Atheism

Over the past few decades, the number of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated—often referred to as “nones”—has grown rapidly. In the 1970s, only about 5% of Americans fell into this category. Today, that number exceeds 25%. Scholars have debated whether this change simply reflects a general decline in belief, or whether it signals something more complex. The research team wanted to explore the deeper forces at play: Why are people leaving institutional religion? What are they replacing it with? And how are their personal values shaping that process?

May 14, 2025 | This webinar will explore the intersection of religion, gender, and populism in contemporary political and social landscapes. Populist movements frequently invoke religious and gendered narratives to define national identity, mobilize support, and justify exclusionary policies. From Christian nationalism in the United States to right-wing populism in Europe and Latin America, these movements often use traditional gender norms to bolster their legitimacy.

A global comparative approach is essential to understanding how these dynamics operate across different political and cultural contexts. Populist actors often borrow tactics from one another, and religious-nationalist discourses are increasingly transnational, influencing policies on gender, sexuality, and religious freedom beyond national borders.

In this webinar, scholars will share notes from the field based on their research in diverse settings, offering grounded insights into how religious and gendered narratives function within populist movements. By bringing together perspectives from multiple regions, this discussion will illuminate both broader patterns and local specificities of religious populism, offering insights relevant for scholars, policymakers, and civil society actors worldwide.

The webinar will be moderated by Berkley Center Senior Fellow Jocelyne Cesari. The discussion will feature distinguished scholars Didem Unal Abaday, Ruth Braunstein, Tatiana Vargas Maia, and Elżbieta Korolczuk.

This “small group of Colorado Pastors and faith leaders from small churches across the state are doing all we can together to oppose these assaults on our people's God-given liberties.” By which they mean they were lying to people about what the bill said because nothing in their religion ever taught them that lying is bad.

This was originally titled: 1 Christian v 20 Atheists, but it seems they changed it after JP keeps muddying the waters.

Update: I get why most of you wouldn't want to watch the video. I went to a men's group therapy session and went after the organizer for recommending me a Jordan Peterson book. I get it. The video, however, isn't a Jordan Peterson channel (yes I know we're still bumping him in the algorithm) but I think it fit the community for sure.

I just don't get why you would comment: "I'm not watching that." Congrats dude. I know it's for you, not every video is. There is some value in seeing Peterson get dunked on and seeing the way he weasels out of things and getting called out. If you think it's not worth the cost of watching the video. I'm not going to disagree with that. That's cool too. We can all be cool about things.

Should have been a complete rejection, but I'll take it

cross-posted from: https://discuss.online/post/19573173

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Short conversation clip from a larger discussion about how Rhett lost his faith.

Watch the full episode now on Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com/p/rhett-mclaughlin-explains-why-heTo donate to my PayPal (thank you): http://www.paypal.m...

What does it mean that religion, not porn use, predicts porn-related problems?

I recently came across a brutal review from a devoted Christian on goodreads of a novel called Insane Entities, he called it blasphemous and asked for it to be removed. The novel takes religious concepts and twists them into something… unsettling. It got me thinking—why do people react so strongly when a book dares to reinterpret sacred ideas?

One scene in the book hit me particularly hard: a character with three eyes, one weeping while the other two smile as he knots a corpse like a bag. It’s gruesome, sure, but the hidden symbolism makes it even darker—it reflects the Christian Trinity, with Jesus suffering while the Father and Holy Spirit remain distant. It’s a powerful and eerie take on an old concept.

It seems like books that tackle religious themes in unconventional ways always get the harshest criticism. Do you think that’s because people fear reinterpretation, or is it just resistance to any challenge of belief?

Maybe it's too much to say people who experienced this stuff are delusional? I know a lot of them personally and they live a normal life, but they keep saying testimonies about holy experience, that God talks to them etc.

Checkmate atheists.

cross-posted from: https://gregtech.eu/post/8536321

Most modern, right-thinking, science-believers don't actually do science and wouldn't recognize the scientific method if it bit them on the butt.

Most religious people never meditated, never had a vision, wouldn't recognize elevated consciousness if it bit them on the butt.

