That's what this article claims. I'm not so sure that's the cause. Maybe we're becoming better informed, and we're certainly becoming more likely to be exposed to differing points of view thanks to the internet, the growing number of news sources, diversity in our neighborhoods (at least for some of us). I think 9/11 opened the eyes of many to the dangers of blind faith and dogmatic belief, and the scandals over the years from evangelicals like Ted Haggard, Jim Bakker, etc. combined with the idiocies of Pat Robertson have eroded the appeal and influence of religion.
I also wonder if changes in our society to provide more opportunities for socializing have had an impact. One of the strongest traditional benefits to belonging to a church is the social benefit, and with online social networking, services like meetup.com and others, are people finding that component without the need for churches and their reinforcement of religion?
I think we need to consider another factor, and perhaps the most influential on the "rise of atheism". As more and more people come out, it not only allows others who have been in the other closet to feel more comfortable admitting their atheism publicly, but it starts to raise doubts in some believers minds. By making the issues public, more believers are exposed to our point of view and begin questioning and examining their beliefs. Some, of course, will stay Christian, but many won't be able to convince themselves (to borrow a phrase from vjack) that the grass is actually blue.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Is the rise of atheism due to humans getting smarter?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Just Accept That You’re An Atheist
Over at Sisyphus Fragment, there's a good post about just admitting that you're an atheist.
I don’t blame anyone for wanting to not be dragged through the trash just for being a non-believer but I feel like this is sort of a “free rider” situation where we are running around suing and fighting for secularism and these folks get the benefit of it with little to no effort
I agree. Some of the other terms do say more about what we believe rather than what we don't, but I think it's also important to stand up for what you don't believe.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Seattle Atheists come up with some interesting bus ads
Trina a The Examiner posts an interesting selection of bus ads by the Seattle Atheists.
The ads are not only much more nuanced and thought-provoking than the rest of the recent atheist bus ads we've seen recently, but I think they promote the good side of atheism: using reason and rationality, being moral for the right reasons, etc. I'd like to see more of these kinds of ads from atheist groups.
As a graphic designer, I'm also pleased by the quality of design of these ads. Most atheist billboards and ads I've seen are pretty ugly and unprofessional. It's nice to see good typography and professional design for once.
Monday, March 9, 2009
God doesn't believe in atheists
On the way home from a meeting today and ended up behind a car with this bumper sticker:
At first, I wanted to just roll my eyes at the cliché, but then I realized that it was true. No gods can believe in atheists, because entities that do not exist cannot hold beliefs. Christians just don't seem to realize how inane they can be.
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