Angry Atheists Are Hot Authors

[Kadie]

Angry Atheists Are Hot Authors
By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer

Thursday, May 24, 2007

(05-24) 11:16 PDT , (AP) --


The time for polite debate is over. Militant, atheist writers are making an all-out assault on religious faith and reaching the top of the best-seller list, a sign of widespread resentment over the influence of religion in the world among nonbelievers.

Christopher Hitchens' book, "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything," has sold briskly ever since it was published last month, and his debates with clergy are drawing crowds at every stop.

Sam Harris was a little-known graduate student until he wrote the phenomenally successful "The End of Faith" and its follow-up, "Letter to a Christian Nation." Richard Dawkins'"The God Delusion" and Daniel Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" struck similar themes — and sold.

"There is something like a change in the Zeitgeist," Hitchens said, noting that sales of his latest book far outnumber those for his earlier work that had challenged faith. "There are a lot of people, in this country in particular, who are fed up with endless lectures by bogus clerics and endless bullying."

Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, a prominent evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif., said the books' success reflect a new vehemence in the atheist critique.

"I don't believe in conspiracy theories," Mouw said, "but it's almost like they all had a meeting and said, 'Let's counterattack.'"

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/24/national/a111654D33.DTL

[Brigid]

1. Maybe . . .

they're just tired of the wingnuts who have hijacked Christianity to advance an essentially fascist political agenda. I am just a garden-varity Methodist myself, but there doesn't seem to be that much room for us moderates these days. :(

[Az]

2. The EAC disavows any knowledge of an organized counterattack

The EAC disavows any connection to the EAC. The EAC does not exist. You did not read this.

[gollygee]

3. If a book sells, a lot of books that say the same basic thing will be written and published

simple economics.

[malaise]

4. Counter attack was actually a good idea

We atheists tend to stay out of the debates while the lunatics dominate the agenda and try to stuff their beliefs down other peoples' throats.

[Az]

5. Its not so much that we stay out

Its that we are not allowed to enter into the debates. We don't exactly have a dog in the fight other than those believers compassionate enough to remember that we are citizens as well.

[ima_sinnic]

6. good! (nt)

[Madspirit]

7. k&r from an angry atheist...n/t

[Goblinmonger]

8. How dare they!!!

Actually voicing their opinion on the issue. Bastards! They were so much better when they just kept their mouths shut and didn't talk about the elephant in the room (or, lack of an elephant to be more precise).

[Zenlitened]

9. "...widespread resentment over the influence of religion in the world among nonbelievers."

I don't think it's just nonbelievers who are saying "Enough with the bible-thumping already!" Not just atheists who are making best-sellers out of these authors' works.

And it doesn't seem to me that any sort of "conspiracy" is required, despite what the learned Mr. Mouw might suspect.

This is a grass-roots reaction, in recognition that the pendulum has swung too far toward religious extremism, and needs to be pushed back.

A.K.A., a good old-fashioned backlash.

You can't have a backlash without a "lash," so to speak. The religionists have gone too far, and more and more people -- atheist and otherwise -- are coming to recognize the fact.