in a higher power."'}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=More is More When it Comes to Education and Religion, Study Says|date=13 August 2011|publisher=[[Christian Post]]|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/who-is-more-religious-53865/|quote=Sociologist Philip Schwadel from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) studied this phenomenon. He discovered that people today tend to become more religious as they further their education.}}</ref>

== Claims about the conditionality of atheism and doubts that atheists exist ==

[[File:Foxhole.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Reverend William T. Cummings is famous for declaring ''[[There Are No Atheists In Foxholes|There are no atheists in foxholes]]''.<ref name="listserv">http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0609D&L=ads-l&P=15696</ref>]]

=== Conditionality or non-conditionality of atheism ===

''See also:'' [[There Are No Atheists In Foxholes|There are no atheists in foxholes]]

Hanhah More wrote: "In agony or danger, no nature is atheist. The mind that knows not what to fly to, flies to God."<ref>[http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Hannah-More-Quotes/ Hannah More quotes]</ref> Reverend William T. Cummings is famous for declaring "[[There Are No Atheists in Foxholes|There are no atheists in foxholes]]."<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,792459,00.html</ref> Chaplain F.W. Lawson of the 302d Machine Gun Battalion, who was wounded twice in wartime, stated "I doubt if there is such a thing as an atheist. At least there isn't in a front line trench."<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9905EFD91239E13ABC4D51DFB7678383609EDE</ref> On the other hand, the news organization NBC featured a story in which atheist veterans claimed that there are atheists in foxholes.<ref>[http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42391558/ns/us_news-military/t/army-group-coming-out-atheist-closet/#.UbgMndihjSg Army group 'coming out of the atheist closet']</ref>

=== Denials that atheists exist ===

''See also:'' [[Denials that atheists exist]]

It has been asserted by various theists that atheists do not exist and that atheists are actively suppressing their belief and knowledge of God and enigmatically engage in self-deception and in the deception of others (see: [[Denials that atheists exist]] and [[Atheism and deception]]).

==Atheism and [[communism]] ==

''see also:'' [[Atheism and communism]] and [[Militant atheism]] and [[Atheism and Mass Murder|Atheism and mass murder]] and [[Atheism and Karl Marx]] and [[Atheism and the persecution of homosexuals]]

[[Image:Khvhkgfiy.jpg|left|thumbnail|150px|[[Vladimir Lenin]]]]
[[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>

[[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>

According to the [[University of Cambridge]], historically, the "most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the [[Marxism-Leninism|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> Vitalij Lazarʹevič Ginzburg, a Soviet physicist, wrote that the "[[Bolshevik]] communists were not merely atheists but, according to [[Lenin]]'s terminology, [[militant atheist]]s."<ref name="Lenin & militant atheism">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=ufC9Ar8iuDcC&pg=PA161&dq=The+Bolshevik+communists+were+not+merely+atheists+but,+according+to+Lenin%27s+terminology,+militant+atheists.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1oFUUdj6PIiK0QGvq4CAAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=The%20Bolshevik%20communists%20were%20not%20merely%20atheists%20but%2C%20according%20to%20Lenin's%20terminology%2C%20militant%20atheists.&f=false|title =On Superconductivity and Superfluidity: A Scientific Autobiography |author=Vitalij Lazarʹevič Ginzburg|publisher = [[Springer Science+Business Media]]|year=2009|quote=The Bolshevik communists were not merely atheists but, according to Lenin's terminology, militant atheists.|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref> However, prior to this, the [[Reign of Terror]] of the [[French Revolution]] established an [[atheist state]], with the official ideology being the [[Cult of Reason]]; during this time thousands of believers were suppressed and executed by the [[guillotine]].<ref name="Guillotine">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=bf3m7IVAa9gC&pg=PA461&dq=France+atheism+guillotine++Christians+executed&hl=en&sa=X&ei=l4lUUaTRBufG0QGe0IHACA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=France%20atheism%20guillotine%20%20Christians%20executed&f=false|title =Christianity|author=James Adair|publisher = JBE Online Books|year=2007|quote=Although the Civil Constitution called for religious liberty, which was extended to Jews as well as Christians, many revolutionaries pushed for the establishment of a new state religion, either the Cult of Reason (atheists) or the Cult of the Supreme Being (Deists). Changes toAlthough the Civil Constitution called for religious liberty, which was extended to Jews as well as Christians, many revolutionaries pushed for the establishment of a new state religion, either the Cult of Reason (atheists) or the Cult of the Supreme Being (Deists). Changes to the calendar eliminated references to Christian holidays, and even the ancient seven-day week, and a ist of officially recognized saints included such famous thinkers such as Socrates, Jesus, Marcus Aurelius, and Jean-Jacques Rosseau. A period of political persecution, often with religious overtones, broke out, known as the Reign of Teror. Thousands of people were executed by the guillotine, including many of the original leaders of the French Revolution.|page=461|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref><ref name="France">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=9WkBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA105&dq=Reign+of+Terror+atheism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HoRUUcD0NeXX0gGNo4HIDQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Reign%20of%20Terror%20atheism&f=false|title =Memoirs of the reign of George III. to the session of parliament ending A.D. 1793, Volume 5|page=105|author=William Belsham|publisher = G.G. & J. Robinson|year=1801|quote=Reign of this portentous period, it has been eloquently tenor, and energetically observed, " that the reign of atheism in France was avowed the reign of terror. In the full madness of their career, in the highest climax of their horrors, they shut up the temples of God, abolished His worship, and proclaimed death to be an eternal sleep:-in the very centre of Christendom, Revelation underwent a total eclipse, while atheism, performing on a darkened theatre its strange and fearful tragedy, confounded the first elements of society, blended every age, rank, and sex ,indiscriminate proscription and massacre, and convulsed all Europe to its centre, that the imperishable memorial of these events might teach the last generations of mankind to consider religion as the pillar of society, the parent of social order, and the safe-guard of nations." It is wonderful that, amid the horrors of this dismal period, while "the death dance of democratic revolution" was still in rapid movement, among the tears of affliction, and the cries of despair, "the masque, the song, the theatric scene, the buffoon laughter, went on as regularly as in the gay hour of festive peace."|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref><ref name="Reign of Terror">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=Tt5rqiCP1p8C&pg=PA57&dq=Reign+of+Terror+atheism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HoRUUcD0NeXX0gGNo4HIDQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Reign%20of%20Terror%20atheism&f=false|title =Christianity, Islam, and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West|author=William Kilpatrick|publisher = [[Ignatius Press]]|year=2012|quote=Actually, it's helpful to think in terms of two Enlightenments: the Enlightenment that cut itself off from God. The former led to the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the abolition of slavery, and the civil rights movement. The latter led to the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the suppression of church by state, and the godless philosophies of Marx and Nietzsche and their offspring-National Socialism and communism. More recently the abandonment of God has led to the regime of cultural relativism that regards rights as arbitrary constructions. It's this second Enlightenment tradition that Cardinal Ratzinger referred to when he wrote, "The radical detachment of the Enlightenment philosophy from its roots ultimately leads it to dispense with man." Actually this transition happened no "ultimately" but almost immediately. The first instance occurred when Enlightenment worship of abstract "reason" and "liberty" degenearated quickly into the mass murders committed during the antireligious Reign of Terror in France. "Liberty, what crimes are committed in your name", said Madam Rolande as she faced the statue of Liberty in the Place de la Revolution movements before her death at the guillotine. She was one of the early victims of a succession of secular systems based on rootless notions of "liberty", "equality", and "reason". As many historians have pointed out, the atheist regimes of modern times are guilty of far more crimes than any committed in the name of religion. Communist governments alone were guilty of more than one hundred million murders, most of them committed against their own people.|accessdate = 2011–03–15}}</ref>

The atheism in [[communism|communist]] regimes has been and continues to be [[militant atheism]] and various acts of repression including the razing of thousands of religious buildings and the killing, imprisoning, and oppression of religious leaders and believers.<ref>
*[http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/28/china.church.crackdown/index.html?hpt=T2 Underground Christians fear China crackdown]
*[http://books.google.com/books?visbn=0300103220&id=ChRk43tVxTwC&pg=PA165&lpg=PA165&ots=ICIxg28Jud&dq=a+century+of+violence+in+soviet+russia+the+Russian+Orthodox+clergy&ie=ISO-8859-1&sig=C9k9Hr7Vn222WCHf_1iSJOHVsgo#v=onepage&q=&f=false A Century of Violence in Soviet Russia]
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/frroman1.aspx On Compromise in the Hierarchy During the Communist Yoke]
*[http://www.nysun.com/article/23082?page_no=1 Korean Reds Targeting Christians]
*[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/5/7/120250.shtml North Korean and Chinese Atrocities Against Christians Worsen]
*[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35818 China sends Bible owners to labor camp]
*[http://theworldnow.wordpress.com/tag/around-the-world/asia/china/ China: Christians Tortured While Under Arrest]</ref>

The [[persecution of Christians in the USSR|persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union]] was the result of the violently atheist [[Soviet]] government. In the first five years after the [[October Revolution]], 28 bishops and 1,200 priests were murdered, many on the orders of [[Leon Trotsky]]. When [[Joseph Stalin]] came to power in 1927, he ordered his secret police, under [[Genrikh Yagoda]] to intensify persecution of Christians. In the next few years, 50,000 clergy were murdered, many were [[torture]]d, including [[crucifixion]]. "Russia turned red with the blood of martyrs", said Father Gleb Yakunin of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]].<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,150718,00.html</ref> According to Orthodox Church sources, as many as fifty million Orthodox believers may have died in the twentieth century, mainly from persecution by [[Communists]].<ref>[http://www.serfes.org/printerVersion2.asp?URL=/orthodox/memoryof.htm In Memory Of The 50 Million Victims Of The Orthodox Christian Holocaust by Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes]</ref>

In addition, in the atheistic and communist Soviet Union, 44 anti religious museums were opened and the largest was the 'The Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism' in [[Leningrad]]’s Kazan cathedral.<ref>http://bedejournal.blogspot.com/2008/12/merry-anti-christmas.html</ref> Despite intense effort by the atheistic leaders of the Soviet Union, their efforts were not effective in converting the masses to atheism.<ref>http://bedejournal.blogspot.com/2008/12/merry-anti-christmas.html</ref><ref>http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpl/jssr/2004/00000043/00000001/art00003?crawler=true</ref>
[[File:China location.png|thumbnail|right|250px|With its large population, [[China]] has the largest population of atheists with 8 - 14% of Chinese being atheists.<ref>[http://www.thechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Countries with the largest atheist populations]</ref> The religious landscape of China is quickly changing, however, due to the explosive growth of Christianity.<ref>http://www.millennialstar.org/christianity-exploding-in-china/</ref><ref>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/2008/August/Christianity-Growing-in-China-/</ref> See also: [[Global atheism]] ]]
[[China]] is a communist country. In 1999, the publication [[Christian Century]] reported that "[[China]] has persecuted religious believers by means of harassment, prolonged detention, and incarceration in prison or `reform-through-labor' camps and police closure of places of worship." In 2003, owners of [[Bible]]s in China were sent to prison camps and 125 Chinese churches were closed.<ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35818</ref> China continues to practice religious oppression today.<ref>http://theworldnow.wordpress.com/tag/around-the-world/asia/china/</ref>
According to ''Asian Economic News'', in 2004 the atheistic and communist government of [[China]] had an internal document which directed the Chinese media to promote atheism, instructed internet media to remove user comments that advocate alternative spiritual views, and called for a ban on publications that disseminate religious material out of step with Marxism or atheism.<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WDP/is_/ai_n7582025</ref> The efforts of China's atheist leaders in promoting atheism, however, is increasingly losing its effectiveness and the number of [[Christianity|Christians]] in China is explosively growing.<ref>http://www.millennialstar.org/christianity-exploding-in-china/</ref><ref>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/2008/August/Christianity-Growing-in-China-/</ref> China's state sponsored atheism and atheistic indoctrination has been a failure and a 2007 religious survey in China indicated that only 15% of Chinese identified themselves as atheists.<ref>http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/01/23/huffington-post-chinas-state-sponsored-atheism-a-failure/</ref>

[[North Korea]] is a repressive communist state and is officially atheistic.<ref>http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/IE12Dg01.html</ref> The North Korean government practices brutal repression and atrocities against North Korean [[Christianity|Christians]].<ref>http://www.nysun.com/article/23082?page_no=1</ref><ref>http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/5/7/120250.shtml</ref>

It has been estimated that in less than the past 100 years, governments under the banner of communism have caused the death of somewhere between 40,472,000 to 259,432,000 human lives.<ref>
*[http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/finalconflict/fcrevb102.html The Black Book of Communism]
*[http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hpcws/lelivrenoir.htm The Black Book of Communism]
*[http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM HOW MANY DID COMMUNIST REGIMES MURDER? By R.J. Rummel]
*[http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat1.htm Source List and Detailed Death Tolls for the Twentieth Century Hemoclysm]
*[http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=2526 The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression]</ref> 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> [[Richard Dawkins]] has attempted to [[Richard Dawkins, atheist atrocities, and historical revisionism|engage in historical revisionism concerning atheist atrocities and Dawkins was shown to be in gross error]].

