Originally Posted by nonplussed

I don't think it is trendy in the sense of doing it to be cool. But the rise in atheism is more than coincidence. I think it is a reaction to the rise of religious fundamentalism in this country and the political power these nutcases have.

In the old days you could just go through your Episcopalian motions without ever seriously thinking about faith and its ramifications. But when the wingnuts try -- with a lot of success -- to take over the country then you have to think about what you really believe about God. And if you do, you have to conclude that there is no middle ground, no defensible form of "moderate" religious belief. God either exists or he doesn't. When forced to choose, which is basically what is happening, a lot of people are concluding that he doesn't.