<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<People>
<Person>
<Name>Pietro Acciarito</Name>
<BirthYear>1871</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1943</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian [[Anarchism|anarchist]] activist who attempted to assassinate [[Umberto I of Italy|King Umberto I]].<ref>Vizetelly, Ernest Alfred ([[1911]]), [http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/vizetelly/vizetelly9.html Barcelona Outrages - The Empress Elizabeth and Luccheni], ''The Anarchists: Their Faith and Their Record'', Turnbull and Spears Printers, Edinburgh. Retrieved [[March 19]], [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Zackie Achmat</Name>
<BirthYear>1962</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[South Africa]]n anti-HIV/AIDS activist; founder of the [[Treatment Action Campaign]].<ref>{{cite news | author = John Carlin | title = Zackie's story: The man who took on Mbeki - and won | url = http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article2029292.ece | work = The Independent | date = [[2005-08-05]] | accessdate = 2007-08-27 | quote = A homosexual, an atheist, and a militant anti-apartheid campaigner whose political ideas were forged on an intense reading of Marx, Lenin, and Trotsky...}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Clark Adams</Name>
<BirthYear>1969</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2007</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Prominent American freethought leader and activist.<ref>"In college, after reading material from American Atheists, he became, in his words, 'a pretty hard core atheist.'" [http://www.americanhumanist.org/press/ClarkAdams.php Clark Adams: 1969-2007], American Humanist Association News Flash, [[May 24]], [[2007]] (Accessed [[14 April]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ayaan Hirsi Ali</Name>
<BirthYear>1969</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Ayaan-Hirsi-Ali-VVD.NL-1200x1600.JPG</Picture>
<Text>[[Dutch people|Dutch]] [[feminist]] and politician.<ref>{{cite news | author = Ian Buruma | title = Sacred freedom | url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/73ea88c8-0489-11da-a775-00000e2511c8.html | work = Financial Times | date = [[2005-08-05]] | accessdate = 2006-12-22 | quote = Too much reason can reform a faith away, which would be fine with Hirsi Ali, who regards herself as an atheist.}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Baba Amte</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Respected Indian social activist, known for his work with lepers.<ref>"Atheist though he was..." [http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10757984 Obituary: Baba Amte], ''The Economist'' [[1 March]] [[2008]]: 93. (Retrieved [[21 March]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Natalie Angier</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Nonfiction writer and science journalist for ''[[The New York Times]]''; 1991 winner of [[Pulitzer Prize]] for Beat Reporting.<ref>My God Problem[http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=angier_24_5]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dan Barker</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[United States|American]] atheist activist.<ref>Minister Turned Atheist[http://www.ffrf.org/about/bio_dan.php]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Brearey</Name>
<BirthYear>1939</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1998</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British secularist, socialist and journalist, Editor of ''The Freethinker'' from 1993 until his death.<ref>"He was an old-fashioned rationalist and radical. He detested modern politics and despised Blairite froth, spin-doctoring and cloned MPs and betrayal of principles. I share Peter's doubts about the milk-and-water term "humanism." He and I called ourselves atheists." Karl Heath, 'Obituary Letter: Peter Brearey', ''The Guardian'', 30 May 1998, Pg. 21.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Yaron Brook</Name>
<BirthYear>1961</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Current president and executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute.<ref>"He's a proud atheist..." [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1184168546846&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter The nexus], by Orit Arfa, ''The Jerusalem Post'', [[12 July]] [[2007]] (Accessed [[16 April]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>William Montgomery Brown</Name>
<BirthYear>1855</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1937</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Episcopal bishop and Communist author.<ref>"An ecclesiastical court [...] sitting at Cleveland, Ohio, yesterday, found Dr. William Montgomery Brown, retired Bishop of Arkansas, a self-styled "Christian Atheist", guilty of heresy." 'U.S. Heresy Trial. A "Christian Atheist."' ''The Times'', Monday, [[June 02]], [[1924]]; p. 13; Issue 43667; col C. </ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard Carrier</Name>
<BirthYear>1969</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>historian, philosopher, and atheist activist.<ref>Biography of Richard Carrier[http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/bio.html]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Chapman Cohen</Name>
<BirthYear>1868</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1954</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English freethought writer and lecturer, and an editor of [[The Freethinker (journal)|The Freethinker]] and president of the [[National Secular Society]].<ref>"Cohen was a witty, courteous, and effective public speaker and debater, and a prolific writer with over fifty titles to his credit. Typical of his writings are ''A Grammar of Freethought'' (1921), ''Theism or Atheism'' (1921), ''Materialism Restated'' (1927), and four series of ''Essays in Freethinking'' (1923–38), culled from occasional pieces in the ''Freethinker''. His achievement was to transform Victorian freethought from an emphasis on anti-biblical argument to the positive advocacy of materialism [...]". Edward Royle, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/47685 'Cohen, Chapman (1868–1954)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed [[2 May]] [[2008]]).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Margaret Downey</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>is an atheist activist who is the current President of Atheist Alliance International.<ref>[http://atheistalliance.org/aai/contacts.php National and International Contacts], Atheist Alliance International website, 2008 (Accessed [[14 April]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Joseph Edamaruku</Name>
<BirthYear>1934</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian journalist, author, leader in the rationalist movement, and winner of the International Atheist Award in 1979.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/30/stories/2006063018810500.htm Edamaruku dead: A staunch campaigner of rationalism], ''The Hindu'', 2006 (Accessed [[31 March]] [[2008]])</ref><ref>[http://www.rationalistinternational.net/associates/j_edamaruku.htm Honorary Associates of Rationalist International: Joseph Edamaruku (India)], profile at the website of Rationalist International (Accessed [[31 March]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sanal Edamaruku</Name>
<BirthYear>1955</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian rationalist, president of the [[Indian Rationalist Association]].<ref>On [[3 March]] [[2008]], Edamaruku challenged a [[tantrik]] on TV to kill him using only magic. After two hours of failure, "[t]he tantrik, unwilling to admit defeat, tried the excuse that a very strong god whom Sanal might be worshipping obviously protected him. "No, I am an atheist", said Sanal Edamaruku." [http://www.rationalistinternational.net/article/2008/20080310/en_1.html The Great Tantra Challenge], ''Rationalist International'' article (Accessed [[31 March]] [[2008]])</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Reginald Vaughn Finley, Sr.</Name>
<BirthYear>1974</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>("The Infidel Guy"): Internet radio host and Podcaster in Atlanta, Georgia, co-founder of the Atheist Network and founder of FreethoughtMedia.com.<ref>"Mr. Finley is a lifetime educational activist, humanist and atheist. He dedicates over 80 hrs a week producing his programs that challenge himself and those that listen." [http://www.infidelguy.com/faq-3-About+InfidelGuy.com+%26amp%3B+Staff.html#3 The Infidel Guy Show FAQ] (accessed [[14 April]] [[2008]]). </ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David D. Friedman</Name>
<BirthYear>1945</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Economist, law professor, novelist, and libertarian activist.<ref>Friedman wrote "I'm also an atheist" in his blog article titled [http://daviddfriedman.blogspot.com/2008/01/atheism-and-religion.html ''Atheism and Religion'']. This blog is linked from his personal web site,[http://www.daviddfriedman.com/] which is in turn linked from his Santa Clara Law site.[http://www.scu.edu/law/faculty/profile/friedman-david.cfm]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Annie Laurie Gaylor</Name>
<BirthYear>1955</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>co-founder of the [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]] and, with her husband Dan Barker, is the current co-president.<ref>"Air America... last Saturday aired its first Freethought show, hosted by [Dan] Barker and his wife, Annie Laurie Gaylor, who co-chair an atheist activist group called the Freedom of{{sic}} Religion Foundation." [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300719,00.html Atheist Radio Show Goes National on Air America, With Ron Reagan as Guest], by Catherine Donaldson-Evans, foxnews.com, [[October 12]], [[2007]] (Accessed [[14 April]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Emma Goldman</Name>
<BirthYear>1869</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1940</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Lithuania]]n-born radical, known for her writings and speeches defending [[anarchist communism]], [[feminism]], and [[atheism]].<ref>{{cite web | author = Emma Goldman | url = http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/goldman.htm | title = The Philosophy of Atheism | date = 1916 February | publisher = positiveatheism.org | accessdate = 2006-12-13}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Goparaju Ramachandra Rao|Gora</Name>
<BirthYear>1902</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1975</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian atheist leader, co-founder with his wife of the [[Atheist Centre]] in [[Andhra Pradesh]].<ref>[http://www.positiveatheism.org/tocindia.htm The Atheist Centre] (official website).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Saraswathi Gora</Name>
<BirthYear>1912</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian [[social activist]], wife of Gora and leader of the [[Atheist Centre]] for many years, campaigning against [[untouchability]] and the [[caste]] system.<ref>[http://www.positiveatheism.org/tocindia.htm The Atheist Centre] (official website).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John William Gott</Name>
<BirthYear>1866</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1922</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English trouser salesman and leader of the Freethought Socialist League, the last person in Britain to be sent to prison for blasphemy.<ref>"Inspector Elphick said the defendant [John William Gott] was considered to be a Socialist and Atheist of the worst type, and had been convicted many times." 'Blasphemer Sent To Prison', ''The Times'', 10 Dec 1921; p. 7; Issue 42900; col B. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>E. Haldeman-Julius</Name>
<BirthYear>1889</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1951</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American social reformer and publisher, most noted as the editor of [[Appeal to Reason]] newspaper.<ref>In [http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/e_haldeman-julius/meaning_of_atheism.html The Meaning Of Atheism], Haldeman-Julius wrote: "We advocate the atheistic philosophy because it is the only clear, consistent position which seems possible to us. As atheists, we simply deny the assumptions of theism; we declare that the God idea, in all its features, is unreasonable and unprovable; we add, more vitally, that the God idea is an interference with the interests of human happiness and progress." (Accessed [[23 April]] [[2008]].) </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Erkki Hartikainen</Name>
<BirthYear>1942</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>is a Finnish atheist activist. He is the chairman of the Atheist Association of Finland (''Suomen Ateistiyhdistys'') and former chairman of the Union of Freethinkers of Finland (''Vapaa-ajattelijoiden liitto''), the biggest atheistic association in Finland.<ref>[http://www.dlc.fi/~etkirja/Erkki Erkki Hartikainen's profile], hosted at the website of the Atheist Association of Finland (Accessed [[15 April]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Austin Holyoake</Name>
<BirthYear>1826</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1874</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English freethought printer and publisher, vice-president and first treasurer of the National Secular Society.<ref>"From the mid-1850s he was a convinced atheist and published over a dozen tracts and lectures, including ''Thoughts on Atheism, or, Can Man by Searching Find out God?'' (1870) and a neo-Malthusean pamphlet, ''Large or Small Families? On which Side Lies the Balance of Comfort?'' (1870). He edited with Charles Watts ''The Secularist's Manual of Songs and Ceremonies'' (1871), to which he contributed secular marriage and burial services. Edward Royle, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/47695 'Holyoake, Austin (1826–1874)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed [[1 May]] [[2008]]).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Holyoake</Name>
<BirthYear>1817</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1906</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Holyoake2.JPG</Picture>
<Text>[[England|English]] [[Secularism|secularist]]. Holyoake was the last person in England to be imprisoned (in 1842) for being an atheist.<ref>{{cite news | last = Meek | first = James | authorlink = James Meek (author) | title = Free fall | work = Religion in the UK: special report | publisher = The Guardian | date = [[2000-02-02]] | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,2763,190660,00.html | accessdate = 2007-04-20 }}</ref> He coined the term "secularism" in 1846.<ref>Feldman, Noah (2005). Divided by God. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, pg. 113</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ellen Johnson</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>President of [[American Atheists]], 1995-2008.<ref>{{cite web | author = Ellen Johnson | url = http://www.atheists.org/welcome.html | title = Welcome from the president of American Atheists | date = 2006 | publisher = American Atheists | accessdate = 2006-12-13}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Edwin Kagin</Name>
<BirthYear>1940</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>lawyer, activist, founder of the [[Camp Quest]] [[secular]] [[summer camp]], and American Atheists' Kentucky State Director.<ref>[http://www.atheists.org/ky/ American Atheists: Kentucky] (Accessed [[30 April]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Norma Kitson</Name>
<BirthYear>1933</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>South African anti-apartheid activist.<ref>"Though an atheist, she was buried in a Jewish cemetery - a strange end for a rebel within a revolution." Denis Herbstein, 'Obituary: Norma Kitson: On the streets of London, and in the townships of South Africa, they fought and won the struggle against apartheid', ''The Guardian'', 12 July 2002, Pg. 20.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dave Kong</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Director of the California chapter of the American Atheists.<ref>[http://www.atheists.org/ca/ American Atheists: California] (Accessed [[15 April]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Kropotkin</Name>
<BirthYear>1842</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1921</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Kropotkin Nadar.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Russian anarchist communist activist and geographer, best known for his book, ''[[Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution]]'', which refutes [[social Darwinism]].<ref>"[T]he noblest man, the one really greatest of them all was Prince Peter Kropotkin, a self-professed atheist and a great man of science."—Ely, Robert Erskine ([[October 10]], [[1941]]), ''New York World-Telegram''.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Kurtz</Name>
<BirthYear>1925</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, best known for his prominent role in the United States humanist and skeptical communities.<ref>"It's not that these atheists [Julia Sweeney, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Paul Boyer, Paul Kurtz] expect to rid America of religion." [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week1019/cover.html The New Atheists], Betty Rollin (reporting), Bob Abernethy (anchor), ''Religion and Ethics Newsweekly'' (pbs.org), [[January 5]], [[2007]] Episode no. 1019, (Accessed [[14 April]] [[2008]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Joseph Lewis</Name>
<BirthYear>1889</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1968</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American freethinker and atheist, president of Freethinkers of America 1920–1968.<ref>Lewis wrote extensively on atheism, including [http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/lewis/lewis06.htm Atheism] (1930), [http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/lewis/lewis03.htm An Atheist Manifesto] (1954) and [http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/lewis/lewis00.htm The Philosophy of Atheism] (1960). From ''Atheism'': "I came to accept Atheism as the result of independent thought and self-study."</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Emma Martin</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>(c.1811–1851): English socialist and freethinker.<ref>"Emma's strident atheism was particularly provocative—so much so that even some of her fellow socialists objected. In 1842, angered by this lack of support from the movement, she and her fellow atheist [[George Holyoake|George Jacob Holyoake]] set up the Anti-Persecution Union to defend freethinkers charged with blasphemy. Emma herself ended up in court on several occasions, and was forced to hide from the police on others; but unlike many militant atheists, she avoided imprisonment." Barbara Taylor, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/45460 'Martin , Emma (1811/12–1851)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed [[6 May]] [[2008]]).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Hemant Mehta</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>(c.1983–): Author of [[I Sold My Soul on eBay]], chair of the [[Secular Student Alliance]] and author of the blog FriendlyAtheist.com.<ref>[http://www.beliefnet.com/story/224/story_22426_1.html 'I Sold My Soul on eBay': Interview with Atheist Hemant Mehta]</ref><ref> [http://www.friendlyatheist.com/ FriendlyAtheist.com blog]</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Taslima Nasrin</Name>
<BirthYear>1962</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Bangladeshi physician, writer, feminist human rights activist and [[Secular humanism|secular humanist]].<ref>"I was born in a Muslim family, but I became an atheist." [http://www.unesco.org/webworld/points_of_views/nasreen_121199.shtml For freedom of expression], Taslima Nasreen, November 12, 1999 - Taslima Nasreen took the floor during Commission V of UNESCO's General Conference, as a delegate of the NGO [[International Humanist and Ethical Union]] (Accessed 23 December 2006).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Newdow</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[physician]] and [[Attorney at law|attorney]], who sued a [[school district]] on the grounds that its requirement that children recite the U.S. [[Pledge of Allegiance]], containing the words "under God", breached the [[separation of church and state|separation-of-church-and-state]] provision in the [[Establishment Clause of the First Amendment|establishment clause]] of the [[United States Constitution]].<ref>{{cite news | author = Tom Curry | title = Atheist pleads with justices to stop recitation of pledge | url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4594537/ | publisher = MSNBC | date = [[2004-03-24]] | accessdate = 2006-12-13}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Madalyn Murray O'Hair</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1995</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>founder of [[American Atheists]], campaigner for the [[separation of church and state]]; filed the lawsuit that led the US Supreme Court to ban teacher-led prayer and Bible reading in public schools.<ref>{{cite web | author = Conrad F. Goeringer | url = http://www.atheists.org/visitors.center/OHairFamily/ | title = The Murray O’Hair Family | date = 2000 June | publisher = American Atheists | accessdate = 2006-12-13}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Keith Porteous Wood</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Executive Director, formerly General Secretary, of the [[National Secular Society]] in the United Kingdom.<ref>"I have been an atheist all my life and I have been the executive director of the National Secular Society for six years." [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200203/ldselect/ldrelof/95/2071803.htm Minutes of Evidence], House of Lords Select Committee on Religious Offences in England and Wales, 18 July 2002 (accessed 18 April 2002). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>James Randi</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, (1928–): magician, debunker, and founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation.<ref> Randi wrote: "...I am a concerned, forthright, declared, atheist." [http://www.randi.org/jr/080505potential.html#14 Our Stance on Atheism], Swift: Online Newsletter of the JREF, August 5, 2005. (Accessed 1 June 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>A. Philip Randolph</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, (1889–1979): [[African American|African-American]] [[US civil rights movement|civil rights leader]].<ref>"Although greatly influenced by his father's political and racial attitudes, Randolph resisted pressure to enter the ministry and later became an atheist." Paula F. Pfeffer: "Randolph, Asa Philip", ''American National Biography Online'' Feb. 2000 (accessed [[28 April]] [[2008]]) [http://www.anb.org/articles/15/15-01101.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ron Reagan</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American magazine journalist, board member of the politically activistic [[Creative Coalition]], son of former U. S. President [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>"I'm an atheist so... I can't be elected to anything, because polls all say that people won't elect an atheist." Ron Reagan Jr. during an interview on ''Larry King Live'', 26 June 2004. See [http://www.zippyvideos.com/86205588522205/ron clip].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>J. M. Robertson</Name>
<BirthYear>1856</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1933</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish journalist, advocate of [[rationalist movement|rationalism]] and [[secularism]], social reformer and [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] [[Member of Parliament]].<ref>"In that year he came under the influence of the radical freethinker Charles Bradlaugh and, after being active in the Edinburgh Secular Society, accepted Bradlaugh's invitation to join him in London as assistant editor of the ''National Reformer''. When Bradlaugh died, Robertson became editor until the publication failed in 1893, when he founded the Free Review, which he edited until 1895. [...] During the late 1880s and the 1890s Robertson extended his interests beyond atheism, free thought, and neo-Malthusianism and became increasingly involved with radical and ethical causes [...]." Michael Freeden, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35783 'Robertson, John Mackinnon (1856–1933)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Terry Sanderson</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British secularist and gay rights activist, author and journalist, President of the National Secular Society since 2006.<ref>"Many members of the NSS are, of course, also atheists. Some, including myself, have come to the conclusion that belief in the supernatural is fallacious, and they don't hesitate to say so. The fact that adherents to the supernatural explanation of life apparently cannot bear to hear any opposition, and rush to label atheists as "fundamentalist", is a measure of where we are." Terry Sanderson, 'All at sea over faith and secularism', ''The Guardian'', 28 February 2007, Reply Letters and emails, Pg. 35.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Margaret Sanger</Name>
<BirthYear>1879</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1966</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>MargaretSanger-Underwood.LOC.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American [[birth control|birth-control]] activist, founder of the [[American Birth Control League]], a forerunner to [[Planned Parenthood]]. The masthead motto of her newsletter, ''The Woman Rebel'', read: "No Gods, No Masters".<ref name="Haught">{{cite book | last = Haught | first = James A. | title = 2,000 Years of Disbelief: Famous People with the Courage to Doubt | year = 1996 | publisher = Prometheus Books | id = ISBN 1-57392-067-3 | pages = pp. 261-262}}</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Vinayak Damodar Savarkar</Name>
<BirthYear>1883</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1966</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian revolutionary freedom fighter, and Hindu nationalist leader.<ref>{{cite news | title = The Rediff Interview: Bipan Chandra | url = http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/mar/03inter.htm | publisher = Rediff India Abroad | date = [[2003-03-03]] | accessdate = 2006-12-13 | quote = Savarkar was an atheist. When he was the Hindu Mahasabha president he used to give lectures on why there is no god.}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert I. Sherman</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>atheist advocate and member of Illinois Green Party.<ref>[http://www.wbbm780.com/Lawmaker-Apologizes-For-Comments-Against-Atheist/1980701 Lawmaker Apologizes For Comments Against Atheist] Website of WBBM Newsradio 780, 10 April 2008 (Accessed 17 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bhagat Singh</Name>
<BirthYear>1907</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1931</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian revolutionary freedom fighter.<ref>{{cite web | last=Singh | first=Bhagat | authorlink=Bhagat Singh | title = Why I Am An Atheist | url = http://www.boloji.com/spirituality/051.htm | publisher = Boloji Media Inc | date = [[2002-06-18]] | accessdate = 2007-04-11 | quote = I had become a pronounced atheist.}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Charles Lee Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1887</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1964</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>an atheist activist in the United States and an editor of the ''Truth Seeker'' until his death. He also founded the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism. Smith was arrested twice in 1928 for selling atheist literature and for blasphemy. Since he refused to swear an oath to God on the Bible, he was not allowed to testify in his own defense.<ref>"Closer to home, in Arkansas, atheist activist Charles Lee Smith was twice arrested in 1928, first for selling atheist literature and then for blasphemy. Moreover, since he couldn't as an atheist swear an oath to God on the Bible, he wasn't permitted to testify in his own defense!" American Humanist Association Executive (AHA) Director Roy Speckhardt, as quoted in an AHA press release: [http://www.americanhumanist.org/press/Davis.php Did Politician Really Apologize for Anti-Atheist Rant?] 11 April 2008 (Accessed 15 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Barbara Smoker</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British humanist activist and freethought advocate. Wrote the book ''Freethoughts: Atheism, Secularism, Humanism – Selected Egotistically from [[The Freethinker (journal)|The Freethinker]]''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Smoker | first = Barbara | title = Freethoughts: Atheism, Humanism, Secularism | year = 2002 | publisher = Foote (G.W.) & Co Ltd | isbn = 0-9508243-5-6 }}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Charles Southwell</Name>
<BirthYear>1814</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1860</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English freethinker and journalist.<ref>"Together with William Chilton and John Field, Southwell began the ''Oracle of Reason'', a penny weekly advocating atheism. Aggressively confrontational, the ''Oracle'' featured a pro-evolutionary series (begun by Southwell, continued by Chilton) using science to prove the bestial origins of the human race." J. A. Secord, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/54378 'Southwell, Charles (1814–1860)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Marie Souvestre</Name>
<BirthYear>1830</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1905</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French headmistress, a feminist educator who sought to develop independent minds in young women.<ref>"To learn at Les Ruches came Anna (Bamie) Roosevelt, the favourite sister and later adviser of Theodore Roosevelt [...] and Richard Potter—though Beatrice Potter (later Webb), then antipathetic to the Frenchwoman's energetic atheism, declined to follow her sister Rosy. [...] In London, Souvestre became intimate, as well as with the Harrisons and Stracheys, with Leslie Stephen, the Morleys, the Chamberlains, Mrs J. R. Green, and a wider circle of radicals and freethinkers, including the young Beatrice Webb. A convinced humanist, candidly pro-Boer, anti-imperialist, and anti-clerical—though she also frequented and liked the Mandell Creightons—she impressed with her intellect and charmed with her personality." D. A. Steel, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/53508 'Souvestre, Marie Claire (1835–1905)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Suzuki</Name>
<BirthYear>1936</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Canadian university professor, science broadcaster, and environmental activist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lfpress.ca/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?p=132947&x=articles&s=books|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060903143907/http://lfpress.ca/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?p=132947&x=articles&s=books| archivedate=2006-09-03| title=Review: Suzuki laments conscience role | date=2006-04-28 |publisher=The London Free Press |author=Nancy Schiefer |quote=As an atheist, Suzuki declares, he has no illusions about life and death, adding that the individual is insignificant in cosmic terms.| accessdate= 2007-10-29}} Review of book "David Suzuki: The Autobiography", by David Suzuki (Greystone Books, 2006)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Polly Toynbee</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>columnist for ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>{{cite news | author = Polly Toynbee | title = This is a clash of civilisations - between reason and superstition | url = http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/comment/story/0,,1753745,00.html | work = The Guardian | date = [[2006-04-14]] | accessdate = 2006-12-13 | quote = Even an old atheist like me sees no good in this ignorance of basic Christian myths.}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Aaronovitch</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist, author and broadcaster. Aaronovitch calls himself "Godless" and an atheist, but says that he has "no desire to proselytise for atheism".<ref>"Like most of the Godless (or Godfree), I have no desire to proselytise for atheism or to persuade people out of religions that may offer them comfort and companionship." [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article3613649.ece Wicked untruths from the Church], David Aaronovitch, ''Times Online'', 25 March 2008 (Accessed 26 March 2008)</ref><ref>"What makes me think I "can reduce the function of religion to the provision of 'comfort and companionship'" instead of seeing it as a "public truth"? Being an atheist, I suppose. I see religion as a cultural and psychological construct, which fulfils certain almost universal needs and which, as a consequence, I am disinclined to condemn." [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article3648835.ece Who wants to kill the elderly?], David Aaronovitch, ''Times Online'', 31 March 2008 (Accessed 31 March 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Douglas Adams</Name>
<BirthYear>1952</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2001</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British radio and television writer, author of ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]''.<ref>"I am a radical Atheist..." Adams in an interview by American Atheists[http://www.americanatheist.org/win98-99/T2/silverman.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Tariq Ali</Name>
<BirthYear>1943</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British-Pakistani historian, novelist, filmmaker, political campaigner and commentator.<ref>"It is well known that I am not a religious person, I grew up and remain an atheist [...]". Tariq Ali, [http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=9871 Interview: Tariq Ali], ''Socialist Review'' November 2006 (accessed 22 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jorge Amado</Name>
<BirthYear>1912</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2001</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Brazilian author.<ref>Amado is described as an "ateu convicto", or "convinced atheist". {{cite web | url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/ilustrada/ult90u16398.shtml | title=Velório de Jorge Amado foi discreto | author=Cynara Menezes | publisher=[[Folha de S. Paulo]] | date=[[8 August]] [[2001]] | language=Portuguese | accessdate=2007-11-24}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Eric Ambler</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] (1909–1998): influential English writer of [[spy novel]]s who introduced a new realism to the [[genre]].<ref>"Once, filming in Italy with the American director John Huston and a US army crew, Ambler and his colleagues were shelled so fiercely that his unconscious 'played a nasty trick on him' (Ambler, ''Here Lies'', 208). A confirmed atheist, he heard himself saying, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' " Michael Barber: 'Ambler, Eric Clifford (1909–1998)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, January 2007 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/71023] (accessed 29 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Isaac Asimov</Name>
<BirthYear>1920</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1992</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Isaac.Asimov02.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Russian-born American author of science fiction and popular science books.<ref>"I am an atheist, out and out. It took me a long time to say it... I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time." Isaac Asimov in "Free Inquiry", Spring 1982, vol.2 no.2, p. 9 ([http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov#Sourced See Wikiquote].)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Diana Athill</Name>
<BirthYear>1917</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1992</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British literary editor, novelist and memoirist who worked with some of the most important writers of the 20th century.<ref>"Last week, looking through a book about 15th-century painting in Italy, I began to wonder why I loved these paintings so much. Almost all of them are illustrations of religious subjects, and I have been an atheist almost since the day I was confirmed in the Christian faith by the Bishop of Norwich in 1931. To describe the atheism first: it originated in a certainty that I was going to start breaking the rules as laid down by the god I'd been taught about, followed by a suspicion that if his rules were so easy to break he couldn't be all that he was cracked up to be. Then came its firmer base: the observation that many of the most hideous things done to each other by human beings have been done in his name. It can be argued that this is our fault, not God's. But the god we Europeans are supposed to believe in a) created us as well as everything else that is; b) is omnipotent; c) is Love. In which case, one must assume from the evidence rammed down our throats for century after century that he is liable to fits of serious derangement during which he is Not Himself." Diana Athill, 'I'm a believer - but only in a good story', ''The Guardian'', 21 January 2004, Features Pages, Pg. 5.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Iain Banks</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish author, writing mainstream fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks.<ref>"I'm an evangelical atheist so I'm not into supernatural effects - I hated The Exorcist - but John Carpenter's remake of The Thing is different." 'I was a brain-eating zombie... As the scary season descends [...] famous horror experts choose their most terrifying screen experiences', ''Daily Telegraph'', 30 October 2004, Arts Pg. 04.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Pierre Berton</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of Canada|CC]], [[Order of Ontario|O.Ont]] (1920–2004): Noted [[Canada|Canadian]] author of non-fiction, especially [[Canadiana]] and [[Canadian history]], and was a well-known [[television]] personality and [[journalist]].<ref>"Berton's book, ''The Comfortable Pew'', in which as a lifelong atheist he attacked status quo religiosity, outraged churchgoers. But the wider public came to expect to be challenged by Berton's views." Cathryn Atkinson, 'Obituary: Pierre Berton', ''The Guardian'', 7 December 2004, Pg. 27.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Wilfrid Scawen Blunt</Name>
<BirthYear>1840</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1922</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English poet, writer and diplomat.<ref>"Wilfred Scawen Blunt was notorious as an atheist, a libertine, an adventurer and a poet. Somehow he also found time to be a diplomat - one of the earliest in this country to make a real attempt to understand Islam - and an anti-imperialist, becoming the first British-born person to go to jail for Irish independence." Phil Daoust, ''The Guardian'', 11 March 2008, G2: Radio: Pick of the day, Pg. 32.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>William Boyd</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[CBE]] (1952–): Scottish novelist and screenwriter.<ref>" "What song would you like played at your funeral?" "We'll Meet Again. I'd like the congregation to join in. As a devout atheist, I should make it clear there are no religious connotations." " Rosanna Greenstreet, 'Q&A: William Boyd', ''The Guardian'', 3 February 2007, Weekend Pages, Pg. 8.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Aldo Braibanti</Name>
<BirthYear>1922</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian writer and dramatist, famous for having been sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for 'plagiarism'.<ref>"Braibanti is a fiercely intellectual left-wing atheist and so, apart from his sexual preferences, would be regarded by sections of Italian opinion as a dangerous character." 'Plagiarist's appeal', ''The Times'', 15 November 1969; pg. 6; Issue 57718; col D. </ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Marshall Brain</Name>
<BirthYear>1961</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Author of [http://www.whywontgodhealamputees.com/ WhyWontGodHealAmputees.com] and [http://www.godisimaginary.com/ GodIsImaginary.com] and [[HowStuffWorks]] founder.</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Howard Brenton</Name>
<BirthYear>1942</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English playwright, who gained notoriety for his 1980 play ''[[The Romans in Britain]]''.<ref>Reviewing a production of ''The Romans in Britain'', Charles Spencer wrote: "It strikes me as an exceptionally powerful study of the human need for belief in a higher power, notwithstanding the fact that Brenton himself is an atheist. And the dramatist examines the nature of Paul's faith with both sympathy and insight." 'A powerful and thrilling act of heresy', ''Daily Telegraph'', 10 November 2005, Reviews, Pg. 30.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Brigid Brophy|Brigid Brophy, Lady Levey</Name>
<BirthYear>1929</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1995</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English novelist, essayist, critic, biographer, and dramatist.<ref>"It [her non-fiction book ''Black Ship to Hell'' (1962)] endeavoured to formulate a morality based on reason rather than religion—Brophy described herself as 'a natural, logical and happy atheist' (''King of a Rainy Country'', afterword, 276)." Peter Parker: 'Brophy, Brigid Antonia [married name Brigid Antonia Levey, Lady Levey] (1929–1995)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, May 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/59784] (accessed 29 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alan Brownjohn</Name>
<BirthYear>1931</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1995</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English poet and novelist.<ref>Reviewing Brownjohn's ''Collected Poems'', Anthony Thwaite wrote: "Brownjohn is 75 at the moment of publication. He has been on the literary scene - publishing, reviewing, judging, chairing, tutoring, giving readings - since the 1950s. He has also been a London borough councillor, a Labour parliamentary candidate (Richmond, Surrey, 1964), very much what I think of as decent, persistent, dogged "Old Labour" - sensitive but solid, inclining towards the puritan (though a self-confessed atheist in matters of religion) - and a strenuous campaigner for serious radio and television, anti-muzak, anti-destruction of libraries, for the proper traditional cultural concerns of the British Council, et al." 'Poetry: The vodka in the verse', ''The Guardian'', 7 October 2006, Review Pages, Pg. 18</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jason Burke</Name>
<BirthYear>1970</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1995</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist, chief foreign correspondent of ''[[The Observer]]''.<ref>"The very practical nature of Islam, a religion that enjoins the faithful to act in the world to change it, is also a boon to activists, good and bad, as does its emphasis on public demonstration of faith. The sight of rows of believers facing Mecca to answer the call to prayer often moves me, an atheist, deeply. Yet the Arabic word for martyr - and currently suicide bomber - comes from the same linguistic stem as the word for bearing witness." Jason Burke, 'Ideology's violent face', ''The Guardian'', 22 July 2005, Weekly Pages, Pg. 6.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Lawrence Bush</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Author of several books of Jewish fiction and non-fiction, including ''Waiting for God: The Spiritual Explorations of a Reluctant Atheist''.<ref>Bush describes himself as "an atheist who has nevertheless worked intimately in Jewish religious institutions as a writer and editor for much of my adult life." [http://www.njjewishnews.com/njjn.com/092007/edcolTheRabbiAnd.html The rabbi and the atheist], ''New Jersey Jewish News'', 20 September 2007 (accessed 21 april 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mary Butts</Name>
<BirthYear>1890</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1937</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[modernism|modernist]] writer.<ref>"By this time she had become an atheist and socialist." Nathalie Blondel: 'Butts , Mary Franeis (1890–1937)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38304] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>João Cabral de Melo Neto</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, (1920–1999): Brazilian poet, considered one of the greatest Brazilian poets of all time.<ref>"Though an atheist, Cabral had a deep, atavistic fear of the devil. When his wife died in 1986, he placed an emblem of Our Lady of Carmen around her neck, saying, in his mocking way, that this would make sure that she went directly to heaven, without being stopped at customs." 'Joao Cabral: His poetry voiced the sufferings of Brazil's poor', ''The Guardian'', 18 October 1999, Leader Pages; Pg. 18.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Angela Carter</Name>
<BirthYear>1940</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1992</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English novelist and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism and science fiction works.<ref>"All the mythic versions of women, from the myth of the redeeming purity of the virgin to that of the healing, reconciling mother, are consolatory nonsenses; and consolatory nonsense seems to me a fair definition of myth, anyway. Mother goddesses are just as silly a notion as father gods. If a revival of the myths of these cults gives women emotional satisfaction, it does so at the price of obscuring the real conditions of life. This is why they were invented in the first place." Angela Carter, ''The Sadeian Woman and the Ideology of Pornography'' (1978) p. 5 </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Luigi Cascioli</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian author, who trained to become a Roman Catholic priest, but he left to become a pronounced atheist, arguing that Jesus never existed.<ref>"Italian judge Gaetano Mautone has, with that special blend of flamboyance and arrogance you really only see in the continental judiciary, ordered a priest to appear in court to prove that Jesus exists. Or at least existed. Luigi Cascioli, a militant atheist and author of ''The Fable of Christ'', has brought a case against Father Enrico Righi after the priest lambasted the writer for questioning Christ's historical origins." Lucy Mangan, 'Proving Christ existed, and other resolution', ''The Guardian'', 4 January 2006, Pg. 36.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Arthur C. Clarke|Sir Arthur C. Clarke</Name>
