Atheism and international cooperation among atheists

According to an international study done by William Bainbridge, atheism is common among people whose interpersonal social obligations are weak and is also connected to lower fertility rates in advanced industrial nations (See also: Atheism and loneliness and Atheism and fertility rates).[1]

Atheism is not a movement which tends to create community as most atheists are apathetic when it comes to such matters (see: Atheism and social skills and Atheism and apathy).

According to an international study done by William Bainbridge, atheism is common among people whose interpersonal social obligations are weak and is also connected to lower fertility rates in advanced industrial nations (See also: Atheism and loneliness and Atheism and fertility rates).[2]

In addition, post the 2011 Elevatorgate controversy that involved new atheist Richard Dawkins and feminists, there has been a lot of infighting within the Western, atheist population (see: Atheist factions).

Numerous atheists have declared that the "atheist movement is dead" or that it is dying (see: Decline of the atheist movement).[3]

In 2019, a writer at Freethought Blogs wrote: "Last month I looked at some postmortems of the atheist movement...".[4] See also: Morale of the atheist movement

Before the atheist movement died/declined, various atheists attempted to change the public's perception concerning atheism, but they were largely unsuccessful (see: Attempts to positively rebrand atheism and Atheism and public relations).

## Contents

* 1 Western atheists have not done a significant amount of outreach to poor countries. Christians have done a significant amount of outreach to poor countries
* 1.1 Translation of Darwin's Origin of the Species vs. the Bible
* 2 2018 Global Atheist Convention cancelled
* 3 Cooperation between Asian atheists and Western atheists nonexistent or virtually non-existent
* 3.1 Chinese Christians and plans for evangelism outside of China
* 4 Sikivu Hutchinson's criticism of RDF and Center for Inquiry merger
* 5 Internet evangelism and international cooperation: Atheists vs. Christians
* 5.1 Christian internet evangelism
* 5.2 Internet atheism
* 6 Google trends graphs: Search of atheism/agnosticism related terms
* 6.1 2019 Google trends graphs for the terms: Atheism, atheist, Richard Dawkins, agnostic and agnosticism
* 6.2 2019 Google trends world graphs
* 6.2.1 2019 Google trends USA graphs
* 6.3 Post sexual harassment allegations against Lawrence Krauss and David Silverman, searches for atheism related topics have dropped markedly
* 7 Decline of transnational organizing among the left
* 8 Communism, historical expansion of atheism, cooperation of communists and decline of the secular left
* 8.1 Decline of state atheism in the world
* 8.2 Decline of the secular left
* 9 Future of global atheism vs. future of global Christianity
* 9.1 Future of global atheism
* 9.2 Future of global Christianity
* 9.2.1 Rapid growth of evangelical Christianity and pentecostalism
* 9.2.2 High growth of pentecostalism
* 10 Protestant missionaries, cooperation and economic/societal development
* 10.1 Contemporary atheism lacks foreign missionaries spreading atheism in the world. No economic/societal development due to atheist missionaries spreading atheism
* 11 See also
* 12 Notes

## Western atheists have not done a significant amount of outreach to poor countries. Christians have done a significant amount of outreach to poor countries[edit]

See also: Lack of significant global outreach by atheist organizations and Western atheism and race and Global atheism

A photograph of Tanzanian children taken by a blogger of the Christian relief organization Compassion International.

Doing overseas evangelism and relief outreaches to third-world countries, often requires significant hardships/persecution and Western atheists have been unwilling to endure such hardships in order to spread atheistic ideology (see: Atheism and hedonism).

The atheist population in the Western World has not had significant outreaches to spread atheism outside the Western World nor have atheist organizations done a significant amount of relief efforts to poor countries.

Doing overseas evangelism/outreaches often requires significant hardships/persecution and Western atheists have been unwilling to endure such hardships in order to spread atheistic ideology (see: Atheism and hedonism).

