Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans [Hardcover]

David Niose (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 17, 2012

A new group of Americans is challenging the reign of the Religious Right

 

Today, nearly one in five Americans are nonbelievers - a rapidly growing group at a time when traditional Christian churches are dwindling in numbers - and they are flexing their muscles like never before. Yet we still see almost none of them openly serving in elected office, while Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and many others continue to loudly proclaim the myth of America as a Christian nation.

 

In Nonbeliever Nation, leading secular advocate David Niose explores what this new force in politics means for the unchallenged dominance of the Religious Right. Hitting on all the hot-button issues that divide the country – from gay marriage to education policy to contentious church-state battles – he shows how this movement is gaining traction, and fighting for its rights. Now, Secular Americans—a group comprised not just of atheists and agnostics, but lapsed Catholics, secular Jews, and millions of others who have walked away from religion—are mobilizing and forming groups all over the country (even atheist clubs in Bible-belt high schools) to challenge the exaltation of religion in American politics and public life.

 

This is a timely and important look at how growing numbers of nonbelievers, disenchanted at how far America has wandered from its secular roots, are emerging to fight for equality and rational public policy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] passionate, occasionally incendiary call for a secular response to the swelling influence of Christian conservatives.”--The Boston Globe

"This excellent book is simultaneously disturbing and reassuring. David Niose lays bare the whole dismal history of how the Religious Right hijacked America and betrayed the secular intentions of the Founding Fathers.  Fortunately, as he also documents, decent Americans are now fighting back, and the book ends on an uplifting note of hope."--Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion

"A powerful, hard-hitting book, part history, part politics, part religion (and non-religion) and also a manifesto for a secular America. It is a perfect accompaniment for the battle being waged today for America’s future by a moderate Barack Obama against all the weight the Religious Right can bring to bear. I highly recommend Nonbeliever Nation and am confident that it will satisfy a longing in others that it has satisfied in myself: for somebody to stand up and take their place in front of us with that precious candle that illuminates and holds back the darkness of superstition.  We no longer have Carl Sagan, but we do have David Niose."--Politicus

“An excellent overview…Niose communicates a sizable amount of complex information without overloading readers…The good news: secular Americans are emerging. Activism is on the rise, people are identifying and organizing in order to influence sound policy, and student activism especially is growing by leaps and bounds.”—Skeptic magazine

"Niose has done the secular movement a wonderful service by laying out [how it] has the power to steer political discourse back towards evidence and reason."--August Brunsman, Executive Director of the Secular Student Alliance, for The Friendly Athiest blog

“Required reading for seculars.”--Free Inquiry Magazine

"A thorough examination of modern secular movements in America . . . A useful examination of secularism." --Kirkus Reviews

"Niose explores secularism’s extraordinary rise and shows how it offers hope for more rational, inquiry-based public policy and discussion."—Publishers Weekly

“Covering a wide range of territory in a reasonably condensed space, attorney Niose looks at the culture wars from the perspective of secular America. While confronting numerous commonly held misconceptions by believers about secularism (e.g., the religious Right implying that religious faith is part of patriotism), Niose admirably refrains from antireligious hostility, striving for equality rather than proving the superiority of his perspective. . . . This is a calm, informative, and positive portrait of the rapidly growing secular segment of the American population. Highly recommended for politically oriented readers of all religious persuasions.”—Library Journal

"David Niose is a leading advocate for America's secular movement. In Nonbeliever Nation, he demonstrates not only that America's secular demographic is more numerous and better organized than ever, but that this segment of society offers much hope for rational public policy and discourse."—Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of The Better Angels of our Nature

"In the long moral arc of the universe that has been bending toward justice, freedom, and prosperity for centuries, the last of the great civil rights revolutions is under way--the civil liberties for secularists, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and nonbelievers of all stripes. David Niose has outlined the blueprint of this revolution in his powerful call to ideas that can change the world. Nonbeliever Nation is The Feminist Mystique of this movement, destined to be a classic in freedom literature."—Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine and author of The Believing Brain

"Using solid research, David Niose reminds us that the United States is by no means a religious nation let alone a Christian one— nor was it ever intended to be. Citing dozens of compelling examples, he lays bare the stunning hypocrisy of religious leaders in the United States. Despite religious claims to the contrary, he clearly correlates our degrading environment, low science literacy, and relatively high crime rate… with religion. His message builds and urges us nonbelievers to promote a thoughtful worldview. He shows that saying you’re religious– and claiming to know absolutely what is good and what is not-- is bad for all of us."--Bill Nye, The Science Guy®, CEO of the The Planetary Society, and Humanist of the Year 2010