Atheism, politics and related matters:

*[[Militant atheism]]

*[[Atheism and mass murder]]

*[[Atheism and communism]]

*[[History of Atheism|History of atheism]]

*[[Atheism and politics]]

*[[Atheism and forced labor]]

==Criticism of atheism==

''See also:'' [[Resources for leaving atheism and becoming a Christian]] and [[Christian apologetics]] and [[Decline of atheism]]

===Commonly Cited Arguments Against Atheism and For Theism ===
[[Image:Anselm.jpg|thumbnail|right|150px|[[Anselm of Canterbury]]'s version of the [[ontological argument]] appeared in his work ''Proslogium''.]]
In relation to the debate between theism and atheism, theists often criticize atheism as being contrary to persuasive argument and have a number of arguments against atheism. [[Arguments for the existence of God]] include:
* [[Teleological argument]]: The universe exhibits overwhelming evidence of deliberate, intelligent, purposeful design, which implies an [[intelligent design]]er. See also: [[Evolution as a secular origins myth]]

* [[Bible prophecy]]

* [[Cosmological argument]]: Every event in our [[universe]] necessarily has a cause. However, it is impossible that there should be an unending chain of causes going back. Therefore, there necessarily must be a cause ''distinct'' from the universe as we know it which is capable of causing all things and is itself uncaused. Atheism denies that that [[First Cause|first cause]] is God. The scientific evidence demonstrates that the [http://www.creationencounter.com/space/lawsofscience.php universe is not eternal] and Christians point out that [http://creation.com/who-created-god the question "Who created God" is an illogical question.]

*[[Atheism and the Problem of Evil]] (see also: [[Atheism and hell]] and [[Pascal's wager]])

* [[Ontological argument]]: According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Ontological arguments are arguments, for the conclusion that God exists, from premises which are supposed to derive from some source other than observation of the world — e.g., from reason alone."<ref>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ontological-arguments/</ref>

* Historical arguments for the existence of God. For example, arguments stemming from historical accounts such as [[Christian apologetics|Christian historical apologetics]], [[Christian Legal Apologetics|Christian legal apologetics]] and archaeological evidence such as [[Bible Archaeology|Bible archaeology]];

* Experiential arguments for the existence of God: Arguments based on personal experience and human intuition. According to philosopher [[Alvin Plantinga]] belief in the existence of God exists is a "properly basic" belief and not based on inference from other beliefs but is rationally justified due to one's circumstances of immediate experience of God.<ref>http://www.leaderu.com/truth/3truth01.html</ref>

*[[Presuppositional Apologetics]]

*[[Argument from beauty]]<ref>[http://www.quodlibet.net/articles/williams-aesthetic.shtml Aesthetic Arguments for the Existence of God]</ref>

*[[Atheism and Miracles]]

*[http://creationwiki.org/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Bible scientific foreknowledge]

* Lack of proof and evidence that atheism is true contrasted with the strong evidence supporting Christianity. A [[Shockofgod|popular YouTube Christian channel]] has flustered the [[Internet atheism|internet atheist community]] by asking atheists what proof and evidence they have that atheism is true.<ref>
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bBE1bos6JU Shockofgod calls into Atheist Radio show][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKBZoWDfQA4 Shockofgod calls into Atheist radio show - Part 2]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjS__cWr0Y0 The question that is causing atheists to abandon atheism]</ref> Atheism requires blind faith. Atheism is a [[Atheism is a religion|faith based religion]] and it is a [[worldview]] which has no evidential support.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciVL86XQlvM There is no proof and evidence that atheism is true]</ref>

*[[Atheism and the Bible]]

*[[Atheism website resources|Various Christian apologetic resources focusing on atheism]]

*[[Resources for leaving atheism and becoming a Christian]]

===Atheism and mass murder===
[[Image:Stalin-140508 27880t.jpg|right|202px|thumb|The [[militant atheism|militant atheistic]] regime of [[Joseph Stalin]] killed tens of millions of people.]]
:''See articles: [[Atheism and Mass Murder]]'' and [[Atheism and communism]] and [[Atheism and sadism]] and [[Atheism and forced labor]]
Christian apologist Gregory Koukl wrote relative to [[Atheism and Mass Murder|atheism and mass murder]] that "the assertion is that religion has caused most of the killing and bloodshed in the world.
There are people who make accusations and assertions that are empirically false. This is one of them."<ref name="Koukl">Koukl, Gregory, [http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5527 The Real Murderers: Atheism or Christianity?], 1994</ref>
Koukl details the number of people killed in various events involving theism and compares them to the much higher tens of millions of people killed under regimes which advocated atheism.<ref name="Koukl" /> As noted earlier, [[Richard Dawkins]] has attempted to [[Richard Dawkins, atheists atrocities, and historical revisionism|engage in historical revisionism concerning atheist atrocities and Dawkins was shown to be in gross error]].

Koukl summarized by stating:
{{cquote|It is true that it's possible that religion can produce evil, and generally when we look closer at the detail it produces evil because the individual people are actually living in a rejection of the tenets of Christianity and a rejection of the God that they are supposed to be following. So it can produce it, but the historical fact is that outright rejection of God and institutionalizing of atheism actually does produce evil on incredible levels. We're talking about tens of millions of people as a result of the rejection of God.<ref name="Koukl" />}}
[[Image:Solzhenitsyn.jpg‎|thumb|150px|left|[[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]]]]
[[Nobel Prize]] winner [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] was asked to account for the great tragedies that occurred under the brutal [[communism|communist]] regime he and fellow citizens suffered under.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote:
{{cquote|Over a half century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of old people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen [[Russia]]: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened.''

Since then I have spend well-nigh 50 years working on the history of our revolution; in the process I have read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and have already contributed eight volumes of my own toward the effort of clearing away the rubble left by that upheaval. But if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened."<ref>http://www.icr.org/article/stalins-brutal-faith/</ref>}}
[[File:Vox Day.jpg|thumbnail|right|175px|[[Vox Day]] ]]
In 2008, [[Vox Day]] notes concerning atheism and mass murder:
{{cquote|Apparently it was just an amazing coincidence that every Communist of historical note publicly declared his atheism … .there have been twenty-eight countries in world history that can be confirmed to have been ruled by regimes with avowed atheists at the helm … These twenty-eight historical regimes have been ruled by eighty-nine atheists, of whom more than half have engaged in democidal acts of the sort committed by Stalin and Mao …

The total body count for the ninety years between 1917 and 2007 is approximately 148 million dead at the bloody hands of fifty-two atheists, three times more than all the human beings killed by war, civil war, and individual crime in the entire twentieth century combined.

The historical record of collective atheism is thus 182,716 times worse on an annual basis than Christianity’s worst and most infamous misdeed, the Spanish Inquisition. It is not only Stalin and Mao who were so murderously inclined, they were merely the worst of the whole [[Atheism and Hell|Hell]]-bound lot. For every Pol Pot whose infamous name is still spoken with horror today, there was a Mengistu, a Bierut, and a Choibalsan, godless men whose names are now forgotten everywhere but in the lands they once ruled with a red hand.

Is a 58 percent chance that an atheist leader will murder a noticeable percentage of the population over which he rules sufficient evidence that atheism does, in fact, provide a systematic influence to do bad things? If that is not deemed to be conclusive, how about the fact that the average atheist crime against humanity is 18.3 million percent worse than the very worst depredation committed by Christians, even though atheists have had less than one-twentieth the number of opportunities with which to commit them. If one considers the statistically significant size of the historical atheist set and contrasts it with the fact that not one in a thousand religious leaders have committed similarly large-scale atrocities, it is impossible to conclude otherwise, even if we do not yet understand exactly why this should be the case. Once might be an accident, even twice could be coincidence, but fifty-two incidents in ninety years reeks of causation!<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>}}

See also:

*[[Militant atheism]]
*[[Atheism and forced labor]]
*[[Soviet Union and morality]]
*[[Atheism and hatred of God]]

[[Image:228130875 35181424e3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A comprehensive study by [[Harvard University]] professor Robert Putnam found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts.<ref>[http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx Religious people make better citizens, study says] by Pew Research Forum, May 13, 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm Religious people are 'better neighbors'] by ''USA Today'', 11/14/2010</ref> ]]

===Atheism and charity ===
:''See also: [[Atheism and charity]]'' and [[Atheism and depression]] and [[Atheism, uncharitableness and depression]]

Concerning the issue of [[Atheism and Uncharitableness|atheism and uncharitableness]], the evidence indicates that per capita charitable giving by atheists and agnostics in America is significantly less than by theists, according to a study by the [[Barna Group]]:
{{cquote|The typical no-faith American donated just $200 in 2006, which is more than seven times less than the amount contributed by the prototypical active-faith adult ($1500). Even when church-based giving is subtracted from the equation, active-faith adults donated twice as many dollars last year as did atheists and agnostics. In fact, while just 7% of active-faith adults failed to contribute any personal funds in 2006, that compares with 22% among the no-faith adults.<ref>[http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/102-atheists-and-agnostics-take-aim-at-christians Atheists and Agnostics Take Aim at Christians] ''The Barna Update'', 2007.</ref>}}

A comprehensive study by [[Harvard University]] professor Robert Putnam found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts.<ref>[http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx Religious people make better citizens, study says] by Pew Research Forum, May 13, 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm Religious people are 'better neighbors'] by ''USA Today'', 11/14/2010</ref> The study revealed that forty percent of worship service attending Americans volunteer regularly to help the poor and elderly as opposed to 15% of Americans who never attend services.<ref>[http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx Religious people make better citizens, study says] by Pew Research Forum, May 13, 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm Religious people are 'better neighbors'] by ''USA Today'', 11/14/2010</ref> Moreover, religious individuals are more likely than non-religious individuals to volunteer for school and youth programs (36% vs. 15%), a neighborhood or civic group (26% vs. 13%), and for health care (21% vs. 13%).<ref>[http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx Religious people make better citizens, study says] by Pew Research Forum, May 13, 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm Religious people are 'better neighbors'] by ''USA Today'', 11/14/2010</ref>

===Atheism and immoral views===

:''See: [[Atheism and morality]]'' and [[Atheism and bestiality]] and [[Atheism and homosexuality]] and [[Atheism and sadism]] and [[Atheism and rape]] and [[Atheism and slavery]] and [[Atheism and hell]] and [[Atheist hypocrisy]]

The [[Barna Group]] found regarding [[Atheism and Morality|atheism and morality]] that those who hold to the worldviews of atheism or agnosticism in America were more likely, than theists in America, to look upon the following behaviors as morally acceptable: [[Illegal drugs|illegal drug use]]; excessive [[Atheism and alcoholism|drinking]]; sexual relationships outside of marriage; [[abortion]]; cohabitating with someone of opposite sex outside of marriage; [[Profanity|obscene]] language; [[gambling]]; [[pornography]] and obscene sexual behavior; and engaging in [[homosexuality]]/[[bisexuality]].<ref>http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/58-practical-outcomes-replace-biblical-principles-as-the-moral-standard</ref> Given the [[Homosexuality and health|many diseases associated with homosexuality]], the [[Bible|biblical]] prohibition against [[homosexuality]] is quite arguably one of the many example where the Bible exhibited knowledge [http://creationwiki.org/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge that was ahead of its time].

[[James Randi]] is a leader within the atheist community. Brian Thompson, former James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) Outreach Coordinator, wrote:
{{cquote|But I no longer identify with this community of benevolent know-it-alls, because not all of them are the best folks in the world. In fact, a good percentage of the top ten worst humans I’ve ever met are prominent members of the skeptics’ club. They’re dishonest, mean-spirited, narcissistic, [[misogyny|misogynistic]]. Pick a personality flaw, and I can probably point you to someone who epitomizes it. And that person has probably had a speaking slot at a major skeptical conference.

