Which type of Political Atheism is most influential in human society currently?

[CristW]

Hello all atheists,

I am a new atheist, so I am sort of new at this. I was a CLOSET ATHEIST but now I am sort of an OPEN ATHEIST for at least a year.

I am not a Militant Atheist but I believe in "Civil Religion" to make society run accordingly. However, I am a believer in the separation of Church(Religion) and State, for obvious reasons.

I think my question should be reworded but I will go with it.

Or what best describes you as an atheist in society?

It should be 'which is the best Atheism'?
But I think that could be relativistic.

I have decided to add the term "political" as it will fit the question accordingly.

If you have to ask questions before voting, please do so.

[TheMessiah]

Militant Atheism. Liberal Atheism hasn't influenced much, militant atheism aka anti-theism has been on the rise with the likes of Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins.

[robvalue]

Erm... Well. I would say these are all nothing to do with atheism. They are things that someone who is an atheist may choose to do. For example, you can still be a theist and be anti-religion. So I wouldn't call any of these types of atheism, there are no types.

But to ignore my nit picking... At the moment we need militant atheists, and I don't mean violence, I don't mean harrassment, but in being active and addressing the issues religion is causing. We need people to speak up.

[pocaracas]

Secular.
Atheism has little or nothing to do with it.

[Aoi Magi]

can I have a list of definitions for all those types?

[robvalue]

Well yes, a secular society is the way to go. That doesn't require even anyone to be atheist though, so it's not an atheist issue. I hope eventually everywhere is secular. I know that's a long way off in some places.

[CristW]

Well, probably the Apolitical Atheism is the most influential? This is of course the teachings derived from Epicurus of Samos:

1. The time when most of you should withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd.

2. Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.

3. You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.

4. Don't fear god, Don't worry about death; What is good is easy to get, and What is terrible is easy to endure.

5. Luxurious food and drinks, in no way protect you from harm. Wealth beyond what is natural, is no more use than an overflowing container. Real value is not generated by theaters, and baths, perfumes or ointments, but by philosophy.

6. He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing.

7. Self-sufficiency is the greatest of all wealth.

8. A happy and eternal being has no trouble himself and brings no trouble upon any other being; hence he is exempt from movements of anger and partiality, for every such movement implies weakness.

9. No pleasure is in itself evil, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail annoyances many times greater than the pleasures themselves.

10. Natural justice is a symbol or expression of usefulness, to prevent one person from harming or being harmed by another.

11. Among the things held to be just by law, whatever is proved to be of advantage in men's dealings has the stamp of justice, whether or not it be the same for all; but if a man makes a law and it does not prove to be mutually advantageous, then this is no longer just.

12. Where without any change in circumstances the things held to be just by law are seen not to correspond with the concept of justice in actual practice, such laws are not really just; but wherever the laws have ceased to be advantageous because of a change in circumstances, in that case the laws were for that time just when they were advantageous for the mutual dealings of the citizens, and subsequently ceased to be just when they were no longer advantageous.

[Metis]

None of the above, current secular efforts really owe themselves more to Liberal Christianity, non-practicing Catholics and all the other groups pissed off with the conservative mainstream.

Atheism has little or nothing to do with it.

[FatAndFaithless]

Secular Humanism would be my choice. Just being 'an atheist' says nothing about your worldview or values or morals or ideas.

[Mister Agenda]

I know it's a subtle distinction, but those are types of atheists, not types of atheism. The only kind of atheism is the kind where you don't believe in God. There's only one kind of theism, too. A religion isn't a 'kind' of theism, a theistiic religion is a set of beliefs, one of which is that their version of God (or gods) is real. It's not much different from describing the theism of theists in Florida as Floridian theism. It just doesn't mean much.

So, militancy is an attitude, and the others are views that are pretty independent of atheism.

Now there are views that are particularly common among USAian atheists, like humanism, progressivism, secularism, and skepticism; if that helps.