Essay: The slow implosion of atheism is accelerating

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. See: Global atheism statistics

As a percentage of the world's population, atheism peaked in 1970. Global atheism is expected to decline in the 21st century and beyond in terms of its global market share. Presently, there are a number of excellent sources which indicate that atheism is shrinking in global market share (see: Global atheism statistics).

From a global perspective, religion is seeing a resurgence and scholars of religious demographics frequently use the term "global resurgence of religion" to describe the process of desecularization which began in the late portion of the 20th century. See also: Desecularization

New Atheism

See also: Decline of militant atheism in the West

New Atheism is a form of militant atheism. New Atheism was largely a reaction to the global resurgence of religion, the failure of the secularization thesis and the growth of religious fundamentalism (see also: Growth of evangelical Christianity and Atheism vs. Islam).

Backlash to New Atheism

As far as atheists attempting to intellectually defend atheism, the situation has become worse for atheist population in recent years as the quality of their arguments has diminished and the percentage of atheists in the world is decreasing, while the proliferation of Christian apologetics/apologists is increasing in the world (see also: Stagnation of atheist apologetics).

For example, there is the Trinity Graduate School of Apologetics and Theology initiative which offers quality Christian apologetics for free to third world country students and charges extremely low costs for others. In addition, Ratio Christi is launching Christian apologetics clubs at college/university campuses.

John Lennox

In June of 2012, the UK based Dorset Humanists wrote:

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There’s been a forceful backlash against the ‘new atheism’ of writers like Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens, inspiring a new wave of Christian apologists. This group includes: Alister McGrath, Professor of Theology at King’s College London, Keith Ward, former Professor of Divinity at Oxford, and John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. Many atheists make the mistake of assuming religion is wholly irrational, relying on faith alone but, in a series of interviews recorded for DVD, the apologetics heavyweights from the list above demonstrate their ability to challenge us with reasoned arguments.

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An April 17, 2011 atheist essay entitled Are atheists strengthening religion? declared:

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The Christian backlash and response to new atheism is/was considerable, and neither can the consequences, changes, and foci which marked their response be ignored. In the end, have we simply made the aforementioned goal more difficult to accomplish?

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Substantial increase in infighting among Western atheists

In the Western World, secularization has stalled in Northern Europe and appears to have recently stalled in Britain (see: Desecularization and British atheism).

In addition, there has been a significant uptick in atheist infigthing among Western atheists - largely sparked to atheist infighting within American atheism and conflict between the secular left and the secular right (see also: Atheist factions).