Comments on: The Quiet Revolution Progresses http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html NIGHTTIME IS FOR DREAMING. DAYLIGHT IS FOR ACTION. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 20:06:26 +0000 By: Keith Taylor http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-41647 Keith Taylor Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:22:26 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-41647 Hey, I'm Keith Taylor also. And like you I'm an atheist, a published atheist with several articles on the subject. I'm also an old fart who served some 23 years in the Navy, then wrote a column for Navy Times for another 17. Keep in touch. Keith Taylor Hey, I'm Keith Taylor also. And like you I'm an atheist, a published atheist with several articles on the subject. I'm also an old fart who served some 23 years in the Navy, then wrote a column for Navy Times for another 17.

Keep in touch.

Keith Taylor

]]> By: roy priest http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-8720 roy priest Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:51:12 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-8720 Good to see your site. We need more promotion like this in Britain before it gets like USA. Lets all start with a bumper sticker 'SUPPORT FREEDOM FROM RELIGION' (make your own) Come on U.K. before the goddies take over ! Good to see your site.
We need more promotion like this in Britain before it gets like USA.

Lets all start with a bumper sticker 'SUPPORT FREEDOM FROM RELIGION' (make your own)
Come on U.K. before the goddies take over !

]]> By: Christopher http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-6040 Christopher Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:31:49 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-6040 You just have to love those polls: the numbers can show whatever results that the pollster wants them to show. This is why I consider pre/post-election independent polls to be meaningless... You just have to love those polls: the numbers can show whatever results that the pollster wants them to show. This is why I consider pre/post-election independent polls to be meaningless...

]]> By: lpetrich http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-6026 lpetrich Mon, 18 Sep 2006 01:36:32 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-6026 I think that some pollsters might stretch their definition of "God" in order to increase the count of believers in Mr. G. Which means that they would catch "vagueotheists" - people who claim to believe in a god but have little idea what that entity is supposed to be -- and also nominal believers who are mostly indifferent. Polls of theological literacy show that many Americans are remarkably close to illiterate there -- like not being able to name the Ten Commandments and like believing that it was Billy Graham who had delivered the Sermon on the Mount. I recall from somewhere that when one politician was asked to list the Ten Commandments, he indignantly objected to reporters giving him pop quizzes. I wonder if that'll be the next big apologetic shtick -- saying that you should never have to demonstrate the extent of your theological knowledge. I think that some pollsters might stretch their definition of "God" in order to increase the count of believers in Mr. G. Which means that they would catch "vagueotheists" - people who claim to believe in a god but have little idea what that entity is supposed to be -- and also nominal believers who are mostly indifferent.

Polls of theological literacy show that many Americans are remarkably close to illiterate there -- like not being able to name the Ten Commandments and like believing that it was Billy Graham who had delivered the Sermon on the Mount. I recall from somewhere that when one politician was asked to list the Ten Commandments, he indignantly objected to reporters giving him pop quizzes.

I wonder if that'll be the next big apologetic shtick -- saying that you should never have to demonstrate the extent of your theological knowledge.

]]> By: Dark Sided http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5982 Dark Sided Sat, 16 Sep 2006 00:10:10 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5982 This is exactly why I started <a href="http://dark-sided.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Dark Sided</a>. I wasn't sure if atheism were truly growing or if it just seemed that way because I decided to openly declare myself. I felt I had to do something. I don't want to live in a country where abortion clinic bombers are thought of as heroes instead of the terrorists they really are--Christian terrorists. It is time to speak out and the web is a great way to do it. This is exactly why I started Dark Sided. I wasn't sure if atheism were truly growing or if it just seemed that way because I decided to openly declare myself. I felt I had to do something. I don't want to live in a country where abortion clinic bombers are thought of as heroes instead of the terrorists they really are--Christian terrorists. It is time to speak out and the web is a great way to do it.

]]> By: Christopher http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5976 Christopher Fri, 15 Sep 2006 19:06:24 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5976 There is no doubt that religion is losing its appeal as people are becoming more concerned with the affairs of this life and less with mythical realms or afterlifes. Within the next few decades, I predict that unbelief in religion will be the dominant worldview. The only question is this: what happens next? There is no doubt that religion is losing its appeal as people are becoming more concerned with the affairs of this life and less with mythical realms or afterlifes. Within the next few decades, I predict that unbelief in religion will be the dominant worldview.

The only question is this: what happens next?

]]> By: Cassandra http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5975 Cassandra Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:42:34 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5975 Hey, I just wanted to thank you for the link. I have noticed a lot out there on atheism as well. Also, as a result of the article here in Columbus, the people that were highlighted in that article are going to be giving a "presentation" of sorts for the community near OSU a week from today. Should be interesting! Hey, I just wanted to thank you for the link. I have noticed a lot out there on atheism as well. Also, as a result of the article here in Columbus, the people that were highlighted in that article are going to be giving a "presentation" of sorts for the community near OSU a week from today. Should be interesting!

