I think that the New Atheism is largely an anglophone phenomenon but it has echoes in other countries where there are church-state entanglements, and that has apparently helped to draw some interest in what people like Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens and Dennett are up to in those countries.
In that connection I recently published an article on them for a German freethought journal, Aufklärung und Kritik, in their March issue. The article is available online in German at: http://www.gkpn.de/Farmelant_Atheismus.pdf
Jim F.
-- Chris Doss <lookoverhere1 at yahoo.com> wrote:
I don't have any ideas about US religiosity other than the obvious ones (heavy Puritan background, etc.). However I will note that strident anti-religionism also seems to be a largely American and Anglo phenomenon (such as Dawkins and Hitchens, who think they are clever and and stand for Universal Values but are actually just provincial hicks). Probably a reaction.
(I think a lot of bleating about Universal Values is really the voice of provincial hickdom, horrified and outraged that people anywhere believe other than as they do.)
--- On Wed, 6/25/08, Cassiopeoa DeVine <cassiopeoa at googlemail.com> wrote:
> As a European I find it strange enough that (especially
> during the
> elections) that in politics in general religion is so
> important.
> I have found it helpful to think that the famed
> "Founding Fathers" were
> religious fugitives and had to hold on to their faith
> almost as a matter of
> survival. Somehow this has reached right into the present
> (maybe because the
> FF are remembered fondly).
> Even though I was raised Catholic, went to a catholic
> pre-school and had
> religion in school for fifteen years I was always taught a
> moderate faith, a
> questioning way of looking at religions in general and even
> Catholicism in
> particular (my teachers were church approved teachers as is
> the way in my
> country).
> I find it - to say the least - strange that to this day
> religion (whatever
> faith) plays such a big role not even in every day life but
> as well in a
> social context (politics, economy and the like), and
> increasingly - it seems
> - influences the way morals and basic human rights are set
> (for example the
> abortion issue).
>
> Could anyone from overseas enlighten me as to why this
> might be? If my guess
> about the roots is tainted?
>
> Cass
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