Category Archives: Atheism

State atheism is a popular term used for a government that is either antireligious, antitheistic or promotes atheism. In contrast, a secular state purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. State atheism may refer to a government's anti-clericalism, which opposes religious institutional power and influence in all aspects of public and political life, including the involvement of religion in the everyday life of the citizen.

State promotion of atheism as a public norm first came to prominence in Revolutionary France (1789-1799).[1]Revolutionary Mexico followed similar policies from 1917, as did MarxistLeninist states. The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (19171991) and the Soviet Union (19221991) had a long history of state atheism, whereby those seeking social success generally had to profess atheism and to stay away from houses of worship; this trend became especially militant during the middle Stalinist era from 1929 to 1939. The Soviet Union attempted to suppress public religious expression over wide areas of its influence, including places such as central Asia.

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is designed to protect the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. In 1993, the UN's human rights committee declared that article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights "protects theistic, non-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well as the right not to profess any religion or belief."[2] The committee further stated that "the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief necessarily entails the freedom to choose a religion or belief, including the right to replace one's current religion or belief with another or to adopt atheistic views." Signatories to the convention are barred from "the use of threat of physical force or penal sanctions to compel believers or non-believers" to recant their beliefs or convert. Despite this, minority religions still are still persecuted in many parts of the world.[3][4]

During the French Revolution, a campaign of dechristianization happened which included removal and destruction of religious objects from places of worship and the transformation of churches into "Temples of the Goddess of Reason", culminating in a celebration of Reason in Notre Dame Cathedral.[5][6][7]

Unlike later establishments of anti-theism by communist regimes, the French Revolutionary experiment was short (7 months), incomplete and inconsistent.[8][bettersourceneeded] Although brief, the French experiment was particularly notable for the influence upon atheists Ludwig Feuerbach, Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx.[9] Using the ideas of Feuerbach, Marx and Freud, communist regimes later treated religious believers as subversives or abnormal, sometimes relegating them to psychiatric hospitals and reeducation.[9][dubious discuss]

Articles 3, 5, 24, 27, and 130 of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 as originally enacted were anticlerical and enormously restricted religious freedoms.[10] At first the anticlerical provisions were only sporadically enforced, but when President Plutarco Elas Calles took office, he enforced the provisions strictly.[10] Calles Mexico has been characterized as an atheist state[11] and his program as being one to eradicate religion in Mexico.[12]

All religions had their properties expropriated, and these became part of government wealth. There was a forced expulsion of foreign clergy and the seizure of Church properties.[13] Article 27 prohibited any future acquisition of such property by the churches, and prohibited religious corporations and ministers from establishing or directing primary schools.[13] This second prohibition was sometimes interpreted to mean that the Church could not give religious instruction to children within the churches on Sundays, seen as destroying the ability of Catholics to be educated in their own religion.[14]

The Constitution of 1917 also closed and forbade the existence of monastic orders (article 5), forbade any religious activity outside of church buildings (now owned by the government), and mandated that such religious activity would be overseen by the government (article 24).[13]

On June 14, 1926, President Calles enacted anticlerical legislation known formally as The Law Reforming the Penal Code and unofficially as the Calles Law.[15] His anti-Catholic actions included outlawing religious orders, depriving the Church of property rights and depriving the clergy of civil liberties, including their right to a trial by jury (in cases involving anti-clerical laws) and the right to vote.[15][16] Catholic antipathy towards Calles was enhanced because of his vocal atheism.[17] He was also a Freemason.[18] Regarding this period, recent President Vicente Fox stated, "After 1917, Mexico was led by anti-Catholic Freemasons who tried to evoke the anticlerical spirit of popular indigenous President Benito Jurez of the 1880s. But the military dictators of the 1920s were a more savage lot than Juarez." [19]

Due to the strict enforcement of anti-clerical laws, people in strongly Catholic areas, especially the states of Jalisco, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Colima and Michoacn, began to oppose him, and this opposition led to the Cristero War from 1926 to 1929, which was characterized by brutal atrocities on both sides. Some Cristeros applied terrorist tactics, while the Mexican government persecuted the clergy, killing suspected Cristeros and supporters and often retaliating against innocent individuals.[20] On May 28, 1926, Calles was awarded a medal of merit from the head of Mexico's Scottish rite of Freemasonry for his actions against the Catholics.[21]

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State atheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Penn Jillette Vs The Duck Commander On Atheist Morality
Beautiful beat down of the clueless bearded hill billy. Support the channel: http://www.patreon.com/atheism Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atheist_Roo.

