Why is the atheist movement in decline?

[historia]

Consider these recent comments from several prominent atheist activists:

You know lately when I look around on social media, and in the media in general really, I see these proclamations. Proclamations that the atheist movement is on life support. It's dying. It's probably beyond saving.

. . .

As an atheist activist myself, I can understand myself why some activists have just left the party. They just got tired of it. All the politics and the posturing and the trolls and the bad faith operators out there. They have seen first hand that atheists are not immune to scandal, to ugliness, to irrationality, to this unhealthy rage.

If you look at the major atheist groups right now -- like the national groups, the ones that are doing the real activist work, like American Atheists or Secular Coalition -- they are not bringing in the kind of donations they used to. Most of them are starved for cash. They're downsizing left and right, because people aren't just giving like they used to.

And I talked to a lot of the major donors out there and they said, "Well, we're kind of tired of seeing the atheist community just fight amongst itself and not really get anything done. We'd rather not give money if we don't think it's going to go somewhere."

It is a hard time to be an atheist activist . . . We are suffering a level of defeatism that I've never seen before . . . I have heard "it's over" so many times it makes me sick . . . This apathy is infecting us and it's hurting us . . . That has resulted in a splintering and a faction-ing of the movement that I've never seen before . . . We're in a bad situation and it's getting worse.

Atheism has squandered its momentum on a defensive old guard and apologists for neglect of events happening in our world. I’m going to have to suggest that we all abandon it.

Question for debate: Why is the atheist movement in decline?

[Willum]

Because decline does not mean growth:
http://www.atheismandthecity.com/2016/1 ... iated.html

[Bust Nak]

[Replying to post 1 by historia]

It's failing because it never convinced atheists like me to join in. I don't want to be part of a "movement," I don't want to be represented by atheist leaders, and I don't want to go to a conference to meet other atheists. And yes, the "anti-SJW" sideshow is a major turn-off.

[Jagella]

Why is the atheist movement in decline?

I'm not even sure what the "atheist movement" is, but as far as I can tell more people than ever before are leaving religious beliefs behind. I'm very pleased with the decline of religion in recent years, and I'm proud to be on the "front line" winning the battle against all kinds of irrationality, falsehoods, and ignorance.

So regarding the quotations you posted, it appears to me that some atheist groups might be having problems with in-fighting or garnering public support. Although such groups can be useful, they aren't vital to the decline of religion.

[ElCodeMonkey]

This is a bit of a misrepresentation. Atheism is on the rise last I've seen, but activism could potentially be in decline because many are tired of the name-calling antics of outragism.

[Jagella]

This is a bit of a misrepresentation. Atheism is on the rise last I've seen, but activism could potentially be in decline because many are tired of the name-calling antics of outragism.

Atheists certainly are not immune to their expressing irrationality and spite, and that's exactly why I'm urging atheists to develop a sense of social responsibility. As religion declines, we should replace it with something better and not assume that the absence of religion will automatically make the world a better place.

[ElCodeMonkey]

Atheists certainly are not immune to their expressing irrationality and spite, and that's exactly why I'm urging atheists to develop a sense of social responsibility. As religion declines, we should replace it with something better and not assume that the absence of religion will automatically make the world a better place.

Oh, absolutely. Lack of religion does not an altruist make. No matter a person's beliefs, it will not be a determining factor of their goodness or behavior. Only a belief that we ought to "love our neighbor" and actually attempt to practice that whether instantiated by a tormentuous God or not will bring about a decent outcome.

[StuartJ]

Atheism is not an "-ism".

You can't herd cats like us together to huddle in awesome wonder to worship our lack of beliefs.

Gathering together to not do religion, and sneer about people who do, and watch old Christopher Hitchens YouTube videos is pointless.

As is the ridiculous claim that Atheism is a religion.

[benchwarmer]

Question for debate: Why is the atheist movement in decline?

This is just my opinion, but I would guess that it's becoming less necessary to point out the failings of most religions and people are naturally becoming (or remaining) atheists. There's no need to 'recruit' atheists or push any political agendas to remove religion from places where it doesn't belong when these things are happening anyways.

It's not like theistic evangelism, there's no need to convert anyone to 'the cause'. There is no cause and never has been. These groups may have been useful at first when religion had such a strong hold in all manner of domains where it does not belong, but nowadays I don't think they are required.

I think good education, advancing technology, and greater interaction among all humanity is naturally killing off the magical thinking that most religions bring to the table. Let's not replace fantastical myth promoting organizations with anti fantastical myth promoting organizations. Let's just just leave all these organizations in the dust bin where they belong and carry on with our future.

[StuartJ]

I suspect that there is an inference in the OP that people are beginning to realise that there really was a universe-creating Jesus who visited this planet through the uterus of a human virgin ...

And became a human sacrifice to mollify Yahweh ...

And perhaps they better give up this lack of credulity business ...

And get down on their knees ...

And stop standing up and thinking for themselves ...!!!