Source Summary

I am going to write on the topic of atheism as it compares to religion in modern society.

"Atheism" J. Gordon Melton
This article defines atheism and gives a contextual history of atheistic beliefs. It defines atheism as the group of beliefs that do not recognize any form of deity. But rather than outright denying God as many Christians have contended in the past, modern atheists simply find no meaning in the term "God" and cannot find any rational to prove God's existence. The article also talks a lot about Marxist and non-marxist atheism and how in the 20th century, atheism has grown to be very important in the political arena. finally this article discusses the new ideas of neo-atheism, lead by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. This neo-atheism is most notably defined by the aggressive and staunch stances of its leaders and the outright denial and rejection of other belief forms. This new movement has clout because many identify with the publicity brought to the beliefs.

"Answers to the Atheists" EJ Dionne Jr
This Washington Post article is essentially a qualification of the arguments of neo-atheism. Its author is a christian and ascribes to that faith. The part I found most interesting was the fact that the other forms of atheism were only targeting christianity, and neo-atheism is doggedly opposing all forms of religion in the world, often acting as radical as religious fundamentalists. The author admits that many christians do not questions themselves, while neo-atheists are asking the hardest questions in society.

"The New Atheism: Its Virtues and Its Vices"
This article does an awesome job of objectively comparing Christianity to atheism (which is what the basis of my essay is). Similar to the last article, it focuses a lot on the flaws of atheism, but has a lot of good points about the positive side as well. The part I found most helpful was about atheism and its scientific foundings, something I plan on talking a lot about in the essay.

Source Summaries

1.     Baggini, Julian. Atheism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. Web. <http://www.veryshortintroductions.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/view/10.1093/actrade/9780192804242.001.0001/actrade-9780192804242>.

1. The first source is an introduction to atheism, entitled “Atheism: A Very Short Introduction” by Julian Baggini.  This source advocates for and delves into the purpose of atheism and its foundation in and of itself.  It defends atheism’s validity, and argues against it being more than just an opposition to theism.  Although this source provides a somewhat biased explanation of atheism, it will be beneficial to understand and sympathize with their beliefs.  It attests that without God, there is purpose in life, even though that purpose may not be divine.  This is a good source for my paper because I am covering the role of atheism and its attraction to those who are disenchanted with typical religious beliefs and practices.  This source highlights appealing aspects of atheism, and allows me to understand why people choose to believe (or disbelieve.)
2. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1741-2005.2010.01375.x/full This source compares and contrasts atheism and its values to that of the Christian religion, enabling me to utilize this source as a tool for contrasting these two theologies.  While it remains unbiased and does not condemn atheism as immoral, it points out many flaws of atheism, including its inability to separate faith from religion.  This source explains atheism's attack on Christianity diminishing scientific relevance, and emphasizes its importance on rationality and scientific thought.  It explains that atheism labels religion as pure fantasy, and refuses to accept it as anything but.  
3. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.lib.umich.edu/store/10.1002/9781118607725.ch1/asset/ch1.pdf?v=1&t=i22qaqy4&s=851aff2d95fc3e1516884cf407e97f16dadebbb8  This source also explains atheism's purpose, and stresses that it is not merely a religion.  It explains that because atheists do not believe in any sort of divine power, it cannot be considered a religion.  Although many people believe in atheism, that is not enough for it to be called a religion.  This ideal further ostracizes atheists from the cultural norm, and it precipitates the idea that atheists are "un-believers."  This source highlights the flaws within religion, a criticism that atheists believe strongly in.  It mentions that atheism is extremely incompatible with most worldviews.  It also points out various situations when atheism has been wrongly treated like a religion in legal situations.  However, atheism argues that "a lack of belief is not a form of belief" which would mean that this treatment is not justified.