“Read this book - and you will see that not only are Secular Americans getting louder and more confident, they've actually been here from the very beginning.  Well-written and thought-provoking, David Niose makes it clear that we are all part of a larger movement.”--Julia Sweeney, actress, comedian, former SNL cast member

"Dave Niose is a highly valued and respected leader in the secular movement."—Wendy Kaminer, author of Free for All and I’m Dysfunctional, You're Dysfunctional

"Dave Niose writes clearly and concisely and advocates effectively for the secular tradition. I expect Secular Americans who read this book will feel more motivated to seek the visibility and respect they so richly deserve."—Herb Silverman, president of the Secular Coalition for America

"David Niose is a talented writer with keen insights into contemporary secularism. As a key leader in the secular movement, Niose is uniquely situated to help Americans understand this fast-growing phenomenon."—Rob Boston, author of Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church and State

About the Author

David Niose is president of the Washington-based American Humanist Association. An attorney representing Secular Americans in the courts, Niose is also author of the popular Psychology Today blog “Our Humanity, Naturally.” He has appeared widely in national and international media advocating for secularism and humanism, including Fox News, BBC, NPR, and many others. Niose also serves as vice president of the Secular Coalition for America, a Washington-based lobbying group.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (July 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 023033895X
• ISBN-13: 978-0230338951
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Public Affairs & Policy > Cultural Policy

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Solid Book July 19, 2012

By J. Gomez TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans by David Niose

"Nonbeliever Nation" is a plea for Secular Americans to drive America to a better future by embracing its Enlightenment principles and breaking away from the restrictive chains of the Religious Right. This book is about the resistance to the Religious Right and an emerging and often overlooked segment of Secular Americans who reject religiosity as a prerequisite to patriotism and sound public policy. It's about the rise and hope of a movement.
This well written 272-page book is composed of the following chapters: 1. The Wedding Invitation, 2. A Religious People?, 3. A Secular Heritage, 4. Secularity and Morality, 5. The Disaster of the Religious Right, 6. Better Late than Never: Secular Americans Emerge, 7. Reason for Hope and Hope for Reason, 8. When "Happy Holidays" Is an Act of Hostility, 9. A New Plan of Action and 10. A Secular Future.

Positives:
1. An important topic in the hands of a subject-matter expert.
2. Well researched and accessible book for the masses.
3. Fair and even-handed treatment of the topic and respectful tone used.
4. Good use of reason and sound logic.
5. A great defender of secular humanistic views. Does a wonderful job of differentiating between secular and religious worldviews. Touches on all the popular cultural wars.
6. Great quotes abound, "That doesn't mean that a secular government must be antireligion, but only that government should be neutral on religion and not controlled by clerics or based on religious law".
7. A great job of describing how the Religious Right emerged and their tactics.
8. The reality of religion and secularity around the globe. Homicides, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy, abortions, social dysfunction, etc...
9. Great chapter on Secular Heritage, the founders would be proud. Debunks many myths.
10. Setting the record straight about how the Holocaust and communist Russia relates to secularity.
11. Great quote from Alan Dershowitz regarding rights, "Rights are not divine or naturally existing but are invented by societies through experience, often by learning from mistakes".
12. The negative impact of the Religious Right. Taxpayers of Kentucky's $40 million proselytizing theme park, denying separation of Church and State, in bed with corporate interests (environmental concerns, global warming), tax-payer funded faith-based initiatives, overpopulation denial, denying evolution, etc...
13. What Secular Americans want...the emergence of Secular Americans.
14. The impact of conservation religion and women's rights.
15. The rise of the Secular Movement and reason for hope. New concepts of community.
16. Legal setbacks and successes. Many great examples.
17. A wonderful job of laying out a new plan of action. Provides a model that is copied from...I won't spoil it.
18. The future of the Secular Movement. Education and politics.

Negatives:
1. Going through the book I had a sense of déjà vu. As an avid reader and a supporter of secular values, I am very familiar with a lot of what is in this book, so many times it felt more like a refresher. Be that as it may, this book is well organized and well thought out and will serve as a personal reference. Furthermore, Niose does provide new ideas and a sound approach to advancing secular issues.
2. No formal bibliography.
3. More charts and illustrations would have added value.
4. Table of contents not linkable.

In summary, I really enjoyed this book, so why not give it 5 stars? Because if you are an avid reader and familiar with the secular movement as I am you will find very little new here. That being said, the book is very sound and reference quality. Niose does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the secular movement and provides sound advice for its future and how it relates to the welfare of our society. I highly recommend it!

