In the first years of the 21st century, atheism, nonbelief and freethought are resurgent all across the Western world. In the United States, by far the most religious of the industrialized democracies, the number of religious fundamentalists is dropping, while the number of nonreligious people is growing with each generation. Even ethnic groups coming from traditionally highly religious cultures show rising rates of nonbelief in accordance with the rest of society. Europe can report similarly … [Read more...]

While the voracious hordes of religious proselytizers continue to bombard society, demanding that their beliefs be wedged in wherever they can find a crack, atheism continues to grow quietly in the background. Largely unnoticed by the mainstream media and politicians, the advocates of nonbelief are still making their case, and they are increasingly finding people receptive and even eager to hear their message. There are many encouraging signs that, after the frenzied religious madness that has … [Read more...]

In a previous post in the Garden, "An Inspiring Story", I discussed two ways in which atheism might make inroads into society: It is not inconceivable that atheists are nearing a critical mass, one which when reached will inspire us to organize en masse. If such a thing were to happen, I have no doubt that we could become a tremendous force for societal change for the better. But even if not, there is another possibility: we may gain acceptance and influence one piece at a time, without there … [Read more...]