I know there are a lot of people that are still afraid, today, to be known as an atheist. I’ve heard the stories; People losing family and friends (I’ve actually lost a long time friend), even losing a job, or if not the job, the much deserved promotion at work. It’s concerning that in the 21st century, there are still those bigoted toward people that are simply non-believers.
It’s difficult being in a minority with absolutely no voice. Unlike racial, or ethnic minorities who, when they have a complaint receive positive media attention, atheists, if we ever receive media attention, it always seems to be negative. How we may change this, I’m unsure. We’re at a crossroads of sorts where there is an opportunity to show others within society that we’re not the evil, devil-worshipping people some describe us but then the downside of pushing too hard is ever reinforcing the idea that we are here to destroy society.
I hear some say that maybe we should just leave it alone and go about our lives. There’s some merit to that but I’ve never been one to just surrender under pressure. Sometimes, the only way to have people listen, is to stand up and speak louder. The problem is that there are not enough of us speaking, and those that are listening, are well, us.
We blog or produce video content but who is reading or watching any of it? Well, of course, we’ve all heard about “preaching to the choir”, but I’ll use a more secular analogy: attending a pep rally. Think about it, someone produces some content and what do we see on social media? “Terrific”, “Wow! Great show!”, or like comments coming from…atheists. I don’t expect the devout to read or watch, but when we cannot reach the general public, maybe there needs to be a reevaluation of what were doing and why.
If the purpose is to encourage our fellow atheists, all good and well, but it’s, in a way, like going to church weekly to reinforce a belief system isn’t it? Much of the content I have seen seems to be created for atheists and does nothing to attract others who may be interested in discovering who we actually are. I’m not suggesting that content should be about trying to convert anyone to atheism, just changing the perception of what it is to be an atheist to those that may have genuine questions.
As content creators, whether written or video, do we have an obligation to attempt to normalize atheism to others? I think in some instances, atheists are more interested in driving their numbers (views, subscriptions) than to actually do anything that may actually change the negative perception of the public. That’s okay, but let’s all be honest about what we’re doing and not pretend that we’re moving atheism in a positive direction.
Should we be attempting to do more or stay where we are is the question that everyone should sit back and try to answer for themselves. How each of us answer that will determine what the future of atheism will be.
Conservative Skeptic 
Let me put it this way, “If there is no future for atheism, there is no future!” GROG
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The good news here is that we have some effective models for what increasing acceptance and reducing bigotry look like. While bigotry toward LGBT persons persists, they have made progress to a degree that atheists can only envy. Perhaps part of our problem is that we haven’t been willing to organize or use many of the tactics that have worked so well for them.
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Hollywood, we need to conquer Hollywood. If we do not intend to promote the victimhood of atheists, so that we become a Progressive cause, we have to get the stars involved and have some sort of bang-up good flick, which is supported by all non-Christians and even by them if they claim to be liberals.
So far, atheists have failed at both victimhood and Hollywood.
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I’m still way too optimistic that religion is just too absurd to last forever. As the human race continues to change, grow, and evolve, so will our collective intelligence. And one day we will rise up just enough to see religion & credulity for exactly what they are. Cruel manipulitive hoaxes that only sustain themselves by breaking the human spirit, not exalting it. Our belief in the supernatural will disappear just as belief in childhood fantasies did. It will evaporate the same way Santa did, the Easter Bunny did, and monsters under the bed.
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You must be kidding. Religion will go on so long as we worship our dead, but the delusion of resurrection and an afterlife (the greatest scam in human history) will not end without serious opposition to the delusion that the world is supposed to end! GROG
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I agree, Grogalot, deity belief and the religions that support them will continue as long as there are sentient beings, who must answer the unanswerable with a positive and definitive answer, instead of “we don’t know, yet.” Knowing brings comfort and assurance and that is what much of religion entails.
That hardly means that there is no future for atheists, for as in all human history, there have been atheists, as well as those who believed differently and so were atheists to other gods then theirs.
Which means, if we consider it so, that all human beings are atheists of a sort. If only full atheists could expand on that concept without having stones thrown at them.
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That in a way is why the monotheists are so frantic and in a panic. All the other gods are gone, so without this last gasp, they are gone! GROG
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There is an afterlife its either heaven or hell
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I think eventually we’re going to have to organize. There are already very successful non religious groups (Rotary) that are good minded people without the secret handshakes. Why not philanthropic atheism?
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I am telling you, atheists have to conquer Hollywood for us to be part of the up and coming elite. Tom Hanks needs to be more than just an open-minded and questioning sort-of-lapsed Catholic, or whatever Dan Brown made him, and become a die-hard atheist bent on saving the world from a group of delusionally destructive and fanatically militaristic “Triad of Abraham” believers, which he proves to be totally bananas with a God that is completely made up, but has been represented in each of the major religions of the world through forces dedicated to the demise of all human life going on thousands of years now.
If Tom Hanks says it is so, then it will be believed.
LOL
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Isn’t that the way it is? Being from the northwest, when bill gates struck it big, all the sudden he was an expert on everything. I remember his part in education reform and they kept deferring to the guy with money. He really didn’t know much about anything but software, which made him a god. We see the same with Bezos, and Zuckerberg, they’re frigging programmers.
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Jim, I think you are on to something. Organize? Or, how about just getting on the same page? What are we atheists trying to do? And, why? It seems we could use an Atheist’s Basic Primer as to the who, what, and why for exposing this insanity. God, salvation, eternal soul, afterlife, …. it is all a scam, so what? Let humans believe in the supernatural so long as they don’t pray for and actively pursue the monotheistic dream of the end of the world! Those suckers are dangerous, even to themselves. GROG
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The problem is there are thousands of viable reasons people become atheist, and all equally valid. Living with that fact and confirming to an organization is doable, but tricky. Most of us just want to live out our lives in peace, but that will be short lived if we can’t come together.
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Jim, that is my point. What is the most basic point that a majority could agree on as a reason to push rational atheism. Questions about God and the Bible have not gotten us very far. Religion is a scam. The most dangerous brand(s) are the monotheists. One of their main sales points is an eternal soul with promises of resurrection and ascension to heaven. They are delusional. For the fence sitters out there, might they agree, that resurrection is a delusion? And of course heaven is an illusion. Everything dies and there is no good reason to believe otherwise.There is but one life, not two. GROG
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The group that I would consider to be most efficient in branding atheism is the Secular Humanists, but that group is most hated by believers. One reason why it is hated has to do with the notion that “book learning” leads to atheism. The more educated a person is the more the believers disdain their ability to reason in manners in accordance with God, as all good people should do. Satan steps in and the person is lost to atheism.
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