<BirthYear>1917</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2008</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Clarke sm.jpg</Picture>
<Text>British scientist and [[Science Fiction|science-fiction]] author.<ref>"…Stanley [Kubrick] is a Jew and I'm an atheist". Clarke quoted in Jeromy Agel (Ed.) (1970). ''The Making of Kubrick's 2001'': p.306</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Edward Clodd</Name>
<BirthYear>1840</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1930</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English banker, writer and anthropologist, an early populariser of evolution, keen folklorist and chairman of the [[Rationalist Press Association]].<ref>"We can only guess what Clodd would have thought of having an evangelical preacher owning his old house: he was a noted atheist, who rejected his parents' ambition for him to become a Baptist minister in favour of becoming chairman of the Rationalist Press Association. His contribution to literature was in popularising the work of Charles Darwin and other evolutionary scientists in the face of opposition from the church. "The story of creation," wrote Clodd, " is the story of gas into genius"." Rose Gibbs, 'A religious conversion', ''Sunday Telegraph'', 14 August 2005, Section: House & Home, Pg. 004.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Claud Cockburn</Name>
<BirthYear>1904</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1981</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Renowned radical British writer and [[journalist]], controversial for his [[communist]] sympathies.<ref>"For one whose life had been so full of ironies, it was fitting that five priests celebrated a requiem mass for him in Youghal, although he had been a committed atheist." Richard Ingrams: 'Cockburn, (Francis) Claud (1904–1981), rev. ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, May 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30946] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jonathan Coe</Name>
<BirthYear>1961</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British novelist and satirical writer.<ref>"Or you can ask: was that you in The Rotters' Club, the schoolboy so crazed with fear of being seen naked that you prayed to God for deliverance and He was moved to fling a wet pair of bathers into your orbit. Yes and no. There was no such epiphanous moment, he says, and besides, he's an atheist." Sally Vincent interviewing Coe, 'A Bit of a Rotter', ''The Guardian'', 24 February 2001, Pg. 36.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>G. D. H. Cole</Name>
<BirthYear>1889</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1959</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[political theorist]], [[economist]], writer and historian.<ref>"An unlikely friendship developed between Reckitt and G. D. H. Cole. Although an unapproachable cold atheist, and at root an anarchist, Cole joined forces with Reckitt, the clubbable, romantic medievalist, archetypal bourgeois, and unswerving Anglican with a dogmatic faith, to found the National Guilds League in 1915." J. S. Peart-Binns, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31590 'Reckitt, Maurice Benington (1888–1980)'], rev., ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ivy Compton-Burnett</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|DBE]] (1884–1969): English [[novelist]].<ref>"Like Margaret Jourdain, and most of her characters who are not fools or knaves, Ivy Compton-Burnett was a firm atheist, dismissing religion because ‘No good can come of it’ (Spurling, Ivy when Young, 77)." Patrick Lyons: 'Burnett, Dame Ivy Compton- (1884–1969)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32524] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Edmund Cooper</Name>
<BirthYear>1926</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1982</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English poet and prolific writer of speculative fiction and other genres, published under his own name and several pen names.<ref>"I'm an atheist. God is an abstract noun, he's not a Father Christmas up there in Heaven, he's an abstract bloody noun who has been exploited by men in order to exploit other men, through the centuries." Edmund Cooper, [http://www.bondle.co.uk/edmund_cooper/misc_files/interview.pdf We must love one another or die: an interview with Edmund Cooper] (pdf), c.1973. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>William Cooper (novelist)|William Cooper</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English novelist.<ref>'Cooper' was the pen name of Harry Hoff. "As a militant atheist he was especially on his guard in churches, and at the wedding of a much younger friend had to be restrained from heckling the bride's clerical uncle, who was delivering an address." D. J. Taylor, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/77250 'Hoff, Harry Summerfield (1910–2002)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', online edn, Oxford University Press, Jan 2006 (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jim Crace</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English writer, winner of numerous awards.<ref>"The impulse of this book came when I was writing ''Quarantine''. At the end of writing that book, I was no less of an atheist than I was before, yet it did make me think about my atheism. Thinking about the bleakness of my own atheism, and the inadequacy of the old fashioned kind of atheism when the big events of life-- especially death--came along, made me want to see whether I could come up with a narrative of comfort, a false narrative of comfort, but one that could match the narratives of comfort religions come up with to get you through death and bereavement." Jim Crace, [http://www.beatrice.com/interviews/crace/ Beatrice Interview: Jim Crace], c. 1999 (accessed 28 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Anthony Daniels (psychiatrist)|Theodore Dalrymple</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>pen name of British writer and retired physician Anthony Daniels.<ref>Criticising the 'New Atheists' (Harris, Hitchens, Dawkins, Onfray, Grayling and co.), Dalrymple wrote: "Yet with the possible exception of Dennett's [book ''Breaking the Spell''], they advance no argument that I, the village atheist, could not have made by the age of 14 (Saint Anselm's ontological argument for God's existence gave me the greatest difficulty, but I had taken Hume to heart on the weakness of the argument from design)." [http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_4_oh_to_be.html What the New Atheists Don't See], ''City Journal'', Autumn 2007 (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Rhys Davies</Name>
<BirthYear>1901</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1978</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Welsh novelist and short story writer.<ref>"As a boy he attended a nonconformist chapel, and later an Anglican church, but in later life was to declare himself an atheist." Meic Stephens: 'Davies, Rhys (1901–1978)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31011] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Isaac Deutscher</Name>
<BirthYear>1907</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1967</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist, historian and biographer.<ref>"He rejected his father's ambition to make him a rabbi. Instead he became an atheist and, following in the footsteps of Marx, Trotsky, and his countrywoman Rosa Luxemburg, a lifelong 'non-Jewish Jew' (''Non-Jewish Jew'', ed. Deutscher)." John McIlroy: 'Deutscher, Isaac (1907–1967)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/55359] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Diamond (journalist)</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2001</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British broadcaster and journalist, noted for his column chronicling his fight with cancer.<ref>"In recent years, he had begun to write an always witty column for the Jewish Chronicle and, after his diagnosis, had even joined a synagogue - though this, he told friends, was not because he had discovered God. He remained an atheist to the end, but, he said, he wanted his children, Cosima and Bruno, to know something of the Judaism into which they had been born." Jay Rayner and Roy Greenslade, 'Obituary: John Diamond', ''The Guardian'', 3 March 2001, Pg. 22.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ruth Dudley Edwards</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish historian, crime novelist, journalist and broadcaster.<ref>"Tariq likes permanent revolution, whereas I am a libertarian conservative. True, we are both atheists, but Tariq is evangelical while I am benign about religion and think the Throne should be occupied by a member of the Church of England." Ruth Dudley-Edwards, 'Will half of Ireland really back Cameroon? How will a win affect public sentiment? Or a defeat?', ''Daily Telegraph'', 1 June 2002, Pg. 24.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Carol Ann Duffy</Name>
<BirthYear>1955</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Award-winning British poet, playwright and freelance writer.<ref>"But the 21st century has done nothing to prevent two others from the Manchester area from reshaping and modernising the Christmas story -the poet Carol Ann Duffy and the composer Sasha Johnson Manning, who have written 16 new carols. Duffy, brought up a Catholic, pronounces herself an atheist; Johnson Manning is a committed Christian." Geoff Brown, 'O great big town of Manchester', ''The Times'', 7 December 2007, Times2; Pg. 15.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Turan Dursun</Name>
<BirthYear>1934</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1990</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Islamic scholar, imam and mufti, and latterly, an outspoken atheist.<ref>"Turan Dursun, a former imam and an atheist writer..." [http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=64434 A dark shadow over Turkey], ''Turkish Daily News'', January 20, 2007 (Accessed 15 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Greg Egan</Name>
<BirthYear>1961</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australian computer programmer and [[List of science fiction authors|science fiction author]].<ref>"I was raised as a Christian, and I still retain a lot of the values of Christianity. The trouble with basing values on religions, though, is that the premises of most of them are pure wishful thinking; you either have to refuse to scrutinise those premises - take them on faith, declare that they "transcend logic" - or reject them. As Paul Davies has said, most Christian theologians have retreated from all the things that their religion supposedly asserts; they take a much more "modern" view than the average believer. But by the time you've "modernised" something like Christianity - starting off with "Genesis was all just poetry" and ending up with "Well, of course there's no such thing as a personal God" - there's not much point pretending that there's anything religious left. You might as well come clean and admit that you're an atheist with certain values, which are historical, cultural, biological, and personal in origin, and have nothing to do with anything called God." Greg Egan, [http://www.scifiworld.cz/article.php?ArticleID=27 An Interview With Greg Egan], ''Eidolon'' 11, pp. 18-30, January 1993 (accessed 28 April 2008)</ref><ref>"When I discussed my own atheism and Peter his own belief, he wrote that he needed God as a "friend of loneliness, who does not speak, does not laugh, does not cry"." Greg Egan, [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/02/16/1108500150540.html Letters from the forgotten], ''The Age'' (Australia), 17 February 2005 (accessed 28 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Barbara Ehrenreich</Name>
<BirthYear>1941</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American feminist, socialist and political activist. She is a widely read columnist and essayist, and the author of nearly 20 books.<ref>"Saturday, my last night at the [Motel] 6, and I refuse to spend it crushed in my room. But what is a person of limited means and no taste for "carousing" to do? Several times during the week, I have driven past the "Deliverance" church downtown, and the name alone exerts a scary attraction... The marquee in front of the church is advertising a Saturday night "tent revival," which sounds like the perfect entertainment for an atheist out on her own." ''Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America'', Barbara Ehrenreich, Henry Holt and Company, 2001, (p. 66-67) ISBN 0-8050-6389-7</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Eliot</Name>
<BirthYear>1819</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1890</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Mary Ann Evans, the famous novelist, was also a humanist and propounded her views on theism in an essay called ''Evangelical Teaching'.<ref>Reprinted in {{cite book|first=Christopher|last=Hitchens|title=The Portable Atheist|date=2007|isbn=978-0-306-81608-6}}</ref>.</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Harlan Ellison</Name>
<BirthYear>1934</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[List of science fiction authors|science fiction author]] and [[screenwriter]].<ref>"Look, I'm an atheist. People say to me, do you believe in God? No, I don't believe in God." Harlan Ellison in clue book for the computer version of ''I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream''([http://www.celebatheists.com/index.php?title=Harlan_Ellison].)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Gavin Ewart</Name>
<BirthYear>1916</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1995</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British poet.<ref>"He died of prostate cancer in Trinity Hospice, in Clapham, south London, on 23 October 1995. He was a declared atheist and a member of the Humanist Society and he was cremated on 30 October at Putney Vale crematorium, south London." Paul Vaughan: 'Ewart, Gavin Buchanan (1916–1995)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60151] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Oriana Fallaci</Name>
<BirthYear>1929</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Italy|Italian]] [[journalist]], [[author]], and political interviewer.<ref>"I am an atheist, and if an atheist and a pope think the same things, there must be something true. It's that simple! There must be some human truth here that is beyond religion." [http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/tvaradarajan/?id=110006858 Prophet of Decline: An interview with Oriana Fallaci], ''Wall Street Journal'', 23 June 2005 (accessed 10 April 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Vardis Fisher</Name>
<BirthYear>1895</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1968</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American writer, scholar. Author of atheistic ''Testament of Man'' series.<ref>American Atheists article on Fisher [http://www.atheists.org/pix/theme/top17.jpg].</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Fisk</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Multi-award-winning British journalist, Middle East correspondent for [[The Independent]], "probably the most famous foreign correspondent in Britain" according to the [[New York Times]].<ref>Criticising [[Desert Island Discs]] presenter [[Kirsty Young]], Gillian Reynolds wrote: "Fisk is an atheist. Why didn't she pick up his constant conversational invocations of God, press him on his choice of Psalm 23 as disc six?" 'It's time to come off the fence on Kirsty's island', ''Daily Telegraph'', 17 October 2006, Features: Arts, Pg. 28.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Thomas W. Flynn|Tom Flynn</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American author and Senior Editor of [[Free Inquiry (magazine)|Free Inquiry]] magazine.<ref>"I've been doing media appearances as a secular humanist activist for fifteen years now. I perennially underwent this exchange: REPORTER/HOST: Are you an atheist? ME: I call myself a secular humanist. Secular humanists disbelieve in the supernatural and prefer to use reason, compassion, and the methods of science to build the good life in this life. REPORTER/HOST: But you're an atheist, aren't you? I couldn't sidestep the "A" word. When I tried, it was all I'd get to talk about. Today, I handle this question differently: REPORTER/HOST: Are you an atheist? ME: Yes, but that's only the beginning." Tom Flynn, [http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=flynn_28_2 Why The "A" Word Won't Go Away], Council for Secular Humanism op-ed article (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ken Follett</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British author of thrillers and historical novels.<ref>"Follett, who is 58, was born in Cardiff, the son of a tax inspector. His family belonged to the puritanical Plymouth Brethren, so he was barred from watching films and television and even visiting other churches. Sounds like a strict upbringing. Perhaps too strict, given that he is now an atheist. 'Yeah, as soon as I reached the age of reason - about 16 - I stopped going to church. But I also have a sybaritic streak and could never have been happy in any puritanical religion. Self-denial is not my thing." Nigel Farndale, 'Damn Right I Got The Talent', ''Sunday Telegraph'', 7 October 2007, Section 7 (Books), Pg.22.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Foot</Name>
<BirthYear>1937</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British investigative journalist, political campaigner, author, and long-time member of the Socialist Workers Party.<ref>"Describing his old friend as a "devout atheist", Ingrams said Paul Foot had been much upset to discover, after he suffered a near-fatal aneurysm five years ago, that some of his religious friends had been praying for him - and even more indignant to hear that some of them thought that their prayers had been answered when he survived to go on campaigning and writing." Duncan Campbell, 'Funeral of Paul Foot', ''The Guardian'', 28 July 2004, Pg. 5.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>E. M. Forster</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of Merit (Commonwealth)|OM]] (1879–1970): English [[novelist]], short story writer, and [[essayist]], best known for his ironic and well-plotted novels examining class difference and hypocrisy in early 20th century British society.<ref>"Some time in his middle teens, he had announced that he had become an atheist, and this had led to a violent flurry in the family, various clerical friends being called in, in vain, to shepherd him back to orthodoxy. [...] Despite his churchy friends, Forster was very ready to be parted from his faith, which did not go very deep. [...] Within a short time, under Meredith's ministrations, he had lost his faith completely." Extract from P. N. Furbank's ''E. M. Forster: A Life, the Growth of the Novelist 1879-1914'', "which E. M. Forster invited P. N. Furbank to write", 'Saturday Review: Forster at Kings', ''The Times'', 23 July 1977; pg. 7; Issue 60063; col A. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Fowles</Name>
<BirthYear>1926</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English novelist and essayist, noted especially for [[The French Lieutenant's Woman]] and [[The Magus (novel)]].<ref>"In 1989 a stroke slightly impaired his memory. But the death of Elizabeth, who had been in all his novels, was an incomparably worse blow. "As an atheist, it made me very angry with someone - He, She or It - who doesn't exist," he said. It was the paradox his books had been written to solve." John Ezard, 'Obituary: John Fowles', ''The Guardian'', 8 November 2005, Pg. 36.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Frederick James Furnivall</Name>
<BirthYear>1825</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1910</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English philologist, one of the co-creators of the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]''.<ref>"Frederick Furnivall was a man of diverse causes, all based on passionately held beliefs: vegetarianism, sculling, spelling reform, atheism (in his later years), socialism, egalitarianism, teetotalism, and above all the supreme importance of editing historic and literary texts that could shed light on the cultural and social life of England's past." William S. Peterson, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33298 'Furnivall, Frederick James (1825–1910)'], Oxford ''Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, May 2007 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alex Garland</Name>
<BirthYear>1970</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British novelist and screenwriter, author of [[The Beach (novel)|The Beach]] and the screenplays for [[28 Days Later]] and [[Sunshine (2007 film)|Sunshine]].<ref>In his introduction to the ''Sunshine'' screenplay (Faber and Faber 2007), Garland writes: "Aside from being a love letter to its antecedents, I wrote Sunshine as a film about atheism. A crew is en route to a God-like entity: the Sun. The Sun is larger and more powerful than we can imagine. The Sun gave us life, and can take it away. It is nurturing, in that it provides the means of our survival, but also terrifying and hostile [...] Ultimately, even the most rational crew member is overwhelmed by his sense of wonder and, as he falls into the star, he believes he is touching the face of God. But he isn't. The Sun is God-like, but not God. Not a conscious being. Not a divine architect. And the crew member is only doing what man has always done: making an awestruck category error when confronted with our small place within the vast and neutral scheme of things. The director, Danny Boyle, who is not atheistic in the way that I am, felt differently. He believed that the crew actually were meeting God. I didn't see this as a major problem, because the difference in our approach wasn't in conflict with the way in which the story would be told." </ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Constance Garnett</Name>
<BirthYear>1861</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1946</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English translator, whose translations of [[nineteenth-century]] [[Russia]]n classics which first introduced them widely to the English and American public.<ref>"Constance became a lifelong sceptic and atheist." Patrick Waddington: 'Garnett, Constance Clara (1861–1946)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, May 2007 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33332] (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Nadine Gordimer</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[South Africa]]n [[writer]] and political activist. Her writing has long dealt with moral and racial issues, particularly [[apartheid]] in South Africa. She won the [[Nobel Prize in literature]] in 1991.<ref>"I have no religion - I'm an atheist, and I don't believe in any afterlife..." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2966732.stm|Gordimer looks towards end]", [[BBC News]], 2003-06-06. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.</ref><ref>"I am an atheist. I wouldn't even call myself an agnostic." [http://www.parisreview.com/media/3060_GORDIMER.pdf The Art of Fiction No. 77: Nadine Gordimer], Interview by the Paris Review Foundation, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Linda Grant (journalist)</Name>
<BirthYear>1951</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist and novelist.<ref>"What's stopping me is that I don't believe in God. Not in an agnostic sense but in the spirit of pure atheism which asserts that man invented divinities to account for the temporarily inexplicable. [...] Jews were just as welcoming, as long as you're Jewish by birth or conversion. Would I, as an avowed atheist, be turned away, I asked Rabbi Pini [...]." Linda Grant, 'Almighty gamble', ''The Guardian'', 25 June 1999, Art Pages, Pg. 2.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Graves</Name>
<BirthYear>1895</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1985</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English poet, scholar, translator and [[novelist]], producing more than 140 works including his famous annotations of [[The Greek Myths|Greek myths]] and [[I, Claudius]].<ref>"In addition, between 1919 and 1924 Nancy gave birth to four children in under five years; while Graves (now an atheist like his wife) suffered from recurring bouts of shell-shock." Richard Perceval Graves, 'Graves, Robert von Ranke (1895–1985)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, Oct 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31166] (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Graham Greene</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of Merit|OM]], [[Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]] (1904–1991): English]] [[novelist]], [[short story]] [[writer]], [[playwright]], [[screenwriter]], [[travel writer]] and [[critic]].<ref>"Though Greene later objected to being called a 'Catholic novelist', he became celebrated for employing religious themes in his works, praised by Catholic critics during his lifetime for the powerful way in which his novels explore the subjects of sin, damnation, evil, and divine forgiveness. But Greene's relationship with the church was never easy, and he was often critical of the religion. In his last years he began referring to himself as a 'Catholic atheist' (Shelden, 6)." Michael Shelden: 'Greene, (Henry) Graham (1904–1991)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edition, January 2006 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/40460] (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref><ref>"I don't like conventional religious piety. I'm more at ease with the Catholicism of Catholic countries. I've always found it difficult to believe in God. I suppose I'd now call myself a Catholic atheist." Graham Greene, interviewed by VS Pritchett, ''Saturday Review'': Graham Greene into the light', ''The Times'', 18 March 1978; pg. 6; Issue 60260; col A. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Germaine Greer</Name>
<BirthYear>1939</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australian feminist writer. Greer describes herself as a "Catholic atheist".<ref>"I am still a Catholic, I just don't believe in God. I am an atheist Catholic - there are a lot of them around. One thing lapsed Catholics do not do is go in for an "inferior" religion with less in the way of tradition and intellectual content."—Greer, Germaine (27 November 2003), [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/nov/27/gender.religion The habit of a lifetime], ''[[The Guardian]]''. Accessed February 12, 2008.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jan Guillou</Name>
<BirthYear>1944</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Swedish author and Journalist.<ref>{{sv icon}} ''Translation:'' "I am [an] atheist, but Ann-Marie and I light a candle anyway. I have dedicated "Madame Terror" to her. Since she has helped me much with [my] books, not least with this one, the latest. Much talk on and forth, I've had a lot yellings." {{cite web|date=[[2006-12-03]]|url=http://expressen.se/index.jsp?a=777301|title="Det ska mycket till för att reta upp mig"|publisher=[[Expressen]]|accessdate=2007-01-20}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Daniel Handler</Name>
<BirthYear>1970</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American author better known under the [[pen name]] of [[Lemony Snicket]]. Handler has admitted to being both an atheist<ref>"Handler says he's 'pretty much' an atheist..." [http://www.worldmag.com/articles/12275 Autumn of a book-lover’s contentment], Marvin Olasky, ''World Magazine'', October 07, 2006 (Accessed 5 April 2008)</ref> and a [[secular humanism|secular humanist]].<ref>"Mr. Handler... describes himself as a 'secular humanist.'", [http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/books/10/05/handler.snicket/index.html Lemony Snicket reaches 'The End'], By Todd Leopold, CNN.com, October 5, 2006 (Accessed 5 April 2008)</ref> Handler has hinted that the Baudelaires in his children's book series ''[[A Series of Unfortunate Events]]'' might be atheists.<ref>Interviewer: "Are the Baudelaires Jewish?" Handler: "I think that if you had that many terrible things happen to you, you'd probably become an atheist." [http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/features/20lemony.web.htm A Very Frustrating Dialogue], by Marc Silver, ''U.S. News & World Report'' web exclusive, 5/20/02 (Accessed 5 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sam Harris (author)|Sam Harris</Name>
<BirthYear>1967</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American author, researcher in neuroscience, author of ''[[The End of Faith]]'' and ''[[Letter to a Christian Nation]]''.<ref>Author of [http://www.truthdig.com/dig/item/200512_an_atheist_manifesto/ ''An Atheist Manifesto'']</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Harry Harrison</Name>
<BirthYear>1925</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American science fiction author, anthologist and artist whose short story ''[[The Streets of Ashkelon]]'' took as its hero an atheist who tries to prevent a Christian missionary from indoctrinating a tribe of irreligious but ingenuous alien beings.<ref>"Harry Harrison is a self-confessed atheist" per official website [http://www.iol.ie/~carrollm/hh/aboutwho.htm#Atheist HarryHarrison.com]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Tony Harrison</Name>
<BirthYear>1937</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English poet, winner of a number of literary prizes.<ref>"Although his parents never saw the poems he wrote about them, they are still included in his audience. "I'm a total atheist but I do write things for them." " [http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/poetry/story/0,,154405,00.html The Guardian Profile: Tony Harrison], 1 April 2000 (accessed [[15 April]] [[2008]]) </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Simon Heffer</Name>
<BirthYear>1960</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist and writer.<ref>"In a hideous act of precocity, I saw as a child that, having tried as hard as I could, I could not believe in God. I greatly regret this, but, despite extensive reflection, I can see no reason after all these years to revise my view." However, "... I rejoice wholeheartedly as an atheist that I live in a Christian culture". [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2005/12/21/do2101.xml Stop apologising for being Christian], Simon Heffer, ''Telegraph'', 21 December 2005 (Accessed 31 March 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Zoë Heller</Name>
<BirthYear>1965</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist and novelist.<ref>"I am not a believer. In fact, on religious matters, I am inclined to take the Christopher Hitchens line - not only am I atheist, I am anti-theist. (If God did exist, I would be against him on any number of grounds, not least of which is that He is always behaving in such an unreasonable, autocratic manner.)" Zoë Heller, 'God doesn't have the best tunes New York', ''Daily Telegraph'', 27 March 2004, Features, Comment Pg. 22.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ernest Hemingway</Name>
<BirthYear>1899</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1961</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>ErnestHemingway.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American novelist, short story writer and journalist.<ref> Ernest Hemingway is a noted atheist by several atheist and independent websites. [http://www.wonderfulatheistsofcfl.org/Quotes.htm] Also noted for saying "All thinking men are atheist".</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dorothy Hewett</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australian feminist poet, novelist, librettist, and playwright.<ref>"She was educated at home, by correspondence and at Perth College. This was run by Anglican nuns who, she said, informed her she would never enter the kingdom of heaven. Since she was already an atheist - which she remained all her life - she greeted this news with a certain nonchalance. She was amused when, in later life, she was designated as a patron saint of Australian writers." Philip Jones, 'Obituary: Dorothy Hewett', ''The Guardian'', 5 September 2002, Pg. 26.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Archie Hind</Name>
<BirthYear>1928</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2008</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish writer, author of ''The Dear Green Place'', regarded as one of the greatest Scottish novels of all time.<ref>"Hind became a socialist and an atheist, and at 14 left Riverside high school, Carntyne, and became a process clerk at Britain's largest engineering firm, Beardmore." Jackie Kemp, 'Obituary: Archie Hind: Author of a novel of Glasgow working-class life which won the Guardian award', ''The Guardian'', 29 February 2008, Pg. 41.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Christopher Hitchens</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Christopher Hitchens crop.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Author of ''[[God Is Not Great]]'', journalist and essayist.<ref>"Secularism is not just a smug attitude. It is a possible way of democratic and pluralistic life that only became thinkable after several wars and revolutions had ruthlessly smashed the hold of the clergy on the state. ... I have spent all my life on the atheist side of this argument..." Hitchens in Slate.com article, [http://www.slate.com/id/2109377/ "Bush's Secularist Triumph"].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Thomas Jefferson Hogg</Name>
<BirthYear>1792</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1862</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British biographer, and co-author with [[Percy Bysshe Shelley]] of ''[[The Necessity of Atheism]]''.<ref>"In March 1811 he was expelled along with Shelley for refusing to reveal who wrote ''The Necessity of Atheism''. Though Shelley wrote the final version and arranged the printing and distribution, Hogg had garnered philosophical arguments for the essay and probably wrote an early draft. Consequently, his decision to share Shelley's expulsion was partly a matter of loyalty and partly of pride—he could not allow his friend to accept full credit (or blame) for their joint production." Carol L. Thoma, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13475 'Hogg, Thomas Jefferson (1792–1862)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>R. J. Hollingdale</Name>
<BirthYear>1930</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2001</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English biographer and translator of German philosophy and literature, President of The Friedrich Nietzsche Society, and responsible for rehabilitating Nietzsche's reputation in the English-speaking world.<ref>"Grimly atheist, he appreciated Nietzsche's attempt to establish a philosophy that was simultaneously nihilist and life-affirming. He understood Nietzsche's keen wit, and was very funny in his own fashion, cracking many a joke, often at his own expense. ("A drink? Oh alright, just a large one!")" Carol Diethe, 'Obituary: RJ Hollingdale', ''The Guardian'', 10 October 2001, Pg. 24.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michel Houellebecq</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French novelist.<ref>{{cite journal
| last = Masson
| first = Sophie
| authorlink = Sophie Masson
| title = The Strange Case of Michel Houellebecq
| journal = [[Quadrant (magazine)|Quadrant]]
| volume = XLVII
| issue = 6
| year = 2003
| month = June
| url = http://www.quadrant.org.au/php/article_view.php?article_id=242
| accessdate = 2007-04-20 }}</ref>
</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mick Hume</Name>
<BirthYear>1959</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist – columnist for ''[[The Times|The (London) Times]]'' and editor of ''[[Spiked (magazine)|Spiked]]''. Described himself as "a longstanding atheist", but criticised the 'New Atheism' of Richard Dawkins and co.<ref>The article is subtitled "At Easter I, a longstanding atheist, find myself feeling affinity with religious folk", and begins "As a godless, atheistic Marxist, I have never been less worried about religion. What does worry me is the rise of a New Atheism that, never mind God, appears to have lost faith in humanity." [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/mick_hume/article3593483.ece It looks like Man crucified], Mick Hume, ''Times Online'', 21 March 2008 (Accessed 31 March 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alfred Edward Housman|A. E. Housman</Name>
<BirthYear>1859</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1936</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English poet and classical scholar, best known for his cycle of poems ''A Shropshire Lad''.<ref>Jim Page, the chairman of the Housman Society, said: [...] "He writes about church bells in his poems and his ashes are buried at the church in Ludlow. He was an atheist but retained an affection for churches and the sound of the bells." Richard Savill, 'Housman's bells ring again at Bredon', ''Daily Telegraph'', 28 June 2004, Pg. 08.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Stanley Edgar Hyman</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1970</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[literary critic]] who wrote primarily about critical methods.<ref>"Hyman blatantly proclaimed his biases: for example, he vigorously opposed any critical approach that took organized religion seriously (he often described himself as a "militant atheist"), and his dismissal of Eliot and Winters was based in part on their religious sympathies." Ann T. Keene: "Hyman, Stanley Edgar", ''American National Biography Online'', Feb. 2000 (accessed [[28 April]] [[2008]]) [http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-02470.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Susan Jacoby</Name>
<BirthYear>1945</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>an American atheist, secularist, and author, most recently of the New York Times best seller, ''The Age of American Unreason'', which is about anti-intellectualism.<ref>"In response to the popular atheist books of Susan Jacoby, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens..." [http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/Dinesh.html Review] by Fred Edwords of ''What's So Great about Christianity'' (by Dinesh D'Souza), expanded online version of that originally published in ''The Humanist'', March/April 2008 (Accessed 14 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robin Jenkins</Name>
<BirthYear>1912</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish writer of about thirty novels, though mainly known for ''The Cone Gatherers''.<ref>Reviewing Jenkins's ''The Missionaries'', Paul Binding wrote: "In addition to registering as a pacifist Jenkins became a member of the Independent Labour Party and was a declared atheist." Paul Binding, 'Saints and sinners', ''The Guardian'', 5 November 2005, Review Pages, Pg. 17.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Simon Jenkins</Name>
<BirthYear>1943</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist, newspaper editor, and author. A former editor of ''[[The Times]]'' newspaper, he received a knighthood for services to [[journalism]] in the [[2004]] [[British honours system|New Year honours]].<ref>Jenkins wrote "I'm an atheist but still I resent this joker in Rome slighting my community. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2125508,00.html Sorry, Pope, but this 'proper church' declaration is surreal nonsense] by Simon Jenkins, ''The Guardian'', 13 July 2007 (Accessed 31 March 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>S. T. Joshi</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American editor and [[literary criticism|literary critic]].<ref>Joshi's book: ''[http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591020808 God's Defenders: What They Believe and Why They Are Wrong]'' at amazon.com.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ludovic Kennedy</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist, author, and campaigner for voluntary [[euthanasia]].<ref>Kennedy's book: ''[http://www.amazon.com/dp/0340680644/ All in the Mind: A Farewell to God]'' at amazon.com.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Krassner</Name>
<BirthYear>1932</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American founder and editor of the [[freethought]] magazine ''[[The Realist]]'', and a key figure in the 1960s [[counterculture]].<ref>Krassner contributed a piece entitled 'Confessions of an Atheist' to the anthology ''Everything You Know About God Is Wrong: The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' (The Disinformation Company 2007, ISBN 1932857591). Excerpt: "I had developed that habit of communicating with my imaginary friend when I was a kid who actually believed in an all-knowing, all-powerful Being. [...] My faith disappeared when I was thirteen. [...] On the day after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, I would read that headline over and over and over and over again. That afternoon, I told God I couldn't believe in him any more because he had allowed such devastation to happen. "Allowed? Why do you think I gave humans free will?" "Okay, well, I'm exercising my free will to believe that you don't exist." "All right, it's your loss!" So at least we would remain on speaking terms." </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Pär Lagerkvist</Name>
<BirthYear>1891</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1974</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Sweden|Swedish]] author who was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in [[1951]]. He used religious motifs and figures from the [[Christianity|Christian]] tradition without following the doctrines of the church.<ref>"...Lagerkvist... wrote of himself that he was 'a believer without a belief, a religious atheist.'" [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,895937,00.html The Religious Atheist], Time Magazine review of Lagerkvist's book ''The Death of Ahasuerus'', February 23, 1962. Retrieved 24 July 2007.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Philip Larkin</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]], [[Commander of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature|FRSL]] (1922–1985): English poet, novelist and [[jazz]] critic.<ref>"Larkin, a typical moody 20th-century atheist, thought religion was "that vast moth-eaten musical brocade / Created to pretend we never die". A.N. Wilson, 'Give me that old-time religion', ''Daily Telegraph'', 17 April 2006, News section, End column, Pg. 19.</ref><ref>"It is a curious fact, but if I want a poet who will get me in an Easter frame of mind, I turn not to these orthodox followers of the Creed, but to that out-and-out atheist and self-confessed nihilist Philip Larkin." A.N. Wilson, 'This is the time when Larkin comes into his own', ''Daily Telegraph'', 21 April 2003, World of Books section, Pg. 21.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Marghanita Laski</Name>
<BirthYear>1915</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1988</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[journalist]] and [[novelist]], also writing literary biography, plays and short stories.<ref>"In view of the enduring influence of Moses Gaster it is a mark of Marghanita Laski's true independence of mind that, while remaining proud of her Jewishness, she renounced her faith even before she went up to Oxford and declared herself to be an atheist." R. W. Burchfield, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39837 'Laski, Marghanita (1915–1988)'], rev. ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2007 (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Rutka Laskier</Name>
<BirthYear>1929</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1943</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Polish Jew who was killed at [[Auschwitz concentration camp]] at the age of 14. Because of her diary, on display at Israel's Holocaust museum, she has been dubbed the "Polish [[Anne Frank]]."<ref>Laskier wrote "The little faith I used to have has been completely shattered. If God existed, He would have certainly not permitted that human beings be thrown alive into furnaces, and the heads of little toddlers be smashed with gun butts or shoved into sacks and gassed to death." ''New Pages of Past Horror: Writings depict the innocence of a Jewish teen coming of age--and Nazi brutality'', Aron Heller, Associated Press, 6 June 2006.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Stanislaw Lem</Name>
<BirthYear>1921</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Polish science fiction novelist and essayist.<ref name="MisI">[http://missourireview.com/printable.php?genre=Interviews&title=An+Interview+with+Stanislaw+Lem An Interview with Stanislaw Lem] by [[Peter Engel]]. ''The Missouri Review'', Volume 7, Number 2, 1984.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Giacomo Leopardi</Name>
<BirthYear>1798</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1837</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian poet, linguist, essayist and philosopher. Leopardi is legendary as an out-and-out [[nihilism|nihilist]].<ref> In his posthumously published ''Zibaldone'', Leopardi writes, among other such arguments: "In sum, the foundation of everything, and of God himself, is nothing. Since nothing is absolutely necessary, there is no absolute reason why something could ''not'' be, or not be in a certain way...And everything is possible, that is there is no absolute reason why some arbitrary thing can not exist, or exist in a certain manner....And there is no absolute distinction between all these possibilities, nor absolute difference between all the possible perfections and so on....It is certain that since the Platonic forms that preexist all things have been destroyed, God is destroyed." (Zib. 1341-42, [[18 July]], [[1821]]) —trans. Francesco Franco</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Primo Levi</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1987</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian novelist and chemist, survivor of [[Auschwitz]] concentration camp.<ref>Levi quoted as saying "There is Auschwitz, and so there cannot be God." Interview with Marlboro Press (1989)[http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Langs/italian/holoc/Camon_int_Levi.htm].</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Georg Christoph Lichtenberg</Name>
<BirthYear>1742</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1799</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German scientist, satirist, philosopher and anglophile. Known as one of Europe's best authors of aphorisms. Satirized religion using aphorisms like "I thank the Lord a thousand times for having made me become an atheist."<ref> ''Waste Books'' E 252, 1765-1770</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Pierre Loti</Name>