Historically, Christians have made great evangelism efforts to reach every people group across the earth. They have also engaged in a lot of Christian relief work to help lessen poverty. In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western World Christians as there were Western World Christians.[5] In terms of its geographic distribution, Christianity is the most globally diverse religion.[6] Christianity has recently seen explosive growth outside the Western World.[7] In 2000, there were twice as many non-Western Christians as Western Christians.[8]

The current atheist population mostly resides in East Asia (particularly China) and in secular Europe/Australia among whites.[9] See: Global atheism

### Translation of Darwin's Origin of the Species vs. the Bible[edit]

Since World War II a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the evolutionary position which employs methodological naturalism have been atheists and agnostics (see also: Causes of evolutionary belief).[10] Charles Darwin's evolutionary book The Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life has been translated into 35 languages.[11]

The Bible has been translated into 518 languages and 2,798 languages have at least some portion of the Bible.[12]

See also: Social darwinism

## 2018 Global Atheist Convention cancelled[edit]

After the actress and feminist author/commentator Clementine Ford was picked as a speaker as part of creating gender parity in atheist speakers to the 2018 Global Atheist Convention, it was reported that a substantial number of rape and death threats occurred on a Facebook page promoting the convention.[13]

See also: 2018 Global Atheist Convention that was cancelled and Global atheism and Atheism and women and Atheist feminism

The 2018 Global Atheist Convention that was cancelled was billed as the third Global Atheist Convention and its theme was "Reason to Hope".[14][15] It was sponsored by the Atheist Foundation of Australia.[16] See also: Atheist conferences

Robert Martin from Melbourne’s City Bible Forum indicated about the cancellation of the 2018 Global Atheist Convention: "This is a massive blow to the Atheist Foundation as an organisation and to organised atheism in Australia. Where to next? What do they stand for?”[17]

Andrew Street wrote about the The Sydney Morning Herald about the 2018 Global Atheist Convention that was cancelled:

“  |  Thus in recent times there has been a concerted, deliberate effort to overcome the not-inaccurate perception that atheism is exclusively a boys' club. And there has been predictable pushback from members of said community who are deeply concerned that this progressive attitude may yet expose them to dangerous levels of girl germs.

The latest example came on Tuesday when the upcoming Atheist Global Convention in Melbourne announced that feminist author and commentator Clementine Ford would be one of the speakers.

Predictably, this made a few people unhappy - but the venom levelled at Ford and the conference generally for daring to have a line up of speakers which approached gender parity was a shock.

And that's despite the moderators on the Facebook page making clear that "we have been deleting specific rape and death threats as they occur… there have been substantial numbers", just in case there was any doubt about the calibre of awesome dudes weighing in with their important opinions about the line up.[18]

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See also: Cancellation of the 2018 atheist conference in New York City

## Cooperation between Asian atheists and Western atheists nonexistent or virtually non-existent[edit]

See also: China and atheism and Cooperation between Asian atheists and Western atheists nonexistent or virtually non-existent

China has the largest atheist population in the world.[19]

China has the world's largest atheist population and practices state atheism.[20][21]

East Asia contains about 25 percent of the world’s population. China’s population represents 20 percent of the people on earth.[22]

Razib Khan points out in Discover Magazine, "most secular nations in the world are those of East Asia, in particular what are often termed “Confucian societies.” It is likely therefore that the majority of the world’s atheists are actually East Asian."[23] See: Asian atheism and Global atheism

China is not sending out atheist activists to evangelize the world as far as atheism. There are no Chinese, atheist evangelists evangelizing Africa. In fact, such an idea probably never occurred to them - especially given Chinese racism (see: China and racism).

In fact, evangelical Christianity is experiencing explosive growth in China (see: Growth of Christianity in China). To see the magnitude of the explosive growth of Christianity in China, examine this graph about the growth of Christianity in China in a DW news story about Chinese Christianity (DW is a mainstream news outlet in Germany).

### Chinese Christians and plans for evangelism outside of China[edit]

See also: East Asia and global desecularization

Professor Fenggang Yang indicates: "One sign of the advancing state of Christianity in China is that it is reaching out to the larger world. Nine hundred Chinese pastors gathered in Hong Kong this fall for the Mission 2030 Conference. Their goal: To send out 20,000 missionaries from mainland China by 2030."[24]

## Sikivu Hutchinson's criticism of RDF and Center for Inquiry merger[edit]

Sikivu Hutchinson speaking at the Center for Inquiry.

