The ‘New A theists’: Advocacy and public relations

Andrew Dellis Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Brain and Behaviour Initiative

University of Cape Town. Honorary Research AssociateDepartment of Economics, University of Cape Town

The ‘New Atheists’: Advocacy and public relations

The ‘New Atheists’

1. What is going on here?

2. Should we care about public relations?

Religion

“I am trying to call attention to the elephant in the room that everybody is too polite - or too devout - to notice: religion, and specifically the devaluing effect that religion has on human life” (Dawkins, 2001).

Content + X =

• The rise of celebrity atheists

• The rise of atheist websites, blogs, podcasts, videos, forum posts, book tours, talk-show content, sit-coms, films, celebrity outings, publicised debates, ad campaigns, blasphemy challenges, conferences, conventions, etc.

• The secularist and religious backlash

X = Social environment

What impact & how?

It’s about the dinner table!

Student ecology!

1. Guerilla response

2. Fun and ‘good without a god’

Threat based Muslim ecology!

2. Irreverence ?

1. Support the troops!

3. Shaming

4. Support Muslim women

Christian flock ecology!

1. Direct challenge

2. The flock?

3. Improved content