If God Is Dead, Who Gets His House?

New York Magazine, on April 21st, published an article entitled If God Is Dead, Who Gets His House?

According to the article, "The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released the results of its “Religious Landscape” survey in February and found that 16 percent of Americans have no religious affiliation. The number is even greater among young people: 25 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds now identify with no religion, up from 11 percent in a similar survey in 1986. For most of its modern history, atheism has existed as a kind of civil-rights movement. Groups like American Atheists have functioned primarily as litigants in the fight for church-state separation, not as atheist social clubs. "

There is now discussion happening amongst some of the most well-known and/or active Atheists in the US as to what, if any, type of spaces need to be created for the community. The article references such places as “human-centered quasi-religious organizations.” An example of such a community space is the New York Society for Ethical Culture. Don’t be fooled though, not all Atheists have celebrated the idea of organizing.

Finally, there is even debate as to how the community should be referred to since atheism is a term that was coined as a derogatory, or at least negative, epithet by those opposed to the atheist opinions and views.

The conversation goes much deeper in the article, and there is a quite a bit more history which helps further explain some of the current debates. It is a pretty quick read with some very interesting arguments.