See also: Center for Inquiry and Western atheism and race and Atheism and racism

Atheist Sikivu Hutchinson wrote:

“  |  The recent merger of the secular organization Center for Inquiry (CFI) and the Richard Dawkins Foundation (RDF) has been dubbed atheism's supergroup moment. Acknowledging the two organizations' outsized presence in the atheist world, Religion News Service acidly declared it a "royal wedding". The partnership, which gives Richard Dawkins a seat on the CFI board, smacks of a vindication of Dawkins' toxic, reactionary brand of damn-all-them-culturally-backward-Western-values-hating- Muslims New Atheism. As one of the most prominent global secular organizations, CFI's all-white board looks right at home with RDF's lily white board and staff.[25] |  ”

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The secular humanist document Human Manifesto II, which was written in 1973 by Paul Kurtz and Edwin H. Wilson, decried racism and it declared:

“  |  The beginnings of police states, even in democratic societies, widespread government espionage, and other abuses of power by military, political, and industrial elites, and the continuance of unyielding racism, all present a different and difficult social outlook. In various societies, the demands of women and minority groups for equal rights effectively challenge our generation.[26] |  ”

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The atheist and evolutionist PZ Myers giving a presentation to a group that is likely largely made up of white males.[27][28][29] In June 2010, PZ Myers commented that atheist meetings tend to be significantly more attended by males.[30]

In 2015, BloombergView reported concerning the United States:

“  |  According to a much-discussed 2012 report from the Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life, only 3 percent of U.S. atheists and agnostics are black, 6 percent are Hispanic, and 4 percent are Asian. Some 82 percent are white. (The relevant figures for the population at large at the time of the survey were 66 percent white, 11 percent black, 15 percent Hispanic, 5 percent Asian.)

...Craig Keener, in his huge review of claims of miracles in a wide variety of cultures, concludes that routine rejection of the possibility of the supernatural represents an impulse that is deeply Eurocentric.[31]

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See also: Atheism and racism and European desecularization in the 21st century

There is a significant amount of racism within the atheist population (see: Atheism and racism). This also holds true for atheists in the Western World as well.

Ijeoma Oluo wrote in The Guardian: "As a black atheist, I encounter just as much racism amongst other atheists as anywhere else."[32]

## Internet evangelism and international cooperation: Atheists vs. Christians[edit]

See also: Internet evangelism: Christians vs. atheists

The article Internet atheism: The thrill is gone! points out that internet atheism has been in a significant slump since 2011.

### Christian internet evangelism[edit]

See also: Internet evangelism

The Christian internet evangelism organization Global Media Outreach indicates that as of September 2019 over 1,900,000,000 "gospel visits" have occured via their websites.[33] Global Media Outreach works with many Christians around the world.

The Christian internet evangelism organization Network211 indicates that as of September 2019, over 37,000,000 web visits have occured on their websites.[34] Network211 works with many Christians/churches throughout the world.

The Christian Post states:

“  |  Online evangelism is producing real disciples for Christ, according to a recent study.

Over half of those who made a decision for Jesus over the Internet have subsequently shared their faith with others, Global Media Outreach's study reveals.

Additionally, 34 percent read their Bibles daily and nearly half pray for at least 10 minutes a day...

The study, called the Christian Growth Index, measured the responses of more than 100,000 people from around the world...

Fifty-one percent of those surveyed said they shared their faith three times or more and 37 percent said they shared their faith at least once or twice.

Global Media Outreach is a global ministry that presents the Gospel online through websites such as WhoisJesus-Really.com and GrowinginChrist.com. There are more than 5,500 trained online missionaries worldwide who respond to questions asked by seekers through emails.[35]

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### Internet atheism[edit]

See also: Internet atheism

The article Internet atheism: The thrill is gone! points out that internet atheism has been in a significant slump since 2008. See: Internet atheism web traffic volume

There are no atheist organizations with very strong web presences such as Global Media Outreach that are working with atheists and atheist organizations around the world.

## Google trends graphs: Search of atheism/agnosticism related terms[edit]

See also: Google trends - Atheism and agnosticism terms

### 2019 Google trends graphs for the terms: Atheism, atheist, Richard Dawkins, agnostic and agnosticism[edit]

### 2019 Google trends world graphs[edit]

September 12, 2019: Google world trends graphs for the terms atheism, atheist, Richard Dawkins, agnostic and agnosticism.

#### 2019 Google trends USA graphs[edit]

September 12, 2019: Google USA trends data for the terms atheism, atheist, Richard Dawkins, agnostic and agnosticism.