<BirthYear>1850</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1923</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French novelist and travel writer.<ref>Repeatedly mentioned in [[Lesley Blanch]]'s biography of him: ''Pierre Loti - Travels with the Legendary Romantic''.</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>H. P. Lovecraft</Name>
<BirthYear>1890</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1937</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American novelist.<ref>Joshi, The Scriptorium, "H. P. Lovecraft", section II.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Franco Lucentini</Name>
<BirthYear>1920</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian writer, journalist, translator and editor of anthologies.<ref>"A convinced atheist, he had discussed the possibility of suicide with his friend Fruttero in the past, at one time contemplating driving his car into a canal with his companion, Simone Bennes Darses, at his side. On this occasion he rose early, leaving her sleeping undisturbed in bed." Philip Willan, 'Obituary: Franco Lucentini', ''The Guardian'', 9 August 2002, Pg. 18.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Norman MacCaig</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1996</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish poet, whose work is known for its humour, simplicity of language and great popularity.<ref>"During the Second World War McCaig was a conscientious objector, though not on religious grounds for, as he asserted in an interview, 'I was born an atheist' (Murray, 88)." Hilda D. Spear, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60467 'MacCaig , Norman Alexander (1910–1996)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edition, May 2007 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Heather Mallick</Name>
<BirthYear>1959</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Canadian columnist, author and lecturer.<ref>"I'm an atheist. So is everyone I know, or maybe they're being Canadian and refraining from mentioning their religion. Don't poke atheists with a stick or we'll want our own morning manifesto." [http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_mallick/20080218.html Religion in the public discourse? It's a can of worms] (cbc.ca, 18 February 2008 (Accessed 25 Mars 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Lucy Mangan</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist, columnist for ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref>"This distresses me on many levels. First because as a card-carrying atheist, I had transferred my faith to these secular deities and passionately believed in their perfect marriage." Lucy Mangan, 'The Beckhams - do we deserve any better?', ''The Guardian'', 19 October 2005, Pg. 36.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>W. Somerset Maugham</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]] (1874–1965): English playwright, novelist, and short story writer, one of the most popular authors of his era.<ref>"So why should Maugham, self-declared atheist, "continental" more than English, choose so inappropriate a burial place?" Shona Crawford Poole, 'Pilgrimage to the heart of England', ''The Times'', 26 January 1985; pg. 12; Issue 62046; col D.</ref><ref>"In ''The Summing Up'' (1938) and ''A Writer's Notebook'' (1949) Maugham explains his philosophy of life as a resigned atheism and a certain skepticism about the extent of man's innate goodness and intelligence; it is this that gives his work its astringent cynicism." [http://www.britannica.com/oscar/article-9051480 'Maugham, W. Somerset'], ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', accessed 8 May 2008.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Charles Maurras</Name>
<BirthYear>1868</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1952</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French author, poet, and critic, a leader and principal thinker of the [[reactionary]] [[Action Française]].<ref>"The French right, to give it its due, has been astonishingly persistent throughout history. [...] In ''Action Francaise''{{sic}} it found a congenial form of expression and a leader, Charles Maurras; the fact that Maurras was an atheist who believed that religion was a useful social cement [...] did not distress the Catholics on the French right as much as it should." Peter Hebblethwaite, 'Misguided catalogue of blame for the passing of the glory that was France', ''The Times'', 4 January 1975; pg. 12; Issue 59285; col B.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Joseph McCabe</Name>
<BirthYear>1867</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1955</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Joseph-mccabe-1910.jpg</Picture>
<Text>English writer, anti-religion campaigner.<ref>Multiple quotes from McCabe substantiating his atheist view [http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/quote-m1b.htm].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mary McCarthy (author)|Mary McCarthy</Name>
<BirthYear>1912</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1989</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American writer and critic.<ref>"Throughout her childhood, McCarthy took refuge in Catholicism, but, although she was schooled in convents and considered herself a devout Catholic, she tried to call attention to herself as a teenager by pretending to have lost her faith. Questioned about her claim, she found that she had in fact done so. She remained an atheist." Kathy D. Hadley: "McCarthy, Mary", ''American National Biography Online'', Feb. 2000 (accessed [[28 April]] [[2008]]) [http://www.anb.org/articles/16/16-02406.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ian McEwan</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, [[CBE]] (1948–): British author and winner of the [[Man Booker Prize]].<ref>"Yes, I am an atheist, and probably Briony is, too. Atheists have as much conscience, possibly more, than people with deep religious conviction, and they still have the same problem of how they reconcile themselves to a bad deed in the past. It’s a little easier if you’ve got a god to forgive you." {{cite web | last=Solomon | first=Deborah | authorlink=Deborah Solomon | date= [[December 2]], [[2007]] | title= A Sinner's Tale: Questions for Ian McEwan | work=[[New York Times]] | url= http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/magazine/02wwln-Q4-t.html | accessdate=2007-12-02}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>China Miéville</Name>
<BirthYear>1972</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British Science Fiction author.<ref>"My distaste for Lewis and Tolkien as writers does not stem from the fact that, as an atheist, I disagree with their religious beliefs or think that religious concerns cannot make great literature." – [http://www.bordersstores.com/features/feature.jsp?file=mieville2 ''Reinvigorating the Fantastic''], Accessed [[February 12]], [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Arthur Miller</Name>
<BirthYear>1915</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Arthur-miller.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American [[playwright]] and [[essayist]], a prominent figure in [[American literature]] and [[film|cinema]] for over 61 years, writing a wide variety of [[Play (theatre)|plays]], including celebrated plays such as ''[[The Crucible]]'', ''[[A View from the Bridge]]'', ''[[All My Sons]]'', and ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'', which are widely studied.<ref>Interviewed in 2004 by Jonathan Miller for his television series ''Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief'', Arthur Miller said: "Well I tried to be a religious person when I was twelve, thirteen, fourteen, it lasted about two years. And then it simply vanished. I simply lay down one evening to go to sleep and woke up the next day and it wasn't there anymore. [...] Of course, I could no longer believe. I quickly, at some point in my late teens, began reading and surmising that the idea of religion was a creation of man's longing to be a permanent part of the universe. [...] But myself, personally, I don't have the talent to believe. [...] It just seems to me so patent that what man has done is to project himself into the heavens, where he can be all-powerful as he's not here, and moral, and decent, and vengeful, and all the things he's not allowed to do on the earth, and to don that white garment and the beard and be what he wished in his dreams he could be... and I just can't get past that." ''The [[Atheism Tapes]]: Arthur Miller'', 3.25–6.14, BBC television, first broadcast October 2004.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Mills (author)</Name>
<BirthYear>1959</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Author who argues in his book ''Atheist Universe'' that science and religion cannot be successfully reconciled.<ref>''Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism.''[http://www.amazon.com/dp/1569755671]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Mortimer|Sir John Mortimer</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] [[Queen's Counsel|QC]] (1923–): English [[barrister]], dramatist and author, famous as the creator of ''[[Rumpole of the Bailey]]''.<ref>"I'm also obsessed by religion, being an atheist myself. There's something eternally fascinating about respectability gone wrong." Quoted in Sheridan Morley, 'Mortimer on Heaven and Hell', ''The Times'', 27 May 1976; pg. 7; Issue 59714; col E.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Martin O'Hagan</Name>
<BirthYear>1950</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2001</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Northern Irish journalist, the most prominent journalist to be assassinated during the the Troubles.<ref>" "Marty really rattled the paramilitaries because he had such good contacts," said John Keane, a friend and colleague of O'Hagan's. "He'd be able to tell you what they had for breakfast before they went out to kill. He had a cynical eye and he was very aware of the sub-structure of society, the unusual alliances, the way people weren't always what they seemed. He was an atheist and a Marxist, liable to start spouting Hegel if you gave him a chance. He used to say, my enemy's enemy is my friend. Very little that happened in Northern Ireland would have surprised Marty." " Susan McKay, 'Faith, Hate and Murder', ''The Guardian'', 17 November 2001, Weekend Pages, Pg. 19.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ananda Selah Osel</Name>
<BirthYear>1982</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>poet, essayist, and magazine editor. Osel calls himself an atheist, Buddhist, and nihilist.<ref>"...I accept Buddhism... It’s an atheistic philosophy... I don’t expect them to be sympathetic to my atheism, my nihilism, or anything of the sort." [http://www.eloquentatheist.com/?p=197 An Interview with Atheist Poet Ananda Selah Osel], ''The Eloquent Atheist'' (Accessed 5 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Oswald (activist)</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>(c.1760–1793): Scottish journalist, poet, social critic and revolutionary.<ref>"Oswald, a vegetarian and atheist, used the pseudonyms Ignotus (in the Political Herald, 1785–7), Sylvester Otway (London newspapers 1788–9), and H. K." T. F. Henderson, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/20922 'Oswald, John (c.1760–1793)'], rev. Ralph A. Manogue, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, May 2006 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Frances Partridge</Name>
<BirthYear>1900</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English member of the [[Bloomsbury Group]] and a writer, probably best known for the publication of her diaries.<ref>"Frances Partidge was a pacifist long before she met Ralph. She says she cannot pinpoint the day with the same clarity with which she can remember discovering herself an atheist—at the age of 11 in an Isle of Wight boarding house—but hearing about the outbreak of World War I in the company of bellicose friends, and a feminist cousin who supported conscientious objectors, put her on the path." Caroline Moorehead, 'Love and laughter on the fringe of the Bloomsbury set', ''The Times'', 12 August 1978; pg. 12; Issue 60378; col A.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Camille Paglia</Name>
<BirthYear>1947</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[post-feminism|post-feminist]] literary and cultural critic.<ref>Salon magazine [[28 April]] [[1999]] [http://www.salon.com/people/col/pagl/1999/04/28/camille/index.html]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Matthew Parris</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>South African-born British journalist and former [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician.<ref>"'''Tanya Byron:''' Former MP and newspaper columnist Matthew Parris is proud to call himself an atheist. Matthew Parris: I don't have a lot of doubt any more. I think it's a mistake, religion. I think that God doesn't exist. I am not absolutely hundred percent certain of that, any more than I am not absolutely a hundred percent certain that there isn't an elephant in the next room. There may be, but I think it's highly unlikely. Of course I know lots of very nice Christians, and their Christianity doesn't make me angry at all. But I get irritated with laziness of mind, with bad arguments and with a reaching for the comfort of something that, in some part of their brain, they must know is unprovable, and perhaps not true." ''Am I Normal?'' episode 'Spirituality', BBC TV, first broadcast BBC2, 28 April 2008 21:00. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Pier Paolo Pasolini</Name>
<BirthYear>1922</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1975</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Italy|Italian]] [[poet]], [[intellectual]], [[film director]], and [[writer]].<ref>"Not since 1964 had Pasolini created such a stir, and even then it was not the content of his ''The Gospel According to St. Matthew'' that stunned people. It was the discovery that a director who was both a communist and an atheist could bring such fervor and insight to a religious subject. [...] There are times when Pasolini sounds remarkably religious for a self-acknowledged atheist. "I suffer from the nostalgia of a peasant-type religion, and that is why I am on the side of the servant," he says. "But I do not believe in a metaphysical god. I am religious because I have a natural identification between reality and God. Reality is divine. That is why my films are never naturalistic. The motivation that unites all of my films is to give back to reality its original sacred significance." Guy Flatley, [http://www.moviecrazed.com/outpast/pasolini.html The Atheist who was Obsessed with God], 1969, located at Moviecrazed.com (accessed 25 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Harold Pinter</Name>
<BirthYear>1930</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[United Kingdom|British]] playwright, screenwriter, poet, actor, director, author, and political activist, best known for his plays ''[[The Birthday Party (play)|The Birthday Party]]'' (1957), ''[[The Caretaker]]'' (1959), ''[[The Homecoming]]'' (1964), and ''[[Betrayal (play)|Betrayal]]'' (1978). Winner of the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Pinter 'on road to recovery'
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/2216504.stm
| publisher = [[BBC News]]
| date = [[2002-08-26]]
| accessdate = 2007-04-20
}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Terry Pratchett</Name>
<BirthYear>1948</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Terry pratchett.jpg</Picture>
<Text>English [[Fantasy author]] known for his [[satire|satirical]] ''[[Discworld]]'' series.<ref>"I'm an atheist, at least to the extent that I don't believe in the objective existence of any big beards in the sky."—[http://www.herebedragons.co.uk/gay/pterry.htm ''The Line One Interview with Terry Pratchett''], Gay, Anne, 1999. Accessed [[December 24]], [[2006]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Philip Pullman</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Philip Pullman 2005-04-16.png</Picture>
<Text>[[CBE]] (1946–): British author of ''[[His Dark Materials]]'' fantasy trilogy for young adults, which have atheism as a major theme.<ref>"As an atheist I'm rather on difficult ground here, but presumably this is what a Christian believes." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/03/17/bodark17.xml The Dark Materials debate: life, God, the universe...] (interview of Pullman by Rowan Williams), Telegraph.co.uk, 17 March 2004 (Accessed 12 November 2007).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Craig Raine</Name>
<BirthYear>1944</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English poet and critic, the best-known exponent of [[Martian poetry]].<ref>Reviewing Raine's collection ''In Defence of T. S. Eliot'', Charles Osborne and Sally Cousins wrote: "Raine, a fine poet, is also an entertaining and thought-provoking critic, and his subjects range widely from the Bible, which as an atheist he appreciates for its short stories, "some of the greatest ever written", to Bruce Chatwin, whom he sensibly does not take too seriously." ''Sunday Telegraph'', 14 October 2001, Paperbacks, Pg. 14.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ayn Rand</Name>
<BirthYear>1905</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1982</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Russian-born American author and founder of [[Objectivism (Ayn Rand)|Objectivism]].<ref>"I am an intransigent atheist, but not a militant one." Rand quoted in Michael S. Berliner (1995). ''Letters of Ayn Rand'': [[March 20]], [[1965]] [http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=faq_index#obj_q6]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Derek Raymond</Name>
<BirthYear>1931</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1994</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English writer, credited with being the founder of English [[Noir fiction|noir]].<ref>Derek Raymond was the pen name of Robert Cook. "Cook was an atheist, but he described his probes into abjection and despair with almost religious intensity." Phil Baker: 'Cook, Robert William Arthur (1931–1994)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60646] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Claire Rayner</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[OBE]] (1931–): British journalist best-known for her role for many years as an [[agony aunt]]. </Text>
</Person>
<ref>"I tell you something, in case anyone wonders, not a single out-of-body experience, no long corridors of light, I was an atheist when it started and I've remained one. People used to say to me, 'You wait until something really bad happens, you'll start praying', but I didn't and I can't. I don't put this down to any superior being, I put it down to the superb training and skill of the people looking after me. I remain the humanist I always was." Claire Rayner, interviewed by Libby Brooks, ''The Guardian'', [[September 12]], [[2003]], Features Pages, Pg. 6.</ref>
<Person>
<Name>Ron Reagan</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American magazine journalist, board member of the politically activist [[Creative Coalition]], son of former U. S. President [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>When asked by [[Larry King]] if he would ever run for office, Reagan Jr. responded by saying, "I'm an atheist so... I can't be elected to anything, because polls all say that people won't elect an atheist." Interview on ''[[Larry King Live]]'', [[26 June]] [[2004]]. See [http://www.zippyvideos.com/86205588522205/ronhttp://www.zippyvideos.com/86205588522205/ron clip].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Stan Rice</Name>
<BirthYear>1942</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American poet and artist, Professor of English and Creative Writing at [[San Francisco State University]], and husband of writer [[Anne Rice]].<ref>Reviewing Anne Rice's ''Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt'', Matt Thorne noted: "In a long author's note, Rice explains how she experienced an old-fashioned, strict Roman Catholic childhood in the 1940s and 1950s, before leaving the Church at 18 due to sexual pressure and her desire to read authors she considered forbidden to her, such as Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Camus. Two years later she married a passionate atheist, the poet and artist Stan Rice, and in 1974, began a literary career that she now retrospectively views as representing her 'quest for meaning in a world without God'." ''Sunday Telegraph'', 18 December 2005, Section 7, Pg. 43.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Salman Rushdie</Name>
<BirthYear>1947</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Salman Rushdie.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Indian-born British essayist and author of fiction.<ref>Interview with Rushdie by Gigi Marzullo; Sottovoce, RAIUNO, [[March 31]] [[2006]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>José Saramago</Name>
<BirthYear>1922</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Josesaramago.jpg</Picture>
<Text>[[Portugal|Portuguese]] writer, playwright and journalist. He was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 1998.<ref>CNN reports that: "Among these works are mythical stories through which Saramago, a communist and atheist, weaves his own brand of social and political commentary." [http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1998/nobel/literature/ In praise of Portuguese] (Accessed 30 May 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dan Savage</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Author and sex advice columnist.<ref>"If Osama bin Laden were in charge, he would slit my throat; my God, I'm an atheist, a hedonist, and a faggot." ''Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America'', Dan Savage, Plume, 2002, p. 258.</ref> Despite his atheism, Savage considers himself Catholic "in a cultural sense."<ref>Savage declared in his syndicated sex advice column: "I'm [[Catholic]]—in a cultural sense, not an eat-the-wafer, say-the-rosary, burn-down-the-women's-health-center sense. I attended [[Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary|Quigley Preparatory Seminary]] North, a Catholic high school in [[Chicago]] for boys thinking of becoming priests. I got to meet the [[Pope]] in 1979..." [http://villagevoice.com/people/0515,savage,62908,24.html Savage Love] (column), ''[[The Village Voice]]'', [[April 12]], [[2005]].</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Percy Bysshe Shelley</Name>
<BirthYear>1792</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1822</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Portrait of Percy Bysshe Shelley by Curran, 1819.jpg</Picture>
<Text>British [[Romanticism|Romantic]] poet, contemporary and associate of [[John Keats]] and [[George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron|Lord Byron]], and author of ''[[The Necessity of Atheism]]''.<ref>Listing of Shelley's ''The Necessity of Atheism'' at Amazon.com [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0879757744].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Shermer</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Science writer and editor of [[Skeptic (magazine)|''Skeptic'']] magazine. Has stated that he is an atheist, but prefers to be called a skeptic.<ref>"I am an atheist. There, I said it. Are you happy, all you atheists out there who have remonstrated with me for adopting the agnostic moniker? If "atheist" means someone who does not believe in God, then an atheist is what I am. But I detest all such labels. Call me what you like — humanist, secular humanist, agnostic, nonbeliever, nontheist, freethinker, heretic, or even bright. I prefer skeptic." [http://www.michaelshermer.com/2005/06/why-i-am-an-atheist/ Why I Am An Atheist], Michael Shermer, June 2005 (accessed 31 March 2008). </ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Joan Smith (novelist and journalist)|Joan Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English novelist, journalist and human rights activist.<ref>"Like most atheists, I don't mind in the least being insulted for my beliefs, as long as I am not prevented from expressing them." Joan Smith, 'None of us has the right not to be offended', ''Independent on Sunday'', 21 October 2001, Comment, Pg. 30.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Warren Allen Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1921</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Author of ''Who's Who in Hell''.<ref>Listing of Smith as a founder of [http://humanists.net/wasm/fanny.htm Freethinkers New York].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Ramsay Steele</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Author of [http://www.opencourtbooks.com/books_n/atheism_explained.htm Atheism Explained: From Folly to Philosophy''].<ref>Reviewing Steele's book, Victor J Stenger called it "A clear, concise, complete, and convincing presentation of the case for atheism."</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Warrington Steevens</Name>
<BirthYear>1869</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1900</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist and writer.<ref>"By early 1890 Steevens had broken with his family's Brethrenism, and he described himself as 'a discontented atheist' (Steevens to Browning; Oscar Browning MSS)." Sidney Lee, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/26356 'Steevens, George Warrington (1869–1900)'], rev. Roger T. Stearn, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, October 2007 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Louis Stevenson</Name>
<BirthYear>1850</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1894</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish novelist, poet and travel writer, especially famous for his works ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde|The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]''.<ref>"A decadent dandy who envied the manly Victorian achievements of his family, a professed atheist haunted by religious terrors, a generous and loving man who fell out with many of his friends - the Robert Louis Stevenson of Claire Harman's biography is all of these and, of course, a bed-ridden invalid who wrote some of the finest adventure stories in the language. [...] Worse still, he affected a Bohemian style, haunted the seedier parts of the Old Town, read Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer, and declared himself an atheist. This caused a painful rift with his father, who damned him as a "careless infidel". Theo Tait, review of ''Robert Louis Stevenson: a Biography'' by Claire Harman, ''Daily Telegraph'', 29 January 2005, Books Pg.3</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Matt Taibbi</Name>
<BirthYear>1970</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American journalist and political writer, currently working at [[Rolling Stone]].<ref>Matt Taibbi, interveiwed by 'Friendly Atheist' Hemant Mehta: "'''HM:''' What role should religion play in the political arena? '''MT:''' Well, I’m an atheist/agnostic, so I would say none. People should stick to solving the problems they have the tools to solve." [http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/04/29/interview-with-rolling-stones-matt-taibbi/ 'Interview with Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi'], friendlyatheist.com, 29 April 2008 (accessed 10 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Allen Tate</Name>
<BirthYear>1899</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1979</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American poet, essayist and social commentator, and [[Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress]] 1943–1944.<ref>In ''Allen Tate: Orphan of the South'', biographer Thomas A. Underwood quotes Tate as saying: "I am an atheist, but a religious one—which means there is no organization for my religion."</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Vladimir Tendryakov</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1984</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Russian short story writer and novelist.<ref>Commenting on Tendryakov's obituary in the ''Times'', Professor Geoffrey A. Hosking wrote: "Perhaps because of his concern for the human personality, Tendryakov was the first writer in the post-Stalin period to raise religious questions seriously in fiction. Though an atheist himself, he understood the intrinsic importance of religion, and did not treat it merely satirically or condescendingly." 'Vladimir Tendryakov', ''The Times'', 17 August 1984; pg. 10; Issue 61912; col G. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Tiffany Thayer</Name>
<BirthYear>1902</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1959</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[author]], advertising copywriter, [[actor]] and founder of the [[Fortean Society]].<ref>"Characterizing himself as an atheist, an anarchist, and a skeptic, he enjoyed his image of impudent prurience, though he revealed little to the public of his personal life." Dennis Wepman: "Thayer, Tiffany", ''American National Biography Online'', Feb. 2000 (accessed [[28 April]] [[2008]]) [http://www.anb.org/articles/16/16-01621.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bill Thompson (technology writer)|Bill Thompson</Name>
<BirthYear>1960</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English technology writer, best known for his weekly column in the Technology section of BBC News Online and his appearances on Digital Planet, a radio show on the BBC World Service.<ref>"Facebook knows I'm an atheist, and if Facebook knows it then the CIA probably knows it too, which could be a problem if I tried to stand for election in South Carolina, Mississippi or any of the other seven US States which require candidates to believe in a supreme being." [http://newhumanist.org.uk/1720 Facebook knows I'm an atheist], ''New Humanist'' (web exclusive article), January 2008 (accessed 17 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>James Thomson (B.V.)|James Thomson ('B.V.')</Name>
<BirthYear>1834</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1882</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British poet and satirist, famous primarily for the long poem ''[[City of Dreadful Night|The City of Dreadful Night]]'' (1874).<ref>"His beliefs moved from pantheism to an atheism which causes less of a frisson now than it did in his own day, and his apocalyptic vision of the megalopolis in 'The City of Dreadful Night' continues to have resonance." Ann Margaret Ridler, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27310 'Thomson , James (1834–1882)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Nicholas Tomalin</Name>
<BirthYear>1931</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1973</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist and writer, one of the top 40 journalists of the modern era.<ref>"B.B.C. 2 (Ch. 33) [...] 10.20 Doubts and Certainties: a Dean talks to an atheist, with Harry Williams, Nicholas Tomalin." 'Television and radio', ''The Times'', 17 September 1968; pg. 18; Issue 57358; col A.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Freda Utley</Name>
<BirthYear>1898</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1978</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English scholar, best-selling author and political activist.<ref>"Her parents were radicals in their outlook and they educated their daughter in a rationalist and humanist mode. As an atheist she saw religion only as the shield of tyranny, intolerance, and cruelty." D. A. Farnie, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60962 'Utley, Winifred (1899–1978)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kurt Vonnegut</Name>
<BirthYear>1922</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2007</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American author, writer of ''[[Cat's Cradle]]'', among other books. Vonnegut said "I am an atheist (or at best a Unitarian who winds up in churches quite a lot)."<ref name="Haught"/></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ethel Lilian Voynich</Name>
<BirthYear>1864</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1960</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish-born novelist and musician, and a supporter of several revolutionary causes.<ref>"She returned to England an atheist and radical, eager to view nihilism in Russia." Patrick Waddington, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38488 'Voynich , Ethel Lilian (1864–1960)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, October 2007 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Francis Wheen</Name>
<BirthYear>1957</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British journalist, writer and broadcaster.<ref>"[...] I'm an admirer of what you might call 'Enlightenment values' (though they go way beyond the Enlightenment). Things like scientific empiricism, the separation of church and state, the waning of absolutism and tyranny, yes, I cling to those. [...] It [his childhood home] was quite a religious household. I wouldn't be surprised, frankly, if I'm the first Wheen to be an atheist. And so, of course, there was a lot of church-going and all the rest of it, and gradually, through my childhood, I found myself rejecting more and more of it, until finally all I was left with was the Litany and the hymns. I know the Book of Common Prayer and Hymns Ancient and Modern and the King James Bible practically backwards, and I'm very fond of them all." Interview with Francis Wheen by Simon Jones for ''Third Way'' magazine, reprinted in Wheen's 2004 book ''How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World'', Harper Collins paperback 'P.S.' section, p.2, ISBN 0-00-714097-5.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Leonard Woolf</Name>
<BirthYear>1880</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1969</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Noted British political theorist, author, publisher, and civil servant, husband of author Virginia Woolf.<ref>"He was brought up in Reform Judaism, became an atheist in his teens, and remained sceptical about the religious temperament." S. P. Rosenbaum, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37019 'Woolf, Leonard Sidney (1880–1969)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Gao Xingjian</Name>
<BirthYear>1940</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Chinese émigré [[novelist]], [[dramatist]], critic, translator, stage director and painter. Winner of the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 2000.<ref>[http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/2000/gao-lecture-e.html Nobel Lecture by Gao Xingjian]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!-- business -->
<Person>
<Name>John Baskerville</Name>
<BirthYear>1706</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1775</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English typesetter, printing innovator and [[Type foundry|typefounder]], designer of the typeface that bears his name.<ref>Baskerville left directions that his body be buried "in a Conical Building in my own premises Hearetofore used as a mill which I have lately Raised Higher and painted and in a vault which I have prepared for It. This Doubtless to many may appear a Whim perhaps It is so—But it is a whim for many years Resolve'd upon, as I have a Hearty Contempt for all Superstition the Farce of a Consecrated Ground the Irish Barbarism of Sure and Certain Hopes &c I also consider Revelation as it is call'd Exclusive of the Scraps of Morality casually Intermixt with It to be the most Impudent Abuse of Common Sense which Ever was Invented to Befool Mankind." He also wrote the test for his epitaph: "Stranger—Beneath this Cone in Uncons[e]crated Ground / A Friend to the Liberties of mankind Directed his Body to be Inhum'd / May the Example Contribute to Emancipate thy mind / From the Idle Fears of Superstition / And the wicked arts of priesthood." Both quoted in James Mosley, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1624 'Baskerville, John (1706–1775)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 7 May 2008).</ref><ref>"Baskerville, designer of the type that bears his name and one of Birmingham's best known citizens, was an atheist and anticleric whose will contained a vitriolic attack on the Church." 'Printer's Reburial Demanded', ''The Times'' 9 March 1963; pg. 6; Issue 55645; col A.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Larry Flynt</Name>
<BirthYear>1942</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American publisher and the head of Larry Flynt Publications.<ref>Flynt writes "I have left my religious conversion behind and settled into a comfortable state of atheism" in the epilogue of his autobiography ''An Unseemly Man: My Life As A Pornographer, Pundit And Social Outcast'' by Larry Flynt and Kenneth Ross (1996) ISBN 0-7871-1143-0</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Stephen Girard</Name>
<BirthYear>1750</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1831</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Stephen Girard.jpg</Picture>
<Text>[[France|French]] sailor turned American banker and philanthropist.<ref name="SGirard">{{cite journal | last = Gray | first = Carole | title = The Atheist Who Saved The United States (...and the thanks he got for it) | journal = The American Atheist | volume = 37 | issue = 2 | pages = 34-44 | date = Spring 1999 | url = http://njatheist.org/the_Atheist_who_saved_the_usa.html | quote = One of his longtime employees, whose father had also worked for Stephen, said of him, "on the subject of religion, his opinions were atheistical. Let not the reader start, to find himself in company with one, who utterly disbelieved in all modes of a future existence, and who rejected with inward contempt every formulary of religion, as idle, vain, and unmeaning. Yet such were the convictions of Girard, held to his dying hour, and perpetuated in his last testament as a legacy to future generations .... He was known to be totally irreligious; and to attempt to conceal what is notorious, would be to suppress one of the most extraordinary features of his character."}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Allan Pinkerton</Name>
<BirthYear>1819</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1884</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish-born American [[detective]] and [[espionage|spy]], best known for creating the [[Pinkerton Agency]], the first detective agency of the United States.<ref>"Although christened by a Baptist minister in the Gorbals (25 August 1819), he had a churchless upbringing and was a lifelong atheist." Richard Davenport-Hines, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/49497 'Pinkerton, Allan (1819–1884)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed [[2 May]] [[2008]]).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Graeme Samuel</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Australian]] businessman, currently serving as the chairman of the [[Australian Competition and Consumer Commission]].<ref>"I'm an atheist..." [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bigideas/stories/2006/1646295.htm#|Terry Lane interviews Graeme Samuel], BigIdeas, ABC Radio National, 28 May 2006 (Accessed 2 July 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Christer Sturmark</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Sweden|Swedish]] [[Information technology|IT]] entrepreneur and chairman of [[Humanisterna|The Swedish Humanist Organisation]].<ref>{{sv icon}} ''Translation:'' I am also an atheist. I find that just about everybody are atheists. The religions of the world has created many gods. Hinduism has millions. Most of the people I meet that call themselves Christians are atheists when it comes to all gods, except for one. [http://www.sturmark.se/item.php?item%20id=273 Jag är en sökare!]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Will Wyatt</Name>
<BirthYear>1942</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British media consultant and company director, formerly a journalist, television producer and senior executive at the [[BBC]].<ref>"Mr Wyatt, an atheist, said that he had no axe to grind, and was struck by how much more different - "and accurate" - the BBC's description of Christianity was, where the birth of Jesus was mentioned as being "believed by Christians" and that Jesus "claimed" that he spoke with the authority of God." Hugh Davies, 'BBC site guilty of 'cringeing' ', ''Daily Telegraph'', 8 February 2006, Pg. 7.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mark Zuckerberg</Name>
<BirthYear>1984</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Founder and [[CEO]] of [[Facebook]]<ref>[http://www.facebook.com/s.php?k=100000080&id=4 Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook]</ref><ref>Zuckerberg "considers himself an atheist." [http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119621309736406034.html Just How Much Do We Want to Share On Social Networks?], by Vauhini Vara, ''The Wall Street Journal'', 28 November 2007 (Accessed 30 March 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!-- comedians -->
<Person>
<Name>Dave Allen (comedian)</Name>
<BirthYear>1936</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Dave Allen.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Irish comedian, popular on United Kingdom and Australian television in the 1960s, 1970s and also in the 1990s.<ref>"Allen had little time for those who unquestioningly accept the tenets of any creed or system of thought. He applied this stricture equally to himself, and used humour to undermine even his own scepticism ("I'm an atheist, thank God"). [...] "His baffled humanity," wrote Charles Spencer, the theatre critic of The Daily Telegraph, in 1993, "his perplexity in the face of life's mysteries and irritations, are the qualities that make him such a fine and sometimes moving comedian. He's a blaspheming atheist on the side of the angels." " Obituary of Dave Allen, Daily Telegraph, 12 March 2005, Pg. 029.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Keith Allen</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British comedian, actor, singer and writer, father of [[Lilly Allen]].<ref>"One of the many reasons Allen made the documentary was to explore his own atheism. Unlike most non-believers, he claims, in all seriousness, to have once seen God. It was at Glastonbury during the 1980s, and (as is the case with most of the splendid anecdotes that litter his conversation), it involved enough mind-altering substances to stun a baby elephant. [...] Like any considered atheist, particularly one who will burn in Hell, he lives according to a moral code that refuses to romanticise things like love, or devotion." Guy Adams, [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/serious-documentary-maker-is-keith-allen-having-a-laugh-454048.html Serious documentary maker? Is Keith Allen having a laugh?], ''The Independent'' 21 June 2007 (accessed 25 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Wil Anderson</Name>
<BirthYear>1974</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australian television, radio and [[stand-up comedy|stand-up]] [[comedian]], former host of [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]'s ''[[The Glass House (TV series)|The Glass House]]''.<ref>'Of course, Anderson has never avoided controversy, but this show promises to be his most contentious yet. As an out-and-proud atheist, he's asking, "If the world truly does have an intelligent design, why is everything so f---ed?"'—Lallo, Michael (April 5, 2007), [http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/in-your-face/2007/04/04/1175366249867.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 Wil to Succeed], ''[[The Age]]'', [[Fairfax Media]]. Retrieved November 15, 2007.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Matt Besser</Name>
<BirthYear>1967</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[comedian]]<ref>"...my mother was a Christian from Harrison, Ark., and somehow I'm an atheist now living in L.A."[http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Arts/Theater/2006/06/01/Razor_Sharp/index.shtml]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Abie Philbin Bowman</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish comedian and columnist, writer/director/performer of ''Jesus: The Guantanamo Years''.<ref>"Don't expect Jerry Springer-style controversy, however. Bowman, an atheist, has found that "most Christians are so disgusted by Guantanamo that I don't get many people saying it's offensive". And playing Jesus has even infiltrated his own personality: "I feel myself being more humble and trying to understand people with compassion rather than getting angry." " Emma John, 'A funny thing happened on the way to redemption', ''The Guardian'', 14 August 2006, G2, Pg. 22.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Marcus Brigstocke</Name>
<BirthYear>1973</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[comedian]], [[satirist]] and presenter of [[The Late Edition]]<ref>During an episode of The Late Edition filmed in October 2007, Brigstocke was presented with an Out Campaign t-shirt by his guest and out-spoken Atheist Richard Dawkins to which Brigstocke replied: "Look at that. Outed, outed as an Atheist and proud to be so" [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FBSrO6EV9x8]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Carlin</Name>
<BirthYear>1937</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Carlin.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American [[comedian]], actor and author; outspoken atheist who has described religion as being "the greatest bullshit story ever told," that "there's an invisible man living in the sky."<ref>Quotes from "There Is No God," ''[[You Are All Diseased]]''. Carlin says on the same track that "there is no God. None, not one, no God, never was."</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Adam Carolla</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American comedian, actor and comedy writer.<ref>When asked by [[Penn Jillette]] if he was an atheist, Carolla replied "Yes." Interview on [[Penn Radio]], 09-Mar-2006. [http://www.pennfans.net/view/Audio_Archive/PennRadio/The.Penn.Jillette.Radio.Show.2006.03.09/ Audio] hosted at [http://www.pennfans.net Penn Fans website]. Accessed 29 October 2007.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jimmy Carr</Name>
<BirthYear>1972</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English-Irish comedian.<ref>"There's no God - grow up!". {{cite video|people=Jimmy Carr|title=Jimmy Carr Comedian|medium=DVD|publisher=Channel 4 DVD|date=2007}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Pat Condell</Name>