Further suggestions: "Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism" by Susan Jacoby, "Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment" by Phil Zuckerman, "Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless" Great Christina, "Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson" by Jennifer Hecht, "Can We Be Good Without God?" by Robert Buckman, "Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars" by Sikivu Hutchinson, "The Religion Virus" by Craig A. James, "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "Man Made God: A Collection of Essays" by Barbara G. Walker, "Godless" by Dan Barker, "God's Defenders" by S.T. Joshi, "God and the Folly of Faith: The Incompatibility of Science and Religion" by Victor Stenger, "Atheist Universe" by David Mills, "The Conservative Assault on the Constitution" by Erwin Chemerinsky, "Attack of the Theocrats!" by Sean Faircloth, "The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science- and Reality" by Chris Mooney, "Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party" by Max Blumenthal, "Merchants of Doubt" Erik m. Conway, "Why the Religious Right Is Wrong About Separation of Church and State" by Rob Boston and "American Fascists" by Chris Hedges. I have reviewed all the aforementioned books; look for the tag "Book Shark Review".

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Needed Sense of Perspective July 19, 2012

By David K. Chivers

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

In this new book, David Niose outlines the history of secular thought in America, the relatively recent rise of the Religious Right, and a resulting re-emergence of secular forces that is still in its early stages. He then urges secular people (whom he broadly defines) to step forward and reclaim their longstanding right to be recognized and allowed to participate in the political life of the United States.

His first several chapters are a quick survey and short history of secularism in America. He points out that secularism is a long cherished American point of view. By secularism he means not just atheism and agnosticism, (a rapidly growing force in itself, which he does address) but also religious people who believe that religion should be their private domain, and should not be supported or imposed by the government. He outlines the history of secular support, a narrative that may seem obvious to many, but that has become the subject of attack by the Religious Right in what can only be termed an audacious attempt to rewrite history.

He argues that there was a sea change in the broad support of secularism, first in the 1950's as a result of opposition to communism, and again in the 1980's with the rise of the Religious Right. It is a change that has been brought about in large part by the assumption by many that secular values were too entrenched in the American character to really be the subject of such obvious assaults. But by not engaging the Religious Right's arguments earlier, the Silent Secular Center (my own term) allowed the Right to begin to dominate the political debate, in part by demonizing the very idea of a "secular society" which for so long had been the accepted American ideal.

Niose calls for secular Americans to re-engage in the national debate, to step forward and announce themselves for what they are -and refuse the Religious Right's attempts to marginalize them. He does so in straight forward, well argued writing that is eminently readable.

The book is not aimed primarily aimed at changing minds on these subjects, but at raising the alarm to just what is happening in political and cultural America to people who quite frankly, might not have given the matter much thought. But it is the very public coming out of the Religious Right in this last Presidential election, with serious candidates such as Rick Perry, Michele Bachman, and Herman Cain, that has awakened many people to just what the Right is now trying to impose, and how it goes against the very fabric of America. In that way, this may be one of the most timely books published in the last few years.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, revolutionary and compelling August 6, 2012

By W. Keller

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a former Fundamentalist cult member, now one of the many nonbelievers, I had passionate interest in this book. Rarely have I read any book on any topic so well-presented, clear and informative. Niose makes a powerful case for why those of us who are nonbelievers (living with a 'post-theological worldview' as he so brightly describes it) need to assert our equality and oppose the oppressive millions who by force or by herding make up the Religious Right.

The most important thing I learned when I was a Fundamentalist cult member (a bona fide extremist group in which I was ensconced from early childhood until I woke up at 26 years old, married to a lay minister) is that every single word uttered by our senior pastor was the literal word of god coming through man. Questioning his edicts was questioning the deity and thus forbidden.

Since then, in my keen research into the principles of logic, evolution and scientific thought that I was formerly taught to eschew, I've learned that it is the default laziness of the "true believers" that enables them to just accept someone else's direction for their lives. I've come to see that it is the pig-headed volitional blindness of my former brethren and the millions like them that are destroying our country's democratic process. The very MINUTE one abdicates rational thought and empirical truth to anyone else, one is biting holes in the fabric of America.

Niose may be "preaching to the choir", as I am in complete agreement with his well-researched volume, but "the scales have fallen off my eyes". I now understand that belief without activism is folly. Because of his rallying cry, I will invest time and money in helping my beloved country achieve a healthy separation of church and state; fostering those who make compelling arguments counter to the superstitious ramblings of the Religious Wrong; and certainly make sure I continue to vote for those candidates who support a more humanistic, life-and-rights encompassing worldview.