### Post sexual harassment allegations against Lawrence Krauss and David Silverman, searches for atheism related topics have dropped markedly[edit]

See also: Post sexual harassment allegations against Lawrence Krauss and David Silverman, searches for atheism related topics have dropped markedly

Post sexual harassment allegations against Lawrence Krauss and David Silverman, searches for atheism related topics have dropped markedly around in the world.

For more information, please see: Post sexual harassment allegations against Lawrence Krauss and David Silverman, searches for atheism related topics have dropped markedly and A shambolic atheist community faces some tough choices

## Decline of transnational organizing among the left[edit]

Most atheists skew to the left politically (see: Atheism and politics and Secular left).

In 2019, The Nation indicated in an article entitled Nationalism Is Global. The Left Is on the Defensive:

“  |  The left has not abandoned transnational organizing. But at a time when transnational organizing is needed more than ever to deal with global scourges..., progressives have shifted to the defensive—and to the domestic—as politics has moved rightward globally. “Internationalism is now a problem for the left,” observes Israeli activist and academic Gadi Algazi, “and a reality for the right.”[36] |  ”

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## Communism, historical expansion of atheism, cooperation of communists and decline of the secular left[edit]

See also: Atheism and communism and militant atheism.

Joseph Stalin, the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953, patronised the League of Militant Atheists, whose chief aim, under the leadership of Yemelyan Yaroslavsky, was to propagate militant atheism and eradicate religion.[37][38]

According to the University of Cambridge, historically, the "most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power."[39]

The most rapid expansion of atheism was due to militant atheism and state atheism.

Historically, state atheism has been extremely repressive (see: Militant atheism and Atheism and mass murder and Atheistic communism and torture).

Karl Marx said "Religion is the opium of the people".[40] Marx also stated: "Communism begins from the outset (Owen) with atheism; but atheism is at first far from being communism; indeed, that atheism is still mostly an abstraction."[41]

Vladimir Lenin similarly wrote regarding atheism and communism: "A Marxist must be a materialist, i. e., an enemy of religion, but a dialectical materialist, i. e., one who treats the struggle against religion not in an abstract way, not on the basis of remote, purely theoretical, never varying preaching, but in a concrete way, on the basis of the class struggle which is going on in practice and is educating the masses more and better than anything else could."[42]

Friedrich Engels wrote of atheistic evolutionism and Communism: "Just as Darwin discovered the law of development of organic nature, so Marx discovered law of development of human history."[43]

In 1955, Chinese Communist leader Zhou Enlai declared, "We Communists are atheists".[44] In 2014, the Communist Party of China reaffirmed that members of their party must be atheists.[45] See also: China and atheism

In 2016, the International Business Times reported:

“  |  A senior Chinese advisor on religious affairs has said the country should promote atheism throughout society, in remarks that appear to reflect a deepening campaign to reinforce traditional Marxist values in China — and could add to concern about official attitudes among believers in the country’s five officially recognized religions.[46] |  ”

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Soviet atheism was expansionary and communists did cooperate with each other in various countries. Chinese communism has been less expansionary than Soviet communism, but it has aided other communist regimes like Vietnam and North Korea which both have state atheism.

### Decline of state atheism in the world[edit]

See also: State atheism

The dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991 was a watershed event in terms of the decline of leftism and the decline of the secular left (see also: Collapse of atheism in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe and desecularization).

In the latter part of the 20th century and presently, state atheism is increasing losing power (see: Growth of Christianity in China and Collapse of atheism in the former Soviet Union).

On November 1, 2014, an article in The Economist entitled Cracks in the atheist edifice declared:

“  |  Officials are untroubled by the clash between the city’s famously freewheeling capitalism and the Communist Party’s ideology, yet still see religion and its symbols as affronts to the party’s atheism...

Yang Fenggang of Purdue University, in Indiana, says the Christian church in China has grown by an average of 10% a year since 1980. He reckons that on current trends there will be 250m Christians by around 2030, making China’s Christian population the largest in the world. Mr. Yang says this speed of growth is similar to that seen in fourth-century Rome just before the conversion of Constantine, which paved the way for Christianity to become the religion of his empire.[47]

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### Decline of the secular left[edit]

See also: Decline of the secular left

In 2019, John Feffer wrote at the left leaning The Nation:

“  |  In the Americas, the Trump tsunami has swept across both continents and the 'pink tide' of progressivism has all but disappeared from the southern half of the hemisphere...