<BirthYear>1951</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[England|English]] [[stand-up comedy|stand up comedian]], writer and [[secularism|secularist]].<ref>[http://www.timeout.com/london/comedy/features/2217.html Pat Condell: interview - Features - Comedy - Time Out London<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Cross</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American actor and comedian.<ref>Appearance on ABC's "Politically Incorrect" ([[March 9]], [[1998]]) "I was born Jewish, but I am an atheist. I don't believe in God."[http://www.ffrf.org/day/?day=4&month=4]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ben Elton</Name>
<BirthYear>1959</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English comedian, writer and director.<ref>"The comedian [...] said Britons should be taught the essentials of Christianity, if only for cultural reasons. But he also said that "lack of faith" should be taught in schools. "I think the concept that faith in itself is a good thing should be questioned from day one, which it isn't," he said. "There's a presumption that if you're a religious leader you are in some way already halfway up to the moral high ground and your opinion has more relevance than anyone else's." [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/news/bbc-too-scared-to-allow-jokes-about-islam-803807.html BBC 'too scared to allow jokes about Islam'], 2 April 2008. (Accessed 3 April 2008)</ref><ref>"Elton described himself as an atheist but said he was in favour of God defined as "the mystery of the universe". His children attend a Church of England school and he said he attended church occasionally." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/02/bbc.television3 BBC 'scared' of Islam jokes, says Elton], ''Guardian'', 2 April 2008 (accessed 3 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Janeane Garofalo</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American actor and comedian.<ref>"Garofalo said "I am a proud atheist." [http://ffrf.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=219697# Freethought Radio interview with Janeane Garofalo], 26 May 2007 (quote starts at 19:32). (Accessed 9 June 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ricky Gervais</Name>
<BirthYear>1961</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>RickyGervaisBAFTA07.jpg</Picture>
<Text>British comedian and actor, co-creator of the original version of ''[[The Office (UK TV series)|The Office]]''.<ref>Gervais states he is an atheist in his ''Animals'' live DVD. Also, in a [[PBS]] "Fresh Air" interview, [[December 18]], [[2006]] he said "I'm an atheist," and that [[Homer Simpson]] was the closest thing for him to God.</ref><ref>In an interview with ''Daily Mirror'', Gervais said: "I'm basically a 'do unto others' type person. I don't have any religious feelings because I'm an atheist, but I live my life like there's a God. And if there was he'd probably love me." See [http://www.rickygervais.com/mirror.php Official homepage] (Accessed [[21 December]] [[2007]]).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kathy Griffin</Name>
<BirthYear>1963</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American comedian.<ref>Speaking to Sacramento’s ''Outword Magazine'', Griffin said: "...I think I’m getting more atheist because of the way the country is getting more into bible-thumping." See [http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=7086 Quotelines], by Rex Wockner at Windy City Times (Accessed [[29 August]] [[2006]]).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robin Ince</Name>
<BirthYear>1969</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British comedian. (According to his official<ref>{{cite web|title=Robin Ince Tour Dates|url=http://www.ents24.com/web/artist/12597/robin_ince.html|accessdate=2007-11-10}}</ref> MySpace page<ref>{{cite web|last=Ince|first=Robin|title=Myspace.com - Robin Ince|url=http://www.myspace.com/robinince|accessdate=2007-11-10}}</ref>)</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dom Joly</Name>
<BirthYear>1967</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Award-winning British television comedian and journalist, best known as the star of [[Trigger Happy TV]].<ref>On the introduction by his children of a swearbox to his household, Joly wrote: "Our biggest area of contention at home is blasphemy. Jackson follows me round the house waiting for me to say "oh Jesus" or "for God's sake", two of my favourite expressions. I tried to get a ruling excluding these from punishment, on the grounds that I'm an atheist and don't consider them to be swear words." [http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/dom-joly/dom-joly-its-50p-a-swear-word-and-the-pot-stands-at-16375-812077.html Dom Joly: It's 50p a swear word... and the pot stands at £75], ''The Independent'', 20 April 2008 (accessed 21 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dermot Morgan</Name>
<BirthYear>1952</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1998</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish comedian and actor, who achieved international renown as Father Ted Crilly in the Channel 4 sitcom [[Father Ted]].<ref>"Craggy Island would soak up the irony. From beyond the grave, Dermot Morgan, a staunch atheist who savaged the Catholic Church, is delivering a final kick to the priests who gave him a hero's send-off." Rory Carroll, 'Catholic critic Father Ted still causing controversy', ''The Guardian'', 23 April 1998, Pg. 4.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Patton Oswalt</Name>
<BirthYear>1969</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American actor and comedian.<ref>"[Oswalt is] an atheist..." [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20061005/ai_n16774459 MySpace must be doing something right], Chicago Sun-Times, Oct 5, 2006 by Andy Ihnatko (Accessed 20 December 2006)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Linda Smith (comedian)|Linda Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English comedian and comedy writer, president of the British Humanist Association from 2004 until her death.<ref>"But it was secondary school, Bexleyheath Comprehensive, that really put me off God. I suddenly thought in assembly that this was all rubbish, all these stupid old gits like the headmaster and the deputy headmaster reading out this piffle and all these sulky kids moving their mouths to these hymns. I do remember enquiring whether or not you could be removed from assembly on the grounds of being an atheist, but I was told that it didn't count. You could only be excluded if you were Jewish, Catholic or Muslim. But not believing in God was not a valid reason." Linda Smith, [http://newhumanist.org.uk/783 Anarchist with attitude: Laurie Taylor interviews Linda Smith], ''New Humanist'' Volume 119 Issue 5 September/October 2004 (accessed 22 April 2008)</ref><ref>"An atheist from childhood, Linda Smith was appointed president of the British Humanist Society in 2004, declaring her intention to wake up a society which she felt had become stuck in the past." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/01/db0102.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/03/01/ixportal.html ''Daily Telegraph'' obituary: Linda Smith], 1 March 2006 (accessed 22 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Julia Sweeney</Name>
<BirthYear>1959</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American actor and comedian. Alumna of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', author/performer of a one-woman autobiographical stage show about finding atheism: ''Letting Go of God''.<ref>Interview with Sweeney discussing her atheism[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2005/08/15/findrelig.DTL].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mark Thomas</Name>
<BirthYear>1963</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English comedian, presenter, political activist and reporter, best known for political stunts on his show, ''[[The Mark Thomas Comedy Product]]'' on UK [[Channel 4]].<ref>"I've been an atheist since the age of eight. A visiting pastor at church performed a magic trick that ended with him tapping a chalice and it filling with coins. I asked him how he did it and he said, 'All you need is faith,' When I got home I rushed down to the cellar and found an old Half Corona tin and a stick from my dad's wood box (he was a self-employed builder). I sat there for an hour and left an atheist." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/12/01/sm_markthomas.xml The world of Mark Thomas, comedian], ''Daily Telegraph'', 1 December 2007 (accessed 10 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Gene Weingarten</Name>
<BirthYear>1951</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Humor writer for ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref>"I found that Archie thing completely creepy. Is that because I am an atheist?" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/07/31/DI2007073100777.html], ''The Washington Post'', August 7, 2007. (Accessed 15 August 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Film, radio, television and theatre-->
<Person>
<Name>Mary Adams (broadcaster)|Mary Adams</Name>
<BirthYear>1898</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1984</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English producer and administrator in the [[BBC]], instrumental in setting up the BBC's television service.<ref>"She was a socialist, a romantic communist, and could charm with her charisma, spontaneity, and quick informed intelligence. She was a fervent atheist and advocate of humanism and common sense, accepting her stance without subjecting it to analysis." Sally Adams: 'Adams , Mary Grace Agnes (1898–1984)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30750] (accessed 29 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Phillip Adams</Name>
<BirthYear>1939</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australian broadcaster, writer, film-maker, left-wing radical thinker and iconoclast. He was the Australian Humanist of the Year in 1987.<ref>In a letter by Adams dated [[10 August]] [[1993]]: "I've spent a life-time attacking religious beliefs and have not wavered from a view of the universe that many would regard as bleak. Namely, that it is a meaningless place devoid of deity{{sic}}"[http://www.theabsolute.net/minefield/adams.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Altman</Name>
<BirthYear>1925</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American film director, recognised in 2006 with an Academy Honorary Award. <ref>"Still, it's worth noting that by the age of 20 this whistle-blower had resisted two of the most powerful institutions - church and army, both. He is an atheist, "And I have been against all of these wars ever since." " Suzie Mackenzie interviewing Altman, 'Still up to mischief', ''The Guardian'', 1 May 2004, Pg. 30.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Brannon Braga</Name>
<BirthYear>1965</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American TV producer and writer, creator of ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]''.<ref>{{cite web
| author =
| url = http://www.sidmennt.is/archives/2006/16/08/every_religion_has_a_mythology.php
| title = Every religion has a mythology
| date = [[16 August]] [[2006]]
| publisher = Sidmennt, the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association
| accessdate = 2006-12-19
}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jim Broadbent</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]-, [[Golden Globe]]- and [[BAFTA]]-winning theatre, film and television actor.<ref>"Does the prospect of his own inevitable death frighten him? 'I don't think it does. I don't fret about it. I think it was partly to do with seeing my father go. It didn't frighten him. Upset him a bit but not ... I think if you are an atheist, what's there to be frightened of? ... But I don't want to die yet.' " Nigel Farndale, 'The Heartbreak Kid: Jim Broadbent', ''Sunday Telegraph'', 23 September 2007, Section 7, Pg.8.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jeremy Brock</Name>
<BirthYear>1959</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British actor, producer, writer, and director, whose work includes [[Mrs. Brown]] and the [[BAFTA]] award winning screenplay for [[The Last King of Scotland (film)|The Last King of Scotland]].<ref>" Nor does organised religion emerge with honour, and Brock says he has been an atheist for many years. "My father was an intelligent and articulate advocate for old-fashioned notions of kindness and liberalism, but in the end I just did not feel that loving him was a justification for believing in a whole theocratic system. Religion in certain circles has become increasingly exclusive and aggressive. Fundamentalist attitudes pervade, and that, in its most extreme form, means you can kill anybody you want to because they're an unbeliever." " [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/08/18/bfdriving18.xml A very British charmer], ''Daily Telegraph'' 18 August 2006 (accessed 22 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Derren Brown</Name>
<BirthYear>1971</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English psychological illusionist, mentalist, and skeptic of paranormal phenomena. Professed to being an atheist in his book ''Tricks of the Mind'' and described [[Bertrand Russell]]'s collection of essays ''Why I Am Not a Christian'' "an absolute joy." </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Luis Buñuel</Name>
<BirthYear>1900</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1983</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Spanish film-maker, activist of the [[surrealism|surrealist]] movement. Known for his one-liner, "Thank God I'm still an atheist."<ref>"Father Julian... and I often talk about faith and the existence of God, but... he's forever coming up against the stone wall of my atheism..." Luis Bunuel (1982, 1985). ''My Last Breath'': p.254.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard Carleton</Name>
<BirthYear>1943</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Current affairs journalist for ''[[60 Minutes (Australian TV program)| Australia's 60 Minutes]]''. Described as a "devout atheist".<ref>[http://bulletin.syd.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=141062 Richard Carleton 1943-2006 - The death of a legendary journalist] - The Bulletin, [[16 May]] [[2006]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Adam Carolla</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American comedic radio personality and television personality, best known for co-hosting the radio program ''[[Loveline]]'' and the television series ''[[The Man Show]]''.<ref>[http://adamradio.wordpress.com/2006/02/10/adam-with-jeff-probst-and-louis-ck/ ''The Adam Carolla Show Blog''], [[February 10]], [[2006]]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Adithya</Name>
<BirthYear>1974</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian Actor.<ref>[http://infidel-man.blogspot.com/ ''His blog'']</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Asia Carrera</Name>
<BirthYear>1973</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Former American pornographic actress.<ref>"So me, the completely unsuperstitious atheist, goes and posts on a message board that 'no, I don't believe in bad luck on Friday the 13th'." [http://web.archive.org/web/20070813201924/www.asiacarrera.com/bulletin.html Asia Carrera's official website, bulletin for 13 July 2006] (archived 29 August 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Noël Coward|Sir Noël Coward</Name>
<BirthYear>1899</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1973</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English actor, playwright and composer of popular music.<ref>Reviewing ''The Letters of Noel Coward'' edited by Barry Day, Simon Callow noted: "His unashamed patriotism galvanised the nation. One wonders whether these admirers would have laughed so heartily or wept so freely if they had thought that they were being entertained and moved by a homosexual atheist of the most militant kind. A letter to his mother on the early death of his brother out-Dawkinses Dawkins: "I'm saying several acid prayers to a fat contented God the Father in a dirty night gown who hates you and me and every living creature in the world." " ''The Guardian'', 15 December 2007, Review pages, Pg. 7.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Russell T Davies</Name>
<BirthYear>1963</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Welsh television producer and writer, most famous for reviving [[Doctor Who]] on British television.<ref>"As writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, Davies often plays with religious imagery (from a cross-shaped space station to robot angels with halos), but he's a fervent believer in [Richard] Dawkins. "He has brought atheism proudly out of the closet!" " [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/russell-t-davies-return-of-the-tea-time-lord-805255.html Russell T Davies: Return of the (tea) Time Lord], ''The Independent'', 6 April 2008 (accessed 7 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>William B. Davis</Name>
<BirthYear>1938</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Canadian actor, known for his role as the [[Cigarette Smoking Man]] in [[The X-Files]].<ref>Interviewed by American Atheist "AA: You're a second generation Atheist. While in college, did you have a skeptical attitude toward the paranormal? Was it something you thought about at the time? DAVIS: I was always skeptical of ghosts, or aliens, or whatever it might be." [http://www.americanatheist.org/win01-02/T1/goeringer.html American Atheist Interview with William B. Davis] (accessed 14 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Stanley Donen</Name>
<BirthYear>1924</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American film director, best known for his musicals including ''[[Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (film)|Seven Brides for Seven Brothers]]'' and ''[[Singin' in the Rain (film)|Singin' in the Rain]]''; awarded honorary [[Academy Award]] for lifetime achievement.<ref>Stephen M. Silverman, ''Dancing on the Ceiling: Stanley Donen and His Movies'', Alfred A. Knopf: New York (1996), page 312.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Amanda Donohoe</Name>
<BirthYear>1962</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English film, stage and television actress.<ref>Speaking about her role in the film [[The Lair of the White Worm (film)|The Lair of the White Worm]], Donohoe said: "I'm an atheist, so it was actually a joy. Spitting on Christ was a great deal of fun. I can't embrace a male god who has persecuted female sexuality throughout the ages. And that persecution still goes on today all over the world." [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000372/bio Biography of Amanda Donohoe], Internet Movie Database (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Edgar</Name>
<BirthYear>1948</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British playwright, noted for his adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel Nicholas Nickleby.<ref>"Earlier this year David Edgar wrote an unforgettable account of the death of his wife, Eve Cook, for a BBC radio talk during Easter week. An avowed atheist, Edgar said that he was trying to express 'that most human need to tell the dead what we would want to say - but know we couldn't say - if they were still alive'." Sean French, 'Dust to dustjacket', ''The Guardian'', 30 April 1999, Pg. 18.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Brian Flemming</Name>
<BirthYear>1966</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American film director and playwright, notable for his 2005 film [[The God Who Wasn't There]].<ref>Interviewer: "At what point did you realize you were an atheist?" Flemming: "I kind of realized it gradually. At first it was like, OK, clearly fundamentalist Christianity is wrong, but Christianity is probably right. Then the more I actually thought about it, the more I deduced my way to atheism." [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2006/02/13/findrelig.DTL Finding My Religion], SF Gate (''San Francisco Chronicle''), 13 February 2006 (accessed 14 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Denis Forman|Sir Denis Forman</Name>
<BirthYear>1917</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British Director (1949–1954) and later Chair (1971–1973) of The British Film Institute, Chairman and Managing Director of Granada Television, and Director of the Royal Opera House in London.<ref>"The more significant was Granada's ''Adam Smith'' the following year, with Keir as a bereaved Church of Scotland minister seeking the meaning of life. Though written by Trevor Griffiths under a nom-de-plume, it owed much of its character to Sir Denis Forman, by this time Granada's chairman and himself a son of the manse - Adam was his father's first name. Sir Denis is also a convinced atheist, and the series, which at first went out on Sunday evenings as a religious offering, became so doubting that it had to be switched to an ordinary outlet." Philip Purser, 'Obituary: Andrew Keir', ''The Guardian'', 7 October 1997, Pg. 14.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jodie Foster</Name>
<BirthYear>1962</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Jodie Foster.4785.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American film actress, director, and producer. Two-time Academy Award-winner.<ref>{{cite news | title=Jodie Foster: Unbreakable | work = Entertainment Weekly | url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20051361_20051365_20054140_3,00.html | date = 2007-09-07 | accessdate = 2007-12-29 | quote = EW: Are you religious? JF: No, I'm an atheist. But I absolutely love religions and the rituals. Even though I don't believe in God.}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Giamatti</Name>
<BirthYear>1967</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American film and television actor.<ref name="Giamatti">{{cite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title="I never saw Russell lose it on set..."|pages=|publisher=TotalFilm.com|date=[[2006-02-08]]| url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/paul_giamatti| quote=I’m an atheist... |accessdate =2007-03-03}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Greenaway</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1942–): [[Wales|Welsh]]-born [[England|English]] [[film director]].<ref>"My films show that I am a true atheist, although I always had the highest marks in Religious Education" [http://www.hu-berlin.de/ueberblick/leitung/praesident/rede/rede_greenaway] retrieved January 15, 2008</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Hare (dramatist)|Sir David Hare</Name>
<BirthYear>1947</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Award-winning English dramatist and theatre and film director.<ref>Reviewing Hare's collection ''Obedience, Struggle and Revolt'', Nicholas Blincoe noted: "Hare's willingness to engage openly with traditions and institutions he respects can be heard in his speeches about Osborne and Williams, and in a speech to the Anglican Church, delivered at Westminster Abbey [...] the address to the Church is openly atheist." 'Turning his back on revolution', ''Daily Telegraph'', 6 August 2005, Books section, Pg. 004.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Katharine Hepburn</Name>
<BirthYear>1907</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2003</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story trailer.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American actress who appeared in 53 films from 1932 to 1994; winner of four [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Awards for Best Actress]].<ref>Hepburn stated "I'm an atheist, and that's it. I believe there's nothing we can know except that we should be kind to each other and do what we can for people" in the October 1991 issue of ''[[Ladies' Home Journal]]''[http://atheism.about.com/b/a/2003_06_29.htm]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Penn Jillette</Name>
<BirthYear>1955</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[Magician (illusion)|magician]], co-host of the television show ''[[Bullshit!]]'', on which he has identified himself as an atheist and criticized various religious beliefs.<ref name="Penn_teller">[http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0305almanac.htm Interview with Penn Jillette] in which he mentions his and Teller's atheism.</ref> He has also taken the [[Blasphemy Challenge]].</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sarah Kane</Name>
<BirthYear>1971</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1999</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English playwright.<ref>"Sarah became an atheist, her writing fired by the cruelties carried out in the name of God. "God, the bastard," was one of her favourite Beckett quotes. "I think she looked at the world around her, and thought it was unsustainable to think there is an all-powerful, all-caring God who made the world as it is," says Simon [Kane, her brother]." Simon Hattenstone, 'A Sad Hurrah', ''The Guardian'', 1 July 2000, Pg. 26.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Skandar Keynes</Name>
<BirthYear>1991</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English actor (''[[The Chronicles of Narnia film series|Chronicles of Narnia]]'' films).<ref>"28.Do you have a religion and if so what is it? I am an Atheist. I know the film's really Christian and everything but it doesn’t really affect me. Oh and you know I’m related to Charles Darwin." [http://www.narniafans.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5386&page=2]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Kinsley</Name>
<BirthYear>1951</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[Politics|political]] [[journalist]], [[commentator]], and [[television host]].<ref>"Although Hitchens’s title refers to God, his real energy is in the subtitle: “religion poisons everything.” Disproving the existence of God (at least to his own satisfaction and, frankly, to mine) is just the beginning for Hitchens..."—{{cite web | last=Kinsley | first=Michael | authorlink=Michael Kinsley | date= [[May 13]], [[2007]] | title=In God, Distrust | work=[[New York Times]] | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/books/review/Kinsley-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=2&ref=books&oref=slogin | accessdate=2007-05-17}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jerzy Kawalerowicz</Name>
<BirthYear>1922</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2007</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Polish film director.<ref>"Kawalerowicz, a professed atheist, had no interest in demonology per se, only as a symbol of repressed sexuality and of the power of authority, be it the Roman Catholic Church or - though it is never spelt out - Communism." 'Obituary of Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Polish director of 'Mother Joan of the Angels' who fell out with his fellow film-makers over the Solidarity movement', ''Daily Telegraph'', 1 January 2008, Pg. 23.</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Nigella Lawson</Name>
<BirthYear>1960</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English journalist, [[Food writing|food writer]], broadcaster and television presenter.<ref>"I was brought up an atheist and have always remained so. But at no time was I led to believe that morality was unimportant or that good and bad did not exist. I believe passionately in the need to distinguish between right and wrong and am somewhat confounded by being told I need God, Jesus or a clergyman to help me to do so. More: I'm offended. And one is constantly being told how offensive is a lack of faith to believers." Nigella Lawson, 'We atheists know right from wrong', ''The Times'', 26 June 1996, Features section.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Tom Leykis</Name>
<BirthYear>1956</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American radio talk-show host.<ref>''[[The Seattle Times]]'' article confirming that Leykis hosts a radio segment called ''Ask the Atheist'' [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002015770_leykis26.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kevin Macdonald (director)|Kevin Macdonald</Name>
<BirthYear>1967</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish two-time [[BAFTA]] winning director, most famous for his films ''[[The Last King of Scotland (film)|The Last King of Scotland]]'' and ''[[Touching the Void (film)|Touching the Void]]''.<ref>"An atheist himself, Macdonald describes ''Touching the Void'' as a religious film in a post-religious age. 'It is about realising there is nothing but the void. Uncaring nature. Emptiness.' " Nigel Farndale interviewing Kevin Macdonald, ''Sunday Telegraph'', 7 January 2007, Section 7, Pg. 18.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Seth MacFarlane</Name>
<BirthYear>1973</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Creator, animator, executive producer, actor, writer for ''[[American Dad]]'' and ''[[Family Guy]]''.<ref>"I do not believe in God. I'm an atheist. I consider myself a critical thinker, and it fascinates me that in the 21st century most people still believe in, as George Carlin puts it, 'the invisible man living in the sky' " - Seth MacFarlane to ''[[Steppin' Out (magazine)|]]'' magazine. October 18, 2007 [http://www.pagesix.com/story/let+it+ride]</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Brandon | last=Voss | coauthors= | title=Big Gay Following: Seth MacFarlane | date=[[2008-02-28]] | publisher=Planet Out, Incorporated | url =http://www.advocate.com/issue_story.asp?id=51793&page=1 | work =The Advocate | pages = | accessdate = 2008-02-03 | quote = ...I'm an atheist... | language = }}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Mazursky</Name>
<BirthYear>1930</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American director, producer and actor.<ref>{{cite news | quote=I’ve always felt very Jewish but very ambivalent about being Jewish. I’m an atheist. | last =Farber| first =Stephen| coauthors=| title =A Night in Hollywood, a Day in Ukraine| pages=| publisher =The New York Times| date =[[2006-12-31]] | url =http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/movies/31farb.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin| accessdate =2006-12-31 }}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ian McKellen|Sir Ian McKellen</Name>
<BirthYear>1939</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Ian McKellen.jpg</Picture>
<Text>English stage and screen actor.<ref>"I was brought up a Christian, low church, and I like the community of churchgoing. That's rather been replaced for me by the community of people I work with. I like a sense of family, of people working together. But I'm an atheist. So God, if She exists, isn't really a part of my life." - from a January 19, 1996 profile by Tim Appelo found in Mr. Showbiz.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Stephen Merchant</Name>
<BirthYear>1974</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British actor and writer, co-creator of ''[[The Office (UK TV series)|The Office]]''.<ref>"No, I don't believe in God" {{cite episode|title=Series 1, Episode 2|series=The Ricky Gervais Show|airdate=2005-12-12}}</ref><ref>"I've been reading Richard Dawkins' ''The God Delusion''. It's his polemic against religion and even for an avowed atheist like myself, it's quite strong." {{Citation|last=|first=Stephen|author-link = Stephen Merchant|title = Office Boy|newspaper=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|year=[[2007]]|date=May 2007}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Meyer</Name>
<BirthYear>1956</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Producer and writer for ''[[The Simpsons]]''.<ref name="Believer"> "As I was saying before, it was so hard for me to be a Catholic. It wound my spring almost to the breaking point. The spring is still uncoiling from those early years. I'm a thoroughly virulent atheist."[http://www.believermag.com/issues/200409/?read=interview_meyer September 2004 Interview in The Believer]</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Warren Mitchell</Name>
<BirthYear>1926</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English actor, most famously in the long-running [[BBC]] TV series [[Till Death Us Do Part (British TV series)|Till Death Us Do Part]].<ref>" No kosher food, but he [Warren Mitchell] feels Jewish. "I can't define it, I just am." It is not spiritual. "I am an atheist, thank God," he quips. " [http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/features/The-pride-of-prejudice.2570786.jp The pride of prejudice], ''Scotland on Sunday'', 10 October 2004 (accessed 22 April 2008). </ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Cillian Murphy</Name>
<BirthYear>1976</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish stage and screen actor.<ref name="Total Film">Interviewer: "You said that your experiences on Sunshine, and particularly the time you spent with the scientists turned you from an agnostic to an atheist – what changed your perception?" Murphy: "I did a lot of reading, I spoke to those guys a lot, and I was always an agnostic, which I think is a very safe place to be in terms of your faith or lack of... It just seems to me to be irrational that there’s an omnipotent, omnipresent being who was there at the beginning, and will be there forever, it’s not logical, it doesn’t help me as a person..." [http://www.totalfilm.com/features/killing_time_with_cillian_murphy April 2007 interview in Total Film] (Accessed 20 November 2007)</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bruce Parry</Name>
<BirthYear>1969</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English former [[Royal Marine]] instructor who presents the BBC / Discovery Channel documentary [[Tribe (TV series)|Tribe]].<ref>"Newly tolerant Parry is a "post-Deist" - "basically I'm an atheist but reluctant to admit it." Cassandra Jardine interviewing Bruce Parry, ''Daily Telegraph'', 19 September 2007, Features, Pg. 25.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Julia Pascal</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British Jewish playwright and theatre director. <ref>"Islam as we are experiencing it in the west at the moment is having difficulties examining areas of criticism. All religions should face criticism. As an atheist, I believe it is a healthy society that does criticise religions. What happened to Salman Rushdie was absolutely shameful. It takes us back to the middle ages." Julia Pascal, interviewed for the article 'Sikh theatre row: Can censorship ever be justified?', ''The Guardian'', 22 December 2004, Pg. 7.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Julia Phillips</Name>
<BirthYear>1944</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Academy Award]]-winning film producer and author, the first woman to win an Oscar as a producer.<ref>"Both her parents came from Russian Jewish backgrounds, but Julia was brought up as an atheist and an avid reader in Brooklyn, before the family moved, first to Great Neck, Long Island, and then to Milwaukee." Obituary of Julia Phillips, ''Daily Telegraph'', 4 January 2002, Pg. 25.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sarah Polley</Name>
<BirthYear>1979</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Canadian actress and director.<ref>"When asked what directors she admires, Polley talks about Ingmar Bergman and Terrence Malick (she says his ''Thin Red Line'' "single-handedly brought me out of a deep depression. It shifted something in me. I'm an atheist, but it was the first time that it gave me faith in other people's faith")." [http://www.torontolife.com/features/woman-verge/?pageno=5 Woman on the Verge] by Mark Pupo, Toronto Life Magazine, October 2006.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Fyfe Robertson</Name>
<BirthYear>1902</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1987</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish television journalist.<ref>"An atheist, despite his upbringing, he described himself as a humanist radical." Anne Pimlott Baker, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/49502 'Robertson, Fyfe (1902–1987)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Griff Rhys Jones</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Welsh comedian, writer, actor and television presenter.<ref>"[...] ''Semi-Detached'' [...] also shows Jones to be an emotional hoarder; a pragmatic atheist, who thinks little of the passage of time and scorns himself out of unhappiness, but who is still ashamed for misleading a girl 30 years earlier." Will Cohu, reviewing ''Semi-Detached'' by Griff Rhys Jones, ''Daily Telegraph'', 18 November 2006, Books, Pg. 30.</ref><ref>"I read the whole of the Chronicles of Narnia when I was little and I grew up an atheist. My problem, I realise, was that I just didn't believe in Aslan." Griff Rhys Jones, 'Darling how thoughtful: a voucher for buttock reshaping', ''Sunday Telegraph'', 11 December 2005, Features section, Pg.19.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Andy Serkis</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English actor and director, best known for his portrayal of Sméagol/Gollum in [[The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy]].<ref>"Serkis has been an atheist since his teens but feels spiritual when he's up a mountain (he once climbed the Matterhorn solo) and is much drawn to the karmic possibilities of energy transference. 'Not in a woo-ey way,' he smiles, 'but the idea that your energy lives on after you I find very relieving.'" Catherine Shoard, "Beastie Boy: You can take Andy Serkis out of the animal gear, but you can't take the animal out of Andy Serkis," ''The Sunday Telegraph'' 16 March 2008, Section 7, pg.22.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Don Siegel</Name>
<BirthYear>1912</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1991</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Influential American film director and producer.<ref>"His first chance came in 1944, when after a long period of feuding with Warner, Warner offered him a short. Siegel himself is a Jewish-born atheist. "I wondered what I could do which would most annoy Warner as a Jew; and decided on a present-day retelling of the story of the nativity. To my surprise he liked the idea, and it was a big success. So then I wondered what else I could do which would irritate him and tried something quite different, which was ''Hitler Lives''." David Robinson, 'Don Siegel's stories', ''The Times'', 1 May 1975; pg. 11; Issue 59384; col E.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Steven Soderbergh</Name>
<BirthYear>1963</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Steven soderbergh by soyignatius.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American filmmaker, [[Academy Award]]-winning director of such films as ''[[Traffic (film)|Traffic]]'', ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'', ''[[Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)|Ocean's Eleven]]'', and ''[[sex lies and videotape|Sex, Lies and Videotape]]''.<ref name="Soderbergh">Soderbergh siad "I’m a hardcore atheist." [http://www.stevensoderbergh.net/articles/2005/scotland.php State of Independence], by Scotland on Sunday, [[23 January]] [[2005]], (Accessed [[8 June]] [[2007]]).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Starkey</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1945–): English [[historian]], television and radio presenter, and specialist in the [[Tudor dynasty|Tudor period]].<ref>"Like a lot of atheists, Starkey can seem a little obsessed with religion. [...] 'Personally, I find the inclusiveness and uncertainty of the Church of England as horrible as the brittle, iron-edged certainties of Islam and I would much rather the chairman of the National Secular Society held up the Coronation sword. But I can't see that happening. Although I am an atheist, unlike a Richard Dawkins, I understand the importance of religious motive and, broadly, I am sympathetic to it - except when it is fused with the political, which is what Henry does, and which modern Islam wants to do, and also what Tony Blair and George Bush flirt with.' " Nigel Farndale interviewing David Starkey, ''Sunday Telegraph'', 5 November 2006, Secion 7, Pg. 18.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>J. Michael Straczynski</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American writer and producer, creator of ''[[Babylon 5]]''.<ref name="Straczynski">When asked what book he would choose to memorize, Straczynski said "Despite being an atheist, I would probably choose the Book of Job." [http://www.scifi.com/transcripts/2000/straczynski.html Online chat with Straczynski, hosted by SciFi.com] (Accessed [[8 June]] [[2007]])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Teller (magician)</Name>
<BirthYear>1948</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[Magician (illusion)|magician]], co-host of the television show ''[[Bullshit!]]''.<ref name="Penn_teller">[http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0305almanac.htm Interview with Penn Jillette] in which he mentions his and Teller's atheism.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kenneth Tynan</Name>
<BirthYear>1927</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1980</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Influential and often controversial British theatre critic and writer.<ref>" "A lifelong atheist, he needed a belief, a philosophy, a cause," noted his first wife." Charles Spencer, 'Starstruck critic with a sting in his tail', ''Daily Telegraph'', 29 September 2001, Pg. 07.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ram Gopal Varma</Name>
<BirthYear>1962</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian film director, writer and film producer.<ref>"If Jaya Bachchan is in the film, I will go to hell. But then I am an atheist, and do not believe in god." [http://movies.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2961162.cms Jaya Bachchan in Sarkar Raaj?], ''India Times'', 18 April 2008 (accessed 21 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Wynford Vaughan-Thomas</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1908–1987): Welsh newspaper journalist and radio and television broadcaster with a lengthy career.<ref>Mr Vaughan-Thomas says he is the only Welshman brought up as a trained atheist: "I am totally irreligious, but I can understand why religious people are concerned about the disintegration of Christian ethics. [...] I am a sympathetic atheist and I go to services from time to time and enjoy the great sense of history." Trevor Fishlock, 'Regional notebook: A feeling for history in one man's abiding devotion to a landscape', ''The Times'', 8 January 1973; pg. 3; Issue 58675; col C.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Verhoeven</Name>
<BirthYear>1938</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1987</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Dutch [[BAFTA]] Award nominated film director, screenwriter, and film producer, filming in both the Netherlands and the United States, best known for the American feature films ''[[RoboCop]]'', ''[[Total Recall]]'', ''[[Basic Instinct]]'' and ''[[Starship Troopers]]''.<ref>"But then, this auteur has no hauteur; nor, more importantly, is he Jewish. Rather, he is an atheist who had a bout of Pentacostalist fervour in his mid-20s that still inflects his work and thinking: he still reads widely about Christian history; he considers ''RoboCop'' to be a Christ-like story of resurrection." Stuart Jeffries interviewing Verhoeven, 'Of course there are nude scenes... I'm Dutch!', ''The Guardian'', 12 January 2007, Film and Music Pages, Pg. 6.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Joss Whedon</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American screenwriter and director, most famous for creating the ''[[Buffyverse|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' franchise.<ref>Asked if there was a God, Whedon answered, "No." [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/24569 ''Is There a God?''], by Stephen Thompson, [[9 October]] [[2002]], A.V. Club (Accessed [[22 October]] [[2006]].)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Gene Wilder</Name>
<BirthYear>1933</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American actor best known for his role as [[Willy Wonka]].<ref name="Wilder">"Well, I'm a Jewish-Buddhist-Atheist, I guess." {{cite book | title=Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish| url=http://www.webcitation.org/5OlTv7URo| last=Pogrebin| first=Abigail| date=2005| pages=91-99| publisher=Broadway| location=New York| isbn=978-0-7679-1612-7}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robyn Williams</Name>
<BirthYear>1944</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australian science journalist and broadcaster, interviewer and host of the ''Science Show'' on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.<ref> In his 2006 book ''Unintelligent Design: Why God isn't as smart as she thinks she is'', Williams states: "Atheists like me don't think about God at all—unless provoked. We think about everything else that life's rich burden thrusts upon us. But God doesn't arise." (p.14; Allen & Unwin, Australia, ISBN 978-1-74114-923-4)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ted Willis, Baron Willis|Ted Willis</Name>
<BirthYear>1914</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1992</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British television dramatist, also politically active in support of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]].<ref>"LORD WILLIS (Lab.) said that although an atheist or humanist, he was not opposed to the teaching of religion in schools. What he objected to was the way in which it was presented. Except in rare instances, children were not taught about religion but about one religion and in a one-sided untruthful, dogmatic and prejudiced way." 'The Lords: contemporary approach to teaching religion in schools', ''The Times'', 16 November 1967; pg. 5; Issue 57100; col A.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Historians-->
<Person>
<Name>G. E. M. de Ste. Croix</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2000</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British historian, specializing in examining the classical era from a historical materialist perspective.<ref>"A devoted only child, he acquired a profound knowledge of the Bible at his mother's knee; it may be supposed that he acquired there too his strong feelings about religion (in later life he often described himself as a 'politely militant' atheist), and a certain earnestness and missionary zeal that always marked him." R. C. T. Parker, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/73730 'Ste Croix, Geoffrey Ernest Maurice de (1910–2000)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, May 2007 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Constantine Fitzgibbon</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1983</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish-American historian and novelist.<ref>"Then in 1933 he was sent to Wellington College in England; this experience, he later insisted, turned him into an "atheist Marxist"." Mr Constantine Fitzgibbon: Novelist, biographer and historian, Obituaries, ''The Times'', 25 March 1983; pg. 16; Issue 61490; col F.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Grote</Name>
