Why is it so socially fashionable to be an atheist?

Question

Mmmmm So many theist philosophers. Aristotle, Soren K.

Bottom line, no matter HOW SMART you are, your never going to be able to prove anything, although 95 percent of the population do beileve in God.

Answer 1

Rebellion is such common urge. Many people think that they can be in charge of their world and themselves. This is not true, God made us and is better equipped to be "in charge".

Answer 2

It is not sociably fashionable if atheists act like bullies professing hatred of theists. They that claim intellectual purity while they bible-bash the beliefs of Bible fundamentalists, In my book,  only mirror the bible-thumpers they hate in a bizarre way bec they can't prove their atheism just like the theists can't prove their theism either. The atheists that act as anti-theists are as self-righteous as the theists who act as anti-atheists. Both sides of the issue over the Question of God's existence need to chill and take the blue pill like Neo did in the Matrix!  I did so along time ago and feel better about myself. If my balanced observation offends you, you are not being objective. My point is clear, all dogmatists sux!

Answer 3

I'm sure that there truly are atheists out there but some people just follow others to be popular.  Others try to avoid conflict or believe that it is something that it is not, such as a way of combating religion.

Others haven't learned faith.  Either their parent figures failed them or their philosophical education has.  

No matter what their stated reasons, I suspect that, with religion being a largely polarizing public battle being engaged in around the world, its a way of staying out of the fray.

Answer 4

It is? Then why are there all these Christians on my back telling me to go to h**l?

Answer 5

I think a common misconception with atheism is that we are all rebelling. I think I'm safe in saying that the majority of us have thought about religion, life, death etc. long and hard and atheism was the conclusion we reached. In fact, I would say it is socially fashionable to be a reborn Christian, especially in America.

Answer 6

Hmm, interesting. I am Agnostic, but do have Atheist thoughts, but I have never thought it to be "socially fashionable". Matter of fact I really don't tell people. Not that I hide it, but I really don't make a point to speak a lot about religion; only if someone is personally talking to me and asks my views do I tell them my beliefs. Honestly I am not sure I can say I know 1 person (in person, not on the computer) that claims to be an Atheist. I know 2 Agnostics, but my husband, family and most of my friends follow Christianity.

In the end I don't consider it to be "socially fashionable". My beliefs are what I accept and believe and I am not considering my belief based upon social conduct, but inner acceptance.

Added: I am unsure from your question if you are seriously wanting input from others on what you state "socially fashionable" atheism, or if you already have your mind made up and trying to validate your question from your perspective. From your perception you may have associated atheism with rebellious nature from your personal experience, but I can tell you from my perception that is not why I have acknowledged atheism as probable in reality. Each person needs to come to their own conclusion about whether they believe in a higher power, God(s) or choose not to. I choose to not let culture and my environment make that choice for me. I have researched, pondered, asked questions, kept an open mind and my conclusion in the end is it would be ignorant of me to dismiss the idea of a God (for one day something could change my perspective), but it is also ignorant of me to believe when I have found no substantial evidence of one. Just because the shoe fits does not need you have to wear it-- sometimes you need to find the one that fits you the "best".

Answer 7

1.  Logic is not part of the atheist worldview.  (Atheists who deny "God is" are claiming the impossible:  proving a universal negative.)

2.  Sin and egoism are more wickedly attractive when God doesn't exist as a possible Evaluator.

3.  Inner childlike qualities, which are "soul," are felt to be less worthy than greed, pride, egotism, etc.

4.  Control of matter, including human beings, in a "high-handed" rather than "stewardship" fashion is more valued.

"The Great Divorce," C. S. Lewis,

"Expecting Adam," Martha Beck.

Answer 8

It is NOT socially fashionable to be an atheist. In fact, most atheists in the US have experienced some form of discrimination, prejudice or intolerance at some point in their lives.

Just to clear a few things up. Einstein, in his youth and young adult life did express a belief in what is often referred to as Spinoza's God, this is a 'nature, being, element, etc... that, in Einstein's words, "reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God Who concerns Himself with the fate and the doings of mankind."

In his later years he wrote to Eric Gutkind and said, "The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish." As well as, "For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."

Einstein was NOT an atheist, but then again he was irreligious and most certainly NOT a Christian or Jew.

You are VERY wise to doubt the 88% of the U.S. are Christians statistic. (With all due respect for transhumanist eupraxsophist, the 88% number was back in 2001.) The actual estimates based on a joint study by the US State Department and the CIA as published in their "Fact Book" sets the U.S. Christian population at about 78% with Atheist being 15.1%. The only flaw is that they lump those that select "Nonreligious" into the atheist grouping and this is not the case. However, other research groups have listed Atheism ranging from 4% to as high as 12%, so the numbers there are a littlie iffy, but the Christian numbers are fairly accurate. (Oooo wait! The 2007 "American Religious Identification Survey" List American Christians as representing 76.5% of the total U.S. population. WOW! Two different sources have listed Christians as being under 80% of the population. I bet you think it's a conspiracy!)