In this planet-wide rising tide of right-wing populism, the liberal left commands only a few disconnected islands — Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Uruguay... Worse, crafty operators with even more ambitious agendas stand ready to destroy the liberal status quo once and for all."[48]

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In September 2018, Pew Research indicated: "Due to the decline of the center-left across much of Western Europe and the comparative steadiness of the center-right, most Western European countries are led by center-right parties, as measured by the party of the prime minister or other head of government."[49] In June 2014, Forbes reported that it is undeniable that politically right wing parties are ascendant in Europe.[50]

## Future of global atheism vs. future of global Christianity[edit]

See also: Global atheism and Global Christianity and Desecularization

### Future of global atheism[edit]

See also: Global atheism statistics

Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world's population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020.[51] See: Global atheism statistics

On July 24, 2013, CNS News reported:

“  |  Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020, according to a new report by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass."[52] |  ”

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Professor Eric Kaufmann, who teaches at Birkbeck College, University of London, specializes in the academic area of how demographic changes affect religion/irreligion and politics. Kaufmann is an agnostic.

On December 23, 2012, Kaufmann wrote:

“  |  I argue that 97% of the world's population growth is taking place in the developing world, where 95% of people are religious.

On the other hand, the secular West and East Asia has very low fertility and a rapidly aging population... In the coming decades, the developed world's demand for workers to pay its pensions and work in its service sector will soar alongside the booming supply of young people in the third world. Ergo, we can expect significant immigration to the secular West which will import religious revival on the back of ethnic change. In addition, those with religious beliefs tend to have higher birth rates than the secular population, with fundamentalists having far larger families. The epicentre of these trends will be in immigration gateway cities like New York (a third white), Amsterdam (half Dutch), Los Angeles (28% white), and London, 45% white British.[53] [54]

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At a conference Kaufmann said of religious demographic projections concerning the 21st century:

“  |  Part of the reason I think demography is very important, at least if we are going to speak about the future, is that it is the most predictable of the social sciences.

...if you look at a population and its age structure now. You can tell a lot about the future. ...So by looking at the relative age structure of different populations you can already say a lot about the future...

...Religious fundamentalism is going to be on the increase in the future and not just out there in the developing world..., but in the developed world as well.[55]

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See also: Growth of religious fundamentalism

As a percentage of the world's population, atheism peaked in 1970.[56] According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, 2% of the world's population self-identifies as atheist and the average annual global change for atheism from 2000 to 2010 was −0.17%.[57]

Global atheism is expected to decline in the 21st century and beyond in terms of its global market share.[58] Presently, there are a number of excellent sources which indicate that atheism is shrinking in global market share (see: Global atheism statistics).

### Future of global Christianity[edit]

See also: Future of Christianity and Global Christianity

The prominent historian Sir Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University, indicates that he believes Christianity faces a "bright future" worldwide (See also: Global Christianity).

According to MacCulloch, "Christianity, the world's largest religion, is rapidly expanding – by all indications, its future is very bright."[59]

The prominent historian Sir Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University, indicates that he believes Christianity faces a "bright future" worldwide (See also: Global Christianity).

According to MacCulloch, "Christianity, the world's largest religion, is rapidly expanding – by all indications, its future is very bright."[60]

In 2012, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) reported that every day there are 83,000 more people professing to be Christians per day, 800 less atheists per day, 1,100 less non-religious (agnostic) people per day.[61][62]

Phillip Jenkins published the book The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity.

Chuck Colson, citing the work of Jenkins, writes:

“  |  As Penn State professor Philip Jenkins writes in The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, predictions like Huntingtons betray an ignorance of the explosive growth of Christianity outside of the West.

For instance, in 1900, there were approximately 10 million Christians in Africa. By 2000, there were 360 million. By 2025, conservative estimates see that number rising to 633 million. Those same estimates put the number of Christians in Latin America in 2025 at 640 million and in Asia at 460 million.

According to Jenkins, the percentage of the worlds population that is, at least by name, Christian will be roughly the same in 2050 as it was in 1900. By the middle of this century, there will be three billion Christians in the world -- one and a half times the number of Muslims. In fact, by 2050 there will be nearly as many Pentecostal Christians in the world as there are Muslims today.[63]

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#### Rapid growth of evangelical Christianity and pentecostalism[edit]

Mexican Pentecostal church service.

