Every day millions of children pledge allegiance to the United States of America. It was not until 1954 though that the phrase “under God” was incorporated with the intent of distinguishing a dominantly Christian America from an officially atheistic Soviet Union in the midst of the Cold War. Just 50 years later via a lawsuit attacking the “under God” clause atheism became not so much of a foreign issue as a domestic reality.
“There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” This would be an incongruous public advertisement in America. However in England the British Humanist Association sponsored more than 800 buses display this message to the public and disturbingly without much controversy according to the Jan. 112009 Los Angeles Times article “Richard Dawkins on board with a pro-atheist message.”
This is not unsurprising since statistics recorded by the English Church Census estimate that in 2005 a meager 6.3 percent of the English population attended a weekly church service (a significant drop from 15 percent in 1998). This is in contrast to the 42 percent of Americans who participated in weekly religious services in 2006 according to the Gallup News Service.
Although the exact number of atheists in Europe is difficult to record Richard Dawkins a professor of biology at the University of Oxford and the main financial contributor to the bus advertisement said 3 percent of Europeans are atheists. Though far from holding the majority atheism has been taking a more vocal role in both Europe and America hinting at its increasing prominence as a popular belief.
The bus advertisements are one of the more recent atheistic demonstrations and arguably one of the most visible. The advertisements were only expected to receive around 5500 pounds in donations but instead received about 130000 pounds – almost 24 times as much as expected according to Dawkins. This startling and unexpected demonstration of support reveals how atheism is more common than previously thought.
In addition to the bus advertisement campaign Dawkins’ most recent book “The God Delusion sold incredibly well in both England and the United States, topping The New York Times Best Sellers list for hardcover nonfiction for 28 weeks in 2007. Dawkins is not alone. Other atheistic books that have hit the popular market in recent years include another New York Times Best Seller Letter to a Christian Nation” by American author Sam Harris in 2006 and “God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything” by British author Christopher Hitchens in 2007.
Also in the vanguard of the escalating atheist movement is French philosopher Michel Onfray. Onfray’s influence has spread across Europe with his most popular book “Traité d’athéologie” (“Atheist Manifesto”) which tops best seller lists in France Spain and Italy. More significantly Onfray preaches “Hedonist Philosophy a weekly two-hour lecture series to sold out crowds in Europe.
Both Dawkins and Onfray are convincing audiences worldwide that God does not exist. By using scientific facts, theories and logical reasoning, atheism is becoming more appealing.What are the implications of this growing trend? Atheistic bus advertisements receive an unexpected surplus of support with little public discontent, books denouncing God are on bestseller lists and church attendance in Europe is declining faster than the American economy.
Implicitly, atheism is spreading. America, though constitutionally secular, holds deep roots in Christian ideology – roots that are now being challenged. With lawsuits against the under God” clause in the Pledge of Allegiance bestselling books condemning God as a fictional character and evolution instead of creationism being taught in public schools America’s religious zeal may soon fade from the spotlight.
Luckily for Christian Americans there is a distinct constitutional separation between church and state. So in the end it is really up to each Christian to have higher integrity in what he or she believes and become more active in their faith.
Atheism then is not a problem but a challenge. Today instead of blindly accepting a faith Christians are called upon to reason and prove for themselves why they have faith which in turn creates a much deeper commitment to God.
Maybe Christians should even go so far as to learn from this growing atheistic fervor and “stop worrying and enjoy your lives.” Having faith should not mean spending one’s life agonizing over who believes what or how many people are left in a congregation. Having faith is knowing that God does not have anything to hide despite what scientists believe or what advertisements say.
Whether we are one nation under God or one nation under Darwin understanding our own faith will be much more important in the end.