Most of us just swallow the official narrative of our tribe and trust what the authorities say.

Which is of course a terrible way to acquire quality knowledge.

MindShift

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2021/07/fallen-evangelist-acton-bowen-sentenced-to-more-than-1000-years-for-sex-crimes-denied-case-review-by-alabama-supreme-court.html

I've been an atheist for 20+ years now (ex-catholic). Early in my atheism, followed the typical new-atheism route; reading Dawkins, watching tons of debates and interviews, participating in forums, joining atheist and rationalist groups. I went through an angry atheist phase, and then into a compassionate rationalist phase, seeking to understand religions and religious people, and to guide those who might be on the fence.

For many years I was optimistic about the future, thinking that rationality would spread and accelerate around the world. That newer generations would discard their religion and adopt progressive attitudes. More recently, and obviously due to current world events, I've lost hope in a brighter future. I suppose I set myself up for disappointment. I think you could make an argument that in the very long run (centuries), people are getting more educated, rational, and secular, but it seems clear that is not a guarantee in the short term. Looking at the rise of Christian nationalism in the US, misogynistic laws, anti-LGBT sentiments, the absolute loss of freedom for women in Afghanistan, etc; Even my close family are some mix of religious, conspiracy theorists, and anti-vaxxers. Evidently, humanity can easily regress decades worth of progress in an instant.

I'm sure we all have coping mechanisms, relationships and activities we enjoy, escapism to take our mind off things. If you put those aside, how do you deal with living in a religious, irrational world that will likely not improve in our lifetimes? Can we reason our way to a positive mindset? Is cope all we have?

Thanks in advance for your replies. I will read every single one of them.

President Donald Trump revealed on Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast an executive order instructing Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek out and prosecute "anti-Christian bias."

"To confront such weaponization and religious persecution, today I'm signing an executive order to make our Attorney General, who's a great person — she's going to be a great Attorney General — Pam Bondi the head of a task force, brand new, to eradicate anti-Christian bias," Trump said. "About time, right? Anti-Christian bias. Yeah, never heard of that one before, right?"

"So many times you hear, but you don't hear the anti-Christian bias," he continued. "The mission of this task force will be to immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government, including at the DOJ, which was absolutely terrible."

Trump suggested the FBI and IRS were "terrible" for targeting Christians.

"In addition, the task force will work to fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society and to move heaven and earth to defend the rights of Christians and religious believers nationwide," he added. "You've never had that before, but this is a very powerful document I'm signing."

"You get it now. First time you've had it. If we don't have religious liberty, then we don't have a free country. We probably don't even have a country."

Have you ever wondered why so many religions share themes of death, resurrection, and renewal? One fascinating connection lies in the Sun and its behavior during the winter solstice.

Around December 21, the Sun reaches its lowest point in the sky (in the Northern Hemisphere) and appears to "stand still" for three days. Then, on December 25, it begins to rise higher again, marking its "rebirth." Ancient cultures noticed this phenomenon and interpreted it as the death and resurrection of the Sun—a powerful symbol of hope and renewal.

This solar cycle influenced many religious traditions. For example:

• Pagan Religions: Sun worship was central to many pre-Christian belief systems. Festivals like Saturnalia celebrated the return of light after the darkest days of winter.
• Mithraism: Followers of Mithras, a god associated with the Sun, celebrated his birth on December 25, symbolizing light's triumph over darkness.
• Christianity: Early Christians adopted similar themes. Jesus' resurrection after three days mirrors this solar pattern. He is even referred to as the "Sun of Righteousness" (Malachi 4:2) and "the light of the world." Coincidence? Maybe not.

The symbolic "three days" is also worth noting. Across cultures, three days often represent transformation or renewal—whether it's Jesus in the tomb or the Sun's pause before its upward journey.

It’s fascinating (and a bit ironic) how much modern religions owe to ancient astronomical observations. The Sun’s predictable cycles became a powerful metaphor for life, death, and rebirth—one that still resonates today, even if its origins are rooted in natural phenomena rather than divine intervention.

What do you think? Are these parallels just coincidence, or do they reveal how human beings have always looked to the cosmos for meaning? Let’s discuss!