# What's a "New Atheist"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 17, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242 "2011-05-17T20:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/1 "2011-05-17T20:13:42Z")
And what’s the difference between “regular” atheists? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/2 "2011-05-17T20:19:37Z")
Best I can tell, and maybe this should go into GD, is that a new atheist is just an atheist no longer afraid to publish and who states why he doesn’t believe instead of trying to avoid the whole issue. I haven’t noticed anything philosophically innovative in the writings of the new atheists versus what I’ve been reading for years. So, new atheism is old atheism that made it on to the best-seller lists. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/3 "2011-05-17T21:11:26Z")
I think the new ones are the ones who do things like erect billboards slogans like “Don’t believe in god? You’re not alone”. **MILITANT** stuff like that! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/4 "2011-05-17T21:16:52Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > And what’s the difference between “regular” atheists? Tastes great, but less filling. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/5 "2011-05-17T21:29:12Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Tastes great, but less filling. No, that’s **lite atheists** ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/6 "2011-05-17T21:48:40Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > And what’s the difference between “regular” atheists? As others have said, there’s not much difference. In terms of beliefs, Bertrand Russell pretty much had things covered nearly a century ago (though I suspect you could go back further). If there’s any distinction at all, I’d say the new atheists are those invigorated by recent books such as _The God Delusion_ and _God is not Great_, along with those fighting against creeping nonsense such as Intelligent Design. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/7 "2011-05-18T01:18:25Z")
New atheists are just like regular atheists except for better marketing. > [@Revtim](#): > > I think the new ones are the ones who do things like erect billboards slogans like “Don’t believe in god? You’re not alone”. **MILITANT** stuff like that! Christians proselytize and advertise and campaign all the time, with TV shows and sandwich boards and door to door and forcing their will into politics and schools and hotel rooms and changing the pledge of the allegiance and our currency to promote their cause and so forth and so on, but when an atheist group gets a billboard suddenly _they_ are militants. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/8 "2011-05-18T01:43:44Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > New atheists are just like regular atheists except for better marketing. > > Christians proselytize and advertise and campaign all the time, with TV shows and sandwich boards and door to door and forcing their will into politics and schools and hotel rooms and changing the pledge of the allegiance and our currency to promote their cause and so forth and so on, but when an atheist group gets a billboard suddenly _they_ are militants. :rolleyes: Amen ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/9 "2011-05-18T02:02:08Z")
They still have their tags and that lovely new atheist smell. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/10 "2011-05-18T02:07:26Z")
New atheists are the ones who will survive May 21 by having their feet planted firmly on terra firma. Old atheists aren’t so sure about that. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/11 "2011-05-18T02:09:49Z")
What is the context? Where are you hearing this term? I’ve never heard it. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/12 "2011-05-18T02:15:36Z")
> **[New Atheism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Atheism)** > > The term New Atheism was coined by the American journalist Gary Wolf in 2006 to describe the positions of some atheist academics, writers, scientists, and philosophers of the 21st century. > New Atheism advocates the view that superstition, religion, and irrationalism should not simply be tolerated. Instead, they should be criticised, countered, examined, and challenged by rational argument, especially when they exert strong influence on the broader society, such as in government, education, and... ---
**Author:** ![Uncertain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Uncertain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncertain)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/13 "2011-05-18T02:17:57Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > Christians proselytize and advertise and campaign all the time, with TV shows and sandwich boards and door to door and forcing their will into politics and schools and hotel rooms and changing the pledge of the allegiance and our currency to promote their cause and so forth and so on, but when an atheist group gets a billboard suddenly _they_ are militants. :rolleyes: It’s just possible that that was sarcasm. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/14 "2011-05-18T03:44:18Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Tastes great, but less filling. > [@dtilque](#): > > No, that’s **lite atheists** Ah, now I see. New Atheists are going to remain rejected and unloved, regarded as a smear upon an old label. Eventually, the old version will be brought back as Atheism Classic. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/15 "2011-05-18T03:48:17Z")
Yup. Recalibrate sarcasm detection sensor, **Dan**. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/16 "2011-05-18T03:49:19Z")
it’s more progressive than that. you have atheism Mk 1 to V, with special/limited editions like saloon, grand tourer, and convertible (the last one i like.) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/17 "2011-05-18T03:53:47Z")
Lite atheism is careful to make it clear that it does not positively assert that there are no calories. It is simply an absence of calories. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/18 "2011-05-18T04:00:14Z")
> [@Dan\_Norder](#): > > Christians proselytize and advertise and campaign all the time, with TV shows and sandwich boards and door to door and forcing their will into politics and schools and hotel rooms and changing the pledge of the allegiance and our currency to promote their cause and so forth and so on, but when an atheist group gets a billboard suddenly _they_ are militants. :rolleyes: Old Atheists understand sarcasm. New atheists, unable to recognize a joke, flip out irrationally whenever you mention god. Or bless them when they sneeze… or use a phrase like “Thank god!” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/19 "2011-05-18T04:12:05Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Lite atheism is careful to make it clear that it does not positively assert that there are no calories. It is simply an absence of calories. Lite **agnostics** , OTOH, say it’s impossible to know whether you can lose weight on a given diet. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242/20 "2011-05-18T04:15:09Z")
There is no such thing as “New Atheism.” It’s just a word that butthurt religionists use to try to label a handful of atheist writers who have had some success with book sales. Not a word in any of those books represents anything “new.” They promote no ideology or philosphy. They aren’t leading any movement. They basically just explain the reasons that atheists lack theistic belief. Atheism is gaining more currency in the last few years, but it still has not acquired any actual beliefs or credos or anything at all that can be called “new.” If anything is new, it’s just that people are less afraid to admit to being atheists now. I think that has more to do with the internet than Dawkins or Hitchins, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-new-atheist/582242.md?page=2)