I grew particularly disgusted with the boys’ club attitude I saw among skeptical leaders and luminaries. The kind of attitude that’s dismissive of women, sexually predatory, and downright gross. When I first started going to skeptical conferences as a fresh-faced know-it-all, I started hearing things about people I once admired. Then I started seeing things myself. Then I got a job with the JREF, and the pattern continued.<ref>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/03/31/when-will-this-situation-improve/ When will this situation improve?]</ref>}}

[[Image:115523-004-FA619CA3.jpg|thumb|right|251px| The perverse and cruel atheist [[Marquis de Sade]] in prison, 18th century line engraving.]]
The ''Journal of Medical Ethics'' declared concerning the atheist and [[sadism|sadist]] [[Marquis de Sade]]:
{{cquote|In 1795 the Marquis de Sade published his La Philosophic dans le boudoir, in which he proposed the use of induced abortion for social reasons and as a means of [[population control]]. It is from this time that medical and social acceptance of abortion can be dated, although previously the subject had not been discussed in public in modern times. It is suggested that it was largely due to de Sade's writing that induced abortion received the impetus which resulted in its subsequent spread in western society.<ref>http://jme.bmj.com/content/6/1/7.abstract</ref>}}

[[Population control]] is based on [[pseudoscience]] and ill founded [[economics|economic]] assumptions.<ref>http://www.evolutionnews.org/2010/11/pz_myers_on_abortion040971.html</ref> ''[[CBS News]]'' reported: "According to a mail-in survey of nearly 4,000 British doctors, those who were atheist or agnostic were almost twice as willing to take actions designed to hasten the end of life."<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20014770-10391704.html</ref>

In 2007 the Baptist Press reported:
{{cquote|...a pollster at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, found that adults who profess a belief in God are significantly more likely than atheists to say that forgiveness, patience, generosity and a concern for others are "very important." In fact, the poll found that on 11 of 12 values, there was a double-digit gap between theists and atheists, with theists more likely to label each value "very important."

The survey by sociologist and pollster Reginald Bibby examined the beliefs of 1,600 Canadians, 82 percent who said they believed in "God or a higher power" and 18 percent who said they did not.<ref>http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=26675</ref>}}

[[Image:998086u.jpg|right|thumbnail|200px|An essay by the [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] Dr. James Spiegel describes [[Bertrand Russell]] as a "misogynistic and a serial adulterer; a chronic seducer of women, especially very young women, even in his old age."<ref>http://www.apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=469:the-causes-of-atheism&catid=96:bonus-content&Itemid=80</ref> Bertrand Russel was an agnostic who had favorable views towards atheism.<ref> Russell, Bertrand (1947) "Am I An Atheist Or An Agnostic?"[http://www.luminary.us/russell/atheist_agnostic.html] Most online sources say "by which one prove," probably a mistake.</ref>]]
Dr. Phil Fernandes states the following regarding atheism and [[Moral relativism|moral relativism]]:
{{cquote|[[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]] preached that a group of "supermen" must arise with the courage to create their own values through their "will to power." Nietzsche rejected the "soft" values of [[Christianity]] (brotherly love, turning the other cheek, charity, compassion, etc.); he felt they hindered man's creativity and potential....

Many other atheists agree with Nietzsche concerning moral relativism. British philosopher [[Bertrand Russell]] (1872-1970) once wrote, "Outside human desires there is no moral standard." [[A. J. Ayer]] believed that moral commands did not result from any objective standard above man. Instead, Ayer stated that moral commands merely express one's subjective feelings. When one says that murder is wrong, one is merely saying that he or she feels that murder is wrong. [[Jean-Paul Sartre]], a French [[existentialism|existentialist]], believed that there is no objective meaning to life. Therefore, according to Sartre, man must create his own values.

There are many different ways that moral relativists attempt to determine what action should be taken. [[Hedonism]] is probably the most extreme. It declares that whatever brings the most pleasure is right. In other words, if it feels good, do it. If this position is true, then there is no basis from which to judge the actions of [[Adolph Hitler]] as being evil.<ref>http://instituteofbiblicaldefense.com/1997/05/refuting-moral-relativism/</ref>}}

[[Image:Harry Hay.jpg|thumbnail|150px|Many consider atheist [[Harry Hay]] to be the founder of the American [[homosexuality|homosexual]] movement.]]
Given that atheistic [[evolution|evolutionary]] thinking has engendered [[social darwinism]] and given that [[Atheism and morality|the proponents of atheism have no rational basis for morality in their ideology]], the immoral views that atheists often hold and [[Atheism and Uncharitableness|the low per capita giving of American atheists]] is not unpredictable.

==== Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA ====

''see also:'' [[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]] and [[Teenage homosexuality]] and [[Homosexuality and pederasty]]

Some of the well known atheist advocates of the [[North American Man-Boy Love Association]] (NAMBLA) are:

1. The atheist and [[homosexuality|homosexual]] [[David Thorstad]] was a founding member of the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA).<ref>http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/100822</ref>

2. '''[[Harry Hay]]''' (1912 - 2002) was an [[liberal]] advocate of [[statutory rape]] and the widely acknowledged founder and progenitor of the activist [[homosexual agenda]] in the [[United States]]. Hay joined the [[Communist Party of the United States]] (CPUSA) in 1934. <ref>''The Boston Phoenix'', [http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/other_stories/documents/02511115.htm The real Harry Hay], Michael Bronski, October 31 - November 7, 2002. </ref> Harry Hay was an atheist.<ref>http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2010/ss_politics0010_01_07.asp</ref> He was a vociferous advocate of man/boy love. <ref>The American Spectator Special Report, [http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10450 When Nancy Met Harry], Jeffrey Lord, 10/5/2006.</ref><ref>http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2010/ss_politics0010_01_07.asp</ref> In 1986, Hay marched in a [[homosexual|gay]] parade wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words "[[NAMBLA]] walks with me."<ref>http://www.mega.nu/ampp/baldwin_pedophilia_homosexuality.pdf</ref>

3. The writer [[Samuel R. Delaney]] is an atheist and a [[homosexuality|homosexual]].<ref>Samuel R. Delaney, ''About writing: seven essays, four letters, and five interviews'', page 36</ref><ref>http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-literary-criticism/delany-samuel-r</ref> Delaney said he was a supporter of NAMBLA.<ref>Delany, Samuel R.; Freedman, Carl (2009). Conversations with Samuel R. Delany. Univ. Press of Mississippi, page 143</ref>

See also: [[Richard Dawkins on child molestation and so called "gentle pedophiles"]] and [[John Maynard Keynes and pederasty]]
==== Atheism and bestiality ====

''See also:'' [[Atheism and bestiality]]

[[Bestiality]] is the act of engaging in sexual relations with an animal. The [[atheist]] philosopher Peter Singer defends the practice [[bestiality]] (as well as [[abortion]], infanticide and [[euthanasia]]). Despite holding these views the liberal and pro-[[evolution]] academic establishment rewarded his views with a bioethics chair at [[Princeton University]].<ref>[http://creation.com/the-basis-of-a-christian-worldview The Basis of a Christian Worldview]</ref><ref>[http://creation.com/answer-to-philosophy-religion-professor-on-biblical-exegesis-and-the-problem-of-evil CMI answers philosophy/religion professor on biblical exegesis and the problem of evil]</ref>

The prominent atheist [[PZ Myers]] declared, "...I don’t object to bestiality in a very limited set of specific conditions..."<ref name="achilles">[http://templestream.blogspot.com/2012/08/atheist-achilles-heels-objective.html Atheist Achilles Heels: Objective Morality and Sacred Life]</ref><ref>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/05/22/the-objective-morality-gotcha/ The “objective morality” gotcha]</ref>
[[File:Peter-Singer.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|The [[atheist]] philosopher [[Peter Singer]] defends the practice of [[bestiality]] Despite holding these immoral views academia rewarded his views with a bioethics chair at [[Princeton University]].<ref>
*[http://creation.com/the-basis-of-a-christian-worldview The Basis of a Christian Worldview - Creation Ministries International]
*[http://creation.com/answer-to-philosophy-religion-professor-on-biblical-exegesis-and-the-problem-of-evil CMI answers philosophy/religion professor on biblical exegesis and the problem of evil]
*[http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2011/06/the-dangerous-mind-of-peter-singer ''The Dangerous Mind''] by Joe Carter, ''[[First Things]]''</ref> See: [[Atheism and bestiality]] ]]
The Bible says that bestiality is a perversion and, under the [[Old Testament]] [[Pentateuch|Jewish Law]], punishable by death (Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 18:23, Leviticus 20:15 and Deuteronomy 27:21). The atheistic worldview does not lend itself to the establishment of morality within society and individuals (see: [[Atheism and morality]] and [[Atheism and deception]]).

The [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] and author Michael Caputo writes:
{{cquote|Although bestiality is not openly supported by well known [[Militant atheism|Militant Atheist]] sites, support for it is inherent in their insistence that decisions of a sexual nature should be left up to the individual adults to determine. God disagrees.<ref>[http://atheismexposed.tripod.com/god_bible_bestiality.htm Michael Caputo's Militant Atheism Exposed website, THE BIBLE AND BESTIALITY]</ref>}}

For additional information please see:

*[[Atheism and bestiality]]
*[[Evolutionary belief and bestiality]]

In areas of the [[Western World]] where there is a significant amount of atheism and [[evolution]]ary belief, there have been notable problems related to bestiality (see: [[Geographic areas where bestiality is posing a notable problem]]).

==== Other issues relating to atheism and immorality ====

*[[Atheism and rape]]

*[[Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]]

*[[Irreligious prison population]]

For more more information please see: [[Atheism and morality]]

===Atheism and miracles===
[[Image:Billcraig_czvx.jpg‎‎|thumb|150px|Dr. [[William Lane Craig]] ]]
:''See main article: [[Atheism and Miracles]]''
In relation to [[Atheism and Miracles|atheism and miracles]], modern scholars are divided on the issue of whether or not [[David Hume]] was an atheist.<ref>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume-religion/#10</ref> With that caveat in mind, Hume is well known for arguing that it is always more probable that the testimony of a miracle is false than that the miracle occurred.<ref>[http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/docs/creation-providence.html Creation, Providence, and Miracle]</ref> Christian apologists [[William Lane Craig]], [[Norman Geisler]], [[C.S. Lewis]], [[JP Holding]], and others have shown the inadequacy and unreasonableness of Hume's position regarding miracles.<ref>
*[http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/docs/creation-providence.html Creation, Providence, and Miracle - William Lane Craig]
*[http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/docs/miracles.html Miracles - William Lane Craig]
*[http://www.galaxie.com/article/6706 A Jurisprudential Analysis Of Hume’s ‘In Principal’ Argument Against Miracles - Paul K. Hoffman]
*[http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth19.html Miracles and Modern Scientific Thought - Norman Geisler]
*[http://books.google.com/books/about/Miracles.html?id=tH8di3qQDhEC Miracles - C.S. Lewis]
*[http://www.tektonics.org/gk/hume01.html David Hume: A Critique - JP Holding]
*[http://www.comereason.org/phil_qstn/phi060.asp Are Miracles Logically Impossible? - Come Reason Ministries]
</ref>

===Atheism and questions of origins===

:''See articles: [[Atheism and Evolution]]'' and [[Evolution as a secular origins myth]]
[[Creationism|Creationist]] scientists state that the [[First Law of Thermodynamics|first law of thermodynamics]] and the [[Second Law of Thermodynamics|second law of thermodynamics]] argue against an eternal universe or a universe created by natural processes and argue for a universe created by [[God]].<ref>http://godevidences.net/space/lawsofscience.php</ref><ref>http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2329</ref><ref>http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/AstroPhysicalSciences14.html</ref> A majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the evolutionary position which employs [[methodological naturalism]] since [[World War II]] have had the worldview of atheism.<ref>Dr. Don Batten, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/737/ A ''Who’s Who'' of evolutionists] ''Creation'' 20(1):32
December 1997.</ref><ref>[[Jonathan Sarfati]], Ph.D.,F.M., [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3830 ''Refuting Evolution'', Chapter 1, Facts and Bias]</ref> [[Creation science|Creation scientists]] assert that the theory of [[Evolution|evolution]] is an inadequate explanation for the variety of life forms on earth.<ref>http://www.icr.org/home/resources/resources_tracts_scientificcaseagainstevolution/</ref> In addition, the current [[origin of life|naturalistic explanations for the origin of life are inadequate]]. The theory of evolution [[Social effects of the theory of evolution|has had a number of negative social effects]].