]]> By: SteveC http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5974 SteveC Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:07:48 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5974 If atheism is growing at a faster rate these days, I credit Tim Berners Lee and the world wide web. Never has it been so easy for those beginning to question their faith to so anonymously and so easily find that there are other people who have had the same doubts and thoughts, and to find and read the various opinions about faith and religion. If you read deconversion stories from before the advent of the Web (tough to find), a common thread runs through many of them -- isolation and loneliness, and even sometimes the notion that the author felt that they must be the only person on earth with such doubts. Modern deconversion stories don't share that thread, at least not to the same degree, since google is at one's fingertips, and the modern doubter finds they are not alone sooner, rather than later The memetic-evolutionist in me predicts that successful mutations of religions of the future will have adapted by declaring the internet to be a sin, or by evolving a way to convince society to handicap the internet in some way. (net-nanny, etc. are already here.) If atheism is growing at a faster rate these days, I credit Tim Berners Lee and the world wide web. Never has it been so easy for those beginning to question their faith to so anonymously and so easily find that there are other people who have had the same doubts and thoughts, and to find and read the various opinions about faith and religion. If you read deconversion stories from before the advent of the Web (tough to find), a common thread runs through many of them -- isolation and loneliness, and even sometimes the notion that the author felt that they must be the only person on earth with such doubts. Modern deconversion stories don't share that thread, at least not to the same degree, since google is at one's fingertips, and the modern doubter finds they are not alone sooner, rather than later

The memetic-evolutionist in me predicts that successful mutations of religions of the future will have adapted by declaring the internet to be a sin, or by evolving a way to convince society to handicap the internet in some way. (net-nanny, etc. are already here.)

]]> By: bob http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5969 bob Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:39:34 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5969 Just this week, on one of the national nightly news broadcasts, they show the results of a recent study stating what looks like figures showing that the USA is becoming even more religious, with something like 92.?% of those poled claiming a religious belief. This disappointed me because I had been reading in the past few years that non-believers were growing in numbers and were somewhere between 10%-14% of the population, and that those claiming a religious belief had declined by 7% in the last 10 years. At any rate, I can not openly proclaim my atheism in my small southern Virginia community. I am self employed and many of my clients are Christians. I know of at least one job ($300-$500) I lost due to my lack of religious belief. Get this: My girlfriend is a Christian. A male co-worker of hers, and a long time friend (who is a gay Christian), tried to dissuade her from seeing me because I am an atheist. Even gay Christians don't like me. Just this week, on one of the national nightly news broadcasts, they show the results of a recent study stating what looks like figures showing that the USA is becoming even more religious, with something like 92.?% of those poled claiming a religious belief. This disappointed me because I had been reading in the past few years that non-believers were growing in numbers and were somewhere between 10%-14% of the population, and that those claiming a religious belief had declined by 7% in the last 10 years.
At any rate, I can not openly proclaim my atheism in my small southern Virginia community. I am self employed and many of my clients are Christians. I know of at least one job ($300-$500) I lost due to my lack of religious belief.
Get this: My girlfriend is a Christian. A male co-worker of hers, and a long time friend (who is a gay Christian), tried to dissuade her from seeing me because I am an atheist. Even gay Christians don't like me.

]]> By: Stupac2 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5968 Stupac2 Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:07:05 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/09/the-quiet-revolution-progresses.html#comment-5968 I have one sort of atheist bumper sticker, (as well as a few others), and mostly I just see people laughing their heads off behind me. But one time I was in a parking lot and an old lady threw a card into my window that said that my bumper stickers "showed a lack of humanity". My mother, who was in the passanger seat, crumpled it up and threw it back at her. I guess I'm lucky, living in the Northeast where most people are "religious" in the sense that they go to church but don't really care. I can't imagine living in a place where calling yourself an atheist could lose you a job. I know they exist, but I cannot wrap my head around it. But what really gets me is how many people say that the west has progressed past religious intollerance, and how the religious here aren't violent or dangerous or oppressive. That's simply not true, and it's why I'm glad atheism is spreading. "No religion" is the fastest growing "religion", right? I just hope I live to see the point where an atheist could make a serious bid at the presidency, that's when we'll have progressed to a decent point. I have one sort of atheist bumper sticker, (as well as a few others), and mostly I just see people laughing their heads off behind me. But one time I was in a parking lot and an old lady threw a card into my window that said that my bumper stickers "showed a lack of humanity". My mother, who was in the passanger seat, crumpled it up and threw it back at her.

I guess I'm lucky, living in the Northeast where most people are "religious" in the sense that they go to church but don't really care. I can't imagine living in a place where calling yourself an atheist could lose you a job. I know they exist, but I cannot wrap my head around it.

But what really gets me is how many people say that the west has progressed past religious intollerance, and how the religious here aren't violent or dangerous or oppressive. That's simply not true, and it's why I'm glad atheism is spreading. "No religion" is the fastest growing "religion", right? I just hope I live to see the point where an atheist could make a serious bid at the presidency, that's when we'll have progressed to a decent point.

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