See also: Growth of global desecularization and Global Christianity

The American Spectator, writing in 2011 about research published in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, declared:

“  |  The report estimates about 80,000 new Christians every day, 79,000 new Muslims every day, and 300 fewer atheists every day. These atheists are presumably disproportionately represented in the West, while religion is thriving in the Global South, where charismatic Christianity is exploding."[64] |  ”

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The World Christian Database estimates the number of Evangelicals at 300 million individuals, Pentecostals and Charismatics at 600 million individuals and "Great Commission" Christians at 700 million individuals. These Christian groups are not mutually exclusive. Operation World estimates the number of Evangelicals at 550 million individuals.

#### High growth of pentecostalism[edit]

The American sociologist and author Peter L. Berger introduced the concept of desecularization in 1999.[65][66] According to Berger, "One can say with some confidence that modern Pentecostalism must be the fastest growing religion in human history."[67]

Pentecostalism has experienced explosive growth for the past half-century. The membership is young and fast-growing.

In 2011, a Pew Forum study of worldwide Christianity found that there were about 279 million classical Pentecostals, making 4 percent of the total world population and 12.8 percent of global Christendom Pentecostal.[68]

## Protestant missionaries, cooperation and economic/societal development[edit]

See also: Protestant cultural legacies and Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

The atheist and Harvard University historian Niall Ferguson declared: "Through a mixture of hard work and thrift the Protestant societies of the North and West Atlantic achieved the most rapid economic growth in history."[69]

There are networks of Protestant Christians who work together to advance Christian evangelism.

For example, visionSynergy helps Christian organizations work together so they can maximize thier impact by developing and strengthening strategic ministry networks and partnerships in critical areas of world mission.

The atheist and Harvard University historian Niall Ferguson declared: "Through a mixture of hard work and thrift the Protestant societies of the North and West Atlantic achieved the most rapid economic growth in history."[70]

The article The Surprising Discovery About Those Colonialist, Proselytizing Missionaries published in Christianity Today notes:

“  |  In his fifth year of graduate school, Woodberry created a statistical model that could test the connection between missionary work and the health of nations. He and a few research assistants spent two years coding data and refining their methods. They hoped to compute the lasting effect of missionaries, on average, worldwide...

One morning, in a windowless, dusty computer lab lit by fluorescent bulbs, Woodberry ran the first big test. After he finished prepping the statistical program on his computer, he clicked "Enter" and then leaned forward to read the results.

"I was shocked," says Woodberry. "It was like an atomic bomb. The impact of missions on global democracy was huge. I kept adding variables to the model—factors that people had been studying and writing about for the past 40 years—and they all got wiped out. It was amazing. I knew, then, I was on to something really important."

Woodberry already had historical proof that missionaries had educated women and the poor, promoted widespread printing, led nationalist movements that empowered ordinary citizens, and fueled other key elements of democracy. Now the statistics were backing it up: Missionaries weren't just part of the picture. They were central to it...

Areas where Protestant missionaries had a significant presence in the past are on average more economically developed today, with comparatively better health, lower infant mortality, lower corruption, greater literacy, higher educational attainment (especially for women), and more robust membership in nongovernmental associations.

In short: Want a blossoming democracy today? The solution is simple—if you have a time machine: Send a 19th-century missionary."[71]

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### Contemporary atheism lacks foreign missionaries spreading atheism in the world. No economic/societal development due to atheist missionaries spreading atheism[edit]

See also: Atheism and economics and Atheism and sloth and Atheism and apathy and Atheism and motivation

Contemporary atheists lacks foreign missionaries spreading atheism in the world. There is no economic/societal development in developing countries due to atheist missionaries spreading atheism.