=== Atheism and hypocrisy ===

''See also:'' [[Atheist hypocrisy]]

In order to attempt to justify their atheism, atheists often engage in [[Hypocrisy|hypocritical]] argumentation. In addition, atheists often engage in hypocritical behavior. Please see: [[Atheist hypocrisy]]

==Atheism and mental and physical health==

:''See also:'' [[Atheism and health]] and [[Atheism and obesity]] and [[Atheism and alcoholism]]

The is considerable amount of [[science|scientific]] evidence that suggest that theism is more conducive to mental and physical health than atheism and some of the more significant findings are given below <ref>
*[http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/content/76/12/1225.full.pdf Religious Involvement, Spirituality, and Medicine: Implications for Clinical Practice - Mayo Clinic]
*[http://www.dukespiritualityandhealth.org/publications/latest.html Research on Spirituality, Theology and Health - Duke University]
*[http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/Papers/rel_mort_meta.pdf McCullogh ME, Larson DB, Hoyt WT. et al. (2000). Religious involvement and mortality: a meta-analytic review. Health Psychology. 19, 3. 211-222]
*[http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/Religion-Exec_summary.pdf The psycho-social benefits of religious practice by Ona Institute]
*[http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/Papers/Relig_self_control_bulletin.pdf Religion, Self-Regulation, and Self-Control: Associations, Explanations, and Implications]
*[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/05/990517064323.htm Research Shows Religion Plays A Major Role In Health, Longevity - Science Daily, 1999]
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15569904 Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempt - The American Journal of Psychiatry]
*[http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2003/A/20037338.html Psychology researcher says spiritual meaning of Christmas brings more happiness than materialism - Scienceblog and University of Warwick]
</ref> (For more information please see: [[Atheism and health]]).

=== Mayo Clinic, university studies, and other research ===
[[Image:Mayo-clinic-gondaoverview.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The prestigious [[Mayo Clinic]] found that that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better physical health, mental health, health-related quality of life and other health outcomes.<ref>http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/content/76/12/1225.full.pdf</ref>]]
The prestigious [[Mayo Clinic]] reported the following on December 11, 2001:
{{cquote|In an article also published in this issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Mayo Clinic researchers reviewed published studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews and subject reviews that examined the association between religious involvement and spirituality and physical health, mental health, health-related quality of life and other health outcomes.

The authors report a majority of the nearly 350 studies of physical health and 850 studies of mental health that have used religious and spiritual variables have found that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes.<ref>http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/content/76/12/1225.full.pdf</ref>}}

The [[Iona Institute]] reported:
{{cquote|A meta-analysis of all studies, both published and unpublished, relating to religious involvement and longevity was carried out in 2000. Forty-two studies were included, involving some 126,000 subjects. Active religious involvement increased the chance of living longer by some 29%, and participation in public religious practices, such as church attendance, increased the chance of living longer by 43%.*<ref>[http://www.ionainstitute.ie/pdfs/Religion-Exec_summary.pdf The psycho-social benefits of religious practice by Ona Institute]</ref><ref>[http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/Papers/rel_mort_meta.pdf McCullogh ME, Larson DB, Hoyt WT. et al. (2000). Religious involvement and mortality: a meta-analytic review. Health Psychology. 19, 3. 211-222]</ref>}}

In December of 2003, the University of Warwick reported:
{{cquote|Dr. Stephen Joseph, from the University of Warwick, said: "Religious people seem to have a greater purpose in life, which is why they are happier. Looking at the research evidence, it seems that those who celebrate the Christian meaning of [[Christmas]] are on the whole likely to be happier.<ref>http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2003/A/20037338.html</ref>}}

[[Duke University]] has established the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health.<ref>http://www.dukespiritualityandhealth.org/</ref> The Duke University Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health is based in the Center for Aging at Duke and gives opportunities for scholarly trans-disciplinary conversation and the development of collaborative research projects.<ref>http://www.dukespiritualityandhealth.org/about/</ref> In respect to the atheism and mental and physical health, the center offers many studies which suggest that theism is more beneficial than atheism.<ref>http://www.dukespiritualityandhealth.org/publications/latest.html</ref>
[[Image:Nietzsche.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Currently, there is an ongoing debate on whether [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]'s insanity was caused purely through disease or whether his atheistic/[[nihilism|nihilistic]] philosophical outlook on life was the cause.]]
The Christian group [[Teen Challenge]] reported:
{{Cquote|Teen Challenge claims of a 70% cure rate for the drug addicts graduating from their program attracted the attention of the U.S. Federal Government in 1973. Most secular drug rehabilitation programs only experienced a cure rate of 1-15% of their graduates. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, funded the first year of this study to evaluate the long term results of the Teen Challenge program.<ref>http://www.acadc.org/page/page/2495014.htm</ref>}}

Teen Challenge has a number of studies that indicate the high effectiveness of their drug treatment program compared to other programs.<ref>http://www.acadc.org/page/page/2495014.htm</ref> Studies indicate that consumers of secular counseling [[psychology]] programs show hardly any benefit at all for [[alcoholism]] (see also: [[Ineffectivness of counseling psychology|Ineffectiveness of secular counseling psychology]]).<ref>[http://www.spring.org.uk/2005/07/psychological-treatments-for-alcoholism.php]</ref><ref>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/5/75/abstract</ref> The [[Apostle Paul]] in a letter to the church of [[Corinth]] indicated that [[Christianity|Christians]] were able to overcome being drunkards through the power of [[Jesus Christ]] (I Corinthians 6:9-11). The website ''The Berean Call'' has a number of articles on various false claims and unbiblical notions that many practioners of counseling psychology promote.<ref>http://www.thebereancall.org/topic/psychology</ref>

Currently, there is an ongoing debate on whether [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]'s insanity was caused purely through disease or whether his atheistic/[[nihilism|nihilistic]] philosophical outlook on life was the cause.<ref>
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17881977]
*[http://www.ukapologetics.net/truthaboutnietzsche.html]
*[http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/hutchison/070307]
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17087793?dopt=Abstract]
*[http://www.leonardsax.com/Nietzsche.pdf]
*[http://www.bu.edu/paideia/existenz/volumes/Vol.3-1Khazaee.html]
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=x4qDrNKVC5gC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=Ren%C3%A9+Girard+nietzsche+and+madness&source=bl&ots=DQFLJpqjJd&sig=mXNq_6J6_qTciP2vW-FHojwBn20&hl=en&ei=hv99Sp0Y2YG2B8Ogsf4B&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false]</ref>
<ref name="hkbu">http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ppp/top/top19</ref>

An article published on the Hong Kong Baptist University declares:
{{cquote|Trying to explain what caused his insanity can only be a matter of speculation. Some people believe it was the result of a physical illness. Others interpret his suffering as that of a true prophet, almost as if he were accepting the punishment on behalf of those who could not see mankind's tendency towards self-destruction so clearly. Still others regard his final fate as a natural outcome of his philosophical outlook.<ref name="hkbu">http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ppp/top/top19</ref>}}

The Russian-born psychoanalyst and writer Lou Andreas-Salomé, who had a brief and tempestuous affair with Nietzsche, believed that Nietzsche's philosophy can be viewed as a reflection of his psychology and that his madness was the result of his philosophizing.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Nietzsche-Lou-Salome/dp/0252070356 Nietzsche]</ref> In addition, the French historian René Girard asserted that Nietzsche's philosophy led to his insanity.<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=x4qDrNKVC5gC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=Ren%C3%A9+Girard+nietzsche+and+madness&source=bl&ots=DQFLJpqjJd&sig=mXNq_6J6_qTciP2vW-FHojwBn20&hl=en&ei=hv99Sp0Y2YG2B8Ogsf4B&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false</ref>

===Atheism and suicide===

:''See also:'' [[Atheism and depression]] and [[Atheism and suicide]] and [[Hopelessness of atheism]] and [[Atheism, gender and suicide]] and [[Atheism, marriage and suicide]]

Although there are recent studies relating to [[Atheism and suicide|atheism being a causal factor for suicide for some individuals]], an early proponent of atheism being a causal factor for [[suicide]] was the Reverend Dr. [[Robert Stuart MacArthur]].<ref>http://www.adherents.com/misc/religion_suicide.html</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15569904 Religious affiliation and suicide attempts - PubMed]</ref><ref name="nytimes">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9507E2DC1131E033A25754C1A96F9C94659ED7CF NY Times, September 17, 1894, ATHEISM A CAUSE OF SUICIDE.; Dr. MacArthur Preaches on the Sin and Cowardice of Self-Destruction]</ref> In 1894, the [[NY Times]] stated the following in relation to atheism and suicide:
{{cquote|Dr. Martin urged that a great cause of suicide was atheism. It was, he said, a remarkable fact that where atheism prevailed most, there suicides were most numerous. In [[Paris]], a recent census showed one suicide to every 2,700 of the population. After the publication of Paine's "Age of Reason" suicides increased.<ref name="nytimes">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9507E2DC1131E033A25754C1A96F9C94659ED7CF NY Times, September 17, 1894, ATHEISM A CAUSE OF SUICIDE.; Dr. MacArthur Preaches on the Sin and Cowardice of Self-Destruction]</ref>}}
[[Image:Desperation_man.jpg‎ |thumb|right|200px|Pitzer College sociologist Phil Zuckerman stated concerning suicide rates: "this is the one indicator of societal health in which religious nations fare much better than secular nations."]]
The same NY Times article quotes the Reverend Dr. MacArthur describing suicide in the following manner:
{{cquote|It is mean and not manly; it is dastardly and not daring. A man who involves his innocent wife and children in financial disaster and disgrace and takes his life and leaves them to bear the burden he was unwilling to bear, is a coward.<ref name="nytimes">[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9507E2DC1131E033A25754C1A96F9C94659ED7CF NY Times, September 17, 1894, ATHEISM A CAUSE OF SUICIDE.; Dr. MacArthur Preaches on the Sin and Cowardice of Self-Destruction]</ref>}}

In 2004, the ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' reported:
{{cquote|Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder. No differences in the level of subjective and objective depression, hopelessness, or stressful life events were found.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15569904 Religious affiliation and suicide attempts - PubMed]</ref>}}

For more information please see:

*[[Atheism and suicide]]

*[[Hopelessness of atheism]]

[[File:Stephen-Fry.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|[[Stephen Fry]] is an [[atheist]] and a [[homosexual]].]]

=== Atheism and obesity ===

''See also:'' [[Atheism and obesity]] and [[Atheism and health]]

According to the [[Gallup Organization]], "Very religious Americans are more likely to practice healthy behaviors than those who are moderately religious or nonreligious."<ref>http://www.gallup.com/poll/145379/Religious-Americans-Lead-Healthier-Lives.aspx</ref> For more information please [[Atheism and obesity]]

Gallup declared concerning the study which measured the degree to which religiosity affects health practices: "[[Generalized linear model]] analysis was used to estimate marginal scores all five reported metrics after controlling for age (in years), gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, education (number of years), log of income, and region of the country... Results are based on telephone interviews conducted as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey Jan. 2-July 28, 2010, with a random sample of 554,066 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, selected using random-digit-dial sampling."<ref>http://www.gallup.com/poll/145379/Religious-Americans-Lead-Healthier-Lives.aspx</ref>

Please see:

* [[Atheism and obesity]]

* [[Atheism and health]]

=== Atheism and alcohol abuse ===

See: [[Atheism and alcohol abuse]]

=== Atheism and sexually transmitted diseases ===

[[Atheist Population|Atheistic populations]] commonly have significant problems with [[Sexually Transmitted Disease|sexually transmitted diseases]]. See: [[Atheism and sexually transmitted diseases]].

== Sports performance: Religious faith vs. atheism ==
[[File:2010 World Cup.jpg|right|300px|thumbnail|Numerous studies report that athletes to be more religious than non-athletes.<ref>[http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/strength-religious-faith-athletes-and-nonathletes-two-ncaa-division-iii-institutions ''Strength of Religious Faith of Athletes and Nonathletes at Two NCAA Division III Institutions'']</ref>]]
''See also:'' [[Sports performance: Religious faith vs. atheism ]]

''The [[Sport]]s Journal'' is a monthly refereed journal published by the United States Sports Academy.
A journal article appeared in the Sports Journal entitled ''Strength of Religious Faith of Athletes and Nonathletes at Two NCAA Division III Institutions''. The article was submitted by Nathan T. Bell, Scott R. Johnson, and Jeffrey C. Petersen from Ball State University.<ref>[http://thesportjournal.org/article/strength-of-religious-faith-of-athletes-and-nonathletes-at-two-ncaa-division-iii-institutions/ ''Strength of Religious Faith of Athletes and Nonathletes at Two NCAA Division III Institutions'']</ref>

An excerpt from the abstract of the journal article ''Strength of Religious Faith of Athletes and Nonathletes at Two NCAA Division III Institutions'' declares:
{{cquote|Numerous studies report athletes to be more religious than nonathletes (Fischer, 1997; Storch, Kolsky, Silvestri, & Storch, 2001; Storch et al., 2004). According to Storch, Kolsky, Silvestri, and Storch (2001), four reasons may explain why religion interacts with athletic performance.<ref>[http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/strength-religious-faith-athletes-and-nonathletes-two-ncaa-division-iii-institutions ''Strength of Religious Faith of Athletes and Nonathletes at Two NCAA Division III Institutions'']</ref>}}

== Atheism is a religion ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism is a religion]] and [[Atheist hypocrisy]]
[[File:Richard Dawkins pic.jpg|alt=Richard Dawkins|thumbnail|260px|right|The [[Oxford University]] Professor [[Daniel Came]] wrote to the [[agnosticism|agnostic]] [[Richard Dawkins]]: "The absence of a debate with the foremost [[Christian apologetics|apologist]] for [[Christianity|Christian]] [[theism]] is a glaring omission on your [[Curriculum vitae|CV]] and is of course apt to be interpreted as [[Atheism and cowardice|cowardice]] on your part."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8511931/Richard-Dawkins-accused-of-cowardice-for-refusing-to-debate-existence-of-God.html Richard Dawkins accused of cowardice for refusing to debate existence of God], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', May 14, 2011</ref> ]]
Many of the leaders of the atheist movement, such as the evolutionist and [[weak atheism|weak atheist]]/[[agnosticism|agnostic]] [[Richard Dawkins]], argue for [[agnosticism]]/atheism with a religious fervor.

