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Comparing atheist writiers to christian writers
September 2, 2013 at 2:18 am
I kind of came across this earlier, and it struck me. The number of influencial atheist writer is staggering when compared to a similiar list of christian writers. So while they have C.S lewis we ahve Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov and John W. Campell, ernest hemmingway and aristophanes. I like to hear more on this and see if my first reaction is founded.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
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RE: Comparing atheist writiers to christian writers
September 2, 2013 at 2:29 am
Eh...ask a Christian this, and they will likely spew hundreds of influential religious writers. It's all relative to the individual.
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RE: Comparing atheist writiers to christian writers
September 2, 2013 at 2:46 am
(September 2, 2013 at 2:29 am)Captain Colostomy Wrote: Eh...ask a Christian this, and they will likely spew hundreds of influential religious writers. It's all relative to the individual.
True enough, but I was referring to people that write mostly non religious topics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_atheist_authors
compared to this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chr...on_authors
Now I feel the second may relate to how a musician that is a christian may be a christian musician.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
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RE: Comparing atheist writiers to christian writers
September 2, 2013 at 3:47 am
I guess it's too early for me here. I'm not quite following you. Are you wondering at the perceived disparity in influence atheist authors have, or their sheer numbers, or...?
Wasn't Papa Hemingway the one who said something like all thinking (wo)men are atheists? Using that as a guide, it's easy to imagine why writers in general skew towards atheism. Assuming an audience with the same mindset, and Voila!...more published books.
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RE: Comparing atheist writiers to christian writers
September 2, 2013 at 3:52 am
Those two lists aren't related. The "Christian authors" are really authors who write Christian novels, not authors who identify as Christians.
Also, it'll be more accurate to compare not just Christians vs. atheists, but religious vs. atheists since the atheist list consists of authors from many countries and Christianity isn't the only religion in these places, nor is it always the dominant one.
Personally, I'd expect the ratio to be similar to the ratio of religious vs nonreligious in the general population. Religion doesn't seem to affect people's abilities to perform in their jobs, especially since these days most religious people are moderates and barely practice their beliefs.
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RE: Comparing atheist writiers to christian writers
September 2, 2013 at 6:39 am
A big lexicon and the ability to string elaborate tripe into a book does not make invisible sky daddies real. It merely means the writer has a huge lexicon and vivid imagination. As soon as you make the naked assertion that an invisible super hero exists, you have lost the argument, and no big words will save it.