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Penn Jillette Vs The Duck Commander On Atheist Morality - Video

Atheism Takes Blind Faith: Atheists Cannot Give Evidence for Atheism
Do atheists know that atheism is true? Cliffe Knechtle asks Matt Dillahunty (of The Atheist Experience) an incredibly simple and easy question: What is the evidence for atheism? Astonishingly,...

By: Theology, Philosophy and Science

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Atheism Takes Blind Faith: Atheists Cannot Give Evidence for Atheism - Video

You know what you call someone who makes sweeping generalizations on billions of people based on the extreme actions of a few? A bigot. Bill Maher, for example, is a bigot. And if youre a fan of his smug, dismissive shtick, youre a bigot too.

On Fridays Real Time,Maher, who has been openly atheist his whole career but has been increasingly vocal against organized religion in recent years, squared off against Fareed Zakaria, who gave a powerful rebuttal to Mahers reiteration of the Islam is the motherlode of bad ideas assertion. My problem with the way you approach it, Zakaria said, is I dont think youre going to reform a religion by telling 1.6 billion people most of whom are just devout people who get some inspiration from that religion and go about their daily lives I dont think youre going to change religion by saying your religion is the motherlode of bad ideas, its a terrible thing. Frankly, youre going to make a lot of news for yourself and youre going to get a lot of applause lines and joke lines. Instead, he urged, Push for reform with some sense of respect for the spiritual values. And on behalf of Muslims, Christians, Jews and anybody else who prays to somebody sometimes, let me just say, thank you.

As the threats of terrorism and right-wing Christianity have risen in the past few years, Mahers aggressive brand of atheism also popularized by the likes of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris has gained a strong following among a certain type of self-professed intellectual. Maher has famously said, Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who dont have all the answers to think that they do which is pretty funny, given the know-it-all arrogance of the anti-religion big leaguers like Maher himself. As Zakaria very eloquently pointed out, that stance has given Maher more power and reach than hes ever had in his long career. But whatever you believe or dont, if youre selling blanket intolerance, you dont get to call yourself one of the good guys. You shouldnt even get to call yourself one of the smart ones.

Im a Christian, which in my urban, media-centric world is basically equivalent to self-identifying as a hillbilly. It also means that I have to accept that I apply the same word to myself that a lot of hateful morons do. But on Sunday at my little neighborhood church, our priest delivered a sermon in which he said, I cant understand how in places like Indiana, people are using Christianity as an excuse to close their doors, when we should be welcoming to everyone. Guess what? Thats faith too. I am also keenly aware that in other parts of the world, people are being murdered for a faith that I am privileged to practice openly and without fear. And anyone, anywhere, who is openly hateful to others for their religion is part of a culture that permits that kind of persecution to endure.

Heres what I would like Bill Maher and his smug, self-righteous acolytes to understand. There are literally billions of individuals in this world who are not murderous, ignorant, superstitious, hatemongers, who also happen to practice a religion. Billions of people who I swear to God have no investment in forcing their beliefs on Bill Maher. Right here in the U.S., there are millions of my fellow Christians who are strongly committed to the ideals of the Constitution, and who dont want to live in a theocracy any more than they do.

I recently had a conversation with an atheist friend who asked why, knowing all I do of the wrongs committed by the Catholic Church, disagreeing as strongly as I do with many of its positions on womens rights, LGBT equality and reproductive justice, I continue to stay within it. And my reply was that this is where I feel I can do the most good. I am not a disinterested party. Im a citizen of my church and Im going to continue to demand better of it. I dont, however, want to sell it to anybody else. You dont have to believe in God or however else you may define the concept of something else out there. I dont have all the answers to life, the universe and everything; Im just trying to get through this plane of existence in a manner thats philosophically satisfying and guides me in the direction of not being a selfish jerk. Thats it. All I ask all that many, many, many of us who practice their respective religions ask is that you conduct yourself with respect and compassion and a spirit ofcoexistence, and well do the same. I ask that you not make assumptions about the vast majority of the worlds population based on your own need to feel good about yourself and how smart you are. Like Zakaria says, youre not going to bring about reform that way. And as Maher and his ilk prove, you dont need a religion to be in the business of spreading hate.

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Bill Mahers bigoted atheism: His arrogant shtick is just as ugly as religious intolerance

Proof That Atheism Makes You Stupid

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Proof That Atheism Makes You Stupid - Video

Albino Toddler Is Killed And Dismembered In Tanzania For Witchcraft
The Young Genocidal Turks were on rare form, taking a story about albinos in africa being killed and using it to bash america, and defend Muslims. Fantastic. Support the channel: http://www.pat...

By: Atheism-is-Unstoppable-4

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Albino Toddler Is Killed And Dismembered In Tanzania For Witchcraft - Video

The New Atheism Discussion - John Lennox, PhD
John Lennox exposes the New Atheist movement, which is headed by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and the late Christopher Hitchens. Also, checkout John Lennox #39;s #39;God #39;s Not Dead #39;...