Roderick Ninian Smart, a Scottish writer and professor, defined a seven-part scheme of understanding both religious and secular worldviews<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=14j2UrLCi64C&pg=PA130&lpg=PA130&dq=ninian+smart+narrative&source=bl&ots=Hq3WwG_mVT&sig=j-8FpwSdqohURYodSdcl46erSJY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FgybT6zxIc-_gAe864X6Dg&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=ninian%20smart%20narrative&f=false Dimensions of the Sacred, page 2]</ref>. These can be understood as narrative, experiential, social, ethical, doctrinal, ritual and material.

English Pastor Daniel Smartt defines atheism as a religion, using Ninian Smart's seven dimensions of worldview as a list of criteria. It is not necessary in Smartt's model for every one of these to be present in order for something to be a religion.<ref>[http://www.helium.com/items/1227784-atheism-religion-naturalism-morally-relative "Atheism vs Religion"], Daniel Smartt</ref>. However, it can be argued that all seven are present in the case of atheism.<ref>[http://creation.com/atheism-a-religion Atheism: A religion]</ref><ref>[http://creation.com/atheism Atheism]</ref>

In 2013, a trend of atheist services began and atheist services were reported in the ''[[New York Times]]'', '' [[The Blaze]]'' and other major news outlets.<ref>
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/us/in-the-bible-belt-offering-atheists-a-spiritual-home.html?_r=0 In the Bible belt offering atheists a spiritual home - NY Times, 6/24/2013]
*[Bizarre Trend: Atheist Sunday Morning ‘Worship’ Services Are on the Rise (Minus God, of Course)]
*[http://gawker.com/5973377/londons-first-atheist-church-opens-tomorrow London's First Atheist Church Opens Tomorrow]</ref>

Please see: [http://creation.com/atheism-a-religion Atheism: A religion]and [http://creation.com/atheism Atheism] and [[Atheism is a religion]].

=== Atheism is a religion and its legal implications relative to the teaching of evolution ===

[[Atheism is a religion]] and [[Naturalism (philosophy)|naturalistic]] notions of origins are religious which has legal implications relative to [[evolution]] being taught in public schools.<ref>http://creation.com/atheism-a-religion</ref><ref>http://www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org/Kitzmiller%27s_error_summary.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org/Kitzmiller%27s_Error.pdf</ref>

John Calvert, a lawyer and [[intelligent design]] proponent declared:
{{cquote|The Seventh Judicial Circuit of the Court of Appeals of the [[United States]] held that atheism is a [[religion]]. Therefore, it cannot be promoted by a public school. Currently, public schools are often unwittingly promoting atheism through a dogmatic and uncritical teaching of [[Evolution|materialistic theories of origins]].<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2011/12/effects-of-question-evolution-campaign.html The effects of the Question Evolution! Campaign will be devastating to evolutionary belief and atheism]</ref>}}

The atheist philosopher of science [[Michael Ruse]] admitted: "Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today."<ref>Ruse, M., How evolution became a religion: creationists correct? National Post, pp. B1,B3,B7 May 13, 2000.</ref> In the their [[Question evolution! campaign]], [[Creation Ministries International]] asks as a part of their 15 questions for evolutionists: "Why is a fundamentally religious idea, a dogmatic belief system that fails to explain the evidence, taught in science classes?...If “you can’t teach religion in science classes”, why is evolution taught?<ref>[http://creation.com/15-questions 15 questions for evolutionists]</ref>

== Atheism and women ==

''see also:'' [[Atheism and women]] and [[Atheism and rape]] and [[Elevatorgate]] and [[Prominent atheists whose wives believe in the existence of God]]

[[File:2404429188 ea8f1fc48b.jpg|thumbnail|right|255px|Studies and web traffic data appear to indicate that women in the [[Western World]] tend to be more religious than men.<ref>[http://www.livescience.com/7689-women-religious-men.html ''Women More Religious Than Men'']</ref><ref>http://www.livescience.com/culture/090227-religion-men-women.html</ref> ]]

=== Recent studies ===

==== Surveys by country ====

In November of 2010, ''Discover Magazine'' published survey results published by the World Values Survey which showed significant differences between the percentage of men and women who are atheists for various countries.<ref>[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2010/11/sex-differences-in-global-atheism-part-n/ Sex differences in global atheism, part N]</ref>

==== United States surveys ====

A 2009 article in LiveScience.com entitled ''Women More Religious Than Men'' reported: "A new analysis of survey data finds women pray more often then men, are more likely to believe in God, and are more religious than men in a variety of other ways...The latest findings, released Friday, are no surprise, only confirming what other studies have found for decades. <ref>[http://www.livescience.com/7689-women-religious-men.html ''Women More Religious Than Men'']</ref> In 2007, the Pew Research Center found that American women were more religious than American men.<ref>http://www.livescience.com/culture/090227-religion-men-women.html</ref>

==== Large atheist group survey and atheist meetings ====

In 2011, Beliefnetnews reported concerning the race and gender of American atheists:
{{cquote|From the smallest local meetings to the largest conferences, the vast majority of speakers and attendees are almost always white men. Leading figures of the atheist movement - [[Richard Dawkins]], [[Sam Harris]], [[Christopher Hitchens]] and [[Daniel Dennett]] -- are all white men.

But making atheism more diverse is proving to be no easy task.

Surveys suggest most atheists are white men. A recent survey of 4,000 members of the Freedom from Religion Foundation found that 95 percent were white, and men comprised a majority.<ref>http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2011/01/atheists-diversity-woes-have-n.php</ref>}}

For more information please see:

*[[Atheism and women]]

*[[Atheism and sexism]]

*[[Atheism and rape]]

*[[Elevatorgate]]

*[[Atheist leaders and immoral relationships]]

== Atheism and marriageability ==

''See also:'' [[Atheism and marriage]] and [[Prominent atheists whose wives believe in the existence of God]]

=== Atheism and rates of marriage in the United States ===

''See also:'' [[Atheism and marriageability]] and [[Atheism and women]]

The [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] Michael Caputo wrote:
{{cquote|Recently the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has published its mammoth study on Religion in America based on 35,000 interviews... According to the Pew Forum a whopping 37% of atheists never marry as opposed to 19% of the American population, 17% of Protestants and 17% of Catholics.<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>}}

[[Vox Day]] declared that according to the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) "more than half of all atheists and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] don’t get married."<ref>http://creation.com/atheism</ref>

For more information please see: [[Atheism and marriageability]]

== Atheist PZ Myers says atheists are largely a population of internet nerds and geeks ==

[[File:PzMyers2.jpg|thumbnail|251px|right|[[PZ Myers]] declared, "...I don’t object to [[bestiality]] in a very limited set of specific conditions..."<ref name="achilles">[http://templestream.blogspot.com/2012/08/atheist-achilles-heels-objective.html Atheist Achilles Heels: Objective Morality and Sacred Life]</ref><ref>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/05/22/the-objective-morality-gotcha/ The “objective morality” gotcha]</ref> See: [[Atheism and bestiality]]
 
 
(photo obtained from [http://www.flickr.com/photos/reuvenim/4426093513/ Flickr], see [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en license agreement]) ]]

''See also:'' [[Atheist nerds]] and [[Internet atheism]] and [[Atheism and women]] and [[Atheism and social outcasts]] and [[Global atheism|Decline of atheism]]

In 2013, the atheist [[PZ Myers]] declared:
{{cquote|If we're going to expand our base and we're going to draw in more people to recognize the virtues of living in a secular world, we need to appeal to more than just that geek and [[nerd]] subset of the population. We need to have a wider base. ...I seriously believe that we're on the cusp of a crisis. We're not there yet but it's looming in front of us. Will we adapt and thrive and change the world? Or will we remain an avocation for a prosperous and largely irrelevant subset of the population? Will we become something more than a scattered society of [[Atheism and the internet|internet nerds]]? That's what we have to do.<ref>[http://www.evolutionnews.org/2013/04/in_seattle_pz_m070861.html in Seattle, PZ Myers Reflects Candidly on His Constituency]</ref>}}

In response, ''Evolution News and Views'' wrote:
{{cquote|A crisis looms, in Myers's view, because he looks around himself and sees a not very promising basis for a mass movement. He's right. There is indeed a quality of geeky isolation from reality, common sense, and the fullness of life that I see as a motif in atheist and Darwin activism alike.<ref>[http://www.evolutionnews.org/2013/04/in_seattle_pz_m070861.html in Seattle, PZ Myers Reflects Candidly on His Constituency]</ref>}}

For more information please see: [[Internet atheism]] and [[Atheist nerds]]

== Decline of atheism in terms of the global population ==

[[File:Birkbeck College, University of London.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|Eric Kaufmann, a professor at [[Birkbeck College, University of London]], using a a wealth of demographic studies argues the decline of atheism in terms of its global adherents is an established trend that will persist for the foreseeable future and the rate of decline will accelerate.<ref>[http://www.sneps.net/RD/uploads/1-Shall%20the%20Religious%20Inherit%20the%20Earth.pdf Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century by Eric Kaufmann, Belfer Center, Harvard University/Birkbeck College, University of London]</ref><ref>[http://kitmantv.blogspot.com/2011/05/eric-kaufmann-shall-religious-inherit.html Eric Kaufmann: Shall The Religious Inherit The Earth?]</ref><ref>[http://kitmantv.blogspot.com/search/label/atheist%20demographics Eric Kaufmann's Atheist Demographic series]</ref><ref>[http://fora.tv/2010/09/05/Eric_Kaufmann_Shall_the_Religious_Inherit_the_Earth Eric Kaufmann: Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?, Australian Broadcasting Corporation]</ref>]]

''See also:'' [[Desecularization]] and [[Global atheism]] and [[Atheist Population]] and [[Resources for leaving atheism and becoming a Christian]]

Atheists as a percentage of the world's population have declined since 1970 and global atheism is expected to face long term decline.<ref>
*[http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-world-is-turning-more-religious-atheism-declining-100518/ Study: World is becoming more religious]
*[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/05/globally-worldviews-of-atheism-and-non.html Globally the worldviews of atheism and non-religious (agnostic) are declining while global Christianity is exploding in adherents]
*[http://www.sneps.net/RD/uploads/1-Shall%20the%20Religious%20Inherit%20the%20Earth.pdf Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century by Eric Kaufmann, Belfer Center, Harvard University/Birkbeck College, University of London]
*[http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/StatusOfGlobalMission.pdf Gordon-Conwell Seminary - Status of Global Mission, 2014, in the Context of AD 1800–2025]</ref>

On July 24, 2013, ''CNS News'' reported:
{{cquote|Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020, according to a new report by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass."<ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/global-study-atheists-decline-only-18-world-population-2020 Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020]</ref>}}

In 2012, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary reported that globally every day there are 800 less atheists per day, 1,100 less non-religious ([[agnosticism|agnostic]]) people per day and 83,000 more people professing to be Christians per day.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2012/05/globally-worldviews-of-atheism-and-non.html Globally the worldviews of atheism and non-religious (agnostic) are declining while global Christianity is exploding in adherents]</ref><ref>[http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/StatusOfGlobalMission.pdf Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary - Status of Global Missions]</ref>