See also:

* Atheism and economics

* Atheism and sloth

* Atheism and apathy

* Atheism and motivation

## See also[edit]

* Atheism and world peace
* Anti-Theism International Convention 2020

## Notes[edit]

1. ↑ Bainbridge, William (2005). "Atheism" (PDF). Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. 1 (Article 2): 1–26.
2. ↑ Bainbridge, William (2005). "Atheism" (PDF). Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. 1 (Article 2): 1–26.
3. ↑
* The “Atheism Movement:” Dead or Alive?, Freethought Blogs
* Atheist activist Seth Andrews keeps seeing reports on social media and the media that the atheist movement is dying, Examining Atheism
* Atheist Aron Ra indicates the atheist movement is dead. Now that that Aron Ra has surrendered...., Examining Atheism
* The Day the Atheist Movement Died by Jack Vance at Atheist Revolution
* Jennifer McCreight on Twitter about the Elevatorgate scandal destroying the atheist movement, Jen McCreight, Twitter
4. ↑ The ghost of atheist past, Freethought Blogs
5. ↑ Is Christianity taking over the planet?
6. ↑
* Many religions heavily concentrated in one or two countries
* Christianity in its global context
7. ↑
* The global rise of Christianity - Pew Forum
* Is Christianity taking over the planet?
* The stunning growth of Christianity in China
* The African apostles: How Christianity exploded in 20th century Africa
8. ↑ Is Christianity taking over the planet?
9. ↑ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live, By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey, Washington Post, May 23, 2013
10. ↑
* Dr. Don Batten, A Who’s Who of evolutionists Creation 20(1):32, December 1997.
* Jonathan Sarfati, Ph.D.,F.M., Refuting Evolution, Chapter 1, Facts and Bias
11. ↑ Darwin in translation
12. ↑ Bible translations
13. ↑ Why do public atheists have to behave like such jerks by Andrew Street, The Sydney Morning Herald, June 21, 2017
14. ↑ AFA Media Releases & Announcements
15. ↑ AFA Media Releases & Announcements
16. ↑ AFA Media Releases & Announcements
17. ↑ Global Atheist Convention cancelled due to lack of interest, Eternity News
18. ↑ Why do public atheists have to behave like such jerks by Andrew Street, The Sydney Morning Herald, June 21, 2017
19. ↑
* Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)
* A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live, Washington Post By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013
20. ↑ Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)
21. ↑ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live, Washington Post By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013
22. ↑ The Growth of Christianity in East Asia
23. ↑ Most atheists are not white & other non-fairy tales, Discover magazine
24. ↑ GlobalPlus: Religion in China By Fenggang Yang
25. ↑ #AtheismSoWhite: Atheists of Color Rock Social Justice by Sikivu Hutchinson
26. ↑ Humanist Manifesto II
27. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/us/16beliefs.html?_r=1
28. ↑ http://www.conservapedia.com/Racial_demographics_of_the_Richard_Dawkins'_audience
29. ↑ http://www.conservapedia.com/Atheism_appears_to_be_significantly_less_appealing_to_women
30. ↑ http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/06/the_woman_problem.php
31. ↑ The Atheism Gap By Stephen L. Carter, BloombergView, Mar 27, 2015 4:26 PM EDT
32. ↑ My atheism does not make me superior to believers. It's a leap of faith too by
33. ↑ Global Media Outreach - Impact
34. ↑ Network211 - visits
35. ↑ Study Reveals Internet Evangelism Is Effective, Christian Post
36. ↑ [Nationalism Is Global. The Left Is on the Defensive], The Nation, 2019
37. ↑ Michael Hesemann, Whitley Strieber (2000). The Fatima Secret. Random House Digital, Inc.. Retrieved on 9 October 2011. “Lenin's death in 1924 was followed by the rise of Joseph Stalin, "the man of steel," who founded the "Union of Militant Atheists," whose chief aim was to spread atheism and eradicate religion. In the following years it devastated hundreds of churches, destroyed old icons and relics, and persecuted the clergy with unimaginable brutality.”
