Future Book Alert: <em>Nonbeliever Nation</em>

Lawyer Dave Niose, the president of the American Humanist Association and longtime advocate for church/state separation, is going to be releasing a book in July, 2012 called Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans.

The description makes me want to pre-order a copy already:

In Nonbeliever Nation, David Niose argues that America was never in fact a Christian nation and shows how the Religious Right successfully took control of the social and political narrative. He takes us across the country to meet the secular groups now forming in opposition to that force — from humanist gatherings to the rise of the New Atheists to the explosion of secular groups on college and even high school campuses. Niose discusses their political goals, including lobbying efforts, legal strategies, and outreach through advertising and education, and what still needs to be done to make the secular voice a gamechanger in American politics.

I’ve known David for a number of years now and he’s always been one of the brightest behind-the-scenes people in our movement. Remember when the Secular Coalition for America held a contest to find the highest-ranking, elected, non-religious public official in America — which led to Congressman Pete Stark coming out as a non-theist? That was David’s idea, and it was only one of many which later came to fruition without any public credit thrown his way.

He hardly fits the “angry atheist” stereotype, but I have no doubt that his book will go after the Religious Right without holding anything back.

You’ll hear about it again on this site, I’m sure, but for now, just check out the description, pre-order a copy, and get excited.

Tim Martin

The annoying thing about all this “the US govt was based on such-and-such” nonsense is that so many people assume that whatever we were based on is good. Who says it was? Our constitution allows for amendment *for a reason*. So to anyone who thinks that our govt was based on Christianity, I kind of want to reply “who gives a shit.” Show me that basing our govt on Christianity would contribute to a better society today, otherwise you’re wasting my time.
Tom Lawson

I’ll buy any book with “nonbeliever” or “nation” in the title. I hear “atheist” nation was already taken.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1466397357
Jewel Cardwell

If they release a Kindle edition, I’ll definitely buy it.
Tom Lawson

I don’t get why it takes so long for a book to get published. July? Seriously? I’d fear that everything would have been said by then and it would just be a rehash. What could push a release so far ahead? Book tour schedules? Bad idea in the information age. I can understand if the book wasn’t finished, but it has a page count. I’m going to assume it’s not and that he wants to add a chapter on the Reason Rally.
Garren

Can we please stop associating “secular” with “atheist”?

We don’t need to feed the notion that you’re either for a Christian nation or against religion.
EJC

great point!
EJC

Welcome to the world of publishing and writing.

It is a bizarro world and until you actually try to move through it, you couldn’t begin to understand it….
Ndonnan

good point tim ,it is irelivent what the nation was built on,the point is what would it look like if you took the christianity out of society,what would a athistic nation look like and opperate,scary thought
Bradoflv

Only scary to those that do not really believe in societies governed by reason
Tom Lawson

Too late. Do you listen to Christians say the word “secularism?” They pronounce it like “liberalism” or “atheism.”

The Secular Coalition for America includes the American Atheists, the Atheist Alliance of America, and Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. If you’re not talking to the ceiling every night before bed, then you’re an atheist by default. Without the first priest there wouldn’t have been the first atheist. We needn’t keep spreading ourselves so thin. And we shouldn’t try to hide anything.

The longer we keep the word “atheist” in the taboo column the harder it will be to defeat the minority of zealots that have their thumb pressed on the people of Washington.
Garren

It may be too late, but now we lack a word to express the idea formerly denoted by “secular.” I.E. concerned with the affairs of this world, as recognized across (most) religious viewpoints. Under this definition, “secular America” was about Christians, Jews, Deists, Muslims, Atheists, etc. living with each other under a government that Constitutionally doesn’t take sides on the great religion debate.

But now “secular America” is coming to mean the idea of a population of atheists. A neutral term is being converted into a term that denotes a particular viewpoint on religion.

Maybe a lot of atheists don’t care about the distinction because they want religion gone (and damn neutrality), but I don’t want to make it harder for religious people to conceive of a more-or-less religiously neutral government by taking the _word_ away.

Similar deal for “freethinker.” How utterly ironic to use that term to refer to a conclusion.

I’m not for hiding atheism. It’s just that my first priority is the promotion of true free thinking and best-practical government neutrality toward religion. How can I express this on a bumper sticker when atheists insist on tainting the neutrality of “free thinker” and “secular”?
walkamungus

How about “civil” and “civic”? — relating to the city, civilization, or community?
Ndonnan

good thinking garren, a balanced way of thinking,not selfish or derogitory,well done

Future Book Alert: Nonbeliever Nation