According to religious trends, involvement of Americans with (organized) religion is declining: Americans are slowly moving away from religion. This development can predominantly be ascribed to the...Show moreAccording to religious trends, involvement of Americans with (organized) religion is declining: Americans are slowly moving away from religion. This development can predominantly be ascribed to the younger generations who no longer adhere to the strong religious American values of their parents and grandparents. Research has shown that a drop in religiously affiliated Americans correlates with a rise in atheism.As a result, the rise of New Atheism in the years between 2006 and 2010 is an intriguing topic. Its success can be attributed to the active promotion of the new movement by a few intellectuals, the Four Horsemen, with Hitchens prominently among them. Several factors can be invoked to explain the rise and success of the movement.An upsurge in New Atheist writings has created a new interest in the nature of religion. It has sparked a new debate about not only the existence of God, but also religion’s place within American society.Show less