38. ↑ Paul D. Steeves (1989). Keeping the faiths: religion and ideology in the Soviet Union. Holmes & Meier. Retrieved on 4 July 2013. “The League of Militant Atheists was formed in 1926 and by 1930 had recruited three million members. Five years later there were 50,000 local groups affiliated to the League and the nominal membership had risen to five million. Children from 8-14 years of age were enrolled in Groups of Godless Youth, and the League of Communist Youth (Komsomol) took a vigorous anti- religious line. Several antireligious museums were opened in former churches and a number of Chairs of Atheism were established in Soviet universities. Prizes were offered for the best 'Godless hymns' and for alternative versions of the Bible from which ... the leader of the League of Militant Atheists, Yemelian Yaroslavsky, said: "When a priest is deprived of his congregation, that does not mean that he stops being a priest. He changes into an itinerant priest. He travels around with his primitive tools in the villages, performs religious rites, reads prayers, baptizes children. Such wandering priests are at times more dangerous than those who carry on their work at a designated place of residence." The intensified persecution, which was a part of the general terror inflicted upon Soviet society by Stalin's policy, ...”
39. ↑ Investigating atheism: Marxism. University of Cambridge (2008). Retrieved on July 17, 2014. “The most notable spread of atheism was achieved through the success of the 1917 Russian Revolution, which brought the Marxist-Leninists to power. For the first time in history, atheism thus became the official ideology of a state.”
40. ↑ Marx, Karl. 1976. Introduction to A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right. Marx-Engels Collected Works, vol. 3. New York.
41. ↑ Marx, Karl. Private Property and Communism, 1844.
42. ↑ Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich. The Attitude of the Workers' Party to Religion, 1909.
43. ↑ Engels, Friedrich. "Karl Marx's Funeral", Marx-Engels Collected Works, vol. 24, p. 467.
44. ↑ Noebel, David, The Battle for Truth, Harvest House, 2001.
45. ↑
* China’s Communist Party Reaffirms Marxism, Maoism, Atheism, New American, 2014
* China's Communist Party Bans Believers, Doubles Down On Atheism
46. ↑ Senior Chinese Religious Advisor Calls For Promotion Of Atheism In Society, International Business Times
47. ↑ Cracks in the atheist edifice, The Economist, November 1, 2014
48. ↑ Combating the New Right by John Feffer, The Nation, May 13, 2019
49. ↑ Swedish election highlights decline of center-left parties across Western Europe by Kyle Taylor
50. ↑ Europe's Deep Right-Wing Logic By Robert D. Kaplan
51. ↑ Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020
52. ↑ Global Study: Atheists in Decline, Only 1.8% of World Population by 2020
53. ↑ London: A Rising Island of Religion in a Secular Sea by Eric Kaufmann, Huffington Post, 2012
54. ↑ 97% of the world's population growth is taking place in the developing world, where 95% of people are religious, Tuesday, April 30, 2013
55. ↑ Eric Kaufmann - Religion, Demography and Politics in the 21st Century
56. ↑ Atheism Peaks, While Spiritual Groups Move Toward Convergence by Nury Vittachi, July 14, 2015, website Sciene 2.0
57. ↑ Religion: Year in Review 2010: Worldwide Adherents of All Religions. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.. Retrieved on 2013-11-21.
58. ↑
* Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century by Eric Kaufmann, Belfer Center, Harvard University/Birkbeck College, University of London
* Study: World is becoming more religious
* Globally the worldviews of atheism and non-religious (agnostic) are declining while global Christianity is exploding in adherents
* Gordon-Conwell Seminary - Status of Global Mission, 2014, in the Context of AD 1800–2025
* Atheism Peaks, While Spiritual Groups Move Toward Convergence by Nury Vittachi, July 14, 2015, website Sciene 2.0
59. ↑ Historian predicts 'bright future' for Christianity
60. ↑ Historian predicts 'bright future' for Christianity
61. ↑ Globally the worldviews of atheism and non-religious (agnostic) are declining while global Christianity is exploding in adherents
62. ↑ Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary - Status of Global Missions
63. ↑ How Christianity is Growing Around the World by Chuck Colson
64. ↑ Thriving Christianity
65. ↑ Journal of Church and State, Desecularization: A Conceptual Framework by Vyacheslav Karpov, 2010
66. ↑ Peter L. Berger, “The Desecularization of the World: A Global Overview,” in The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics, ed. Peter L. Berger (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999)
67. ↑ Pentecostalism – Protestant Ethic or Cargo Cult?, Peter Berger, July 29, 2010
68. ↑ Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (December 19, 2011,), Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population, p. 67.
69. ↑ The Protestant Work Ethic: Alive & Well…In China By Hugh Whelchel on September 24, 2012
70. ↑ The Protestant Work Ethic: Alive & Well…In China By Hugh Whelchel on September 24, 2012
71. ↑ Christianity Today, The Surprising Discovery About Those Colonialist, Proselytizing Missionaries, January 8, 2014