<BirthYear>1794</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1871</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English classical [[historian]], best known in the field for a major work, the voluminous ''History of Greece'', still read.<ref>"He became a utilitarian in philosophy, an associationist in psychology, an advocate of democratic reform in his politics, and a confirmed atheist." Joseph Hamburger: [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/11677 'Grote, George (1794–1871)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, May 2006 (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robin Lane Fox</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English academic and historian, currently a Fellow of New College, Oxford, Lecturer in Ancient History at Exeter College, Oxford and University Reader in Ancient History.<ref>In the preface to his book ''The Unauthorized Version: Truth and Fiction in the Bible'' (1991), Lane Fox states: "I write as an atheist, but there are Christian and Jewish scholars whose versions [of the history of the Bible] would be far more radical than mine." (Penguin paperback edition 2006, p.7; ISBN 978-0-14-102296-3)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Tony Parker</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1996</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English oral historian, whose work was dedicated to giving a voice to British and American society's most marginalised figures.<ref>"The oral historian Tony Parker, who has died aged 73, was an atheist. "If it turns out I'm wrong and I find myself in front of God, I shan't half have a lot to say on the subject." One reason Tony will have so much to say in heaven is because he spent so much of his time on earth being totally silent." Roger Graef, 'Obituary: Tony Parker: Courage and Convictions', ''The Guardian'', 5 October 1996, Pg. 18.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Military-->
<Person>
<Name>William Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside|William Sholto Douglas, Baron Douglas of Kirtleside</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, [[Marshal of the Royal Air Force]] [[Order of the Bath|GCB]], [[Military Cross|MC]], [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|DFC]] (1893–1969): Distinguished British airman, a senior figure in the [[Royal Air Force]] up to and during [[World War II]].<ref>"It's easy to scoff at supernatural tales of seances and Ouija boards, but Compton Miller found that some remarkable people who believe them." "''Humble pie from the hereafter'' Lady Douglas of Kirtleside: ''Aged 62, an ex-Molyneax model and widow of the World War II RAF hero.'' Sholto Douglas was an atheist who always maintained that death was as final as "treading on a beetle". Soon after he died in 1969 his distraught widow met Dr Mervyn Stockwood, then Bishop of Southwark." Compton Miller, 'Lords and ladies in high spirits', ''The Times'', 5 October 1984; pg. 15; Issue 61954; col A.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Music-->
<Person>
<Name>Roy Bailey (folk singer)|Roy Bailey</Name>
<BirthYear>1935</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[socialist]] [[folk singer]].<ref>"I think of myself as a militant atheist and I never knew quite where Tony [Benn] was coming from on the religion side." [http://www.bennites.com/INTERVIEWWITHROYBAILEY.html The Writing on the Wall: An Interview with Roy Bailey] (accessed 14 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Matthew Bellamy</Name>
<BirthYear>1978</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British guitarist, pianist and vocalist with [[Muse (band)|Muse]].<ref>From the March 2001 issue of Kerrang magazine: ""Being an atheist means you have to realise that when you die, that really is it. You've got to make the most of what you've got here and spread as much influence as you can. I believe that you only live through the influence that you spread, whether that means having a kid or making music."</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Björk</Name>
<BirthYear>1965</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Bjork Hurricane.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Icelandic singer/song writer, composer and producer.<ref>"If I get into trouble, there's no God or Allah to sort me out. I have to do it myself." [http://www.abc.se/~m8996/bjork/interviw/hotpress.html]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Isaac Brock (musician)|Isaac Brock</Name>
<BirthYear>1975</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American singer, guitarist, banjoist, and songwriter for the indie rock band [[Modest Mouse]].<ref>When asked "Do you still consider yourself an atheist?" Brock replies "Pretty much, but there are things that make me think...I'm 100 percent on the whole Christianity thing being a crock of shit..." [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23015]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Geoffrey Burgon</Name>
<BirthYear>1941</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British composer notable for his television and film themes.<ref>"Geoffrey Burgon [...] has declined a generous Hollywood offer to write the music for award-winning John Carpenter's remake of ''The Thing'', a 1950s horror film. An atheist with a remarkable feel for "church" music, Burgon tells me that time prevents his crossing the Atlantic; he is busy writing two operas [...]" Peter Watson, 'The Times Diary', ''The Times'', 12 January 1982; pg. 8; Issue 61129; col C. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Henry Burstow</Name>
<BirthYear>1826</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1916</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English shoemaker, singer and bellringer from Horsham, Sussex, best known for his vast repertoire of songs, many of which were collected in the folksong revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.<ref>"A religious and political freethinker, convinced of the truth of Darwinism and not inclined to conceal his beliefs, Burstow encountered some prejudice—indeed his views deterred some from contributing to the funds set up to relieve his poverty. However, he seems to have become something of a local celebrity: articles on Burstow appeared in newspapers and magazines, focusing on his singing, bell-ringing, prodigious memory, fascination with figures, and even his atheism." </ref><ref>"Burstow was a fascinating man. A shoemaker by trade, he shared the radical and non-conformist attitudes of many who followed the gentle craft. His reading included Darwin and Lyle and he was a convinced atheist, this in spite of the fact that he was a well known church bell-ringer." Vic Gammon, Chairman of the Oral History Society, [http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/boney.htm 'The Grand Conversation: Napoleon and British Popular Balladry'], 26 March 1999 (accessed 2 May 2008). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ferruccio Busoni</Name>
<BirthYear>1866</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1924</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian [[composer]], [[pianist]], teacher of piano and composition, and [[conducting|conductor]].<ref>"Aside from his undisputed powers as composer, pianist and man of letters, Busoni was an enterprising (if sometimes erratic) conductor, a passionate bibliophile, a talented draughtsman and a bon vivant. Baptized into the Catholic church, he was at heart an atheist; a lucid commentator on world affairs, he remained politically uncommitted." Beaumont, Anthony: 'Busoni, Ferruccio (Dante Michelangelo Benvenuto)', ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (accessed 28 April 2008), [http://www.grovemusic.com].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Greydon Square|Eddie Collins</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Greydon Square GAGOP.jpg</Picture>
<Text>, also known by his stage name Greydon Square, is an American hip hop artist, and an outspoken atheist who promotes discussion on theological issues.<ref>"I am the minority of the minority, an African-American atheist..." [http://www.greydonsquare.com/ Official Greydon Square Website] 11 June 2007 (Accessed 15 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Wayne Coyne</Name>
<BirthYear>1961</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band [[The Flaming Lips]].<ref>"Coyne is a comically rationalist atheist ("I wish I did believe in God. It would be a great relief to think, 'God'll take care of it. God'll put gas in the car tomorrow'") who makes music that, for all its quirkiness and frivolity, is in its essence spiritually transcendental. [...] For an atheist, he has a touching faith in the power of song to ease our shared burden. "There's some comfort in saying, I'm joining this long line of humanity," he says. "We're all going to get in line and our parents will die and our friends will die but I'm in the line with you and you're in it with me and, for some reason, if we're in it together, it's better than doing it alone. That's why music is always going to save us." Neil McCormick interviewing Wayne Coyne, ''Daily Telegraph'', 23 March 2006, Features section: Music On Thursday, Pg. 23.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Justin Currie</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish singer and songwriter, best known as a founder member of [[Del Amitri]].<ref>"Currie isn't praying for salvation, either. Echoing recent bestsellers by Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, he finds organized religion "fascinating, intellectually, but completely redundant. So I'm an extreme atheist who also believes in human rights." " [http://www.examiner.com/a-1342859~Justin_Currie_on_a_roll.html Justin Currie on a roll], ''The Examiner'', 15 April 2008 (accessed 21 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Frederick Delius</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]] (1862–1934): Noted English composer.<ref>"In the ''Mass of Life'' (1904–05) Delius testified to his atheism. With Cassirer's assistance, he selected the words from Nietzsche's prose-poem ''Also sprach Zarathustra'' [...] In music that touches extreme poles of physical energy and rapt contemplation, Delius celebrates the human 'Will' and the 'Individual', and the 'Eternal Recurrence of Nature'." Diana McVeagh, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32775 'Delius, Frederick Theodor Albert (1862–1934)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ani DiFranco</Name>
<BirthYear>1970</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Singer, guitarist, and songwriter.<ref>"I'm an atheist, for Chrissake!" [http://web.archive.org/web/20010825152325/http://www.pioneerplanet.com/justgo/music/0313walsh.htm Question: Do DiFranco and Brown have all the answers?], 2000 interview with DiFranco by Jim Walsh, ''Pioneer Planet'' (Archived 25 August 2001)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Brian Eno</Name>
<BirthYear>1948</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[electronic music]]ian, [[music theory|music theorist]] and [[record producer]], known as the father of modern [[ambient music]].<ref>"The ecumenical echoes are no accident. Eno describes himself as an "evangelical atheist'', and has spoken of his intent to create a space in which one could have "secular spiritual experiences"." James Flint, 'This 'art for airports' is merely screen deep', ''Daily Telegraph'', 2 February 2007, Features: Film on Friday, Pg. 32.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Fenriz</Name>
<BirthYear>1971</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Norway|Norwegian]] drummer and lyricist for the two-piece [[black metal]] band [[Darkthrone]].<ref>"For meg har aldri opprøret vært greia. Det har heller handlet om en slags ateistisk vind-i-håret-frihet og kritikk av organisert religion."[http://www.nytid.no/?id=4050] retrieved January 15, 2008</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Liam Gallagher</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, (1972–): Lead singer for [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], younger brother of Noel Gallagher.<ref>[http://www.atheistalliance.org/aaw/atheistmusicians_ftom.html Atheist Musicians F to M<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Noel Gallagher</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, (1967–): Lead guitarist for [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], older brother of Liam Gallagher.<ref>The hard-living Oasis star Noel Gallagher has revealed to the New Musical Express that he has read Richard Dawkins’ book ''The God Delusion'' and loved it “Anything that disproves God, bring it on” [http://www.secularism.org.uk/comingoutasatheistnoelgallaghera.html]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bob Geldof</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, (1951–): Irish singer/songwriter, organized the [[Live Aid]] and [[Live 8]] charity concerts.<ref>"Mr Geldof said that as an atheist he was not going along with this "if you like fundamental Christian agenda". " [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5384564.stm] </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Gilmour</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English guitarist and vocalist with [[Pink Floyd]].<ref>From Newsday, published March 30, 2006: "I'm an atheist, and I don't have any belief in an afterlife..."</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dave Godin</Name>
<BirthYear>1936</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English champion of African-American music who coined the term '[[Northern soul]]'.<ref>"There was more to Godin than a love of music, however. A militant atheist, a conscientious objector who argued his way out of national service, a vegetarian from the age of 14, a campaigner against cruelty to animals and cinema censorship, he abhorred violence and believed in fairness in all areas of human conduct." Richard Williams, 'Obituary: Dave Godin', ''The Guardian'', 20 October 2004, Pg. 27.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Greg Graffin</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Lead singer of the [[punk rock]] band [[Bad Religion]]. Received his [[zoology]] PhD with the thesis ''Monism, Atheism and the Naturalist Worldview: Perspectives from Evolutionary Biology''.<ref>'Graffin is a smart, proud atheist...'—Kinsella, Warren (January 2007), [http://www.anglicanjournal.com/culture/books/041/article/the-punk-and-the-professor-and-what-they-say-about-god/ The punk and the professor and what they say about God], ''Anglican Journal''. Retrieved August 9, 2007.</ref><ref>'[Graffin] describes himself as a naturalist, which to him means someone who holds that the natural world is all there is. "If you can believe in God, then you can believe in anything," he says. "It's a gang mentality."'—Olson, Steve (November 2006), [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/faces1.html Faces of the New Atheism: The Punk Rocker], ''[[Wired News]]'', [[Condé Nast Publishing]]. Retrieved November 15, 2007.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kathleen Hanna</Name>
<BirthYear>1968</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Lead singer of [[Le Tigre]]. She was quoted in an interview saying, "I don't believe in God, but I believe God invented four-tracks".<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/19990429161215/http://www.sfbg.com/AandE/32/49/julie.html SFBG Arts and Entertainment: September 9, 1998: Woman vs. rock<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Henry Holmes (composer)|Henry Holmes</Name>
<BirthYear>1839</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1905</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English violinist and composer.<ref>"In recognition of his achievements he was invited by George Grove to join the staff of the newly founded Royal College of Music as a professor of violin in 1883. However, within a few years of his appointment at the college, Grove became uncomfortably aware of his 'radical unbelieving views' and of his inclination to lecture his students on atheism and socialism." Jeremy Dibble, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/54666 'Holmes, Henry (1839–1905)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Leoš Janá?ek</Name>
<BirthYear>1854</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1928</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Czech composer, famous for his [[Glagolitic Mass]].<ref>Reviewing a recording of the Glagolitic Mass, John Allison wrote: "Sacred music may have lost some of its importance over the last century or so, but more cynical times have not discouraged composers completely. Even atheist composers, among whom Janácek is a good example, have taken to the genre, though his celebrated Glagolitic Mass is more of a national than religious statement." ''Sunday Telegraph'', 2 April 2006, Section 7, Classical, Pg. 29.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alex Kapranos</Name>
<BirthYear>1972</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Lead singer of Scottish band [[Franz Ferdinand]].<ref>"'Atheist or believer?' 'Atheist.'" [http://tmcq.co.uk/interviews/alex-kapranos/], ''The Mind's Construction Quarterly'', (accessed 4 May 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Linton Kwesi Johnson</Name>
<BirthYear>1952</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British-based [[dub poet]].<ref>"as an atheist, 'I [Johnson] couldn't reconcile myself to the idea that Haile Selassie was God.'" [http://books.guardian.co.uk/poetry/features/0,,2263404,00.html 'I did my own thing'], ''Guardian Books'', 8 March 2008 (accessed 31 March 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Lemmy</Name>
<BirthYear>1945</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English rock [[singer]] and [[bass guitar]]ist, most famous for founding the [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Motörhead]].<ref> "I'm an atheist and an anarchist"—{{cite web | last = Eddy | first = Chuck | title = Damage Case: Lemmy and Motörhead | work = Motörhead Forever | date = 1997 | url = http://www.motorhead.ru/art11damagecase.htm}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Till Lindemann</Name>
<BirthYear>1963</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Lead singer of the German [[industrial metal]] band, [[Rammstein]]<ref>Stated that he is an Atheist.[http://rammstein-europe.com/main.php?sekce=till-lindemann&l=en]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Emcee Lynx</Name>
<BirthYear>1980</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Anarchism|anarchist]] [[hip hop music]]ian who identifies as potentially [[Pantheism|pantheist]], agnostic or atheist.<ref>"The closest word I’ve found to describe [my] belief system is Pantheism, but I could also call myself an agnostic (because I don’t claim to know if my own conception of divinity is ultimately true) or an atheist (because I believe that religions based around personified deities are definitely not true)."—[http://blog.circlealpha.com/?p=42 The Universe According to Lynx] (June 30, 2007), ''Soundtrack for Insurrection'', circlealpha.com. Retrieved October 21, 2007.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Maxwell Davies|Sir Peter Maxwell Davies</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1934–): English [[composer]] and [[Conductor (music)|conductor]], currently [[Master of the Queen's Music]].<ref>Interviewing Maxwell Davies, Ivan Hewett wrote: "An avant-gardist who uses ancient Christian chants, an atheist who's written pieces entitled Antichrist and Revelation and Fall - clearly there are tensions beneath that carefully controlled surface." 'A Life on the Edge', ''Daily Telegraph'', 7 April 2005, Features Pg. 015.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Melly</Name>
<BirthYear>1926</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2007</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[jazz]] and [[blues]] singer, critic, writer and lecturer.<ref>Interviewed by Nigel Farndale, Melly said: "I don't understand people panicking about death. It's inevitable. I'm an atheist; you'd think it would make it worse, but it doesn't. I've done quite a lot in the world, not necessarily of great significance, but I have done it." ''Daily Telegraph'', 24 October 2005, Features section, Pg. 023.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Napalm Death</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[grindcore]]/[[death metal]] band from Birmingham, England. All members hold atheistic outlooks.<ref>[[Mark Greenway|Mark "Barney" Greenway]] writes regarding the album [[Smear Campaign (album)|Smear Campaign]]: "People are also very supportive about the new album theme of atheism/free thought in a world being driven by aggressive religious mythology." [http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=58867] [http://www.napalmdeath.org/plague/viewtopic.php?p=18902&sid=f1338c41d1c4bb99ac6a1f2443795ae5]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov</Name>
<BirthYear>1844</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1908</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>NARK.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Russian Nationalist composer, member of "The Five", best-known for the symphonic suite ''[[Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)|Scheherazade]]''.<ref>''[[The Guardian]]'' describes as "a devout atheist - [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]] later described him rather disapprovingly as having a mind 'closed to any religious or metaphysical idea'" [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/fridayreview/story/0,12102,1416434,00.html]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard Rodgers</Name>
<BirthYear>1902</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1979</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American composer of the music for more than 900 songs and 40 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musicals, best known for his songwriting partnerships with the [[lyricist]]s [[Rodgers and Hart|Lorenz Hart]] and [[Rodgers and Hammerstein|Oscar Hammerstein II]].<ref>Rodgers' biographer William G Hyland states: "That Richard Rodgers would recall, at the very beginning of his memoirs, his great-grandmother's death and its religious significance for his family suggests his need to justify his own religious alienation. Richard became an atheist, and as a parent he resisted religious instruction for his children. According to his wife, Dorothy, he felt that religion was based on "fear" and contributed to "feelings of guilt." " ''Richard Rodgers'', Yale University Press 1998, ISBN 0300071159. [http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/hyland-rodgers.html Chapter 1] at ''New York Times'' Books (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ned Rorem</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American composer<ref> quoted as saying "I'm an atheist" in interview for American Music Box[http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=4621]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Eric Sams</Name>
<BirthYear>1926</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British musicologist and Shakespeare scholar.<ref>"To these he brought the disciplines that had stood him in such good stead in music, most particularly the rejection of traditional beliefs unsupported by hard evidence. This also lay behind his own atheism." Andrew Lamb, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/93975 'Sams, Eric Sydney Charles (1926–2004)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', online edition, Oxford University Press, January 2008 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Wayne Static</Name>
<BirthYear>1965</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Frontman for Industrial Metal band [[Static-X]]<ref> quoted saying that he is an atheist in an interview with concertlivewire.com[http://www.concertlivewire.com/interviews/staticx.htm]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard Strauss</Name>
<BirthYear>1864</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1949</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German composer of the late Romantic and early modern era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas.<ref>"Both composers celebrate the potential of music to contain the irrational in human experience, although in stance they are antithetical. Strauss, the atheist, examines the vagaries of desire and the human psyche. Mahler, the visionary, goes on a solitary quest to find his God." Tim Ashley, Review: Classical: LPO/Elder: Royal Festival Hall, London 5/5', ''The Guardian'', 6 December 2002, Pg. 22.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Tracey Thorn</Name>
<BirthYear>1962</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English pop singer and songwriter, best known as one half of the duo [[Everything but the Girl]].<ref>"I've always been an atheist. We grew up in a village and I was like 'I'm not joining the Christian Youth Club'. Believing something that's unprovable is not how my mind works." Tracey Thorn, 'G2: Pieces of me: Tracey Thorn, Singer', ''The Guardian'', 23 July 2007, Features pages, Pg. 14.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Tippett|Sir Michael Tippett</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of Merit (Commonwealth)|OM]] (1905–1998): English composer, regarded as one of the greatest of the 20th century.<ref>"He then went as a boarder to Stamford grammar school, Lincolnshire, where he was much happier, though still a notorious character largely on account of his now fully developed atheism. [...] He was cremated on 15 January at Hanworth crematorium, at an explicitly non-religious service." Geraint Lewis, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/69100 'Tippett, Sir Michael Kemp (1905–1998)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<!--Philosophy-->
<Person>
<Name>John Anderson (philosopher)</Name>
<BirthYear>1893</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1962</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish-born Australian [[philosopher]], Professor of Philosophy at [[Sydney University]] for over thirty years, and founder of the empirical brand of philosophy known as 'Sydney realism'.<ref>"This degree of radicalism Sydney could endure. But what of a man who had signed up as a communist immediately on his arrival, who was unashamedly an atheist, a realist where philosophers were expected to be idealists, who freely mixed with students when he was expected to meet them only in classes or, very occasionally, in their studies? Trouble was bound to loom ahead." John Passmore: 'Anderson, John (1893–1962)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/40280] (accessed 29 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Hector Avalos</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Mexican-American professor of [[Religious Studies]] at [[Iowa State University]] and author of several books about religion.<ref>From a ''Freethought Radio'' podcast: '''Avalos''': "I was a child evangelist and preacher, and I used to go around a lot of churches in Arizona specifically [...] it was coming along sort of in stages [...] slowly through high school, and so by the first year of college, I pretty much had realised that I am an atheist." [...] Annie Laurie Gaylor: "What made you an atheist?" '''Avalos:''' "Well I always say, reading the Bible did. The more I read the Bible and I tried to use the Bible to convert other people to Christianity, I realised, well I have to learn the arguments of the other religions I'm trying to convert. And the more I tried to learn the arguments and compare them to mine, the more I realised, I could make the arguments for their side just as well. Then it went into, you know, how do I know that ''anything'' I believe is true? And eventually I realised I have no evidence for ''any'' religion being true, and at that point, I was an atheist." FFRF podcast [http://media.libsyn.com/media/ffrf/FTradio_58_060207.mp3 Fighting Words: The Origins of Religious Violence] (mp3), 2 June 2007 (accessed 25 April 2008). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>A. J. Ayer</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1989</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British philosopher and advocate of [[logical positivism]]. Though technically he viewed the idea of God existing as meaningless, he was happy to call himself an atheist.<ref>"Conversely, an absolute denial of God's existence is equally meaningless, since verification is impossible. However, despite this assertion, Ayer may be considered a practical atheist: one who sees no reason to worship an invisible deity." ''2000 Years of Disbelief: Famous People with the Courage to Doubt'', by James A. Haught, Prometheus Books, 1996, p. 276.</ref><ref>"I was thoroughly irritated when Freddie Ayer, the philosopher who was at Christ Church with me, presented me with a book inscribed: 'To my fellow atheist'." Lord Dacre, 'I liked the elegant, frivolous life...', ''Daily Telegraph'', 28 January 2003, Pg. 17.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Julian Baggini</Name>
<BirthYear>1968</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British writer specialising in philosophy, author of ''Atheism: A Very Short Introduction''.<ref>"The reverend Dr Tom Ambrose was sacked yesterday by his bishop for being "arrogant, aggressive, rude, bullying, high-handed, disorganised and at times petty", as a Church of England tribunal put it. Twice, he even spat at parishioners. You might expect that, as an atheist, I might rub my hands over this clerical outrage." Julian Baggini, [http://julianbaggini.blogspot.com/2008/04/thought-for-day-bbc-radio-bristol.html Thought for the day - BBC Radio Bristol], blog entry, 11 April 2008 (accessed 22 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mikhail Bakunin</Name>
<BirthYear>1814</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1876</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Russian [[philosopher]], writer and [[anarchism|anarchist]].<ref>Multiple quotes from Bakunin substantiating his atheist views[http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/quote-b.htm#BAKUNIN].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Simone de Beauvoir</Name>
<BirthYear>1908</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1986</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French author and existentialist philosopher. Beauvoir wrote novels and monographs on philosophy, politics, social issues and feminism.<ref>"[Beauvoir] remained an atheist until her death." [http://www.iep.utm.edu/b/beauvoir.htm Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)], ''The Internet Encyclopedia or Philosophy'' (Accessed 21 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Simon Blackburn</Name>
<BirthYear>1944</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British academic atheist philosopher known for his efforts to popularise philosophy.<ref>"Some years ago, without realizing what it might mean, I accepted a dinner invitation from a Jewish colleague for dinner on Friday night. I should say that my colleague had never appeared particularly orthodox, and he would have known that I am an atheist." Simon Blackburn, [http://www.phil.cam.ac.uk/~swb24/PAPERS/religion%20and%20respect.pdf Religion and Respect] (pdf) on his website, August 2004 (accessed 23 April 2008.)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Albert Camus</Name>
<BirthYear>1913</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1960</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French philosopher and novelist, a luminary of existentialism. He won the [[Nobel Prize]] in [[Literature]] in 1957.<ref>David Simpson writes that Camus affirmed "a defiantly atheistic creed." [http://www.iep.utm.edu/c/camus.htm Albert Camus (1913–1960)], The Internet Encyclopedia or Philosophy, 2006, (Accessed 14 June 2007).</ref><ref name="Haught"/></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Rudolf Carnap</Name>
<BirthYear>1891</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1970</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German [[philosopher]] who was active in central Europe before 1935 and in the United States thereafter. He was a leading member of the [[Vienna Circle]] and a prominent advocate of [[logical positivism]].<ref>Martin Gardner said "Carnap was an atheist..." [http://www.csicop.org/si/9803/gardner.html A Mind at Play: An Interview with Martin Gardner], by Kendrick Frazier, ''Skeptical Inquirer'', March/April 1998 (Accessed 2 July 2007).</ref><ref>"Carnap had a modest but deeply religious family background, which might explain why, although he later became an atheist, he maintained a respectful and tolerant attitude in matters of faith throughout his life." Buldt, Bernd: "Carnap, Paul Rudolf", ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' Vol. 20 p.43. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Todd Carroll</Name>
<BirthYear>1945</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American writer and academic, professor of [[philosophy]] at [[Sacramento City College]] until 1997, and keeper of the [[Skeptic's Dictionary]] website.<ref>"If I had to sum up my own atheism, I think I would have to say that it amounts to this: I have no interest in the supernatural. I also have no interest in what others believe about the supernatural as long as their belief does not involve intolerance of those who disagree with them." Robert Todd Carroll, [http://www.skepdic.com/atheism.html Skeptic's Dictionary entry: atheism] (accessed 28 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Noam Chomsky</Name>
<BirthYear>1928</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American linguist, philosopher, political activist, author, and lecturer, Institute Professor and professor emeritus of linguistics at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], credited with the creation of the theory of generative grammar.<ref>"Like everyone participating I'm what's called here a "secular atheist," except that I can't even call myself an "atheist" because it is not at all clear what I'm being asked to deny." Noam Chomsky, ''Edge'' Discussion of [http://www.edge.org/discourse/bb.html#chomsky Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival], November 2006 (accessed 21 April 2008). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Auguste Comte</Name>
<BirthYear>1798</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1857</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French [[positivist]] thinker, credited with coining the term "sociologie" ([[sociology]]).<ref>"Despite his atheism, Comte was concerned with moral regeneration and the establishment of a spiritual power." Mary Pickering, 'Auguste Comte and the Saint-Simonians', ''French Historical Studies'' Vol. 18, No. 1 (Spring 1993), pp. 211-236.</ref><ref>"But tragically, Comte's "remarkable clearness and extent of vision as to natural things" was coupled with a "total blindness in regard to all that pertains to man's spiritual nature and relations." His "astonishing philosophic power" served only to increase the "plausibility" of a dangerous infidelity. Comte was, once unmasked, a "blank, avowed, unblushing Atheist." [...] Some of the Reformed writers were careful enough to note that technically Comte was not an atheist since he never denied the existence of God, merely his comprehensibility. Practically, however, this made little difference. It only pointed to the skepticism and nescience<!--correct--> at the core of his positivism. The epistemological issues dominated the criticism of Comte. Quickly, his atheism was traced to his sensual psychology (or "sensualistic psychology", as Robert Dabney preferred to say)." Charles D. Cashdollar, 'Auguste Comte and the American Reformed Theologians', ''Journal of the History of Ideas'' Vol. 39, No. 1 (January&ndashMarch 1978), pp. 61-79.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>André Comte-Sponville</Name>
<BirthYear>1952</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French philosopher, author of ''L'Esprit de l'athéisme'' (2006) and ''The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality'' (2007).<ref>"This is why I am an atheist, while remaining faithful – as best as I can – to the spirit of Christ, who represents justice and charity." André Comte-Sponville, [http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2007/12/as_an_atheist_i_choose_jesus_o.html An Atheist Chooses Jesus Over Santa], Washington Post, 22 December 2007 (accessed 21 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Marquis de Condorcet</Name>
<BirthYear>1743</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1794</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French philosopher, mathematician, and early political scientist who devised the concept of a Condorcet method.<ref>"An atheist, he rejected the burden of original sin, and preached the fundamental 'moral goodness of man.'" [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3123353 Condorcet's Reconsideration of America as a Model for Europe], Max M. Mintz, ''Journal of the Early Republic'', Vol. 11, No. 4 (Winter, 1991), pp. 493-506 (p. 505), published by University of Pennsylvania Press on behalf of the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Benedetto Croce</Name>
<BirthYear>1886</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1952</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian philosopher and public figure.<ref>Stated in [[Will Durant]]'s ''Outlines of Philosophy''</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Gilles Deleuze</Name>
<BirthYear>1925</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1995</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French philosopher of the late 20th century. From the early 1960s until his death, Deleuze wrote many influential works on philosophy, literature, film, and fine art.<ref>Stated in Mary Bryden's ''Deleuze and Religion'' Page 157</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Daniel Dennett</Name>
<BirthYear>1942</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American philosopher, author of ''[[Breaking the Spell]]''.<ref>Dennett, Daniel C. (2006), ''Breaking the Spell'', Viking (Penguin), ISBN 0-670-03472-X</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Diagoras of Melos</Name>
<BirthYear>5</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] [[poet]] and [[Sophism|sophist]] known as the Atheist of [[Milos]], who declared that there were no Gods.<ref>A History of Freethought, Ancient and Modern, to the Period of the French Revolution, J.M. Robertson, Fourth Edition, Revised and Expanded, In Two Volumes, Vol. I, Watts, 1936. p173 - 174</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Denis Diderot</Name>
<BirthYear>1713</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>84</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Louis-Michel van Loo 001.jpg</Picture>
<Text>editor-in-chief of the ''[[Encyclopédie]]''.<ref name="Rousseau and Revolution">[[Will Durant|Will and Ariel Durant]], ''Rousseau and Revolution'', p. 183</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Theodore Drange</Name>
<BirthYear>1934</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Philosopher of religion and Professor Emeritus at West Virginia University. Drange authored ''Nonbelief & Evil: Two arguments for the nonexistence of God''.<ref>"This book... presents the strongest case yet for atheism... Drange carefully analyzes and assesses two major arguments for the nonexistence of God: the argument from Evil and the Argument from Nonbelief." [quoted from the dustjacket description] ''Nonbelief & Evil: Two arguments for the nonexistence of God'' Theodore M. Drange, Prometheus Books, 1998, ISBN 1-57392-228-5</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Edwards (philosopher)|Paul Edwards</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Austrian-American moral philosopher and editor of ''The Encyclopedia or Philosophy''.<ref>"'There is no God, there is no life after death, Jesus was a man, and, perhaps most important, the influence of religion is by and large bad,' he wrote in the current issue of Free Inquiry, a magazine about secular humanism, a school of thought that emphasizes values based on experience rather than religion." [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/16/obituaries/16edwards.html Paul Edwards, Professor and Editor of Philosophy, Dies at 81], by Jennifer Bayot, ''The New York Times'', 16 December 2004 (Accessed 21 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach</Name>
<BirthYear>1804</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1872</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German philosopher whose major work, ''The Essence of Christianity'', maintains that religion and divinity are projections of human nature.<ref>[http://positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/quote-f.htm#FREUERBACH positiveatheism.org]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>A. C. Grayling</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British philosopher and author of, among others, ''Against All Gods: Six Polemics on Religion and an Essay on Kindness''.<ref>"I would certainly describe myself as a robust or uncompromising atheist..." [http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/204185/202-7424939-2463054 House Philosopher: An Interview with AC Grayling], conducted and hosted by Amazon.co.uk (Accessed 1 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Harris (bioethicist)|John Harris</Name>
<BirthYear>1947</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British professor of bioethics at the [[University of Manchester]], and member of the UK Human Genetics Commission.<ref>"Prof Harris, 54, an atheist who has advocated that corpses should become public property to make up for the shortage in transplant organs [...]." 'Is ANDi a miracle or a monster? Seven philosophers consider the ethical issues raised by the first GM monkey,' Daniel Johnson and Thomas Harding, ''Daily Telegraph'', 22 January 2001, Pg. 04.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Claude Adrien Helvétius</Name>
<BirthYear>1715</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>71</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French philosopher whose ethical and social views helped shape the school of [[utilitarianism]] later made famous by [[Jeremy Bentham]].<ref name="Rousseau and Revolution"/> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Baron d'Holbach</Name>
<BirthYear>1723</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>89</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Paul Heinrich Dietrich Baron d'Holbach.jpg</Picture>
<Text>French philosopher and [[encyclopedist]], most famous as being one of the first outspoken atheists in Europe.<ref>[[Will Durant|Will and Ariel Durant]], ''The Age of Voltaire: a History of Civilization in Western Europe from 1715 to 1756, with Special Emphasis on the Conflict between Religion and Philosophy'', New York, Simon and Schuster, 1965, pp. 695-714</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Kellogg Lewis</Name>
<BirthYear>1941</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2001</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American philosopher. One of the leading thinkers of the second half of the 20th century.<ref>"I am an atheist." [David Lewis, "Evil for Freedom's Sake," in ''Papers in Ethics and Social Philosophy'', 101-127 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000). p. 102]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Lipton</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2007</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British philosopher, the Hans Rausing Professor and Head of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University until his unexpected death in November 2007. He was "one of the leading [[philosophy of science|philosophers of science]] and [[epistemology|epistemologists]] in the world."<ref>"A self-confessed "religious atheist", Lipton was fully engaged with his religious culture, taking his family to synagogue on Saturdays and teaching children at the Sabbath school. He did not think it was necessary to believe in God to recognise the value of religion in providing the individual with a moral compass." 'Obituary of Professor Peter Lipton, Inspiring head of Cambridge's department of History and Philosophy whose atheism did not impede his religious observance', ''Daily Telegraph'', 17 December 2007, Pg. 23.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kazimierz ?yszczy?ski|Kazimierz Lyszczynski</Name>
<BirthYear>1634</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1689</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Polish noble and philosopher, author of philosophical treatise ''De non existentia Dei'', condemned to death penalty for atheism and executed.<ref> [http://lista.racjonalista.pl Kazimierz Lyszczynski's Web List of Atheists and Agnostics]</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>J. L. Mackie|John Leslie Mackie</Name>
<BirthYear>1917</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1981</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australian philosopher who specialized in [[meta-ethics]] as a proponent of [[moral skepticism]]. Wrote ''The Miracle of Theism'', discussing arguments for and against [[theism]] and concluding that theism is rationally untenable.<ref> [[J. L. Mackie]], ''The Miracle of Theism'', 1982.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Martin (philosopher)|Michael Martin</Name>
<BirthYear>1932</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>analytic philosopher and professor emeritus at [[Boston University]], author of, amongst others, ''Atheism: A Philosophical Justification'' (1989) and ''The Impossibility of God'' (2003).<ref>"Are there really no atheists? No good reason has yet been given for NA and, until one is, we professed atheists have every reason to suppose that we really are atheists." Michael Martin, [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/michael_martin/no_atheists.html Are There Really No Atheists?], 1996 (accessed 21 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Harriet Martineau</Name>
<BirthYear>1802</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1876</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>was an English writer and philosopher, renowned in her day as a controversial journalist, political economist, abolitionist and life-long feminist.<ref>"She became increasingly skeptical of religious beliefs, including her own liberal Unitarianism, and her avowal of atheism in the ''Letters on the Laws of Man's Nature and Development'' (1851, with H.G. Atkinson) caused widespread shock." [http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9051172 Martineau, Harriet] ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'', 2008 (Accessed 15 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Karl Marx</Name>
<BirthYear>1818</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>83</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Karl Marx.jpg</Picture>
<Text>German author of ''[[Das Kapital]]'', known for his assertion that "Religion is... the [[opiate of the people]]."<ref>''Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right'', 1843</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Colin McGinn</Name>
