The 25 Most Influential Living Atheists. Go back a few hundred years, and atheism was very much a minority position. Those who were atheists would have been ostracized by society and possibly even killed (as in burned at the stake, depending on how far back you go). Fast forward to the present, and atheism is far less objectionable, and in some circles even the dominant view. In the new millennium, prominent atheists abound. One website, www.celebatheists.com, is even dedicated to listing celebrity atheists. Celebrity atheists are wide-ranging and include people like Mark Zuckerberg, Lance Armstrong, and Jodie Foster. Even so, they don’t make it on to our list of influential living atheists. To make it on SuperScholar’s list of influential living atheists, an atheist can’t merely disbelieve in God but also must actively encourage others to disbelieve in God.
Many of the scholars listed here have given new life to atheism, inviting the term “neo-atheism” to describe their impact and movement. 1. More info: Wikipedia, Homepage. The Filthy Little Atheist … Founding Father. [Site editor's note: The following is an excerpt from the new Disinformation title 50 Things You're Not Supposed To Know: Religion, authored by Daniele Bolelli.] The story of his life is richer and weirder than any fiction. Among his close friends were visionary poets such as William Blake as well as political icons like Benjamin Franklin. Napoleon slept with his books by his pillow, and told him statues of gold should be erected to him in every city in the universe (but the admiration was not reciprocated).
Thomas Edison believed him to be one of the most brilliant minds in human history. Some of his writings rank among the greatest bestsellers of the 18th century. He participated in the two revolutions (the American and the French) that changed the political face of the modern world. The man we are speaking of is Thomas Paine. Paine’s problem is that he didn’t die in 1792. What exactly was it about The Age of Reason that transformed Paine into a ghost among the founding fathers? The Actor's Studio: Ricky Gervais on atheism. Penn Jillette on Atheism. [Adam Carolla Podcast 7.29.11] PAT CONDELL'S GODLESS COMEDY. Ricky Gervais... Obviously.