Eric Kaufmann, a professor at Birkbeck, University of London, using a wealth of demographic studies argues the decline of atheism in terms of its global adherents is an established trend that will persist for the foreseeable future and the rate of decline will accelerate.<ref>
*[http://www.sneps.net/RD/uploads/1-Shall%20the%20Religious%20Inherit%20the%20Earth.pdf Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century by Eric Kaufmann, Belfer Center, Harvard University/Birkbeck College, University of London]
*[http://kitmantv.blogspot.com/2011/05/eric-kaufmann-shall-religious-inherit.html Eric Kaufmann: Shall The Religious Inherit The Earth?]
*[http://kitmantv.blogspot.com/search/label/atheist%20demographics Eric Kaufmann's Atheist Demographic series]
*[http://fora.tv/2010/09/05/Eric_Kaufmann_Shall_the_Religious_Inherit_the_Earth Eric Kaufmann: Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?, Australian Broadcasting Corporation]</ref> Kaufmann told a secular audience in Australia: "The trends that are happening worldwide inevitably in an age of globalization are going to affect us."<ref>[http://fora.tv/2010/09/05/Eric_Kaufmann_Shall_the_Religious_Inherit_the_Earth Shall the religious inherit the earth]</ref> For example, in 2013, citing experts in demography and survey data, the ''Christian Post'' declared that there were three trends pointing to the United States potentially becoming more religious in coming years - namely an aging population becoming more religious over time, religious immigrants and the higher fertility rate of religious conservatives.<ref>[http://global.christianpost.com/news/3-reasons-america-may-become-more-religious-102859/ 3 Reasons America May Become More Religious]</ref>

One of the steepest declines of atheism that is expected to occur is in [[China]] which currently has the largest atheist population in the world. China is experiencing a rapid growth of theologically [[conservative]] [[Christianity]] which will have a significant effect on the global atheist population.<ref>[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2014/04/7-reasons-why-chinese-creationist.html 10 reasons why biblical Christianity will flood the UK in the 21st century]</ref>

[[Desecularization]] can also occur through [[Divine Providence|providential]] acts of [[God]] and in reaction to God granting [[Christian]]'s prayers.<ref>[http://www.jesus.org.uk/blog/radical-christian-history/miracles-seen-china-revival Miracles seen in China revival Published on 20th January 2008]</ref><ref>[http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=10797 Revival, Miracles in China during Bible Deliveries, Teresa Neumann : Nov 28, 2012 : Staff – Mission Network News]</ref><ref>[http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/may/growth-explosion-chinas-christianity-takes-root-/ Jesus in the Rice Fields: China's Countryside Revival By George Thomas, CBN News Sr. Reporter, Friday, August 09, 2013]</ref><ref>[http://www.vernonjohns.org/snuffy1186/china%20cry.html China Cry: A True Story (1990)]</ref> The [[theology|theologian]] and [[Harvard University]] academic Harvey Cox asserted that [[grassroots]] movements such as [[fundamentalism]] and the [[Charismatic movement]]/[[pentecostalism]] are significant religious forces that are resistant to secularization forces.<ref>[http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8028-4691-4 Publisher's Weekly Review of'' The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics'' by Peter L. Berger]</ref><ref>[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/harvey-cox/fire-from-heaven/ Kirkus Reviews- ''FIRE FROM HEAVEN: Pentecostalism, Spirituality, and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-First Century'' by Harvey Cox]</ref>

For more information please see:

*[[Desecularization]]

*[[Decline of atheism in terms of global adherents is expected to accelerate]]

*[[Unattractiveness of atheism]]

*[[Atheism and leadership]]

*[[Atheism and social outcasts]]

== Western atheism and race ==

''See also:'' [[Western atheism and race]] and [[Atheist hypocrisy]]

As note earlier, an atheists' meeting was organized in the [[United States]] concerning the future direction of the atheist movement and 370 people attended. The conference, sponsored by the Council for Secular Humanism, drew members from all the major atheist organizations in the United States. The ''[[New York Times]]'' described the attendees as "The largely white and male crowd — imagine a [[Star Trek]] convention, but older..."<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/us/16beliefs.html</ref> According to the Quantcast data, white males appear to be the group of individuals who are most receptive to Richard Dawkins' and atheist [[Sam Harris]]' message.<ref>http://www.quantcast.com/richarddawkins.net#demographics</ref><ref>http://www.quantcast.com/samharris.org</ref> These findings,combined with the aforementioned data indicating that [[Atheism appears to be significantly less appealing to women|atheism is significantly less appealing to women]], suggests that atheist movement in the [[Western world]] and [[New Atheism]] movement are significantly more appealing to white males.

=== Atheism and evolutionary racism ===
[[File:Ota Benga at Bronx Zoo.jpg|thumbnail|right|255px|An [[Evolutionary racism|evolutionary racist]] put [[Ota Benga]] on display at the Bronx Zoo in the monkey house.<ref>http://creation.com/ota-benga-the-pygmy-put-on-display-in-a-zoo</ref>]]
''See also:'' [[Atheism and evolutionary racism]] and [[Social effects of the theory of evolution]]

Since [[World War II]] a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the [[evolution|evolutionary position]] which employs methodological naturalism have been atheists.<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> The errant and ill founded writings of atheist [[Charles Darwin]] (see: [http://www.conservapedia.com/Charles_Darwin#Religious_Views_of_Charles_Darwin religious views of Charles Darwin) ]<ref>
* http://www.creation.com/content/view/1877
* Barrett, Paul H. ''Darwin on Man'' 1974:276
* ''American Scientist'' May 1977:323
</ref>, which became very influential in the late 19th century, provided a pretext for racism. [[Evolutionary racism]] refers to a [[racist]] philosophy based on [[Charles Darwin]]'s [[Evolution|evolutionary theory]]. It assumes that men have continually evolved, and thus some races are more evolved than others. It replaces [[Christian]] [[morality]] with the [[atheistic]] "survival of the fittest" ideology of [[Social Darwinism]].

Charles Darwin wrote in his work ''[[The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex]]'':
{{cquote|At some future period not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes...will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest Allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilised state, as we may hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as the baboon, instead of as now between the Negro or Australian and the gorilla.<ref>http://www.aim.org/wls/90/</ref><ref name="DoM6">[http://creation.com/charles-darwins-yard-apes Charles Darwini, The Descent of Man], chapter VI - quoted by Creation Ministries International</ref>}}

An example of evolutionary racism is when an [[Evolutionary racism|evolutionary racist]] put [[Ota Benga]] on display at the Bronx Zoo in the monkey house.<ref>http://creation.com/ota-benga-the-pygmy-put-on-display-in-a-zoo</ref> In addition, evolutionary racism was directed at [[Michelle Obama]].<ref>http://creation.com/obama-racism-row</ref>
[[File:StephenGould.jpg|thumb|right|[[Stephen Jay Gould]] ]]
The atheist [[Ernst Haeckel]] was a virulent evolutionary racist. The [[agnostic]] and staunch evolutionist [[Stephen Gould]] admitted the following:
{{cquote|[[Ernst Haeckel|Haeckel]] was the chief apostle of evolution in [[Germany]].... His evolutionary racism; his call to the [[German]] people for racial purity and unflinching devotion to a "just" state; his belief that harsh, inexorable laws of evolution ruled human civilization and nature alike, conferring upon favored races the right to dominate others; the irrational [[mysticism]] that had always stood in strange communion with his brave words about objective science - all contributed to the rise of [[Nazism]]. - Stephen J. Gould, "Ontogeny and Phylogeny," Belknap Press: Cambridge MA, 1977, pp.77-78).<ref>http://members.iinet.net.au/~sejones/social.html</ref>}}

=== Creativity Movement ===

''See also:'' [[Creativity Movement]]

The '''[[Creativity Movement]]''', formerly known as the ''World Church Of The Creator'', is an atheistic [[white supremacist]] organization.<ref name="Ideology">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=RonIunZ521sC&pg=PA247&dq=atheism+white+supremacy&hl=en&ei=u_OOTaGaM6Xi0gHJztygCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q&f=false|title =Contemporary voices of white nationalism in America|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=World Church of the Creator, an organization that espouses an atheistic and white supremacist religious philosophy known as Creativity.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref><ref name="Atheistic">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=HB1wyFPRGm4C&pg=PA23&dq=atheism+white+supremacy&hl=en&ei=Re-OTfbHHuuD0QHOycm1Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=atheistic&f=false|title =The new white nationalism in America: its challenge to integration|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=For instance, Ben Klassen, founder of the atheistic World Church of the Creator and the author of ''The White Man's Bible'', discusses Christianity extensively in his writings and denounces religion that has brought untold horror into the world and divided the white race.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref><ref name="Atheism">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=rBgn3xB75ZcC&pg=PA493&dq=competing+atheistic+white+racist+movement&hl=en&ei=5uWOTeSkCamw0QH7m92bCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=competing%20atheistic%20white%20racist%20movement&f=false|title =The World's Religions: Continuities and Transformations|publisher = [[Taylor & Francis]]|quote=A competing atheistic or panthestic white racist movement also appeared, which included the Church of the Creator/ Creativity (Gardell 2003: 129–134).|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref> The movement has denounced [[Christianity]],<ref name="Atheistic">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=HB1wyFPRGm4C&pg=PA23&dq=atheism+white+supremacy&hl=en&ei=Re-OTfbHHuuD0QHOycm1Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=atheistic&f=false|title =The new white nationalism in America: its challenge to integration|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=For instance, Ben Klassen, founder of the atheistic World Church of the Creator and the author of ''The White Man's Bible, discusses Christianity extensively in his writings and denounces religion that has brought untold horror into the world and divided the white race.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref> as it purports to promote [[Agape|love]] for all of mankind.<ref name="Ludwig Feuerbach">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=GTEKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA266&dq=christianity+love+for+mankind&hl=en&ei=CFSbTbyAJcrUgQekjsCSBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=christianity%20love%20for%20mankind&f=false|title =The Essence of Christianity |author=Ludwig Feuerbach|publisher = John Chapman|quote=Christ loved men: he wished to bless and unite them all without distinction of sex, age, rank or nationality. Christ is the love of mankind to itself embodied in an image–in accordance with the nature of religion as we have developed it–or contemplated as a person, but a person who (we mean, of course, as a religious object) has only the significance of an image, who is only ideal. For this reason love is pronounced to be the characteristic mark of the disciples.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref> It denounces religion for bringing horror into the world by dividing the white race.<ref name="Atheistic">{{cite web|url = http://books.google.com/books?id=HB1wyFPRGm4C&pg=PA23&dq=atheism+white+supremacy&hl=en&ei=Re-OTfbHHuuD0QHOycm1Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=atheistic&f=false|title =The new white nationalism in America: its challenge to integration|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]|quote=For instance, Ben Klassen, founder of the atheistic World Church of the Creator and the author of ''The White Man's Bible'', discusses Christianity extensively in his writings and denounces religion that has brought untold horror into the world and divided the white race.|accessdate = 2011–03–27}}</ref>

==Atheism and deception==
[[Image:CharlesDarwin.jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Charles Darwin]]]]
''For more information please see'': [[Atheism and deception]] and [[Irreligion and superstition]]

As alluded to earlier, prior to [[Charles Darwin]] publishing his [[evolution|evolutionist]] work ''On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life'', Darwin wrote in his private notebooks that he was a [[materialism|materialist]], which is a type of atheist.<ref name="amscientist">
* http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1877
* Barrett, Paul H. ''Darwin on Man'' 1974:276
* ''American Scientist'' May 1977:323
</ref> Charles Darwin’s casual mentioning of a ‘creator’ in earlier editions of The Origin of Species appears to have been a merely a [[deceit|deceitful]] ploy to downplay the implications of his [[materialism|materialistic]] theory. <ref name="amscientist">http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1877</ref>

German scientist [[Ernst Haeckel]] was a very influential proponent of the evolutionary position and Haeckel was an advocate of atheism.<ref name="nytimes2">http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03EFDD123EE033A2575AC0A9659C946697D6CF</ref> Ernst Haeckel attempted to portray himself as an ethical proponent of atheism, however, history shows he was a deceitful individual.<ref>[http://www.creationism.org/wakefield/haeckel.htm "Another Evolution Fraud Exposed"] - Creationism.org, INVESTIGATING GENESIS SERIES.</ref><ref name="nytimes2">http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03EFDD123EE033A2575AC0A9659C946697D6CF</ref><ref>http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=1180</ref>
<ref name="fakest">http://www.discovery.org/articleFiles/PDFs/survivalOfTheFakest.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.discovery.org/articleFiles/PDFs/survivalOfTheFakest.pdf</ref>
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 name="nytimes2">http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03EFDD123EE033A2575AC0A9659C946697D6CF</ref>

For more information please see: [[Atheism and deception]]

== Irreligion and superstition==
[[Image:2384975035_230a0eac30.jpg‎‎|thumb|right|170px|The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported: "A comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows ...that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to [[superstition]], tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in [[pseudoscience]] than evangelical Christians."<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>]]
''See also:'' [[Irreligion and superstition]] and [[Theory of Evolution, Liberalism, Atheism, and Irrationality]] and

In September of 2008, the [[Wall Street Journal]] reported:
{{cquote|The reality is that the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] campaign, by discouraging [[religion]], won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass [[superstition]]. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith -- it's what the empirical data tell us.