<BirthYear>1950</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British philosopher and author, best known for his work in the [[philosophy of mind]].<ref name="colin_mcginn">On the filming of [[The Atheism Tapes]] with [[Jonathan Miller]]: "We had been friends for a number of years, and had discussed a great many topics, but we had never, except glancingly, ever spoken about religion. We knew about our shared atheism, but the subject didn’t seem to warrant much attention; in the Miller-McGinn world it was a non-existent topic. [...] It is often forgotten that atheism of the kind shared by Jonathan and me (and Dawkins and Hitchens et al) has an ethical motive." [http://www.colinmcginnblog.com/index.php?entry=entry080204-085440 Atheism Tapes], Colin McGinn, on his blog. (Accessed 1 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jean Meslier</Name>
<BirthYear>1678</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1733</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French village [[Catholic priest]] who was found, on his death, to have written a book-length philosophical essay, entitled ''Common Sense'' but commonly referred to as ''Meslier's Testament'', promoting atheism.<ref>Extracts from ''Moi Testament'' published as ''[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17607 Superstition in All Ages]''</ref><ref>[[Will Durant|Will and Ariel Durant]], ''The Age of Voltaire'', 1965, pp. 611-17</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Julien Offray de La Mettrie</Name>
<BirthYear>1709</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>51</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French [[physician]] and [[philosopher]], earliest [[materialist]] writer of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]], claimed as a founder of [[cognitive science]].<ref>[[Will Durant|Will and Ariel Durant]], ''The Age of Voltaire'', 1965, pp. 617-22</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Stuart Mill</Name>
<BirthYear>1806</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1873</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>The famous philosopher declared his atheism, and that of his father, in a famous essay published posthumously.<ref>[http://www.utilitarianism.com/millauto/two.html Autobiography, Chapter 2]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kai Nielsen</Name>
<BirthYear>1926</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>adjunct [[professor]] of [[philosophy]] at [[Concordia University]] in [[Montreal]] and professor emeritus of philosophy at the [[University of Calgary]].<ref>"Since my mid-undergraduate days, I have been an atheist. By now I suppose there are some who would call me a professional atheist troikaing<!--correct--> me with Antony Flew and Michael Scriven." Kai Nielsen, ''God and the Grounding of Morality'', p.155 [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=H8tkTl5r64AC&pg=PA155&dq=%22&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=0_0&sig=XCY1wDdlvf0w-BkPhWc_5UvFTW8]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Friedrich Nietzsche</Name>
<BirthYear>1844</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1900</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Nietzsche1882.jpg</Picture>
<Text>German philosopher whose ''[[Beyond Good and Evil]]'' sought to refute traditional notions of [[morality]]. Nietzsche penned a memorable [[secular]] statement of the [[Eternal return|Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence]] in ''[[Thus Spake Zarathustra]]'' and is forever associated with the phrase, "[[God is dead]]" (first seen in his book, ''[[The Gay Science]]'').<ref>''Die fröhliche Wissenschaft'', aphorisms 108 and 125 [http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/nietzsch/wissensc/wissen04.htm])</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Piergiorgio Odifreddi</Name>
<BirthYear>1950</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian mathematician, philosopher and science writer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Che fine ha fatto Dio?|url=http://www.vialattea.net/odifreddi/religioni.htm|author=Piergiorgio Odifreddi|language=Italian|accessdate=2006-10-09}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michel Onfray</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French philosopher, founder of [[Université populaire de Caen]], and author of ''Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Facts and friction of Easter|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/facts-and-friction-of-easter/2008/03/21/1205602592557.html|author=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=English|accessdate=2008-03-23}}</ref><ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Atheist-Manifesto-Against-Christianity-Judaism/dp/1559708204 Amazon listing] for ''Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam'', by Michel Onfray. (Accessed 23 March 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Graham Oppy</Name>
<BirthYear>1960</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australian philosopher and Associate Dean of Research at [[Monash University]], and Associate Editor of the [[Australasian Journal of Philosophy]]. His main area of research is the philosophy of religion.<ref>In [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/graham_oppy/god.html 'Is God Good By Definition?'] (1992), Oppy presented a logical argument for God's nonexistence based upon an alleged fact of metaethics: the falsity of moral realism. If moral realism is false, then that is a fact that is incompatible with God's existence.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Leonard Peikoff</Name>
<BirthYear>1933</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>an Objectivist philosopher, he is Ayn Rand's intellectual and legal heir. He is a former professor of philosophy, a former radio talk show host, and founder of the Ayn Rand Institute.<ref>"...as an Objectivist I am an atheist." [http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5360&news_iv_ctrl=1225 Religion vs. America], by Leonard Peikoff, delivered at the Ford Hall Forum on April 20, 1986, and published in ''The Objectivist Forum'', June 1986 (Accessed 15 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Herman Philipse</Name>
<BirthYear>1951</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>professor of philosophy at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Philipse has written many philosophical works in Dutch, including the widely-read ''Atheist Manifesto and the Unreasonableness of Religion'' (''Atheistisch manifest & De onredelijkheid van religie''.<ref>"Herman Philipse is a Dutch professor of Philosophy who gained national notoriety in the Netherlands with his 'Atheist Manifesto.'" [http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/874 Divided House: Dutch Debate Nature of Europe’s Culture War], by Paul Belien, ''The Brussels Journal'', 2006-03-02 (Accessed 15 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>James Rachels</Name>
<BirthYear>1941</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2003</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American philosopher who specialized in ethics.<ref>In [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/james_rachels/autonomy.html God and Moral Autonomy] (1997), Rachels argued for the nonexistence of God based on the impossibility of a being worthy of worship.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bertrand Russell</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Russell1907-2.jpg</Picture>
<Text>, (1872–1970): British philosopher and mathematician. He won the [[Nobel Prize]] in [[Literature]] in 1950. Though he considered himself an agnostic in a purely philosophical context, he said that the label ''atheist'' conveyed a more accurate understanding of his views in a popular context.<ref>Russell said: "As a philosopher, if I were speaking to a purely philosophic audience I should say that I ought to describe myself as an Agnostic, because I do not think that there is a conclusive argument by which one prove that there is not a God. On the other hand, if I am to convey the right impression to the ordinary man in the street I think I ought to say that I am an Atheist... None of us would seriously consider the possibility that all the gods of Homer really exist, and yet if you were to set to work to give a logical demonstration that Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and the rest of them did not exist you would find it an awful job. You could not get such proof. Therefore, in regard to the Olympic gods, speaking to a purely philosophical audience, I would say that I am an Agnostic. But speaking popularly, I think that all of us would say in regard to those gods that we were Atheists. In regard to the Christian God, I should, I think, take exactly the same line." [http://www.luminary.us/russell/atheist_agnostic.html Am I an Agnostic or an Atheist?], from ''Last Philosophical Testament 1943–1968'', (1997) Routledge ISBN 0-415-09409-7.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Santayana</Name>
<BirthYear>1863</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1952</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Philosopher in the naturalist and pragmatist traditions who called himself a "Catholic atheist."<ref>"Santayana playfully called himself 'a Catholic atheist,' but in spite of the fact that he deliberately immersed himself in the stream of Catholic religious life, he never took the sacraments. He neither literally regarded himself as a Catholic nor did Catholics regard him as a Catholic." [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1201562 Empiricism, Theoretical Constructs, and God], by Kai Nielsen, ''The Journal of Religion'', Vol. 54, No. 3 (Jul., 1974), pp. 199-217 (p. 205), publishd by The University of Chicago Press</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jean-Paul Sartre</Name>
<BirthYear>1905</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1980</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[France|French]] [[existentialism|existentialist]] [[philosopher]], [[playwright|dramatist]] and [[novelist]] who declared that he had been an atheist from age twelve.<ref>"He was so thoroughly an atheist that he rarely mentioned it, considering the topic of God to be beneath dicussion. In his autobiography, ''The Words'', Sartre recalled deciding at about age twelve that God does not exist, and hardly thinking about it thereafter." ''2000 Years of Disbelief: Famous People with the Courage to Doubt'', James A. Haught, Prometheus Books, 1996.</ref> Although he regarded God as a self-contradictory concept, he still thought of it as an ideal toward which people strive.<ref>{{cite web | last = Kimball | first = Roger | title = The World According to Sartre| | publisher = The New Criterion | date = 2000 | url = http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/extras/sartre.htm | accessdate = 2006-11-12 }}</ref> He rejected the [[Nobel Prize]] for [[Literature]] in 1964. According to Sartre, his most-repeated summary of his existentialist philosophy, "[[Existence precedes essence]]," implies that humans must abandon traditional notions of having been designed by a divine creator.<ref>{{cite web | last = Kemerling | first = Garth | title = Sartre: Existential Life | work = Philosophy Pages | publisher = Britannica Internet Guide Selection | date = October 27, 2001 | url = http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/7e.htm | accessdate = 2006-11-12 }}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Schmidt-Salomon</Name>
<BirthYear>1967</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German philosopher, author and former editor of ''MIZ'' (''Contemporary Materials and Information: Political magazine for atheists and the irreligious'')<ref>MIZ title in German: ''Materialien und Informationen zur Zeit (MIZ) (Untertitel: Politisches Magazin für Konfessionslose und AtheistInnen)''</ref><ref>"Like many other so-called "Atheists" I am also not a ''pure'' atheist, but actually an ''agnostic''..." [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.schmidt-salomon.de/salomon2.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2BVertreter%2Bdes%2BAtheismus%2BMichael%2BSchmidt-Salomon%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7TSHB Life without God: A decision for the people] (Automatic Google translation of the [http://www.schmidt-salomon.de/salomon2.htm original], hosted at Schmidt-Salomon's website), by Michael Schmidt-Salomon 19 November 1996, first published in: ''Education and Criticism: Journal of Humanistic Philosophy and Free Thinking'' January 1997 (Accessed 1 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Arthur Schopenhauer</Name>
<BirthYear>1788</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1860</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Pessimistic German philosopher and author of the book [[The World as Will and Representation]].<ref>"Within Schopenhauer's vision of the world as Will, there is no God to be comprehended, and the world is conceived of as being meaningless." [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/schopenhauer]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Searle</Name>
<BirthYear>1932</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American philosopher, Slusser Professor of Philosophy at the [[University of California, Berkeley]], widely noted for contributions to the philosophy of language, the philosophy of mind, and to social philosophy.<ref>Reviewing an episode of the Channel 4 series ''Voices'': "On the one hand, Sir John Eccles, a quiet-spoken theist with the most devastating way of answering questions with a single "yes", on the other, Professor Searle, a flamboyant atheist using words I've never heard of or likely to again "now we know that renal secretions synthesize a substance called angiotensin and that angiotensin gets into the hypothalamus and causes a series of neuron firings". " Peter Dear, 'Today's television and radio programmes', ''The Times'', 22 February 1984; pg. 31; Issue 61764; col A.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Singer</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Australia]]n [[utilitarianism|utilitarian]] [[philosopher]], proponent of [[animal rights]], and Ira W. DeCamp Professor of [[Bioethics]] at [[Princeton University]].<ref>{{cite news | first = Joyce Howard | last = Price | title = Princeton bioethicist argues Christianity hurts animals | url = http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1637/is_200207/ai_n7080814 | work = The Washington Times | date = 4 July 2002| quote =I am an atheist.}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George H. Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Libertarian philosopher, author and educator. Smith authored ''Atheism: The Case Against God''.<ref>"This book is a presentation and defense of atheism." ''Atheism: The Case Against God'', by George H. Smith, Prometheus Books, 1989, ISBN 0-87975-124-X</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Quentin Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1952</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Philosopher and professor of philosophy at [[Western Michigan University]]. Smith co-authored the book ''Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology'' with [[William Lane Craig]].<ref>Smith has written [http://www.qsmithwmu.com/philosophy_of_religion.htm numerous papers] arguing for the nonexistence of God. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Max Stirner</Name>
<BirthYear>1806</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1856</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German-born anarchist philosopher and author of ''[[The Ego and Its Own]]''</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Theodorus the Atheist</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>(lived around 300 BCE): Philosopher of the Cyrenaic school who taught that the goal of life was to obtain joy and avoid grief.<ref>"Theodorus, the atheistic philosopher of Cyrene, appears in Athens during the Phalerean regime." [http://www.jstor.org/stable/639604 Athenian Impiety Trials in the Late Fourth Century B. C.], L. L. O'Sullivan, ''The Classical Quarterly'', New Series, Vol. 47, No. 1 (1997), pp. 136-152 (p. 142), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alan White (philosopher)|Alan White</Name>
<BirthYear>1922</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1992</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Canadian-born philosopher and author. <ref>"It was during this time that White, by now a keen atheist, married, on 12 August 1948, Eileen Anne Jarvis (b. 1927), of Hull, a clerk; they had two daughters and a son." Paul Gilbert, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/65664 'White, Alan Richard (1922–1992)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bernard Williams|Sir Bernard Williams</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[British Academy|FBA]] (1929–2003): British philosopher, widely cited as the most important British moral philosopher of his time.<ref>"While Shirley was (and is) a devout Catholic and so took the marriage as a commitment for eternity, Bernard, an atheist, had not done so when he made the wedding vows. Shirley says: "The Church and Bernard had a wonderful time debating all this. The theologians were so thrilled to be discussing it with a leading philosopher." " Stuart Jeffries, 'Profile: Bernard Williams', ''The Guardian'', 30 November 2002, Saturday Review, Pg. 20.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sherwin Wine</Name>
<BirthYear>1928</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2007</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Founder of the non-theistic [[Society for Humanistic Judaism]], who has also called himself an "[[ignosticism|ignostic]]".<ref>Wine said "I am an atheist." [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839200,00.html Time Magazine January 29, 1965]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Slavoj Žižek</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Slovenia]]n [[sociologist]], [[postmodern]] [[philosopher]], and [[cultural critic]].<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/13/opinion/edzizek.php Atheism is a legacy worth fighting for] (as reprinted in the ''International Herald Tribune''), an editorial by Slavoj Zizek, ''The New York Times'', Tuesday, March 14, 2006 (Accessed 2 July 2007).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Politics and law-->
<Person>
<Name>Guy Aldred</Name>
<BirthYear>1886</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1963</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English anarchist communist and a prominent member of the [[Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation]].<ref>"The defendant, in the witness-box, declared that the meeting was quite orderly, and there were cries of "Shame" when he was arrested. He denied the charges. Aldred said he was an Atheist and a Socialist." 'Hyde Park Speech Prosecution. Evidence For The Defence', ''The Times'', Wednesday, Mar 04, 1925; pg. 5; Issue 43901; col G.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Subhashini Ali</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Indian]] [[Marxist]] politician and President of the [[All India Democratic Women's Association]].<ref>"There are religions that have very rigid rules and there are others that don't. Religion is something that I, as a person, am not interested in. I have always been an atheist. My parents were atheists. It doesn't bother me if somebody is religious. My problem is when religion is used to institutionalise other things." [http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/aug/08inter.htm The Rediff Interview/ Subhasini Ali], 8 August 2001 (accessed 21 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Graham Allen (politician)|Graham Allen</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician and Member [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Member of Parliament]] for [[Nottingham North (UK Parliament constituency)|Nottingham North]], and a Distinguished Supporter of the [[British Humanist Association]] and an honorary associate of the [[National Secular Society]].<ref>Edward Leigh, Gainsborough MP: "That point was made in the excellent speech by the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen), who is a convinced atheist—perhaps a member of the National Secular Society; I do not know." [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo050621/debtext/50621-28.htm House of Commons Hansard, 21 June 2005: Column 728] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Salvador Allende</Name>
<BirthYear>1908</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1973</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Chile]]an Marxist politician, President of Chile from November 1970 until his death during the coup d'état of September 11, 1973.<ref>The inauguration was, however, followed by an ecumenical service in the cathedral, since, as the new President, an atheist and freemason, has already explained, many of those who voted for his "Popular Unity" programme are sincere Roman Catholics." Richard Wigg, '75 states witness Allende pledge to democracy', ''The Times'', 4 November 1970; pg. 9; Issue 58014; col E.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>William Crawford Anderson</Name>
<BirthYear>1877</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1919</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British socialist politician, a founder member of the [[Union of Democratic Control]].<ref>"His mother was an intelligent and widely read woman of strong, radical, Presbyterian views who encouraged William to read extensively and passed on a love of literature which stayed with him long after he was converted to free-thinking atheism." Joseph Melling, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/47322 'Anderson, William Crawford (1877–1919)], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Julio Anguita</Name>
<BirthYear>1941</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Spanish politician and a former teacher, Mayor of Córdoba 1979–1988, then General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain 1988–1998.<ref>"Señor Julio Anguita, the mayor, who is a self-confessed atheist indifferent to both religions, has invoked Spain's 1978 constitution which separates church and state [...]". Richard Wigg, 'Córdoba mayor upsets the bishop', ''The Times'', 9 January 1981; pg. 4; Issue 60821; col E.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Clement Attlee</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>1st Earl Attlee, [[Order of the Garter|KG]], [[Order of Merit|OM]], [[Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]], [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|PC]] (1883–1967): [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] from 1945 to 1951, under whose government the [[National Health Service]] and [[Welfare State]] were established.<ref>"[...] then in 1896 at the age of thirteen went on, like all the boys in the family, to Haileybury College. Here he confirmed an unobtrusive atheism—he became disenchanted with church attendance and religious observance—and played rugby and cricket with the handicap of his small stature and lack of any real skill, but enjoyed the rifle corps." R. C. Whiting, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30498 'Attlee, Clement Richard, first Earl Attlee (1883–1967)'], Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, January 2008 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bob Avakian</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Chairman of the [[Revolutionary Communist Party, USA]], and author of ''Away With All Gods!'' (2008).<ref>Part Four of ''Away With All Gods!'' contains a section called "God Does Not Exist — And There Is No Good Reason to Believe In God". [http://www.insight-press.com/site/epage/55449_664.htm Table of Contents] from the publisher, Insight Books.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Edward Aveling</Name>
<BirthYear>1849</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1898</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[Marxist]] activist and partner of [[Karl Marx]]'s daughter [[Eleanor Marx|Eleanor]].<ref>"His failed marriage aside, he was on a climbing path of conventional success and acclaim, which he left in 1879 when he abandoned his application for the chair of comparative anatomy because the post required its holder to profess Christianity. In July 1879 he made a public pronouncement that he had been an atheist for two or three years. In June 1881 he lost his lectureship, largely because of his atheism." C. A. Creffield: 'Aveling, Edward Bibbens (1849–1898)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/40929] (accessed 29 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Uri Avnery</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German-born Israeli [[journalist]], [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] [[Israeli peace camp|peace activist]], and former [[Knesset]] member.<ref>"Well, I myself am a 100% atheist. And I am increasingly worried that the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, which dominates our entire life, is assuming a more and more religious character." Uri Avnery, [http://archive.ramallahonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2382 A War of Religions? God Forbid!], ''Ramallah Online'' [[19 February]] [[2007]](?) (accessed [[28 April]] [[2008]]).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Leo Blair (senior)|Leo Blair</Name>
<BirthYear>1923</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Barrister and father of [[Tony Blair]], the former [[Prime Minister]] of the United Kingdom.<ref>"The pupil said he had read Richard Dawkins's book The God Delusion and it had helped turn him into an atheist. Mr Blair looked put out and eventually spluttered something about his new Tony Blair Faith Foundation also being about understanding people who had no god. His father Leo was a "militant'' atheist, he added." Tim Walker, 'Pupil rattles Blair', ''Daily Telegraph'' 5 April 2008.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bessie Braddock</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[justice of the peace|JP]] (1899–1970): British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician, vice-chairman of the party in 1968.<ref>"Mrs. Braddock, whose husband died in 1963, was an atheist, and her funeral service, next Tuesday at Liverpool crematorium, will be non-sectarian." Christopher Warman, ' 'Merseyside legend' Mrs Braddock dies at 71', ''The Times'', 14 November 1970; pg. 1; Issue 58023; col G.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Charles Bradlaugh</Name>
<BirthYear>1833</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1891</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Charles Bradlaugh.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Political activist and one of the most famous [[England|English]] atheists of the [[19th century]].<ref>Bradlaugh professes and defends atheism in his essay ''[http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/charles_bradlaugh/plea_for_atheism.html A Plea For Atheism]''.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alastair Campbell</Name>
<BirthYear>1957</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Public relations|Director of Communications and Strategy]] for the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] from 1997 to 2003.<ref>"You are an atheist. Tony Blair is a devout Christian. Did that make you feel uncomfortable?" Campbell answering questions in [[The Independent]] newspaper ''[http://www.secularism.org.uk/comingoutasatheistalistaircampbe.html]''.</ref><ref>"Mr Campbell, who is an atheist, has been keen to stop Mr Blair discussing his faith since 1996, when the Labour leader gave an extensive interview on the subject in The Telegraph which proved highly controversial." ''[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/05/04/nblair04.xml]'' ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''.</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Douglas_Campbell_%28Michigan_politician%29 | Douglas Campbell</Name>
<BirthYear>1959</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Atheist advocate and member of the Green Party of Michigan. Member, national advisory board, Godless Americans Political Action Committee<ref>Godless Americans Political Action Committee national advisory board[http://www.godlessamericans.org/pacadvisoryboard.php]</ref>. Co-founder, Michigan Godless Americans Political Action Committee.<ref>Michigan Godless Americans Political Action Committee[http://migampac.org/]</ref> Green Party candidate for [[Michigan_gubernatorial_election%2C_2006 | Governor of Michigan]], 2002 & 2006.</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Cashman</Name>
<BirthYear>1950</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British actor turned [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician, a Member of the European Parliament since 1999.<ref>"Queer-boy, soap-star, luvvie, Blairite, Michael is also, for the final flourish, something of a Buddhist. 'It seems to me a wonderfully selfless religion - and of course the only one which has had no war fought on its behalf.' He was brought up a Catholic, 'but not any more. People who think you have to do things now for reward later might feel faced with a comeuppance that, as an atheist, I don't have to deal with. If it turns out that there is a God, and I meet her, I think she'll say: 'Well... you were pretty fearless, and you did what you thought was right. I've got a place for you.' " Victoria Coren, 'The Monday interview: Michael Cashman: Straight talker', ''The Guardian'', 24 August 1998, Pg. 14.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Colin Challen</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[The Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[politician]].<ref>"Opposition Members said that many Labour Members hate religion. Perhaps they think that those who support the new clause are atheists. Will my hon. Friend accept my assurance that it is possible to be an atheist and to admire religion? It is even possible to be an atheist and to study it, as I chose to do when I went to university." Colin Challen, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020206/debtext/20206-31.htm House of Commons Hansard, 6 Feb 2002: Column 952] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Nick Clegg</Name>
<BirthYear>1967</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Leader of the [[Liberal Democrats]] since 2007.<ref>Asked directly in the interview on BBC Radio 5 Live, "Do you believe in God?", Mr Clegg replied simply: "No." [http://news.scotsman.com/politics/I-don39t-believe-in-God.3607087.jp I don't believe in God, says new Lib Dem chief], ''The Scotsman'', 20 December 2007 (accessed 1 April 2008)</ref><ref>'''Q:''' You had the courage publicly to declare that you are an atheist. How does your secular outlook affect your political views? - Simon Maynard. '''A:''' I have tremendous respect for people with faith, it's just not something I have myself. But I think it's absolutely vital to keep politics and faith separate. Government shouldn't make moral judgements about what people do or do not believe: faith is a private, personal decision that politicians should not interfere with. [http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/591061/clegg-responds-part-ii.thtml Clegg responds - Part II], ''Spectator'' Coffee House, 4 April 2008 (accessed 15 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dimitris Christofias</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Greek Cypriot]] politician, President of [[Cyprus]] 2008-Present.<ref>"For instance, Chrysostomos might argue that certain self-declared atheists should not be allowed to vote. It's worth recalling that a couple of years ago, the leader of the communist party AKEL Demetris Christofias said he was an atheist." Elias Hazou, [http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=27937&archive=1 'Church elections: how it works'], ''Cyprus Mail'' archive article, 17 September 2006 (accessed 15 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Georges Clemenceau</Name>
<BirthYear>1841</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1929</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French statesman, physician and journalist, prime minister of France 1906-1909 and 1917-1920. Led France during World War I and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles.<ref>"M. Clemenceau does not belong to the Socialist party, but is nevertheless a convinced atheist. He opposes zealously the idea of God, and preaches revolt against Him." Eugne Tavernier, 'The Religious Question In France. I. A French Catholic's View', ''The Times'', 6 November 1909; p. 5; Issue 39110; col F.</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robin Cook</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs of the [[United Kingdom|UK]] (1997–2001), whose funeral service was held in the [[High Kirk]] of [[Scotland]], where he was described as a "[[Presbyterian]] atheist."<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1733157,00.html Labour Party at prayer salutes Cook the atheist], by Magnus Linklater, ''The Times'', [[13 August]] [[2005]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>James Connolly</Name>
<BirthYear>1868</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1916</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish [[socialist]] leader.<ref>"When he left, after numerous rows with American socialists—De Leon ultimately dubbed the atheist Connolly a Jesuit agent; Connolly alleged De Leon was 'purposely doing the work of the capitalist class' (Connolly to Matheson, 8 Nov 1900, Dudley Edwards, 63)—though the class struggle was still his main concern he had developed a new sympathy with cultural and political nationalism." Ruth Dudley Edwards: 'Connolly, James (1868–1916)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37308] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Vaso ?ubrilovi?</Name>
<BirthYear>1897</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1990</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Bosnian student, a conspirator in the assassination of [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria]].<ref>"The philosophical and political differences among the conspirators were expressed at the trial. This was particularly obvious between the two Cubrilovi? brothers. [...] Veljko was a deeply religious man, who spent the whole night before the execution reading St. John's Gospel; Vaso was an atheist, scandalising judges with his statements; [...]." 'Back to Sarajevo After 50 Years By Professor Vladimir Dedijer of Harvard', ''The Times'', 26 June 1964; pg. 13; Issue 56048; col F.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai</Name>
<BirthYear>1940</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British economist, writer and [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician.<ref>"Lord Desai: Like my noble friend Lord Dormand I am an atheist and therefore should not speak too much about religion, but I am glad that the C[hurch] of E[ngland], having lost money in real estate, is now interested in sex and making money. That is always welcome." [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/ldhansrd/vo980604/text/80604-06.htm Lords Hansard, 4 Jun 1998: Column 481] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Frank Dobson</Name>
<BirthYear>1940</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[the Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[politician]] and [[member of Parliament]] for [[Holborn and St. Pancras (UK Parliament constituency)|Holborn and St. Pancras]].<ref>In a House of Commons debate on historic churches, [[Patrick Cormack|Sir Patrick Cormack]] said: "The chairman of the historic churches and chapels group, the right hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Frank Dobson) [...] is a self-proclaimed atheist but shares the affection [for historic churches] that I believe that the Minister has [...]" [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm061214/debtext/61214-0023.htm House of Commons Hansard, 14 Dec 2006: Column 1132] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jack Dormand</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2003</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British educationist and [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician.<ref>"As the most insistent of atheists in the House of Lords, after he arrived there in 1987, Dormand demanded equal rights for the non-religious fifth of the population. As a former teacher and education officer, he wanted religions and humanism described neutrally in schools, not propagated. [...] But "after some years of very considerable thought", he became an atheist, though "I certainly attempt, although I fail regularly, to live by the Christian ethic." He became more overtly atheist in the Lords than he had been in the Commons, where he had to worry about his religious constituents. [...] He started teaching at 21, telling his headmaster that, as an atheist, he was not really qualified to take religious education." Andrew Roth, 'Obituary: Lord Dormand of Easington: Genial chairman during Labour's hard times', ''The Guardian'', 20 December 2003, Pg. 21.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Herbert Fisher</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of Merit|OM]] (1865–1940): English historian, educator, and [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] [[politician]].<ref>"Fisher may have underestimated the offence the book would cause because he was himself an agnostic in religious matters; in private letters he described himself as an atheist, and said firmly to his friends that religion 'rots the mind' (J. Hart, ''Ask me No More'', 1998, 204)." A. Ryan, 'Fisher, Herbert Albert Laurens (1865–1940)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, January 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33141] (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Donald Findlay</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Queen's Counsel|QC]] (1951–): Senior Scottish [[advocate]] and [[Queen's Counsel]].<ref>"Mr Findlay, who describes himself as an atheist, also claimed that under European human rights law he had the right to free speech." [http://www.journalonline.co.uk/news/1004279.aspx'Pope joke not intended as offensive, says QC'], ''The Journal Online'', 19 June 2007 (accessed 13 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Shreela Flather, Baroness Flather</Name>
<BirthYear>1934</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[peerage|peer]] in the [[House of Lords]], the first Asian woman to receive a peerage.<ref>"I am an atheist and yet I am accepted by Hindus because as far as I can I follow the principles of the Gita, which I consider the most important Hindu book. In my small way I try to live by that. I do not believe in God but I believe that we have to live a good life on this Earth." Baroness Flather, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200607/ldhansrd/text/70419-0003.htm Lords Hansard, 19 Apr 2007: Column 341] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Foot</Name>
<BirthYear>1913</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British politician and writer, leader of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] 1980–1983.<ref>"Why are politicians such awful people, I asked Michael Foot. 'They're not,' he answered. 'Only the ones who don't do anything else.' His father's son, obviously. And also his own man. He became fatally estranged from his father's Methodist insistencies as a student, when he came upon Bertrand Russell's humanism. He kept quiet about it at the time. 'No point saying I'm an atheist. It wouldn't have been kind.' " Sally Vincent, ''The Guardian'', 2 January 1999, Weekend Page, Pg. 16.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Giuseppe Garibaldi</Name>
<BirthYear>1807</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1882</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Giuseppe Garibaldi (1866).jpg</Picture>
<Text>Leader of the Italian [[Risorgimento]], unifier of Italy, "Hero of the Two Worlds".<ref>In his ''Life of Garibaldi'' (1881) Bent reproduces a letter he wrote two years before he died. "Dear Friends-Man created God, not God man-yours ever, Garibaldi."</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Taubman Goldie|Sir George Taubman Goldie</Name>
<BirthYear>1846</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1925</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Isle of Man|Manx]] administrator who, as founder of the [[Royal Niger Company]], played a major role in the founding of [[Nigeria]].<ref>"Goldie's opinions, as much as his actions, defied convention. He was a convinced atheist, an admirer of Huxley, Darwin, and Winwoode Reade." Scarbrough: 'Goldie, Sir George Dashwood Taubman (1846–1925)', rev. John Flint, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33441] (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>W?adys?aw Gomu?ka</Name>
<BirthYear>1905</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1982</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Polish Communist leader.<ref>"Above all, however, Mr. Gomulka is an atheist, and he is now strong enough to say so in a country which is not." 'Mr. Gomulka Bolder Against Church', ''The Times'', Wednesday, Feb 08, 1961; pg. 11; Issue 55000; col D.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mikhail Gorbachev</Name>
<BirthYear>1931</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Mikhail Gorbachev 1987.jpg</Picture>
<Text>Former Soviet president and winner of the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 1990.<ref>"I am an atheist. But I... respect the feelings and the religious beliefs of each citizen." Gorbachev interview with Peter Jennings, ''[[ABC News]]'', Sept. 6, 1991, reported in ''[[The New York Times]]'', Sept. 7, 1991.</ref><ref>[http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/emmett_fields/affirmative_atheism.html Atheism: An Affirmative View (1980) by Emmett F. Fields]</ref><ref>[http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b2gorbachevm.htm hyperhistory.net]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Roy Hattersley</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|PC]] (1932–): British [[British Labour Party|Labour Party]] politician, author and journalist, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1983–1992.<ref>"I was the visiting atheist on the BBC's weekly religious show a couple of Sundays ago." Roy Hattersley, 'Blighted by a moral code', ''The Guardian'', 11 December 2006, Comment and Debate, Pg. 25.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bill Hayden</Name>
<BirthYear>1933</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Governor-General of Australia (1989–1996).<ref>In 1996 Hayden was recognised as the ''Australian [[Humanist]] of the Year'' with the statement that "The award is made because he has shown that an avowed atheist who describes himself as a secular humanist can occupy the position of Governor-General with mounting approval." ''Australian Humanist'', No. 41 February 1996</ref>.<ref>"Being an atheist--as I am--is not a necessary pre-condition for being a humanist." in his acceptance speech for ''Australian Humanist of the Year'', reported in ''Australian Humanist'', No 42, May 1996</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Theodor Herzl</Name>
<BirthYear>1860</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1904</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and founder of modern political [[Zionism]].<ref>"He [Chaim Maccoby] spoke out ever more vehemently against Herzl, the self-confessed atheist, and his followers, refusing to preach at one federation synagogue because it dared to host a branch of the Zionist Federation." Geoffrey Alderman, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/70160 'Maccoby, Chaim Zundel (1858–1916)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Douglas Houghton, Baron Houghton of Sowerby|Douglas Houghton</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|PC]] [[Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]] (1898–1996): British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician.<ref>"Baroness Blatch: My Lords, if noble Lords, like me, believe in the life hereafter, then it is possible to believe that the doughty animal-lover, the late Lord Houghton of Sowerby, will be looking down on our proceedings today. '''Lord McIntosh of Haringey:''' My Lords-- Baroness Blatch: I know that the noble Lord is not a believer in these matters. I speak personally; I did make that point. [...] Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Before the Minister leaves Lord Houghton of Sowerby, it is not my beliefs that matter; Lord Houghton was to his dying day a devoted atheist." [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/vo970320/text/70320-29.htm Lords Hansard, 20 March 1997: Column 1142-1143] </ref>. </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Enver Hoxha</Name>
<BirthYear>1908</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1985</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Communist ruler who declared Albania the first [[state atheism|atheist state]], and who has been identified as an "arch-atheist."<ref>Sang M. Lee writes that Albania was "[o]fficially an atheist state under Hoxha..." [http://64.233.179.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&safe=active&q=cache:eHDelIDZLBwJ:www.cbs.dk/centres/cees/network/pdf2000/Lee.pdf+%22enver+hoxha%22+atheist+-wikipedia Restructuring Albanian Business Education Infrastructure] August 2000 (Accessed 6 June 2007)</ref><ref>Kamm, Henry (1993, June 10). 'Hallelujah' is heard in the arch-atheist's temple. ''The New York Times'' (Late Edition (East Coast)), p. A4. Retrieved August 27, 2007, from National Newspaper Abstracts</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Hughes, Baron Hughes of Woodside</Name>
<BirthYear>1932</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician.<ref>"Do we accept the fact that in a wholly elected Chamber there would be no Cross-Benchers and no representatives of the Church of England or any other faith? Fortunately there will still be room for atheists like me, although I would go as well under a wholly elected system." Lord Hughes of Woodside, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200203/ldhansrd/vo030121/text/30121-08.htm Lords Hansard, 21 Jan 2003: Column 632] (accessed 25 April 2008). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Nilde Iotti</Name>
<BirthYear>1920</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1999</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian politician, the first woman to became president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies for three consecutive legislatures 1979–1992.<ref>"A diligent pupil, she won a scholarship to Milan's prestigious Catholic university - which left no traces of religiosity. An untormented atheist, she died without a priest at her side." Donald Sassoon, 'Nilde Iotti: Italy's leading post-war woman politician and a founding mother of the republic', ''The Guardian'', 9 December 1999, Leader Pages, Pg. 24.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Dale Jackaman (Canadian politician)|Dale Jackaman</Name>
