''See also:'' [[Irreligion and superstition]]
[[Image:Torii-gate.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most frequently found at the entrance of or within a [[Shinto]] shrine.
Nearly everyone in atheistic Japan is careful to have a new car blessed by a Shinto priest.<ref name="ReferenceA">''The Triumph of Faith: Why the World is More Religious Than Ever'' by Rodney Stark, Introduction section of the book</ref>]]
The current [[Atheist Population|atheist population]] mostly resides in East [[Asia]] (particularly China) and in secular Europe/Australia among whites.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey, ''Washington Post'', May 23, 2013</ref> See: [[Asian atheism]] and [[Secular Europe]] and [[Western atheism and race]]
This is not to say that East Asia is necessarily a haven for a [[Critical rationalism|critical rationalist perspective]], what with the prominence of Chinese medicine, [[geomancy]], Korean [[shamanism]]...<ref>[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2010/11/most-atheists-are-not-white/ Most atheists are not white & other non-fairy tales] By Razib Khanm, Discover Magazine</ref>}}
In 2015, Rodney Stark wrote in his book ''The Triumph of Faith: Why the World is More Religious Than Ever'' about [[secular Europe]]an countries and [[Atheism|atheistic]] [[Japan]]:{{cquote|"35 percent of the French believe in astrology, 35 percent of the Swiss agree that 'some fortune tellers really can foretell the future'; and nearly everyone in Japan is careful to have a new car blessed by a [[Shinto]] priest..."<ref name="ReferenceA">''The Triumph of Faith: Why the World is More Religious Than Ever'' by Rodney Stark, Introduction section of the book</ref>}}
== Western irreligion and superstition ==
== Atheism, scientism and the limitations of science ==
''See also:'' [[Atheism and scientism]] and [[Scientism]]
[[Image:Billcraig_czvx.jpg|left|thumb|150px135px|[[William Lane Craig]] ]] Scientism is the belief that the [[scientific method]] has no (or few) limits and can successfully be applied to almost all aspects of life, and provides an explanation for everything. It is essentially a [[religion]] where its followers (Scientists) worship [[science]] its rituals, and its results.<ref>Ashgate Science and Religion Series</ref>
A large segment of the [[Atheist Population|atheist population]], especially [[New Atheism|new atheists]], hold to ideology of [[scientism]] and/or they are science fetishists.<ref>
In addition, many atheists have an inordinate degree of confidence in the consensus opinions of scientists instead of possessing a healthy degree of skepticism.<ref>[http://voxday.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-skepticism-in-science.html No skepticism in science]</ref>
Scientism is the belief that the [[scientific method]] has no (or few) limits and can successfully be applied to almost all aspects of life, and provides an explanation for everything. It is essentially a [[religion]] where its followers (Scientists) worship [[science]] its rituals, and its results.<ref>Ashgate Science and Religion Series</ref>
Strict scientism as a worldview is self-refuting since the scientism cannot be proven to be true through science.<ref>[http://www.reasonablefaith.org/is-scientism-self-refuting Is scientism self-refuting] by William Lane Craig</ref> For other significant problems with scientism as far as its unworkability, please see [[William Lane Craig]]'s commentary on scientism entitled [http://www.reasonablefaith.org/is-scientism-self-refuting Is scientism self-refuting?].
== Doctors believe in God more than social scientists. Medical science is often more reliable than social science ==
[[File:Donald John Trump.jpg|200px|right|thumbnail|Few, if any, [[Political science|political scientists ]] predicted early on that [[Donald Trump]] would win the Republican primary and then would subsequently be elected president of the United States. Furthermore, most pollsters indicated that Trump would lose the election.
<br />
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*[http://www.livescience.com/379-scientists-belief-god-varies-starkly-discipline.html Scientists belief in God varies starkly by discipline], Livescience.com
*[http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8318894/ns/health-health_care/t/survey-most-doctors-believe-god-afterlife/ Most doctors believe in God], NBC News</ref>
<br /><br />
Compared to [[medical science]] which has many effective medicines and surgical procedures, the social science of political science is often unreliable.]]