"What Americans Really Believe," a comprehensive new study released by Baylor University yesterday, shows that [[Conservative Christianity|traditional Christian religion]] greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of [[astrology]]. It also shows that the irreligious and the members of more liberal Protestant denominations, far from being resistant to superstition, tend to be much more likely to believe in the paranormal and in [[pseudoscience]] than evangelical Christians....

This is not a new finding. In his 1983 book "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener," skeptic and science writer Martin Gardner cited the decline of traditional religious belief among the better educated as one of the causes for an increase in pseudoscience, cults and superstition. He referenced a 1980 study published in the magazine Skeptical Inquirer that showed irreligious college students to be by far the most likely to embrace paranormal beliefs, while born-again Christian college students were the least likely.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>}}

For more information please see: [[Irreligion and superstition]]

==Intellectuals increasingly rejecting atheistic ideology ==
According to Munich theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg "Atheism as a theoretical position is in decline worldwide."<ref name="wt"> http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/05/breaking2453432.91875.html</ref> Given that the evolutionary position is a often cited component of the ideology of atheism in the [[Western world]], the gradual loss of public support of the evolutionary position is one of the many factors which are eroding the ideology of atheism. [[Oxford]] scholar [[Alister McGrath]] cites a number of additional factors in regards to the decline of atheism as an intellectual position.<ref>http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/march/21.36.html</ref>
<ref>http://www.s8int.com/Godless.html</ref>

Given the many factors which are eroding atheistic ideology McGrath states:
{{cquote|...Atheism is in trouble. Its future seems increasingly to lie in the private beliefs of individuals rather than in the great public domain it once regarded as its natural habitat.<ref>
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/march/21.36.html</ref>}}

== Christian websites with a large focus on the topic of atheism ==

''See also:'' [[Internet atheism]]

Four of the more notable Christian apologetics which have a large focus on the topic of atheism are: [[True Free Thinker]], the [[Creation Ministries International and atheism|Creation Ministries International resources on atheism]], the [[Fixed Point Foundation]] website, and [[Atheism Analyzed]].

== Liberal media - apostles of atheism ==
The Media Research Center released a study in 2008 reporting pro-atheism bias by major press outlets in the [[United States]].<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTxORumTarg</ref> The study is not surprising given the [[Liberal bias|liberal bias that commonly exists in the major media outlets]].
== Causes of atheism ==

:''See main article: [[Causes of atheism]]'' and [[Resources for leaving atheism and becoming a Christian]]

There are a number of psychological, societal, familial, economic and spiritual factors which cause atheism which have been proposed over the centuries. Please see: [[Causes of atheism]]

==Atheism and the foundation of modern science==

''See also:'' [[Christianity and science]]

The birth of modern [[science]] occurred in Christianized [[Europe]].<ref>http://www.ldolphin.org/bumbulis/#anchor5343749</ref>
[[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]].
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]].
The other 50 were Christians, 30 of whom could be characterized as being devout Christians.<ref name="Origins" />
Sir [[Francis Bacon]], sometimes referred to as "the Father of Modern Science", wrote in his essay entitled ''Of Atheism'' the following: "I had rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the [[Talmud]], and the [[Koran|Alcoran]], than that this universal frame is without a mind."<ref name="bacon">Bacon, Francis, [http://www.authorama.com/essays-of-francis-bacon-17.html Of Atheism]</ref>
‎

==Atheism and debate==

'''See also:''' [[Atheism debates]] and [[Atheism and cowardice]] and [[Atheist factions]]
[[Image:Bahnsen.jpg‎|thumb|150px|Dr. [[Greg Bahnsen]] became known as the man atheists fear most due to [[Michael Martin]]'s cancellation of their scheduled debate. See: [[Greg Bahnsen and debate]] ]]
Historically speaking, atheism has [[Atheism debates|fared very poorly in debates]]. In addition, due to prominent atheists dodging debates, the cowardice associated with atheism has become so obvious that it is making newspaper headlines (For more information please see: [[Atheism and cowardice]]).<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/19/christian-pastor-atheists-debates/?test=latestnews Christian Philosopher William Lane Craig Is Ready to Debate, but Finds Few Challengers]</ref> <ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8511931/Richard-Dawkins-accused-of-cowardice-for-refusing-to-debate-existence-of-God.html Richard Dawkins accused of cowardice for refusing to debate existence of God]</ref>

[[Richard Dawkins]], who flip-flops between being an [[agnosticism|agnostic]] and an atheist as far as his public persona (see: [[Richard Dawkins and agnosticism]]), has [[Instances of Richard Dawkins ducking debates|established a reputation of avoiding his strongest debate opponents]]. On May 14, 2011, the [[Great Britain|British]] newspaper ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' published a news story entitled ''Richard Dawkins accused of cowardice for refusing to debate existence of God''.<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8511931/Richard-Dawkins-accused-of-cowardice-for-refusing-to-debate-existence-of-God.html</ref> In [[The Daily Telegraph]] article Dr. [[Daniel Came]], a a member of the Faculty of [[Philosophy]] at [[Oxford University]] was quoted as writing to fellow atheist Richard Dawkins concerning his refusal to debate Dr. [[William Lane Craig]], "The absence of a debate with the foremost [[Christian apologetics|apologist]] for [[Christianity|Christian]] [[theism]] is a glaring omission on your [[Curriculum vitae|CV]] and is of course apt to be interpreted as cowardice on your part."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8511931/Richard-Dawkins-accused-of-cowardice-for-refusing-to-debate-existence-of-God.html Richard Dawkins accused of cowardice for refusing to debate existence of God], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', May 14, 2011</ref> Also, atheists [[Creation scientists tend to win the creation vs. evolution debates|tend to dodge creation vs. evolution debates.]]

For more information see: [[Atheism debates]] and [[Atheism and cowardice]]

=== Creation vs. evolution debates ===

See also: [[Creation scientists tend to win debates with evolutionists]]

The worldwide atheist community was challenged to a debate by [[Creation Ministries International]] as prominent atheists were speaking at a 2010 global atheist convention in [[Australia]].<ref>http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/richard-dawkins-cowardly-clown</ref> [[Richard Dawkins]], [[PZ Myers]] and other prominent atheists refused to debate Creation Ministries International.<ref>http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/richard-dawkins-cowardly-clown</ref> Generally speaking, creation scientists tend to win the creation vs. evolution debates (see: [[Creation scientists tend to win the creation vs. evolution debates]].

==Notable atheists who became ex-atheists ==

''See:'' [[Ex-atheists]]

== Views on atheists ==

''See also:'' [[Views on atheists]] and [[Atheism and social outcasts]]
[[File:Sam Harris 01.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|[[Sam Harris]]
 
 
(photo obtained from [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sam_Harris_01.jpg Wikimedia commons], see [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sam_Harris_01.jpg license agreement]) ]]
Concerning various [[Views on Atheists|views on atheists]], research in the American Sociological Review finds that among several groups listed, those who hold the position of atheism are the group that Americans relate least to in terms of their vision of American society and are the group most likely to be mentioned as one that Americans would not want to have marry into their family.<ref>Edgell, Gerteis & Hartmann 2006</ref> Dr. [[Sam Harris]], a founder of the [[New Atheism]] movement, is well aware of the stigma surrounding atheism and has advocated that atheists no longer call themselves atheists.<ref>[http://news21.com/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist Interview with an atheist]</ref> In fact, Dr. Harris has said concerning the label of atheist, "It's right next to child molester as a designation."<ref>[http://news21.com/story/2007/06/19/interview_with_an_atheist Interview with an atheist]</ref>

=== Americans and Canadians distrust atheists as much as rapists ===

''See also:'' [[Atheism and rape]] and [[Atheism and morality]]

On December 10, 2011, USA Today reported in a story entitled ''Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists'':
{{cquote|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."<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-10/religion-atheism/51777612/1 Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists]</ref>}}

==New Atheism==

''See also:'' [[New Atheism]] and [[Atheist factions]] and [[Brights Movement]] and [[Militant atheism]]
[[Image:Hitchens,_Stanford.jpg‎ |right|thumb|200px|[[Christopher Hitchens]] ]]
Dissent Magazine stated the following about the "[[New Atheism]]":
{{cquote|A number of prominent authors and scientists have published books in the past year that advocate a "New Atheism." The books, which include [[Daniel Dennett]]'s ''Breaking the Spell'', [[Richard Dawkins]]'s ''[[The God Delusion]]'', and [[Christopher Hitchens]]' ''God is Not Great'', have sparked considerable public controversy across the political spectrum.<ref>Dissent.org</ref>}}

Dr. Albert Mohler Jr. describes some of the key attributes of the "New Atheism":
{{cquote|Now, WIRED magazine comes out with a cover story on atheism for its November 2006 issue. In "The New Atheism," WIRED contributing editor Gary Wolf explains that this newly assertive form of atheism declares a very simple message: "No heaven. No hell. Just science."...

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

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

''See also:'' [[Impact of the New Atheism]]

The New Atheism has not had much of an impact in terms of gaining new adherents to atheism. In a March 10, 2008 [[USA Today]] article Stephen Prothero indicated that the New Atheism movement was not effective in adding new adherents to atheism and he cited statistics from a large Pew Research Center study which indicated that the number of atheists in the United States was merely 1.6% of respondents.<ref>American Faith: A Work In Progress by Stephen Prothero, USA Today, March 10, 2008, page 11A</ref>

==Atheism in academia==
[[File:Alister McGrath.jpg|right|thumb|120px|[[Alister McGrath]] ]]

In 2001 atheist and [[Philosophy|philosopher]] Quentin Smith declared:
{{cquote|[[Naturalism|Naturalists]] [atheists] passively watched as realist versions of theism … began to sweep through the philosophical community, until today perhaps one-quarter or one-third of philosophy professors are theists, with most being orthodox Christians…. God is not 'dead' in academia; he returned to life in the 1960's and is now alive and well in his last academic stronghold, philosophy departments."<ref>[http://www.reasonablefaith.org/theistic-critiques-of-atheism Theistic critiques of atheism] by [[William Lane Craig]]</ref>}}
In 2004, Professor [[Alister McGrath]], professor of historical theology at Wycliffe Hall, [[Oxford University]] declared, "The golden age of atheism is over."<ref>http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=18837</ref>

== American Atheists ==

''See also:'' [[American atheism]]

[[American Atheists]] is an American atheists group founded by [[Madalyn Murray O'Hair]] that has a history of intellectual incompetence. Madalyn Murray O'Hair did particularly badly in her debate with Dr. [[Walter Martin]].<ref>
http://defendingcontending.com/2009/01/01/debate-walter-martin-vs-madalyn-murray-ohair/</ref> For example, when she claimed [[Atheism and the Bible|there were supposedly were contradictions in the Bible]], Dr. Martin asked her to provide an example of one and Ms. O'Hair did not and could not offer even an alleged example of a Bible contradiction.<ref>
http://defendingcontending.com/2009/01/01/debate-walter-martin-vs-madalyn-murray-ohair/</ref> In addition, Ms. O'Hair was ill prepared in terms of defending against the issue of [[Atheism and mass murder|atheism and mass murder]].<ref>
http://defendingcontending.com/2009/01/01/debate-walter-martin-vs-madalyn-murray-ohair/</ref>

''see also:'' [[Frank Zindler vs. William Lane Craig debate]]

For more information please see:

*[[American Atheists]]

*[[American atheism]]

==French Revolution and atheism==

see: [[History of Atheism]]

== Atheism and homosexuality ==

See:

*[[Atheism and the persecution of homosexuals]]

*[[Atheism and homosexuality]]

== Atheist population as a percentage of various countries' populations==

:''See main article: [[Atheist Population]]''

Specific research on the worldwide [[Atheist Population|atheist population]] conducted in 2006 [http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/allnewsbydate.asp?NewsID=1131 suggests] that the true proportion of atheists is 4% in the United States, 17% in Great Britain and 32% in France. A survey published in the 2005 ''[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]'' dcclared that 2.3% of the world's population consists of individuals who profess "atheism, skepticism, disbelief, or irreligion, including the militantly antireligious." Concerning the 2.3% figure just mentioned, the 2005 survey cited by ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' survey did not include [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] in regards to the 2.3% figure and Buddhism can be [[Theism|theistic]] or atheistic.<ref>http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs/atheism.htm</ref>

[[Ipsos]], a major global market research company, published a report on report on religious belief/skepticism from a worlwide perspective and the report provides [http://www.ipsos-na.com/download/pr.aspx?id=10670 various statistics gained from survey results].