<BirthYear>1956</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Canadian politician.<ref>" Dale Jackaman doesn't believe in God. Those who do worry him, especially fundamentalists. "I'm an atheist," declares Jackaman, a former Army reservist who has served in the Middle East and now runs a computer security firm. [...] "Atheists tend not to bother anybody unless they're riled up," Jackaman said. "We're riled up now." [...] Jackaman gives the lie to the old saw that there are no atheists in foxholes. He did three tours of duty in the Middle East -- two in the Golan Heights and one in Cyprus -- with the Army signal corps. Far from igniting any spark of spirituality, his experience in the war-torn Middle East confirmed his belief that religious differences fan the flames of war. "It solidified my atheism," Jackaman said. " [http://www.canada.com/richmondnews/news/story.html?id=6454afdb-9ea3-4bfd-bb9f-11f6898c70fc&p=1 No god before me], ''Richmond News'' 23 October 2007 (accessed 22 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Thomas A. Jackson|Tommy Jackson</Name>
<BirthYear>1879</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1955</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English founder of the [[Socialist Party of Great Britain]] and later the [[Communist Party of Great Britain]].<ref>"When Jackson in his teens converted 'in a night' to socialism and atheism, he was 'literally ill for days afterwards', and it was another two years before he felt able to reveal his new beliefs to his parents (memoirs, People's History Museum, Manchester)." Kevin Morgan, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/65941 'Jackson, Thomas Alfred (1879–1955)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Joel Joffe, Baron Joffe</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1932–): South Africa-born British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[peerage|peer]] in the [[House of Lords]].<ref>"I come to this debate with some hesitation because, although I am an atheist, I have always respected the Church of England for the courageous conduct of some of its clergy in South Africa during the apartheid regime, for its social and community work in the UK and for its stand on many human rights issues, and, of course, my admiration and respect for the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of York is unbounded." Lord Joffe, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/ldhansrd/vo980604/text/80604-06.htm Lords Hansard, 19 Apr 2007: Column 357] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Reginald Johnston|Sir Reginald Johnston</Name>
<BirthYear>1874</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1938</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish diplomat and tutor of [[Puyi]], the last [[emperor of China]], later appointed as commissioner of British-held [[Weihaiwei]].<ref>"Fiercely anti-Christian, he also found time to publish, under the pseudonym Lin Shao Yang, an attack on protestant missions in China, ''A Chinese Appeal to Christendom Concerning Christian Missions'' (1911). [...] Johnston's atheism was humourless, and privately coarse. His anger with Christianity was a reaction against the high-church Anglicanism of his early upbringing; his was a quarrel with God, as much as with the mission enterprise—although he claimed the latter was as morally indefensible as the opium trade." Robert Bickers, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/34212 'Johnston, Sir Reginald Fleming (1874–1938)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, January 2008 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>M. Karunanidhi</Name>
<BirthYear>1924</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu]].<ref>"Since Karunanidhi is an atheist he seems to believe in Janatha Janardhan rather than the Janardhan (God)....."[http://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/selfgoal.htm]</ref><ref>.....M. Karunanidhi, is a sworn atheist, it is a tussle between personal beliefs and the party's ideological moorings.[http://thehindujobs.com/thehindu/2002/09/08/stories/2002090801401700.htm]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Nikita Khrushchev</Name>
<BirthYear>1894</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1971</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|General Secretary]], 1953-1964.<ref>"I am not a religious believer, and the Bible is not an authority for me. I never did recognize it as an authority even before I joined the party. I always was an atheist." ''Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev: Volume 3: Statesman, 1953-1964'', p.9. Edited by MR Sergei Khrushchev. 2007, Penn State Press, ISBN 0271023325.</ref><ref>"Khrushchev was a convinced atheist who displayed little tolerance for the traditions and symbols of pre-revolutionary Russia." ''Intellectuals and Apparatchiks: Russian Nationalism and the Gorbachev Revolution'', p.61. Kevin O'Connor. 2006, Lexington Books, ISBN 0739107712.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Oona King</Name>
<BirthYear>1967</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Former Labour MP for [[Bethnal Green and Bow]] (1997-2005).<ref>King calls herself "a misguided 'cultural' Jew without any culture, and a born-again atheist." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/mar/05/labour My week: Oona King], by Oona King, ''The Observer'', Sunday March 5 2006 (hosted at guardian.co.uk, accessed 29 March 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Neil Kinnock</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|PC]] (1942–): British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician, [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]] and [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] leader 1983–1992.<ref>"Mr Blair's private faith is well-documented and almost certainly stronger than any prime minister in recent memory. Mr Hague is more typical in being an occasional church-goer. Neil Kinnock was unique in declaring himself an atheist." Michael White, Political editor, 'Blair to address Christian groups conference', ''The Guardian'', 26 June 2000, Pg. 4.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Aleksander Kwasniewski</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Former [[President of Poland]] (1995-2005).<ref>"I am an atheist and everybody knows it..." ''[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/04/wkwas04.xml Atheist premier attacks lack of Christianity in EU constitution]'', by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, ''The Telegraph'', [[4 June]] [[2003]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Vladimir Ilyich Lenin</Name>
<BirthYear>1870</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1924</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Marxist revolutionary, Bolshevik Leader and President of the All Russian Congress of Peoples' Soviets. Lenin considered atheist propaganda to be essential to promoting communism.<ref>"[''Pod Znamenem Marksizma''] must be a militant atheist organ... a journal which sets out to propagandise militant materialism must carry on untiring atheist propaganda and an untiring atheist fight." [http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1922/mar/12.htm On the Significance of Militant Materialism], V. I. Lenin, ''Pod Znamenem Marksizma'' No. 3, 12 March 1922, as published in ''Lenin’s Collected Works'', Progress Publishers, Moscow, Volume 33, 1972, pp. 227-236 (Translated by David Skvirsky and George Hanna), hosted at [http://www.marxists.org/ Marxists Internet Archive] (Accessed 14 November 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ken Livingstone</Name>
<BirthYear>1945</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Mayor of London]] 2000-08.<ref>"I assume you're an atheist? I am too. Isn't life easier?" {{cite web |url=http://johannhari.com/archive/article.php?id=1285|title=Ken Livingstone: The Interview |work=[[Attitude (magazine)|attitude]]|accessdate=2008-04-25}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alexander Lukashenko</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>President of [[Belarus]], self-described "Russian Orthodox atheist."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vineyardfederalway.org/pages/missions/persecution/html/Belarus.htm|title=PERSECUTION WATCH: Belarus |work=vineyardfederalway.org|accessdate=2006-09-01}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Heather Mac Donald</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>(c.1956–): American writer and lawyer, member of the [[Manhattan Institute]] and author of ''The Burden of Bad Ideas: How Modern Intellectuals Misshape Our Society''.<ref>[http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/01/10-questions-for-heather-mac-donald.php].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Gus Macdonald, Baron Macdonald of Tradeston</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|PC]] (194056–): distinguished British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician.<ref>"I speak as someone who was brought up as an atheist, although my free-thinking parents insisted that I spent a great deal of my childhood at Bible class, the Boys' Brigade and Church of Scotland lectures, none of which I regret, but I came back to an atheistic view of the world and have maintained that." Gus Macdonald, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldhansrd/vo060327/text/60327-31.htm Lords Hansard, 27 March 2006: Column GC257] (accessed 24 April 2008). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Maxton, Baron Maxton</Name>
<BirthYear>1936</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish politician, MP and now member of the House of Lords.<ref>"As I have said in the House, I am an atheist and anti-clerical and I do not believe that religion should play the large part that it does in the House or elsewhere." John Maxton, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199899/cmhansrd/vo990623/debtext/90623-40.htm House of Commons Hansard, 23 Jun 1999: Column 1253] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref><ref>"I am not religious: my children have never been christened. I openly and proudly announce that I am an atheist." John Maxton, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199697/cmhansrd/vo961029/debtext/61029-22.htm House of Commons Hansard, 29 Oct 1996: Column 518] (accessed 28 April 2008). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Violet Milner, Viscountess Milner|Violet Milner</Name>
<BirthYear>1872</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1958</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[Edwardian]] society Lady and editor of the political monthly, ''[[National Review (London)| National Review]].<ref>"They spent much of their early married life with the Salisburys at Hatfield House; this she found enthralling but oppressive—the incessant talk about the Anglican church dividing her, an atheist, from the religious Cecils." Hugh Cecil, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35039 'Milner , Violet Georgina, Viscountess Milner (1872–1958)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, October 2006 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Slobodan Miloševi?</Name>
<BirthYear>1941</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Serbia]]n politician, former [[President of Serbia]] and of [[President of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]].<ref>{{cite news| quote=There were no clergy at the ceremony because Milosevic was an avowed atheist.|title=Milosevic buried in quiet ceremony in his hometown|publisher=[[CBC News]]|url=http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/03/18/milosevic-funeral060318.html|date=2006-03-18|accessdate=2008-04-02|}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of Merit|OM]], [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|PC]] (1838–1923): British [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] [[statesman]], [[writer]] and newspaper editor.<ref>"[...] Morley was an odd choice for biographer, since he was a "freethinking'' atheist, and he agreed to the Gladstone family's stipulation that he should refrain from treating Gladstone's religion in any depth." Christopher Howse, 'Why Gladstone had God up his sleeve', ''Daily Telegraph'', 24 November 2007, Pg. 29.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mo Mowlam</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Former [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]].<ref>"She had always proclaimed herself an atheist..." [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article556574.ece Times obituary: Dr Marjorie Mowlam], 19 August 2005 (Accessed 6 June 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Elaine Murphy, Baroness Murphy</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British politician and a member of the House of Lords, and a doctor and academic, formerly Professor of Psychiatry of Old Age at Guy's Hospital.<ref>In a heated debate in the House of Lords in which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, claimed "in my opinion, atheists are not renowned throughout the world for their commitment to the very poor, the starving and the needy", Baroness Murphy replied: "I speak as a rationalist, agnostic — I shall not say atheist in the light of the comments of the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Carey. It is not a particularly comfortable matter, but one reason to contribute to this debate is to stand up and be counted. I was going to remain rather calm throughout this, but I was rather offended by the comments of the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Carey, about the role that people without faith have played in doing good in the world. He is entirely and wholly wrong. We feel just as passionately as those who have faith about ensuring that society is just." [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200607/ldhansrd/text/70419-0005.htm Lords Hansard, 19 Apr 2007: Column 350–351] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Barack Obama, Sr.</Name>
<BirthYear>1936</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1982</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>A senior economist for the Kenyan government, ex-Muslim, and father of United States presidential candidate [[Barack Obama]].<ref>"My father was almost entirely absent from my childhood, having been divorced from my mother when I was 2 years old; in any event, although my father had been raised a Muslim, by the time he met my mother he was a confirmed atheist, thinking religion to be so much superstition." Barack Obama Jr, '[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546579-4,00.html My Spiritual Journey]', ''Time'', 16 October 2006 (accessed 7 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Culbert Olson</Name>
<BirthYear>1876</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1962</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American politician and [[Governor of California]] (1939–1943).<ref>The Hon. Atheist Governor: Culbert L. Olson[http://www.atheists.org/Atheism/roots/olson]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Marion Phillips</Name>
<BirthYear>1881</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1932</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Australia-born [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] politician and British [[Member of Parliament]].<ref>"She died an atheist, from stomach cancer, on 23 January 1932 [...]." Brian Harrison, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37852 'Phillips, Marion (1881–1932)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, January 2008 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Phil Piratin</Name>
<BirthYear>1907</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1995</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British member of the [[Communist Party of Great Britain]] (CPGB) and one of their few Members of Parliament.<ref>"Mr. Piratin declined to take the oath, saying that he was an atheist, and elected to affirm." 'Former Communist M.P.'S Application Suspended Discharge From Bankruptcy', ''The Times'', Saturday, Jul 12, 1952; pg. 3; Issue 52362; col C.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Gilbert Romme</Name>
<BirthYear>1750</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1795</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Gilbert Romme.jpg</Picture>
<Text>French politician and mathematician who developed the French Republican Calendar.<ref>"Although an atheist, Romme did not support deChristianization, nor did he regret the fall of Maximilien Robespierre." [http://books.google.com/books?id=LfUBkACi3-wC&printsec=frontcover#PPA281,M1 Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution], by Paul R. Hanson, Scarecrow Press, 2004, p. 281 (Accessed 15 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Manabendra Nath Roy</Name>
<BirthYear>1887</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1954</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, popularly known as M. N. Roy, was a Bengali Indian revolutionary, internationally known political theorist and activist, founder of the Communist parties in Mexico and India. He later denounced communism, as exponent of the philosophy of radical humanism.<ref>"But Roy was an atheist and fierce priest hater..." [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2051747 Portrait of a Bengal Revolutionary], by Leonard A. Gordon, ''The Journal of Asian Studies'', Vol. 27, No. 2 (Feb., 1968), pp. 197-216, published by Association for Asian Studies</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Brian Sedgemore</Name>
<BirthYear>1937</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>former left-wing British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] politician.<ref>"Moreover, unless I am much mistaken, as that person is a Church Commissioner he must be a member of the Church of England, an organisation of which I was a member before I became an atheist." Brian Sedgemore, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020213/debtext/20213-14.htm House of Commons Hansard, 13 Feb 2002: Column 247] (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Phil Sawford</Name>
<BirthYear>1950</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British politician and former [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Kettering (UK Parliament constituency)|Kettering]].<ref>"I, too, am a republican atheist, by the way—that should be put in the record—and agree with points made by other hon. Members." Phil Sawford, [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmstand/deleg1/st011029/11029s03.htm House of Commons Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation (pt 3)], 29 October 2001 (accessed 24 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington</Name>
<BirthYear>1877</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1946</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish [[suffragist]] and nationalist.<ref>"She had been a militant nationalist among the pacifist internationalist feminists, a republican among the free staters, a feminist among the nationalists, and an atheist in holy Ireland." Sybil Oldfield, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38533 'Skeffington, Johanna Mary Sheehy- (1877–1946)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Owen Sheehy-Skeffington</Name>
<BirthYear>1909</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1970</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish university lecturer and Senator.<ref>"His parents combined Irish nationalism, atheism, feminism, pacifism, and socialism. Sheehy-Skeffington learned to think for himself, coming to share their politics, minus his mother's later abstentionist republicanism." D. R. O'Connor Lysaght, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/54751 'Skeffington, Owen Lancelot Sheehy- (1909–1970)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bhagat Singh</Name>
<BirthYear>1907</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1931</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian freedom fighter. Wrote a pamphlet entitled ''Why I am an atheist''.<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/archive/bhagat-singh/1930/10/05.htm Why I am an Atheist], Bhagat Singh, October 1930. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Joseph Stalin</Name>
<BirthYear>1879</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1953</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Soviet ruler.<ref>Stalin is quoted as saying "You know, they are fooling us, there is no God...all this talk about God is sheer nonsense" in E. Yaroslavsky, ''Landmarks in the Life of Stalin'', Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow 1940</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Pete Stark</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Pete Stark.jpg</Picture>
<Text>, (D-CA) (1931–): U.S. Representative; first openly [[atheist]] member of [[United States Congress|Congress]].<ref>Stark called himself "a Unitarian who does not believe in a supreme being" and has been identified as an atheist. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17594581/ Rep. Stark applauded for atheist outlook: Believed to be first congressman to declare nontheism], Associated Press, 13 March 2007 (Accessed 15 June 2007)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Eddie Tabash</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>is an American lawyer and atheist activist and debater.<ref>"It is long overdue for Atheistic arguments to be given a seat at the table of the marketplace of ideas in today's world. I have established this website in the hope of providing a platform for the dissemination of these arguments." [http://www.tabash.com/ Website of Eddie Tabash] (Accessed 14 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Tatchell</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, human rights activist<ref>[http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/2007/10/12/peter-tatchell-islamists-betray-palestine/ Peter Tatchell: Islamists Betray Palestine and Human Rights] "They happily work with me, despite my atheism and gayness. This is the kind, gentle face of Islam that never seems to be newsworthy."</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>William Thompson (philosopher)|William Thompson</Name>
<BirthYear>1775</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1833</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish socialist and economist.<ref>"Such actions established among the Catholic population of the area a long-lived reputation for kindness and fair dealing which persisted despite his professed atheism." Noel Thompson, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27284 'Thompson, William (1775–1833)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Xuan Thuy</Name>
<BirthYear>1775</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1833</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>North Vietnamese political figure, foreign minister for North Vietnam 1963–65, official leader of the delegation to the secret talks with [[Henry Kissinger]], and the main negotiator at the earliest meetings with Kissinger.<ref>"It has just been revealed that Thuy used to earn a living as a sorcerer [...] he travelled around the country selling magical charms, spells and cures, and spreading Communist propaganda at the same time. This information was volunteered by a Vietcong colonel who recently came over to the South Vietnam Government side. He said they Thuy, being an atheist, clearly did not believe in his own magical powers, but had used sorcery purely as a cover for his political work." 'Party Tricks', 'The Times Diary', ''The Times'', 7 June 1968; pg. 8; Issue 57271; col F.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Palmiro Togliatti</Name>
<BirthYear>1893</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1964</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian politician, the leader of [[Italian Communist Party]] from 1927 to his death in 1964.<ref>"Churches along the route were closed. It was said at the Vatican that this could be seen as a silent protest against an atheist's funeral on such a scale in the heart of Christian Rome." 'Communist Show Of Strength At Signor Togliatti's Funeral', ''The Times'', 26 August 1964; pg. 7; Issue 56100; col C.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Leon Trotsky</Name>
<BirthYear>1879</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1940</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Marxist theorist.<ref>
{{cite web
| quote = I shall die a proletarian revolutionist, a Marxist, a dialectical materialist, and, consequently, an irreconcilable atheist.
| url = http://www.trotsky.net/trotsky_year/political_testament.html
| title = Trotsky's Testament
| accessdate = 2007-12-09
}}</ref>
</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bengt Westerberg</Name>
<BirthYear>1943</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Sweden|Swedish]] politician, leader of the [[Liberal People's Party (Sweden)|Liberal People's Party]] from 1983 to 1995. Minister for Social Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister from 1991 to 1994. Currently holds office as the [[Deputy President]] of the [[International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies]] in [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]].<ref>{{sv icon}} {{cite web||url=http://www.humanisten.se/lasartikel.php?id=45|title="Bengt Westerberg: Humanistisk ledning av Röda Korset"|publisher=[[Humanisterna#Humanisten|Humanisten]]|accessdate=2007-08-18}} ''Translation:'' Interviewer: I would like to ask you about your relation to religion and atheistic humanism. When did you "come out" as [an] atheist and how did it happen?<br/>
Westerberg: If you mean in public, then I revealed it in connection to my candidacy as party leader for the People's Party. I got the question if I believed in God from Thomas Hempel in Radioekot (radioprogram) and answered no. That's when it became known, though I've never made any secret about it.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Phillip Whitehead</Name>
<BirthYear>191937</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician, television producer and writer.<ref>"It was entirely right that Phillip Whitehead, who loved the village and had lived there since he was three, should have left it in the way that Rowsley men and women have left it for 200 years and more. It was an English funeral in an English village according to the rites of the Church of England. But it is at least a paradox that a man who was an uncompromising atheist - and so described by one of his sons during the service - should be laid to rest with the promise of resurrection and eternal life." Roy Hattersley, 'A decent send-off: Even a hardline atheist can see that the church is better than anyone at staging the last farewell', ''The Guardian'' 16 January 2006, Pg. 31.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alan Wolfe</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[political science|political scientist]] and [[sociologist]], director of the [[Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life]].<ref>"Wolfe, a self-proclaimed atheist, said he recognizes the importance of being open to religious ideas." Sara Esquilin, [http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2008/04/29/News/Celebrated.Atheists.Debate.The.Ethics.Of.NonBelievers-3355090.shtml Celebrated atheists debate the ethics of non-believers], ''The Daily Free Press'', 29 April 2008 (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mao Zedong</Name>
<BirthYear>1893</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1976</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>was a Chinese military and political leader, who led the Communist Party of China to victory in the Chinese Civil War, and was the leader of the People’s Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976. Under his leadership, China officially became an [[State atheism|atheist state]].<ref>"With revolution came a new, atheist regime - one that frowned on all religious belief." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3343535.stm China's Catholics: Far from Rome], by Holly Williams, BBC News, 24 December 2003, (Accessed 14 April 2008)</ref><ref>"...Mao was an atheist..." [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2949869 Death Ritual as Political Trickster in the People's Republic of China], by A. P. Cheater, ''Source: The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs'', No. 26 (Jul., 1991), pp. 67-97 (p. 92), published by Contemporary China Center, Australian National University</ref><ref>"Mao is not only a historical figure, of course, but is part of the (tattered) web of legitimacy on which the People's Republic rests. He is part of the founding mythology of the Chinese government, the Romulus and Remus of "People's China," and that's why his portrait hangs in Tiananmen Square. Even among ordinary Chinese, Mao retains a hold on the popular imagination, and some peasants in different parts of China have started traditional religious shrines honoring him. That's the ultimate honor for an atheist - he has become a god." [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/books/review/23cover.html 'Mao': The Real Mao], Nicholas D. Kristof, ''The New York Times'', 23 October 2005 (Accessed 25 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kim Jong-il</Name>
<BirthYear>1941</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>The current ruler of North Korea.<ref>"...Kim Jong Il is not a religious person. In contrast with his father, who was raised in a Protestant family and with age grew increasingly interested in the Bible and its disciples, conversations about God do not attract Kim Jong Il's attention. He is an atheist and, like an orthodox Marxist, still considers religion to be "opium for the masses..." [http://www.nautilus.org/DPRKbriefingbook/negotiating/issue.html], by Alexandre Y. Mansourov, Associate Professor, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, (Accessed 22 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Science and technology-->
<Person>
<Name>Peter Atkins</Name>
<BirthYear>1940</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[England|English]] chemist, [[Professor]] of [[chemistry]] at [[Lincoln College, Oxford]] in England.<ref>When asked by [[Rod Liddle]] in the documentary [[The Trouble with Atheism]] "Give me your views on the existence, or otherwise, of God", Peter Atkins replied "Well it's fairly straightforward: there isn't one. And there's no evidence for one, no reason to believe that there is one, and so I don't believe that there is one. And I think that it is rather foolish that people do think that there is one."{{cite episode | title = The Trouble with Atheism, UK Channel 4 TV
| episodelink = The Trouble with Atheism
| series =
| serieslink =
| airdate = 2006-12-18
| season =
| number =}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Julius Axelrod</Name>
<BirthYear>1912</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prize winning]] [[biochemistry|biochemist]], noted for his work on the release and reuptake of [[catecholamine]] [[neurotransmitter]]s and major contributions to the understanding of the [[pineal gland]] and how it is regulated during the sleep-wake cycle.<ref>"Although he became an atheist early in life and resented the strict upbringing of his parents’ religion, he identified with Jewish culture and joined several international fights against anti-Semitism." Craver, Carl F: "Axelrod, Julius", ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' Vol. 19 p. 122. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Edward Battersby Bailey|Sir Edward Battersby Bailey</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (1881–1965): British [[geologist]], director of the British Geological Survey.<ref>"In religious matters he was an atheist." A.G. MacGregor: "Bailey, Edward Battersby", ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' Vol. 1 p. 393. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Patrick Blackett, Baron Blackett|Patrick Blackett</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of Merit|OM]], [[Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]], [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (1897–1974): [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel Prize winning]] English [[experimental physics|experimental]] [[physicist]] known for his work on [[cloud chamber]]s, [[cosmic ray]]s, and [[paleomagnetism]].<ref>"The grandson of a vicar on his father’s side, Blackett respected religious observances that were established social customs, but described himself as agnostic or atheist." Mary Jo Nye: "Blackett, Patrick Maynard Stuart." ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography'', Vol. 19 p. 293. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Susan Blackmore</Name>
<BirthYear>1951</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[psychologist]] and [[Memetics| memeticist]], best known for her book ''[[The Meme Machine]]''.<ref>In a [[Point of Inquiry]] podcast interview, Blackmore described religion as a collection of "really pernicious memes", "I think religious memeplexes are really amongst the nastiest viruses we have on the planet". Blackmore also practices Zen Buddhist meditation; later, when she was asked: "And you find this practice of Zen, the meditative practice, completely compatible with your lack of theism, your atheism...?" She replied: "Oh yes, I mean, there is no god in Buddhism...". [http://www.pointofinquiry.org/susan_blackmore_in_search_of_the_light Susan Blackmore - In Search of the Light], Point of Inquiry, 15 December 2006 (accessed 1 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Hermann Bondi</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Anglo-Austrian mathematician and [[physical cosmology|cosmologist]], best known for co-developing the [[steady-state theory]] of the universe and important contributions to the theory of [[general relativity]].<ref>"Since his childhood in Vienna Bondi had been an atheist, developing from an early age a view on religion that associated it with repression and intolerance. This view, which he shared with Hoyle, never left him. On several occasions he spoke out on behalf of freethinking, so-called, and became early on active in British atheist or "humanist" circles. From 1982 to 1999, he was president of the British Humanist Association, and he also served as president of the Rationalist Press Association of United Kingdom." Helge Kragh: "Bondi, Hermann", ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' Vol. 19 p. 343. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008. Accessed via [http://gale.cengage.com/servlet/GvrlMS?msg=ma Gale Virtual Reference Library] 29 April 2008.</ref><ref>In a letter to the ''Guardian'', Jane Wynne Willson, Vice-President of the British Humanist Association, added to his obituary: "Also president of the Rationalist Press Association from 1982 until his death, and with a particular interest in Indian rationalism, Hermann was a strong supporter of the Atheist Centre in Andra Pradesh. He and his wife Christine visited the centre a number of times, and the hall in the science museum there bears his name. When presented with a prestigious international award, he divided a large sum of money between the Atheist Centre and women's health projects in Mumbai." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2005/sep/23/guardianobituaries.mainsection Obituary letter: Hermann Bondi], ''Guardian'', 23 September 2005 (accessed 29 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul D. Boyer</Name>
<BirthYear>1918</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[United States|American]] [[biochemist]] and [[Nobel Laureate]] in [[Chemistry]] in 1997.<ref>Boyer, Paul. "[http://ffrf.org/fttoday/2004/march/?ft=boyer A Path to Atheism]". [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]]. Retrieved [[February 3]], [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sean M. Carroll</Name>
<BirthYear>1956</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[cosmologist]] specializing in dark energy and [[general relativity]].<ref>[http://preposterousuniverse.com/writings/nd-paper/ Why (Almost All) Cosmologists are Atheists]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1995</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Indian American]] [[astrophysicist]] known for his theoretical work on the structure and evolution of stars. He was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 1983.<ref>"In his later years, Chandra had openly admitted to being an atheist which also meant that he subscribed to no religion in the customary sense of the word." Vishveshwara, S. 2000. [http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/apr252000/generalia.pdf ''Leaves from an unwritten diary: S. Chandrasekhar, Reminiscences and Reflections''], ''Current Science'', 78(8):1025-1033.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>William Kingdon Clifford</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (1845–1879): English mathematician and philosopher, co-introducer of [[geometric algebra]], the first to suggest that [[gravitation]] might be a manifestation of an underlying geometry, and coiner of the the expression "mind-stuff".<ref>"I once wrote a book about the Victorian crisis of faith and entitled it, borrowing from a poem of Hardy's, God's Funeral. I included Carlyle, [...] as well as the out-and-out atheists such as W K Clifford [...]." A N Wilson, 'Browning's faith kept the snake wriggling underfoot', ''Daily Telegraph'', 20 August 2001, Pg. 19.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Frank Close</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[OBE]] (1845–1879): British particle physicist, Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, known for his lectures and writings making science intelligible to a wider audience, for which he was awarded the Institute of Physics's Kelvin Medal and Prize.<ref>When describing a total solar eclipse, Close wrote: "It was simultaneously ghastly, beautiful, supernatural. Even for a 21st century atheist, the vision was such that I thought, "If there is a heaven, this is what its entrance is like." The heavenly vision demanded music by Mozart; instead we had the crickets." Frank Close, 'Dark side of the moon', ''The Guardian'', 9 August 2001, Guardian Online Pages, Pg. 8.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Francis Crick</Name>
<BirthYear>1916</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English molecular biologist, physicist, and neuroscientist; noted for being one of the co-discoverers of the structure of the [[DNA]] molecule in 1953. He was awarded the [[Nobel Prize]] in [[Physiology]] or [[Medicine]] in 1962.<ref>Francis Crick, ''What Mad Pursuit: a Personal View of Scientific Discovery'', Basic Books reprint edition, 1990, ISBN 0-465-09138-5, p. 145.</ref><ref>"How I Got Inclined Towards Atheism"[http://www.positiveatheism.org/india/s1990a01.htm]</ref><ref>[[Mark Steyn]] identify Crick as an atheist. See:[http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200410/steyn The Twentieth-Century Darwin] by Mark Steyn, published in [[The Atlantic Monthly]], October 2004.</ref><ref>"Francis Crick was an evangelical atheist."[http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020419&ct=1 Francis Crick's Legacy for Neuroscience: Between the ? and the ?]</ref><ref>"Instead, it is interlaced with descriptions of Crick’s vacations, parties and assertions of atheism — occasionally colorful stuff that drains the intellectual drama from the codebreaking."[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/books/review/30dizi.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Genome Human]</ref><ref>"There is Crick the mentor, Crick the atheist, Crick the free-thinker, and Crick the playful."[http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=546341 Entertaining Dr Crick]</ref><ref>Crick, 86, said: "The god hypothesis is rather discredited." [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fconnected%2F2003%2F03%2F19%2Fecfgod19.xml Do our genes reveal the hand of God?]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Howard Dalton|Sir Howard Dalton</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (1944–2008): British [[microbiologist]], Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK's [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] from March 2002 to September 2007.<ref>"She advised him that he risked being called up, and suggested an unusual way to avoid the draft - by becoming a priest, one of the categories exempt from military service. Dalton discovered a little-known religious group called the Universal Life Church of California which for $25 would "ordain" anyone. He duly sent off a cheque and within days was delighted to learn that he was now a bona fide Minister of Religion. It became a running joke and his friends frequently addressed letters to the Reverend Howard Dalton; as a life-long atheist, he particularly relished the irony of his new title." 'Obituary of Professor Sir Howard Dalton, Microbiologist who became Defra's Chief Scientific Adviser just after the foot-and-mouth outbreak', ''Daily Telegraph'' 15 January 2008, Pg. 25.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard Dawkins</Name>
<BirthYear>1941</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Richard dawkins.jpg</Picture>
<Text>British [[zoologist]], [[biologist]], creator of the concepts of the [[selfish gene]] and the [[meme]]; outspoken atheist and popularizer of science, author of ''[[The God Delusion]]'' and founder of the [http://www.richarddawkins.net/ Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science].<ref>Dawkins identifies himself as an atheist in his article "A Challenge to Atheists: Come Out of the Closet," ''Free Inquiry'', Summer 2002. Excerpt reprinted at [http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/dawkins.htm Positiveatheism.org]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Arnaud Denjoy</Name>
<BirthYear>1884</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1974</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French mathematician, noted for his contributions to [[harmonic analysis]] and [[differential equations]].<ref>"Denjoy was an atheist, but tolerant of others' religious views; he was very interested in philosophical, psychological, and social issues." "Denjoy, Arnaud", ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' Vol. 17, p.219. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Dirac</Name>
<BirthYear>1902</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1984</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Dirac.gif</Picture>
<Text>British [[theoretical physicist]], one of the founders of [[quantum mechanics]], predicted the existence of [[antimatter]], and won the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 1933.<ref>[[Werner Heisenberg]] recollects a friendly conversation among young participants at the 1927 [[Solvay Conference]] about Einstein's and [[Max Planck|Planck]]'s views on religion. Wolfgang Pauli, Heisenberg and Dirac took part in it. Among other things, Dirac said: "I cannot understand why we idle discussing religion. If we are honest — and as scientists honesty is our precise duty — we cannot help but admit that any religion is a pack of false statements, deprived of any real foundation. The very idea of God is a product of human imagination.[...] I do not recognize any religious myth, at least because they contradict one another.[...]" Pauli jokingly said: "Well, I'd say that also our friend Dirac has got a religion and the first commandment of this religion is: God does not exist and Paul Dirac is his prophet." {{cite book | authorlink = | title = Physics and Beyond: Encounters and Conversations | publisher = Harper & Row | location = New York | isbn=0061316229}}</ref><ref name="Pauling">"... I [Pauling] am not, however, militant in my atheism. The great English theoretical physicist Paul Dirac is a militant atheist. I suppose he is interested in arguing about the existence of God. I am not. It was once quipped that there is no God and Dirac is his prophet." {{cite book | author = Linus Pauling & Daisaku Ikeda | title = A Lifeling Quest for Peace: A Dialogue | year = 1992 | publisher = Jones & Bartlett | isbn = 0867202777 | pages = page 22}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Albert Ellis</Name>
<BirthYear>1913</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2007</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American psychologist who in 1955 developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Ellis described himself as a probabilistic atheist, meaning that while he acknowledged that it is impossible to be certain that there is no god, he believed that the likelihood that a god exists is so small that it was not worth his (or anyone else's) attention.<ref>Nielsen, Stevan Lars & Ellis, Albert. (1994). "A discussion with Albert Ellis: Reason, emotion and religion", ''Journal of Psychology and Christianity'', ''13''(4), Win 1994. pp. 327-341</ref>. </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Leon Festinger</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1989</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[social psychology|social psychologist]] famous for his [[cognitive dissonance|Theory of Cognitive Dissonance]].<ref>"Festinger, a professed atheist, was an original thinker and a restless, highly motivated individual with (in his words) "little tolerance for boredom". " Franz Samelson: "Festinger, Leon", ''American National Biography Online'', Feb. 2000 (accessed [[28 April]] [[2008]]) [http://www.anb.org/articles/14/14-00887.html].</ref>. </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard Feynman</Name>
<BirthYear>1918</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1988</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[theoretical physicist]], best known for his work in renormalizing [[Quantum electrodynamics]] (QED) and his [[path integral formulation]] of quantum mechanics . He won the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 1965.<ref>Feynman was of [[Jewish]] birth, but described himself as "an avowed [[atheist]]" by his early youth in [http://ffrf.org/day/?day=11&month=5 Freethought of the Day], Freedom From Religion Foundation, [[May 11]] [[2006]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sigmund Freud</Name>
<BirthYear>1856</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1939</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Father of psychoanalysis.<ref>"[Freud and Jung] were close for several years, but Jung's ambition, and his growing commitment to religion and mysticism — most unwelcome to Freud, an aggressive atheist — finally drove them apart." ''[http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/freud.html Sigmund Freud]'', by Peter Gay, ''The TIME 100: The Most Important People of the Century''.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Erich Fromm</Name>
<BirthYear>1900</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1980</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>renowned [[Jew]]ish-[[German people|German]]-[[Hyphenated Americans|American]] [[social psychology|social psychologist]], psychoanalyst, and [[humanism|humanistic]] [[philosophy|philosopher]], associated with the [[Frankfurt School]] of [[critical theory]].<ref>"About the same time he stopped observing Jewish religious rituals and rejected a cause he had once embraced, Zionism. He "just didn't want to participate in any division of the human race, whether religious or political," he explained decades later (Wershba, p. 12), by which time he was a confirmed atheist." Keay Davidson: "Fromm, Erich Pinchas", ''American National Biography Online'', Feb. 2000 (accessed [[28 April]] [[2008]]) [http://www.anb.org/articles/12/12-01941.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Christer Fuglesang</Name>