''See also:'' [[Atheism and health]]
On the other hand, according to Livescience.com, 31 percent of [[social science|social scientists]] believe in God. 27 percent of [[political science|political scientists]], who are social scientists, believe in the existence of God.<ref>[http://www.livescience.com/379-scientists-belief-god-varies-starkly-discipline.html Scientists belief in God varies starkly by discipline], Livescience.com</ref>
Compared to [[medical science]] which has many effective medicines and surgical procedures, social science is often unreliable. For example, few economists (economics is a social science) in academia predicted the [[Great Depression]] or the 1987 financial crisis. [[Ludwig von Mises]] was snubbed by economists worldwide when he warned of a credit crisis in the 1920s.<ref>[http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704471504574443600711779692 The man who predicted the depression], Wall Street Journal</ref> Few, if any, political scientists predicted early on that [[Donald Trump]] would be win the leading [[Republican candidate in ]] primary and the would subsequently win the 2016 [[GOP2016 presidential election]] primary.
The abstract for the journal article ''Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research'' which was published in ''The American Political Science Review'' indicated "Scholars routinely make claims that presuppose the validity of the observations and measurements that operationalize their concepts. Yet, despite recent advances in political science methods, surprisingly little attention has been devoted to measurement validity."<ref>Adcock, Robert, and David Collier. 2001. “Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research.” The American Political Science Review 95(3): 529-546.</ref>
''See also:'' [[Sigmund Freud's view of religion]] and [[Atheism and depression]] and [[Atheism and suicide]]
[[Psychology]] is the scientific study of [[mind]] and [[behavior]] and the practical application of psychological therapy. Unfortunately, the field of psychology is riddled with sloppy work, pseudoscience and scientific fraud (see: [[Psychology and pseudoscience]]). [[Sigmund Freud]] and the atheistic and pseudoscientific [[Sigmund Freud|Freudian]] [[psychoanalysis]] has had a cultish following.<ref>[http://www.csulb.edu/~kmacd/paper-CrewsFreud.html The Freudian psychoanalysis cult] by Kevin MacDonald, Ph.D.</ref><ref>[http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/5th-october-1985/32/the-pretensions-of-the-freudian-cult The pretensions of the Freudian cult by Thomas Szasz, ''The Spectator'', 4 OCTOBER 1985, Page 32]</ref> See also: [[Atheist cults]] Psychologists are the least religious of American professors.<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/epiphenom/2009/05/psychologists-are-least-religious-of.html Psychologists are the least religious of American Professors]</ref>
Freud was a proponent of the notion that theism was detrimental to mental health.<ref name="christtoday">McGrath, Alister (February 28, 2005). [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/003/21.36.html "The twilight of atheism"]. ''Christianity Today'' website. Retrieved on May 23, 2015.</ref> [[Oxford]] Professor [[Alister McGrath]], author of the book ''The Twilight of Atheism'', stated the following regarding Freud:
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 name="Mayo">Mueller, Dr. Paul S. et al. (December 2001). [http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196%2811%2962799-7/fulltext "Religious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: implications for clinical practice"]. ''Mayo Clinic Proceedings'' vol. 76:12, pp. 1225-1235. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic Proceedings website on July 20, 2014.</ref>}}
==== Lack of significant study by psychologists about atheism ====
Dr. Melanie Brewster gave a talk entitled ''Why is Psychology Silent When it Comes to Atheism?'' and she indicated there is a general reluctance of psychologists to study the atheist population.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB7Dlwaufyk Why is Psychology Silent When it Comes to Atheism? - Dr. Melanie Brewster - Skepticon 7]</ref>
=== American millennials, irreligion, therapy and pseudoscience ===
See: [[American millennials, irreligion, therapy and pseudoscience]]
=== Atheism and historical revisionism ===
*[http://voxday.blogspot.ca/2014/02/statistical-misleadings.html Statistical misleadings]</ref>
Moreover, due to the poor ethics of many atheist/secular scientists, scientific fraud has become a significant problem within the scientific community.<ref>[http://creation.com/science-fraud-epidemic Why the epidemic of fraud exists in science today] by Jerry Bergman</ref> See also: [[Atheism and morality]] and [[Moral failures of the atheist Atheist populationand immorality]]
== List atheist and agnostic pseudosciences ==