"God Talk" right after 9/11

[Gilligan]

Why was there so much "God Bless America" and "Pray for America", and increased church attendance for several months after the terrorist attack, but now there is more anti-religion then ever before? It seems our nation has really become backslidden.

[Edwardo Piet]

I don't know.

I think that the so-called 'atheist movement' has been started from a few different coincidental angles or something like that.

I reckon that if it weren't for religion there wouldn't have been a 911.

EvF

[Gilligan]

I don't know.

I think that the so-called 'atheist movement' has been started from a few different coincidental angles or something like that.

I reckon that if it weren't for religion there wouldn't have been a 911.

EvF

You mean they may not be connected?

[Edwardo Piet]

Oh I definitely think 911 is one of the reasons for the atheist movement, definitely, but I do think there are a few other angles too it too.

I think the so-called 'atheist movement' might me more of a few different movements at once. I mean atheists have their different reasons for being against religion as well as what they share in common I guess.

Also, assuming 911 has had a big effect - I think other atheists who became militant for other reasons might get mistakenly put in the same camp - making the 'movement' look perhaps just a bit bigger than it is.... (the atheists who became militant for other reasons may have therefore been that way anyway).... just an idea.

EvF

[Gilligan]

If it was one reason, why so much religion immediately afterwards, then the movement?

[Edwardo Piet]

I don't know.

Desperation perhaps. That is my guess.

EvF

[Gilligan]

Desperation may be the answer. A friend of mine said after America reverted back to irreligion "How soon we forget".

[Violet]

If it was one reason, why so much religion immediately afterwards, then the movement?

I think it is more panic than desperation, but perhaps a bit of both. Then when the 'dust settled', people realized they'd been morons, and returned to what was normal for them and left churches and the like... which would make 'the atheist movement' seem greater than it actually is.

Just my 2 copper.

[Eilonnwy]

Why was there so much "God Bless America" and "Pray for America", and increased church attendance for several months after the terrorist attack,

Because when disasters happen people turn to faith because it's incredibly difficult to deal with such extreme loss. Faith provides comfort to some people even though the comfort is found in believing what someone tells you God says about the disaster despite the fact he/she has no evidence to back up anything he/she says. In essence, it's false comfort that makes people think their loved one's deaths had a higher purpose than just being the victim of deluded men or natural disasters.

but now there is more anti-religion then ever before? It seems our nation has really become backslidden.

Because eventually they came to their senses.

In truth, the "new atheism" as many would call it is a result of the non-religious saying "enough is enough" when it comes to the Christian right trampling on human rights and the constitution under the guise of calling it a Christian Nation, or a nation of faith when that couldn't be further from the truth. We're fed up, plain and simple.

[Tiberius]

The new atheist movement was fueled by Sam Harris' book "The End of Faith" which was written after the 9/11 attacks. I think that was around the time everyone started publishing atheist books.