== Other well known proponents of atheism ==
[[File:Ncvjgfu.jpg|thumbnail|right|175px|[[Mao Zedong]] ]]
Prominent holders of the position of atheism and atheist schools of thought have been or include:
* Carvaka school: an atheistic and materialistic offshoot of [[Hinduism]] in the 6th century B.C.
* Samkhya school: an atheistic school of classical Indian philosophy, originating in the 6th century B.C.
* [[Diagoras]]: [[Greek Philosophy|Greek philosopher]] who denied the existence of the Greek pantheon
* [[Lucretius]]: [[Greeks| Greek]] philosopher espousing materialism, and stated that man should not believe in the gods because their ideas about the gods and their fear of death made men unhappy
* [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]: Prominent 19th century atheist philosopher
* [[Mao Zedong]]: Chinese Communist leader
* [[Benito Mussolini]]
* [[Paul Kurtz]]: founder of the Council of [[Secular Humanism]]
* [[Ayn Rand]]
* [[Isaac Asimov]]
* [[Douglas Adams]]
* [[Marquis de Sade]]<ref>http://www.trivia-library.com/a/biography-of-famous-atheist-marquis-de-sade.htm</ref>
* [[Mark Rothko]] (1903–1970) [[painter]], classified as an [[Abstract Expressionism|abstract expressionist]].

== Atheism and intelligence ==

See: [[Atheism and intelligence]] and [[Causes of atheism]]

==Atheism quotes==

''See articles: [[Atheism Quotes]]'' and [[Humorous quotes about atheism and evolution]]

== Resources for leaving atheism and becoming a Christian ==

* [[Resources for leaving atheism and becoming a Christian]]

*[http://www.livingwaters.com/good/ Are you a good person? Take the test]

*[http://creation.com/good-news Good news of Christianity]

==See also==

*[[Atheism articles]]
*[[Essay: Atheism and evolution essays|Atheism and evolution essays]]
*[[Conservapedia:Atheism Project|Conservapedia Atheism Project]]
*[[History of Atheism]]
*[[Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic]]
*[[Comedy and satires concerning atheism and evolution]] ('''large collection''' of comedy/satire concerning atheism and [[evolution]])
*[[Creation vs. Evolution Videos]]
*[[Martyred in the USSR: Militant Atheism in former Soviet Union]]
*[[Atheism and satanic deception]]
*[[Christian apologetics]]
*[[Atheism and beliefs]]
*[[Atheism and belief]]
*[[Atheism and Evolution]]
*[[Agnosticism]]
*[[Atheism and Christianity]]
*[[Infidel]]
*[[Intelligent design]]
*[[Second generation atheist]]
*[[Poe's law]]
*[[Atheism symbols]]
*[[International Atheist Day]]

==Online videos concerning atheism and related topics==
*[[Atheism videos]]
*[[Creation vs. Evolution Videos]]

==External links==

''see also:'' [[Atheism website resources]]

'''General articles on atheism:'''

* [http://creation.com/atheism Atheism] by [[Creation Ministries International]]
*[http://www.wnd.com/2013/03/horrific-human-toll-of-militant-atheism-exposed/ Horrific Human Toll of 'Militant Atheism' Exposed: USSR's genocide against Christians largely ignored - World Net Daily]
*[http://creation.com/atheism-agnosticism-and-humanism-godless-religions-questions-and-answers Atheism, agnosticism and humanism: godless religions] by [[Creation Ministries International]]
*[http://www.truefreethinker.com/atheism True Free Thinker - atheism section]
*[http://www.carm.org/atheism.htm Atheism] by [[Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry]]
*[http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/rethinking-atheism/ Rethinking Atheism] by [[Ravi Zacharias]] Ministries
*[http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2014/02/4-reasons-why-atheism-and-agnosticism.html 4 reasons why atheism and agnosticism are weak, errant, secular religions]

'''Atheism and purpose/meaning:'''

*[http://www.churchesofgod.info/article-failure-of-atheism The failure of atheism]
*[http://carm.org/failure-atheism-account-rationality The failure of atheism to account for rationality]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv3TFg9SJb4 Atheism: Unyielding Despair] - video

'''Atheism and morality:'''

*[http://carm.org/failure-of-atheism-to-account-for-morality The failure of atheism to account for morality]
*[http://creation.com/atheism-no-objective-morality Atheism and morality]
*[http://creation.com/atheism#atheism-and-ethics Atheism and ethics/morality]

'''Psychology of atheism:'''

* [http://anti-matters.org/articles/91/public/91-84-1-PB.pdf The Psychology of Atheism, by Paul C. Vitz, New York University, Department of Psychology]

'''Atheism and leadership:'''

*[http://www.thebestschools.org/blog/2011/12/01/50-top-atheists-in-the-world-today/ 50 most prominent atheists in the world today]
*[[Atheism and leadership]]

'''Documentary on atheism:'''
*[http://martyredintheussr.com/ Martyred in the USSR: Militant Atheism in the former Soviet Union]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtGDoq0wyZU Documentary on Militant Atheism in the USSR]

'''Decline of global atheism:'''

*[http://fora.tv/2010/09/05/Eric_Kaufmann_Shall_the_Religious_Inherit_the_Earth Decline of global atheism] - Professor Eric Kaufmann
*[[Essay: 10 reasons why American atheism will see a significant decline|10 Reasons American atheism will see a significant decline]]

'''Christendom prevailing against atheism:'''

*[http://shockawenow.blogspot.com/2011/10/cutting-off-air-supply-of-atheism_573.html Cutting off the air supply of atheism]

'''Christian outreach to atheists on [[YouTube]]:'''

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSo9hW2dOBo Atheist Experience show messes up bad on TV]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvxSsYRPIWM Ex-Atheist conquers Atheist Experience show exposing the madness of atheism]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bBE1bos6JU Shockofgod calls into Atheist Radio show - Hilarious! Part 1]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKBZoWDfQA4 Shockofgod calls into Atheist Radio show - Hilarious! Part 2]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jl3XfPkhzI Atheist runs from question on live radio and hangs up]

'''Unreasonableness of atheism:'''

* [http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4227411/k.2A6D/A_Conversation_with_an_Atheist.htm Conversation with an atheist] by [[Probe Ministries]]
* [http://www.str.org/articles/unbelievable-unbelief-2 Unbelievable Unbelief] by Gregory Koukl
* [http://www.leaderu.com/truth/1truth11.html Why the Burden of Proof is on the Atheist] by Professor Ralph McInerny

* [http://www.leaderu.com/truth/3truth02.html Theism, Atheism, and Rationality] by Alvin Plantinga
* [[Essay: Is Richard Dawkins an intellectually fulfilled atheist?]]

'''Atheism and uncharitableness:'''

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imuaiRO5mSQ Christians Give more to Charity than Atheists] by Dr. [[William Lane Craig]] - [[YouTube]] video

'''Atheism is a religion:'''

*[http://creation.com/atheism-a-religion Atheism: A religion]
*[[Atheism is a religion]]

'''Comedy/satire concerning atheism'''

*[[Comedy and satires concerning atheism and evolution]] (large collection of comedy/satire concerning atheism)

'''Atheism and intelligence:'''

*[[Atheism and intelligence]]
*[[Essay: Are atheists smarter than the average bear?|Are atheists smarter than the average bear?]] - [[satire]]

'''Atheism and cowardice:'''

*[http://creation.com/global-atheists-reject-debate-challenge Global atheists reject debate challenge]
*[http://www.pr.com/press-release/348093 President of British Humanist Society pulls out of debate with William Lane Craig]
*[[Essay: Does Richard Dawkins have machismo?]] ([[satire]])
*[http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/richard-dawkins-cowardly-clown Richard Dawkins, the Cowardly Clown]

'''Atheism and science:'''
* [http://www.discovery.org/a/18 The Unraveling of Scientific Materialism] by [[ Phillip E. Johnson]]
* [http://www.arn.org/docs/meyer/sm_origins.htm The Origin of Life and the Death of Materialism] by [[Stephen Meyer]]

'''Decline of atheism:'''
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/003/21.36.html The Twilight of Atheism] by Alister McGrath, Christianity Today, March 2005
* [http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/hutchison/050204 The rise and fall of atheism] by Fred Hutchison
* [http://www.s8int.com/Godless.html Twilight of the godless] by Alister McGrath (Oxford Professor)

'''Various issues concerning atheism:'''

*[http://www.apologetics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=469:the-causes-of-atheism&catid=96:bonus-content&Itemid=80 The causes of atheism] by James Spiegel
* [http://www.examiner.com/x-19682-Atlanta-Church--Culture-Examiner~y2009m8d10-Atheisms-house-of-cards-Part-3 Atheism's House of Cards]
* [http://www.examiner.com/x-19682-Atlanta-Church--Culture-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Arguments-Built-upon-Assumptions Arguments Built by Assumptions]
* [http://www.reformed.org/apologetics/index.html?mainframe=martin_TAG.html Responses to Atheist Philosopher, Michael Martin] Reformed theologians
* [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/outrage.html Outrageous Reasoning, A Closer Look at a Common Skeptical Tactic] by [[JP Holding]]
*[http://www.atheistdelusion.net/ Atheist delusion: Answering "The God Delusion" and other works of atheist Richard Dawkins]
* [http://www.epsociety.org/library/articles.asp?pid=45 Is Yahweh a Moral Monster? The New Atheists and Old Testament Ethics] by Paul Copan
*[http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/10/flawed_pew_poll_on_religious_k.html Do atheists know more about religion than religious people?]

'''Atheism and history'''

*[http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1121/p09s01-coop.html Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history] by [[Dinesh D'Souza]]
*[http://www.isreligion.org/pdf/froese_russia.pdf Forced Secularization in Soviet Russia: Why an Atheistic Monopoly Failed]
*[http://www.crosswalk.com/pastors/11579257/ Atheism Remix By Albert Mohler Jr. - Chapter 1: The New Atheism and the Endgame of Secularism]
*[http://www.probe.org/history/history/the-enlightenment-and-belief-in-god.html The Enlightenment and Belief in God] by [[Probe Ministries]]

'''Atheism and some recent events'''

*[http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/atheist_s_bizarre_bid_to_convert_christian_1_190320 Atheist's bizarre bid to convert Christian - Timothy Brown Story - September 12, 2008 - UK]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb1l2cWxkqk Atheist arrested for harassing Christian] - YouTube video
*[http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5435 Inside the Mind of a Killer]

'''Sermons'''
*[http://www.bible-sermons.org.uk/text-sermon/475-the-folly-of-atheism/ The Folly of Atheism] by Rev. Maurice Roberts

'''Miscellaneous'''
*[http://creation.com/suicidal-atheist-converts-to-christ A suicidal atheist converts to Christ]
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/26/doctors-religious-beliefs-terminally-ill Atheist doctors are more likely to hasten death]
*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6925781.ece Children who front Richard Dawkins' atheist ads are evangelicals]
*[http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/4853 Melbourne Atheist: The Exterminator]
*[[Essay: The question atheists fear]]

== Recommended reading ==
'''General Works Relating to Atheism and/or Defense of Theism''':

*[http://www.amazon.com/Top-Evidences-God-Creation-ebook/dp/B00E4DS2J0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380144491&sr=8-1&keywords=jason+browning Top 15 Evidences for God and Creation] by Jason Browning
*[[Norman Geisler]], (2004), ''I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist'', Crossway, ISBN 9781581345612
*[[Alister McGrath]], (2004), ''The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World'' ISBN 0-385-50061-0
*[[Ravi Zacharias]], (1994, 2004), ''A Shattered Visage: The Real Face of Atheism'' ISBN 0801065119
*[[Ravi Zacharias]], (1994, 1996), ''Can Man Live Without God?'' ISBN 0849939437
*[[Josh McDowell]] and Don Stewart, (1982) ''Understanding Secular Religions'', Here's Life Publishers, San Bernardino, California, ISBN 0-86605-093-0
* Vox Day, (2008),''The Irrational Atheist'', BenBella Books, Inc. ISBN 1933771364

'''Book on the [[New Atheism]]''':

*R. Albert Mohler Jr., (2008), ''Atheism Remix: A Christian Confronts the New Atheists'', Crossway, ISBN 9781433504976

'''Atheism and history''':

*Dimitry Pospielovsky, (December, 1987), ''A History of Marxist-Leninist Atheism and [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] Antireligious Policies'', Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 0312381328
*Dimitry Pospielovsky, (November, 1987), ''Soviet Antireligious Campaigns and Persecutions (History of Soviet Atheism in Theory and Practice and the Believers, Vol 2)'', Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 0312009054
*Dimitry Pospielovsky, (August, 1988), ''Soviet Studies on the Church and the Believer's Response to Atheism: A History of Soviet Atheism in Theory and Practice and the Believers, Vol 3'', Palgrave Macmillan, hardcover: ISBN 0312012918, paperback edition: ISBN 0312012926

{{Nb Atheism}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Atheism]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]

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