By: Theology, Philosophy and Science

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The New Atheism Discussion - John Lennox, PhD - Video

You know what you call someone who makes sweeping generalizations on billions of people based on the extreme actions of a few? A bigot. Bill Maher, for example, is a bigot. And if youre a fan of his smug, dismissive schtick, youre a bigot too.

On Fridays Real Time,Maher, who has been openly atheist his whole career but has been increasingly vocal against organized religion in recent years, squared off against Fareed Zakaria, who gave a powerful rebuttal to Mahers reiteration of the Islam is the motherlode of bad ideas assertion. My problem with the way you approach it, Zakaria said, is I dont think youre going to reform a religion by telling 1.6 billion people most of whom are just devout people who get some inspiration from that religion and go about their daily lives I dont think youre going to change religion by saying your religion is the motherlode of bad ideas, its a terrible thing. Frankly, youre going to make a lot of news for yourself and youre going to get a lot of applause lines and joke lines. Instead, he urged, Push for reform with some sense of respect for the spiritual values. And on behalf of Muslims, Christians, Jews, and anybody else who prays to somebody sometimes, let me just say, thank you.

As the threats terrorism and right wing Christianity have risen in the past few years, Mahers aggressive brand of atheism also popularized by the likes of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris has gained a strong following among a certain type of self-professed intellectual. Maher has famously said, Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who dont have all the answers to think that they do which is pretty funny, given the know-it-all arrogance of the anti-religion big leaguers like Maher himself. As Zakaria very eloquently pointed out, that stance has given Maher more power and reach than hes ever had in his long career. But whatever you believe or dont, if youre selling blanket intolerance, you dont get to call yourself one of the good guys. You shouldnt even get to call yourself one of the smart ones.

Im a Christian, which in my urban, media-centric world is basically equivalent to self-identifying as a hillbilly. It also means that I have to accept that I apply the same word to myself that a lot of hateful morons do. But on Sunday at my little neighborhood church, our priest delivered a sermon in which he said, I cant understand how in places like Indiana, people are using Christianity as an excuse to close their doors, when we should be welcoming to everyone. Guess what? Thats faith too. I am also keenly aware that in other parts of the world, people are being murdered for a faith that I am privileged to practice openly and without fear. And anyone, anywhere, who is openly hateful to others for their religion is part of a culture that permits that kind of persecution to endure.

Heres what I would Bill Maher and his smug, self-righteous acolytes to understand. There are literally billions of individuals in this world who are not murderous, ignorant, superstitious, hatemongers, who also happen to practice a religion. Billions of people who I swear to God have no investment in forcing their beliefs on Bill Maher. Right here in the US, there are millions of my fellow Christians who are strongly committed to the ideals of the constitution, and who dont want to live in a theocracy any more than they do.

I recently had a conversation with an atheist friend who asked why, knowing all I do of the wrongs committed by the Catholic church, disagreeing as strongly as I do with many of its positions on womens rights, LGBT equality, and reproductive justice, I continue to stay within it. And my reply was that this is where I feel I can do the most good. I am not a disinterested party. Im a citizen of my church and Im going to continue to demand better of it. I dont, however, want to sell it to anybody else. You dont have to believe in God or however else you may define the concept of something else out there. I dont have all the answers to life, the universe and everything; Im just trying to get through this plane of existence in a manner thats philosophically satisfying and guides me in the direction of not being a selfish jerk. Thats it. All I ask all that many, many, many of us who practice their respective religions ask is that you conduct yourself with respect and compassion and a spirit ofcoexistence, and well do the same. I ask that you not make assumptions about the vast majority of the worlds population based on your own need to feel good about yourself and how smart you are. Like Zakaria says, youre not going to bring about reform that way. And as Maher and his ilk prove, you dont need a religion to be in the business of spreading hate.

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Bill Mahers bigoted atheism: His arrogant schtick is just as ugly as religious intolerance

A Minute In Atheism: Who #39;s the dick
No this is not an April Fools thing.... Article --- http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/03/ohio-abortion-heartbeat-bill Intro by DtK --- http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/DtK Outro Music ---...

By: Godless Engineer

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A Minute In Atheism: Who's the dick - Video

What is really new about New Atheism? By Dr. Steven Kettell
Paper presentation given by Dr. Steven Kettell at the Political Studies Association Annual Conference. Recorded, with Dr. Kettell #39;s permission, by Kristi Winters for distribution on this channel.

By: Kristi Winters

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What is really new about New Atheism? By Dr. Steven Kettell - Video