The Secularization Debate

in the Public Square:

Media responses to ARIS 2008
Barry Kosmin
Trinity College, Hartford

March 2009
ARIS 2008 COVERAGE

TELEVISION
ABC News (03/09)
NBC News (03/09)
ARIS 2008 COVERAGE

PRINT MEDIA
Newsweek (04/04)
ARIS 2008 COVERAGE

INTERNATIONAL
Politiken [Denmark] (03/09)
Milenio [Mexico] (03/13)
http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/0910/what-we-believe/flat.html
Visits to ARIS 2008 Website
Public Discussion about Nones

September 2009
Mainstream Websites
 Mainstream Websites
“But the Nones are not Ditchkins atheists.
They express their position primarily as a
form of skepticism and Deism. They are
agnostics who do not dismiss the religious
life but remain at a cool distance from it.”
“… American religious nones tend to be
Andrew Sullivan (The Atlantic)
religious skeptics as opposed to outright
atheists. Fewer than 10 percent of those
identifying with no religious tradition call
themselves atheists or hold atheistic
beliefs… “
Dan Gilgoff (US News & World Report)

“I suspect that some modern American

Deists are actually quite like Jefferson and
Franklin. They don't believe in Scripture, or
cotton to organized religion.”
Steve Waldman (Beliefnet)
Catholic Blogs
 Catholic Blogs
“Of the influx (or outflux), 35% of first-
generation "Nones" surveyed said they were
Catholic at age 12 -- by far, the largest slice
of the group. “
Rocco Palmo (Whispers in the Loggia)

“Even more significant is that one-third of

those [Nones], about 11 million people, are
Irish Americans…[w]e can only surmise the
reasons for this, but I have some definite
ideas. Think church sex scandals. “
Niall O’Dowd (Irish Central)
Christian Blogs
 Christian Blogs
“The reported decline in religious life is an
omen that virtue-driven local charity will
decline, the passion to pursue the good will
wane, and Americans will look to
government to guide, protect, and provide. “
Anthony Bradley (Acton Institute)

“I think people go to church as much as ever,

but they increasingly do not “join” and also
they never want to specify because to do so
seems to always pick a fight.  I thnk (sic) this
trend may play out differently than he
expects.”
John Schroeder (Article VI)
Secular Blogs
 Secular Blogs
“Don't fall for their subtle attempts to divide
the unbelievers. Religious institutions would
love to see atheists continually demonized,
even by, especially by, agnostics.”
PZ Myers (Pharyngula)
“So I urge you to call yourself, in a positive
sense, a None. It means you are not bonded
to some existing religion by choice, and that
in a democracy you are entitled to do that.
We can argue about the other stuff later.”
John Wilkins (Evolving Thoughts)
Political Blogs
 Political Blogs
“The lesson politicians need to learn is that
when a party turns overtly religious and
welcomes – nay, courts – religious
fundamentalists, they are likely to turn away
our growing constituency.”
Jesse Galef (Friendly Atheist)
“Secular voters once constituted an
important part of the GOP coalition, but
fewer than 10 percent of religious nones
under age 30 are Republican. “
Dan Gilgoff (God & Country)
“And if we had more Jefferson’s and Paines,
and fewer Rick Santorum’s and Pat
Robertson’s, we’d be much better off for it in
the end. “
Doug Mataconis (Below the Beltway)