If you are going to start listing theistic philosophers, don’t forget some of the great atheistic philosophers like Albert Camus, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ayn Rand, Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre and many, many more. But it doesn’t matter is there are 5 atheists, 5,000 atheists or 5 billion atheists. The fact, and yes, I did say fact, is that GOD is a myth. The bible is a book of fiction and using it as a reference for the existence of a god is preposterous. If you CHOOSE to lie to yourself and WANT to live a lie, that is your business, but do not try to marginalize the FACT that while Christianity is waning, atheism is beginning to grow and the reasoning behind the growth is exactly what brought down many of the old 'mythologies' and old religious practices and beliefs...Knowledge and intellect destroy myth and superstition. In time, theism will go the way of the "Flat Earth Theory." Sure, there are still a few people that believe the earth is flat, but no one takes them seriously and they have absolutely no impact on the real world. This is the fate of Christians, Muslims and ALL theists. It may take a few more centuries, but it will happen. (Before you get all self righteous and start clamoring on about the end of days, the apocalypse and the rapture, virtually EVERY generation of Christian since the dawn of Christianity has expected the rapture to occur within their generation or the next. Interestingly enough...IT HAS NOT HAPPENED!!! And it NEVER will.

~~

Answer 9

It's fashionable?... And i thought I was all alone with my ideas! People are atheist because it makes sense... As Albert Einstein said:

"I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures, or has a will of the kind that we experience in ourselves. Neither can I nor would I want to conceive of an individual that survives his physical death; let feeble souls, from fear or absurd egoism, cherish such thoughts. I am satisfied with the mystery of the eternity of life and with the awareness and a glimpse of the marvelous structure of the existing world, together with the devoted striving to comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."

(Albert Einstein,The World as I See It)

Answer 10

When you look at social trends, you need to also look at their opposite.  Almost every society has a dominant culture.  And because of that almost every one will contain elements who wish to distinguish themselves by opposing parts of that culture.  They form a counterculture.  Sometimes many of them.

These countercultural movements manifest in a lot of ways.  Most frequently we see heavy uses of slang and different codes of dress that are normalized within the group but designed to be incomprehensible and even distasteful to the culture at large.  And where there is a dominant belief system, it will be discarded or turned on its head.  Again, this isn't because of a particular belief in the new system... just a rebellion against the old.

In the case of atheism, it helps too that many of the most intelligent people are usually unconventional themselves.  They may not all be atheists, but they are often DIFFERENTLY theistic.  They have learned to make their own way.  Einstein is a good example of this; one that has been erroneously claimed by one side or another since well before his death.

These kinds of people are never numerous to make a trend themselves or make too much fashionable on their own.  But they are often taken as figureheads to futher butress these countercultural movements which can become quite numerous.  It is enough to not be counted with the 'other side'.

You will find that atheism is not really fashionable in areas of the world where Christianity or another religion is not so prevalent, even if it polls as being more popular.  In those areas, it is just a choice.  One of many.  And of no particular note except for making plans on certain days of the week.  So it goes.

Answer 11

BEcause if you look at this world, its disgusting. In cosciety today the bad guy can win and it just isn't something to be proud of. People believe that god would be there for him, but he isn't here. If god interviegned in society, he wouldn't be giving us a chance to live, a chance he doesn't have. Even while we sit here and destroy ourselves, all god can do is watch and help in little ways. Plus, religions are so curel, catholism spouses out so much hate it isnt funny. The only other religion that matches cathloics hate are the muslims. I believe in god, but god d**n the bible, that book covered in so much blood same with the Korran, each page is stained with the blood of thousands claiming they are doing the right thing.

Answer 12

It is the new forced trend . By the powers that be .

Answer 13

First I need to respond to a couple answerers above.  J153e is an idiot in the true sense of the word whose entire knowledge of atheists is 100% wrong.  He appears to have gotten all his views of atheists either from some hatemongering fundamentalist, or pulled from some deep recess of his nether regions.

To heeltap, some atheists only seem militant because up until just a few years ago, and to some degree even to this day, it was expected that atheists should know their place and should just sit down, shut up, and quietly despair about whatever lies are spread in the name of religion.  Also, atheism is not equivalent to fundamentalism for one simple reason:  since it is the theist who is making the positive claim ("god exists"), it is entirely his burden to prove.  Until such evidence arises (which it's pretty safe to say will likely be "never"), the atheist has no more burden in proving that a god _doesn't_ exist than a xtian has in proving that Zeus or Osiris doesn't exist.  Finally, I for one have taken the blue pill--and atheism was what I found at the end of the rabbit hole.

I have to correct you on your statement that 95% of people believe in a god.  In the US, that number is actually around 88%, and dropping.  Atheists are around 8-10%, with the rest being agnostics, secular humanists, and other non-religious.  Globally, the non-religious (atheists, agnostics, humanists, etc.) make up 1.1 billion people, making them the 3rd largest group behind muslims (1.3 billion) and xtians (2.1 billion).

As for Einstein, he might have believed in some form of creator god, but he certainly did not believe in a personal god who listened to prayers or intervened in peoples' affairs.  He was likely either a deist or agnostic.

Now to actually answer your question.  :-)  I really don't think it's "socially fashionable" to be an atheist.  Atheists are still one of the most despised segments of society, and a poll last year put atheists behind homosexuals in political electability.  It's actually hard for me to imagine someone declaring themselves to be an atheist just for social reasons.  Given the amount of loathing, venom and mischaracterizations heaped on atheists regularly, why would anyone want to become one?  Becoming an atheist is a matter of conscience and reason, not of social popularity.

If it seems like there are more atheists around today than in the past, well, that's partly true.  But I think mostly it's because atheists are becoming more vocal and less afraid of "coming out of the closet."  Indeed, the progress of atheists in social acceptance and equality seems to be running a parallel course to that of homosexuals a couple decades earlier, and to blacks a half century ago.  And like those earlier struggles to not be regarded as inferior degenerates, it was mostly the religious right and conservatives who fought hardest against it.  I think atheism is reaching its critical mass, though, after which it will be hard to argue against the acceptance of atheists in society without sounding like an ignorant bigot.