<BirthYear>1957</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>, [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[astronaut]] and [[physicist]].<ref>[http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=2597&a=593360&previousRenderType=6 ''Atlantseglaren från Bromma vill tänja gränsen mot rymden''], ''[[Dagens Nyheter]]'', [[December 10]], [[2006]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Vitaly Ginzburg</Name>
<BirthYear>1916</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Russia]]n [[theoretical physics|theoretical physicist]] and [[astrophysics|astrophysicist]] who was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 2003. He was also awarded the [[Wolf Prize in Physics]] in 1994/95.<ref>"I am an atheist, that is, I think nothing exists except and beyond nature."[http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2003/ginzburg-autobio.html Ginzburg's autobiography at Nobelprize.org]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jonathan Haidt</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>(c.1964–): Associate professor of psychology at the [[University of Virginia]], focusing on the psychological bases of morality across different cultures, and author of ''The Happiness Hypothesis''.<ref>"Religions are technologies that are evolved over millennia to do this and many religions are very effective in doing this. I'm an atheist, I don't believe that gods actually exist, but I part company with the New Atheists because I believe that religion is an adaptation that generally works quite well to suppress selfishness, to create moral communities, to help people work together, trust each other and collaborate towards common ends." Jonathan Haidt, [http://voxday.blogspot.com/2007/11/interview-with-jonathan-haidt.html Interview with Jonathan Haidt], ''Vox Popoli'' 19 November 2007 (accessed 14 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Edward Thomas Hall|E. T. 'Teddy' Hall</Name>
<BirthYear>1924</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2001</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English archaeological scientist, famous for exposing the [[Piltdown Man]] fraud and dating the [[Turin Shroud]] as a medieval fake.<ref>"The three laboratories unanimously agreed that the cloth dated from between 1260 and 1390, a date consistent with its known history—but which demolished the notion of its being the burial shroud of Christ. Hall, who made no secret of his atheism, had no hesitation in enjoying the public attention that this definitive result attracted." Robert Hedges, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/76120 'Hall, Edward Thomas [Teddy] (1924–2001)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', online edition, Oxford University Press, January 2005 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sir James Hall, 4th Baronet|Sir James Hall</Name>
<BirthYear>1761</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1832</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish geologist and chemist, President of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] and leading figure in the [[Scottish Enlightenment]].<ref>" 'Unequalled stability and sweetness of disposition' are said to have been among his domestic virtues, while in politics and religion he was 'a declared democrat and avowed atheist' (''The Times'')." Jean Jones: [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/11965 'Hall, Sir James, of Dunglass, fourth baronet (1761–1832)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edition, October 2006 (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>G. H. Hardy</Name>
<BirthYear>1877</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1947</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>a prominent [[England|English]] [[mathematician]], known for his achievements in [[number theory]] and [[mathematical analysis]].<ref>"Hardy... was a stringent atheist..." [http://www.eastbayexpress.com/2003-04-30/culture/divine-calculations/full Hit Play on Ramanujan], by Lisa Drostova, ''East Bay Express'', April 30 2003. Retrieved [[7 October]] [[2007]].</ref><ref>"The first Bombe to be delivered was named ''Agnus'' by Turing: a joke that atheist Hardy might have made..." [http://www.turing.org.uk/publications/cambridge1.html Alan Turing — a Cambridge Scientific Mind], by Andrew Hodges, Cambridge Scientific Minds (Cambridge University Press, 2002) Retrieved [[2 July]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Higgs</Name>
<BirthYear>1929</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British theoretical physicist, recipient of the [[Dirac Medal]] and Prize, perhaps best known for his prediction of the existence of a new particle, the [[Higgs boson]], nicknamed the "God particle".<ref>"Officially, the particle is called the Higgs boson, but its elusive nature and fundamental role in the creation of the universe led a prominent scientist to rename it the God particle. The name has stuck, but makes Higgs wince and raises the hackles of other theorists. "I wish he hadn't done it," he says. "I have to explain to people it was a joke. I'm an atheist, but I have an uneasy feeling that playing around with names like that could be unnecessarily offensive to people who are religious." Ian Sample, 'The God of Small Things', ''The Guardian'', 17 November 2007, Weekend pages, Pg. 44.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Nicholas Humphrey</Name>
<BirthYear>1943</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British psychologist, working on consciousness and belief in the supernatural from a Darwinian perspective, and primatological research into [[Machiavellian intelligence]] theory.<ref>"He has worked with monkeys in laboratories and in the wild. He has been a media don, a campaigner against nuclear weapons and the holder of a chair in parapsychological research who was dedicated to debunking even the possibility of telepathy or survival after death. He is an atheist, and the man who suggested to Richard Dawkins the analogy of viruses of the mind for religions; yet nowadays he talks as if spirituality were the thing that makes us human." Andrew Brown interviewing Humphrey, 'A life in science: The human factor', ''The Guardian'', 29 July 2006, Review Pages, Pg. 13.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Julian Huxley|Sir Julian Huxley</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (1887–1975): English evolutionary biologist, a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century [[evolutionary synthesis]], Secretary of the [[Zoological Society of London]] (1935-1942), the first Director of [[UNESCO]], and a founding member of the [[World Wildlife Fund]].<ref>"Despite his atheism Huxley could appreciate Teilhard de Chardin's vision of evolution, and like his grandfather T. H. Huxley he believed progress could be described in biological terms." Robert Olby, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31271 'Huxley, Sir Julian Sorell (1887–1975)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, May 2007 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Frédéric Joliot-Curie</Name>
<BirthYear>1900</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1958</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[France|French]] [[physicist]] and [[Nobel Laureate]] in [[Chemistry]] in 1935.<ref>[http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/people/BG.0087/ makingthemodernworld.org.uk]</ref><ref>"Raised in a completely nonreligious family, Joliot never attended any church and was a thoroughgoing atheist all his life." Perrin, Francis: "Joliot, Frédéric", ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' Vol. 7 p. 151. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Harold Kroto</Name>
<BirthYear>1939</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>1996 [[Nobel Laureate]] in [[Chemistry]].<ref>Harold Kroto claims to have four "religions": humanism, atheism, amnesty-internationalism and humourism.[http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1996/kroto-autobio.html]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alfred Kinsey</Name>
<BirthYear>1894</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1956</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American biologist, sexologist and professor of entomology and zoology.<ref>"Kinsey was also shown to be an atheist who loathed religion and its constraints on sex." [http://www.washingtontimes.com/culture/20040907-113843-7598r.htm 'Kinsey' critics ready], Cheryl Wetzstein, ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved [[2 February]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard Leakey</Name>
<BirthYear>1944</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Kenyan paleontologist, archaeologist and conservationist.<ref>{{cite book|last=Leakey|first=Richard|authorlink=Richard Leakey|coauthor=Virginia Morell|others=design by Kathryn Parise|title=[[Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures]]|pages=p. 257|origyear=2001|origmonth=September|id=ISBN 0-312-20626-7}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Félix Le Dantec</Name>
<BirthYear>1869</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1917</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French biologist, noted for his work on bacteria.<ref>"Although an atheist, Le Dantec was always open to religious discussion. [...] Among his philosophical works are ''L'athéisme'' (Paris, 1907); " 'Le Dantec, Félix', ''Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography''. Vol. 8. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008, p. 124.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Leslie (physicist)|Sir John Leslie</Name>
<BirthYear>1766</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1832</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish mathematician and physicist best remembered for his research into [[heat]]; he was the first person to artificially produce ice, and gave the first modern account of [[capillary action]].<ref>"In these years Leslie was an unsuccessful candidate for the chairs of natural philosophy at the universities of St Andrews and Glasgow respectively. He failed at the former because he was then an extreme whig and an atheist who deplored the Erastianism of many of the Scottish clergy." Jack Morrell, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16498 'Leslie, Sir John (1766–1832)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>H. Christopher Longuet-Higgins</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (1923–2004): English [[theoretical chemistry|theoretical chemist]] and a [[Cognitive science|cognitive scientist]].<ref>"By that time Longuet-Higgins had become a convinced atheist, although he still respected many of the features of the Church of England." John Murrell, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/93593 'Higgins, (Hugh) Christopher Longuet- (1923–2004)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', online edition, Oxford University Press, January 2008 (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Maynard Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1920</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>John Maynard Smith.jpg</Picture>
<Text>British evolutionary biologist and [[geneticist]], instrumental in the application of [[game theory]] to evolution, and noted theorizer on the [[evolution of sex]] and [[signalling theory]].<ref>From a ''Humanist News'' interview in Autumn 2001: Interviewer: What is your attitude to religion now? JMS: Ever since reading ([[J. B. S. Haldane]]'s book) ''Possible Worlds'' I have been an atheist, and a semi-conscious atheist before that. I think there are two views you can have about religion. You can be tolerant of it and say, I don't believe in this but I don't mind if other people do, or you can say, I not only don't believe in it but I think it is dangerous and damaging for other people to believe in it and they should be persuaded that they are mistaken. I fluctuate between the two. I am tolerant because religious institutions facilitate some very important work that would not get done otherwise, but then I look around and see what an incredible amount of damage religion is doing. [http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/contentViewArticle.asp?article=1738]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ernst Mayr</Name>
<BirthYear>1904</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2005</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>a renowned taxonomist, tropical explorer, [[ornithologist]], historian of science, and naturalist. He was one of the 20th century's leading evolutionary [[biologists]].<ref>[http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/may2005/mayr-m03.shtml An appreciation of biologist Ernst Mayr (1904-2005)]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Medawar|Sir Peter Medawar</Name>
<BirthYear>1915</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1987</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prize-winning]] British scientist best known for his work on how the [[immune system]] rejects or accepts [[tissue transplant]]s.<ref>"... I believe that a reasonable case can be made for saying, not that we believe in God because He exists but rather that He exists because we believe in Him. [...] Considered as an element of the world, God has the same degree and kind of objective reality as do other products of mind. [...] I regret my disbelief in God and religious answers generally, for I believe it would give satisfaction and comfort to many in need of it if it possible to discover and propound good scientific and philosophic reasons to believe in God. [...] To abdicate from the rule of reason and substitute for it an authentication of belief by the intentness and degree of conviction with which we hold it can be perilous and destructive. [...] I am a rationalist—something of a period piece nowadays, I admit [...]" Peter Medawar, 'The Question of the Existence of God' in his book ''The Limits of Science'' (Harper and Row 1984). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jonathan Miller</Name>
<BirthYear>1934</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[physician]], [[actor]], [[Theatre director|theatre]] and [[opera]] [[Music director|director]], and [[television presenter]]. Wrote and presented the 2004 television series, ''[[Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief]]'', exploring the roots of his own atheism and investigating the history of atheism in the world.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/atheism.shtml ''A Rough History of Disbelief''] Official BBC site describing the series</ref><ref name="colin_mcginn"/></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter D. Mitchell</Name>
<BirthYear>1920</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1992</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>1978-[[Nobel Laureate|Nobel-laureate]] British biochemist. Atheist mother, and himself atheist from age 15.<ref>Nobel Biography[http://nobelprize.org/chemistry/laureates/1978/mitchell-bio.html].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jacques Monod</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1976</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French [[biologist]] who won the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] in 1965 for discoveries concerning genetic control of enzyme and virus synthesis.<ref>"In his final chapter de Duve turns to the meaning of life, and considers the ideas of two contrasting Frenchmen: a priest, Teilhard de Chardin, and an existentialist and atheist, Jacques Monod." [http://www.booksincanada.com/article_view.asp?id=326 Peaks, Dust, & Dappled Spots], by Richard Lubbock, Books in Canada: The Canadian Review of Books. Retrieved [[2 July]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Desmond Morris</Name>
<BirthYear>1928</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[zoologist]] and [[ethologist]], famous for describing human behaviour from a zoological perspective in his books [[The Naked Ape]] and [[The Human Zoo (book)|The Human Zoo]].<ref>"[Religion] is not an easy subject to deal with, but as zoologists we must do our best to observe what actually happens rather than listen to what is supposed to be happening. If we do this, we are forced to the conclusion that, in a behavioural sense, religious activities consist of the coming together of large groups of people to perform repeated and prolonged submissive displays to appease a dominant individual. The dominant individual takes many forms in different cultures, but always has the common factor of immense power. [...] If these submissive actions are successful, the dominant individual is appeased. [...] The dominant individual is usually, but not always, referred to as a god. Since none of these gods exist in a tangible form, why have they been invented? To find the answer to this we have to go right back to our ancestral origins." Desmond Morris, ''The Naked Ape'', p.178-179, Jonathan Cape, 1967.</ref><ref>"Man's evolution as a neotenous ape has put him in a similar position to the dog's. He becomes sexually mature and yet he still needs a parent — a super-parent, one as impressive to him as a man must be to a dog. The answer was to invent a god — either a female super-parent in the shape of a Mother Goddess, or a male god in the shape of God the Father, or perhaps even a whole family of gods. Like real parents they would both protect, punish and be obeyed. [...] These — the houses of the gods — the temples, the churches and the cathedrals — are buildings apparently made for giants, and a space visitor would be surprised to find on closer examination that these giants are never at home. Their followers repeatedly visit them and bow down before them, but they themselves are invisible. Only their bell-like cries can be heard across the land. Man is indeed an imaginative species." Desmond Morris, ''The Pocket Guide to Manwatching'', p.234-236 Triad Paperbacks, 1982.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Fritz Müller</Name>
<BirthYear>1821</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1897</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German biologist who emigrated to Brazil, where he studied the natural history of the Amazon rainforest and was an early advocate of [[Evolution|evolutionary theory]].<ref>"[Müller] was an atheist..." [http://www.ucl.ac.uk/taxome/jim/Mim/mullerrev.html Review of Müller's biography], by James Mallet, ''Quarterly Review of Biology'' 79:196 (2004). Retrieved [[2 July]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Hermann Joseph Muller</Name>
<BirthYear>1890</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1967</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[United States|American]] [[geneticist]] and educator, best known for his work on the physiological and genetic effects of [[radiation]] (X-ray mutagenesis). He won the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] in 1946.<ref>"Muller, who through Unitarianism had become an enthusiastic pantheist, was converted both to atheism and to socialism." [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4606(196811)14%3C348%3AHJM1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P Hermann Joseph Muller. 1890–1967], G. Pontecorvo, Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, Vol. 14, Nov., 1968 (Nov., 1968), pp. 348-389 (Quote from p. 353) Retrieved [[14 July]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>PZ Myers</Name>
<BirthYear>1957</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American biology professor at the [[University of Minnesota]] and a science blogger via his [[blog]], ''[[Pharyngula (blog)|Pharyngula]]''.<ref>"I was brought up a Lutheran, but I became an atheist"—PZ Myers ([[February 14]], [[2007]]), [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/02/its_the_arrogance_stupid.php It's the arrogance, stupid], ''[[Pharyngula (blog)|Pharyngula]]''. Retrieved [[February 22]], [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Paul Nurse</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>2001 [[Nobel Laureate]] in [[Physiology]] or [[Medicine]].<ref>"I gradually slipped away from religion over several years and became an atheist or to be more philosophically correct, a sceptical agnostic." [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2001/nurse-autobio.html Nurse's autobiography at Nobelprize.org]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Linus Pauling</Name>
<BirthYear>1901</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1994</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Linus Pauling NIH.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American chemist, [[Nobel Laureate]] in [[Chemistry]] (1954) and [[Peace]] (1962)<ref name="Pauling"/></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>John Allen Paulos</Name>
<BirthYear>1945</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Professor of [[mathematics]] at [[Temple University]] in [[Philadelphia]] and writer, author of ''Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up'' (2007)<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Irreligion-Mathematician-Explains-Arguments-Just/dp/0809059193/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207059588&sr=8-1 Amazon listing] of ''Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don't Add Up''.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ivan Pavlov</Name>
<BirthYear>1849</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1936</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel Prize winning]] Russian physiologist, psychologist, and physician, widely known for first describing the phenomenon of [[classical conditioning]].<ref>Asked by his follower E. M. Kreps whether or not he was religious, Kreps wrote that Pavlov smiled and replied: "Listen, good fellow, in regard to [claims of] my religiosity, my belief in God, my church attendance, there is no truth in it; it is sheer fantasy. I was a seminarian, and like the majority of seminarians, I became an unbeliever, an atheist in my school years." Quoted in George Windholz, 'Pavlov's Religious Orientation', ''Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion'' Vol. 25 No. 3 (Sep., 1986), pp. 320-327. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Massimo Pigliucci</Name>
<BirthYear>1964</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the [[Stony Brook University]] and is known as an outspoken critic of creationism and advocate of science education.<ref>"...I'm an atheist..." [http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2006/10/enough-blasting-dennett-and-dawkins.html Enough blasting Dennett and Dawkins, all right?], from ''Rationally Speaking'', the blog of Massimo Pigliucci, October 30, 2006 (Accessed 15 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Steven Pinker</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Canadian-born American psychologist.<ref>"I never outgrew my conversion to atheism at 13, but at various times was a serious cultural Jew." {{cite news | last = The Guardian Profile | title=Steven Pinker: the mind reader | date=[[November 6]], [[1999]] | publisher=[[The Guardian|Guardian News and Media Limited]] | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3926387,00.html | accessdate = 2006-12-10}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Norman Pirie</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (1954–): British [[biochemist]] and [[virologist]] co-discoverer in 1936 of viral crystallization, an important milestone in understanding [[DNA]] and [[RNA]].<ref>"During sixty years from 1937 he also wrote over forty articles on the origins, distribution, and nature of life, taking the stance of a 'dogmatic atheist'." David F. Smith, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/65890 'Pirie, Norman Wingate [Bill] (1907–1997)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, October 2005 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Frank P. Ramsey</Name>
<BirthYear>1903</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1930</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[mathematician]] who also made significant contributions in [[philosophy]] and [[economics]].<ref>"His tolerance and good humour enabled him to disagree strongly without giving or taking offence, for example with his brother Michael Ramsey whose ordination (he went on to become archbishop of Canterbury) Ramsey, as a militant atheist, naturally regretted." D. H. Mellor, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37882 'Ramsey, Frank Plumpton (1903–1930)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, October 2005 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard J. Roberts</Name>
<BirthYear>1943</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[United Kingdom|British]] [[biochemist]] and [[molecular biology|molecular biologist]]. He won the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] in 1993 for the discovery of [[intron]]s in [[eukaryote|eukaryotic]] [[DNA]] and the mechanism of gene-splicing.<ref>"The Nobel Laureate Dr Richard Roberts will give a public lecture entitled ''A Bright Journey from Science to Atheism''..." [http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/science/2006/0420/1142365537016.html A bright journey to atheism, or a road that ignores all the signs?], ''The Irish Times'', [[April 20]], [[2006]]. Retrieved [[24 July]] [[2007]].</ref><ref>"...Rich Roberts... delivered a public lecture on his Bright journey from Science to Atheism in April 2006." [http://nireland.humanists.net/events.html Events listing] on the website of Humani, The Humanist Association of Northern Ireland, Retrieved 24 July 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.humanists.net/belfast/roberts.htm Roberts versus God: No Contest], review of Roberts' talk ''A Bright Journey from Science to Atheism'', written by Les Reid, and published on the [http://www.humanists.net/belfast/home.htm Belfast Humanist Group] website. Retrieved [[24 July]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Steven Rose</Name>
<BirthYear>1938</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Professor of Biology and Neurobiology at the [[Open University]] and [[University of London]], and author of several popular science books.<ref>"Have you ever broken one of the ten commandments? As an atheist from an early age, I can't readily remember them. But I expect I have." Lifeline: Steven Rose, ''Lancet'' Vol. 355 Issue 9213 p. 1472, 22 April 2000.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Oliver Sacks</Name>
<BirthYear>1933</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>United States-based British neurologist, who has written popular books about his patients, the most famous of which is ''[[Awakenings]]''.<ref>"All of which makes the Wingate Prize a matter of bemusement. "Yes, tell me," he says, frowning. "What is it, and why are they giving it to an old Jewish atheist who has unkind things to say about Zionism?" " Oliver Burkeman interviewing Sacks, 'Inside Story: Sacks appeal', ''The Guardian'', 10 May 2002, Features Pages, Pg. 4.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Carl Sagan</Name>
<BirthYear>1934</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1996</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American astronomer and astrochemist, a highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics, and other natural sciences, and pioneer of [[Astrobiology|exobiology]] and promoter of the [[SETI]].<ref>"A sworn enemy of "pseudoscientists" - believers in UFOs and paranormal phenomena - he was a confirmed atheist. "I would lose my integrity if I accepted a belief system that did not stand up to sceptical scrutiny," he said recently." Ian Katz, 'Sagan, Man Who Brought Cosmos to Earth, Dies', ''The Guardian'', 21 December 1996, Pg. 3.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Sapolsky</Name>
<BirthYear>1957</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at [[Stanford University]].<ref>Dan Barker: "When we invited Robert Sapolsky to speak at one of out national conventions to receive our 'Emperor Has No Clothes Award', Robert wrote to me, 'Sure! Get the local Holiday Inn to put up a sign that says Welcome, Hell-bound Atheists!' [...] So, welcome you hell-bound atheist to Freethought Radio, Robert." Sapolsky: "Well, delighted to be among my kindred souls." [...] Annie Laurie Gaylor: So how long have you been a kindred non-soul, what made you an atheist Robert?" Sapolsky: "Oh, I was about fourteen or so... I was brought up very very religiously, orthodox Jewish background and major-league rituals and that sort of thing [...] and something happened when I was fourteen, and no doubt what it was really about was my gonads or who knows what, but over the course of a couple of weeks there was some sort of introspective whatever, where I suddenly decided this was all gibberish. And, among other things, also deciding there's no free will, but not in a remotely religious context, and deciding all of this was nonsense, and within a two week period all of that belief stuff simply evaporated." [http://media.libsyn.com/media/ffrf/FTradio_41_020307.mp3 Freethought Radio podcast (mp3)], 3 February 2007 (accessed 22 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Amartya Kumar Sen</Name>
<BirthYear>1933</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>1998 [[Nobel Laureate]] in [[Economics]].<ref>Reported lecture [http://www.facinghistory.org/Campus/reslib.nsf/Campus/reslib.nsf/themeandconceptpublic/872E6F4F8B5E996085256F8900771ED9?opendocument]</ref><ref>Self-proclaimed [http://www.chowk.com/show_article.cgi?aid=00005503&channel=gulberg] </ref><ref>World Bank [http://info.worldbank.org/etools/BSPAN/PresentationView.asp?EID=354&PID=688] </ref><ref>Press meeting [http://www.rediff.com/business/1998/dec/28sen.htm] </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Claude Elwood Shannon|Claude Shannon</Name>
<BirthYear>1916</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2001</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American electrical engineer and mathematician, has been called "the father of information theory", and was the founder of practical digital circuit design theory.<ref>"Shannon described himself as an atheist and was outwardly apolitical." William Poundstone, ''Fortune's Formula'', Hill and Wang: New York (2005), page 18.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Michael Smith (chemist)|Michael Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1932</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2000</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British-born Canadian [[biochemist]] and [[Nobel Laureate]] in [[Chemistry]] in 1993.<ref>Smith, Michael. [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1993/smith-autobio.html Michael Smith: Autobiography]. [[Nobel Prize]].org. Retrieved [[February 3]], [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Richard Stallman</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[United States|American]] [[software freedom]] [[activist]], [[hacker]], and [[software developer]].<ref>[http://www.stallman.org/extra/personal.html Stallman's former personal ad]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Victor J. Stenger</Name>
<BirthYear>1935</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American physicist, emeritus professor of [[Physics]] and [[Astronomy]] at the [[University of Hawaii]] and adjunct professor of [[Philosophy]] at the [[University of Colorado at Boulder|University of Colorado]]. Author of the book ''[[God: The Failed Hypothesis]]''.<ref>''God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist''.[http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591024811][http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/Godless/Summary.htm]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Eleazar Sukenik</Name>
<BirthYear>1889</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1953</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Israeli archaeologist and professor of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, undertaking excavations in Jerusalem, and recognising the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls to Israel.<ref>"I read a few sentences. It was written in beautiful Biblical Hebrew. The language was like that of the Psalms.' One of these was the Isaiah scroll, which I saw recently in the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem: sections of goat-skin parchment, sewn together, 27 feet long. I felt in the presence of something numinous, although I have been a convinced atheist since boyhood. But this document is a testament to the inexplicable persistence of the human mind, in the face of all the evidence, in believing that we are on earth for a divine purpose." Eleazar Sukenik, quoted in Justin Cartwright, 'The indestructible power of belief', ''The Guardian'', 27 May 2000, Saturday Pages, Pg. 3.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Leonard Susskind</Name>
<BirthYear>1940</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[United States|American]] [[theoretical physicist]]; a founding father of [[superstring theory]] and professor of [[theoretical physics]] at [[Stanford University]].<ref>In a review of Susskind's book ''The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design'', Michael Duff writes that Susskind is "a card-carrying atheist." [http://physicsweb.org/articles/review/18/12/3 Life in a landscape of possibilities], December 2005. Retrieved [[30 May]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Raymond Tallis</Name>
<BirthYear>1946</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Leading British [[gerontologist]], philosopher, poet, novelist and cultural critic.<ref>"He is a passionate atheist who hates materialistic interpretations of our minds." Interview: Raymond Tallis, [http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1762901,00.html The ardent atheist], ''Guardian Review'', 29 April 2006 (accessed 14 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Linus Torvalds</Name>
<BirthYear>1969</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Finland|Finnish]] [[software engineer]], creator of the [[Linux kernel]].<ref>"[I am] completely a-religious—atheist. I find that people seem to think religion brings morals and appreciation of nature. I actually think it detracts from both." [http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/3655/print Interview: Linus Torvalds] in ''Linux Journal'' [[1 November]] [[1999]]. Retrieved [[18 January]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alan Turing</Name>
<BirthYear>1912</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1954</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Alan Turing Memorial Closer.jpg</Picture>
<Text>[[England|English]] [[mathematician]], [[logician]], and [[cryptographer]]; often considered to be the father of modern [[computer science]]. The [[Turing Award]], often recognized as the "[[Nobel Prize]] of computing", is named after him.<ref>"This loss shattered Turing's religious faith and led him into atheism..." [http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/turing.html ''Time 100'' profile of Alan Turing], p. 2</ref><ref>"He was an atheist..." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/330480.stm Alan Turing: Father of the computer], BBC News, [[28 April]] [[1999]]. Retrieved [[11 June]] [[2007]].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Matthew Turner</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>(d. c.1789): chemist, surgeon, teacher and radical theologian, author of the first published work of avowed atheism in Britain (1782).<ref>"In religion he was raised as a theist, but in 1782, in an Answer to Dr. Priestley, on the Existence of God, a response to Priestley's Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever, he described himself as a freethinker (p. 5). This work, first published under the pseudonym William Hammon, was subsequently republished by Richard Carlile in 1826. In the pamphlet Turner declared that he was an atheist, though he did admit that the 'vis naturae', gravity, and matter's elasticity and repulsive powers demonstrated that the universe was permeated by 'a principle of intelligence and design' (ibid., 17). Despite the 'perpetual industry' of nature, he denied that this intelligence entailed that philosophers needed to posit the existence of a deity extraneous to the material world." E. I. Carlyle, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27855 'Turner, Matthew (d. 1789?)'], rev. Kevin C. Knox, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref><ref>Text of [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14120 Answer to Dr. Priestley's Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever] at Project Guttenberg.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>William Grey Walter|W. Grey Walter</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1977</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[neurophysiologist]] famous for his work on [[brain waves]], and [[robotician]].<ref>"A firm atheist, he was interested in, though unconvinced by, the paranormal, and also did research on hypnosis." Ray Cooper, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38104 'Walter, (William) Grey (1910–1977)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, May 2007 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>James D. Watson</Name>
<BirthYear>1928</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>James Watson.jpg</Picture>
<Text>1962-[[Nobel laureate|Nobel-laureate]] co-discover of the structure of [[DNA]].<ref>Watson is identified as an atheist by his acquaintance, Rabbi Marc Gellman. ''[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12498143/site/newsweek/ Trying to Understand Angry Atheists: Why do nonbelievers seem to be threatened by the idea of God?]'', by Rabbi Marc Gellman, ''Newsweek'', [[28 April]] [[2006]]. Retrieved [[11 November]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>When asked by a student if he believed in God, Watson replied "Oh, no. Absolutely not... The biggest advantage to believing in God is you don't have to understand anything, no physics, no biology. I wanted to understand." {{cite news | url=http://www.vindy.com/local_news/279051929445300.php | title= Nobel Prize-winning scientist wows some, worries others | publisher=The Vindicator | author=JoAnne Viviano | date=[[19 October]] [[2007]] | accessdate=2007-10-19 }}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Steven Weinberg</Name>
<BirthYear>1933</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Steven-weinberg.jpg</Picture>
<Text>[[United States|American]] [[theoretical physicist]]. He won the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 1979 for the unification of [[electromagnetism]] and the [[weak force]] into the [[electroweak force]].<ref>Azpurua: "Would it be accurate to say that you are an atheist?" Weinberg: "Yes. I don't believe in God, but I don't make a religion out of not believing in God. I don't organize my life around that." [http://www.newsweek.com/id/128877/page/1 In Search of the God Particle], by Ana Elena Azpurua, ''Newsweek'' Web Exclusive, 24 March 2008, p. 3 (Accessed 25 March 2008)</ref><ref>In a review of Susskind's book The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design, string theorist [[Michael Duff]] identifies Steven Weinberg as an "arch-atheist".[http://physicsweb.org/articles/world/18/12/8]</ref><ref>In the book ''[[The God Delusion]]'', Richard Dawkins identifies Steven Weinberg as an atheist.[http://richarddawkins.net/godDelusion richarddawkins.net].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Sloan Wilson</Name>
<BirthYear>1949</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[evolutionary biologist]], son of [[Sloan Wilson]], proponent of [[Group selection#Multilevel selection theory|multilevel selection theory]] and author of several popular books on evolution.<ref name="David Sloan Wilson">{{cite news |first=Natalie |last=Angier |title=The Origin of Religions, From a Distinctly Darwinian View |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/24/science/social/24CONV.html |work=New York Times |page=F5 |date=[[2002-12-24]] |accessdate=2007-06-11 |quote=...I don't believe in God. I tell people I'm an atheist, but a nice atheist.}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Lewis Wolpert</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[CBE]] [[Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society#Fellowship|FRS]] [[Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature|FRSL]] (1929–): [[Developmental biology|developmental biologist]], [[author]], and [[broadcaster]].<ref>"I grew up in a Jewish family but I gave it all up at 16 when I prayed to God for something I really wanted and it didn't happen. I have been an atheist ever since. I believe in proof and I know of no evidence for the existence of God, but I am in no way hostile to religion provided it does not interfere in the lives of others or come into conflict with science." [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/easter-special-i-believe-474291.html Easter special: I believe...], ''Independent on Sunday'', 16 April 2006 (accessed 18 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Steve Wozniak</Name>
<BirthYear>1950</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>co-founder of [[Apple Computer]] and inventor of the Apple I and Apple II.<ref name="Steve Wozniak">{{cite website |first=Steven |last=Wozniak |title= Letters – General Questions Answered |url=http://www.woz.org/letters/general/72.html |work=woz.org |accessdate=2007-09-26 |quote=... I am also atheist or agnostic (I don't even know the difference). I've never been to church and prefer to think for myself. I do believe that religions stand for good things, and that if you make irrational sacrifices for a religion, then everyone can tell that your religion is important to you and can trust that your most important inner faiths are strong.}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Elizur Wright</Name>
<BirthYear>1804</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1885</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[mathematician]] and [[abolitionist]], sometimes described as the "father of life insurance" for his pioneering work on [[Life table|actuarial tables]].<ref>In ''Abolitionist, Actuary, Atheist: Elizur Wright and the Reform Impulse'', Wright's biographer Lawrence B. Goodheart describes him as "an evangelical atheist, an impassioned actuary, a liberal who advocated state regulation, an individualist who championed social cooperation, and a very private public crusader" (''op. cit.'', page x)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Victor Weisskopf</Name>
<BirthYear>1908</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Austrian-American [[theoretical physicist]], co-founder and board member of the [[Union of Concerned Scientists]]. <ref>"...Victor Weisskopf, who describes himself as an atheist Viennese Jew...." Quoting from page 14 of The Prism of Science, by Edna Ullmann-Margalit, Springer, 1986.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Albert Einstein</Name>
<BirthYear>1879</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1955</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Germany|German]]-born [[theoretical physicist]], best known for his [[theory of relativity]] and recipient of the [[1921]] [[Nobel Prize in Physics]].<ref>[[Einstein]]'s [[atheism]] is oft disputed and sometimes mislabelled as [[pantheism]], but in truth [[Einstein]] articulated his non-belief in a personal [[God]] on countless occasions, describing the stories of the Bible as "primitive legends", religious beliefs as "pretty childish", and stating that, "I cannot conceive of a personal God who would directly influence the actions of individuals, or would directly sit in judgment on creatures of his own creation". His views are expounded perhaps most frankly, however, in the 1954 book 'Albert Einstein: The Human Side' edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, in which he is quoted as saying, "It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it". http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/einstein.htm</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Social Sciences-->
<Person>
<Name>Scott Atran</Name>
<BirthYear>1952</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[anthropologist]].<ref>In an ''Edge'' [http://www.edge.org/discourse/bb.html#atran2 discussion] following the Beyond Belief conference in 2006, Atran criticised other speakers, saying: "I find it fascinating that among the brilliant scientists and philosophers at the conference, there was no convincing evidence presented that they know how to deal with the basic irrationality of human life and society other than to insist against all reason and evidence that things ought to be rational and evidence based. It makes me embarrassed to be a scientist and atheist." </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Herbert de Souza</Name>
<BirthYear>1935</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1997</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Brazilian sociologist and activist against economic injustice and government corruption in Brazil, and founder of the Brazilian Institute of Social Analysis and Economics (IBASE).<ref>"Two years ago, Betinho developed Aids. He died, weighing just over six stone, of complications of hepatitis C, which he had also caught from contaminated blood. Although he was an atheist, the theologian Leonardo Boff has suggested that the Pope should canonise Betinho during his visit to Brazil in October. He said that "it would be a prophetic act if he were declared the saint of the poor, the patron saint of citizenship"." Sue Branford and Jan Rocha, 'Obituary: Herbert De Souza: Saintly Champion of the Poor', ''The Guardian'', 19 August 1997, Pg. 15.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Émile Durkheim</Name>
<BirthYear>1858</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1917</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>French sociologist whose contributions were instrumental in the formation of sociology and anthropology.<ref>"Commonly regarded as the most important feature of Durkheim's thought about religion—doubtless because of the apologetic anxieties it stirs—this "reduction" takes the form of claiming that all talk of God can be reduced to talk about society. As a formula, this is to assert that society and God are identical. There is indeed ample warrant for the view that the Durkheimians believed that all talk of God was really about and derived from social experience. The religious experience of "spirit" is explainable in terms of the dynamics of crowd-induced enthusiasms in rituals. As atheists, the Durkheimians did not believe an experience of God or spirit was possible because gods or spirits either did not exist or were beyond the cognitive abilities of humans to experience. Ritual, on the other hand, was religion in tangible form." Strenski, Ivan: "Durkheim, Émile", ''Encyclopedia of Religion'', ed. Lindsay Jones, Vol. 4 p.2527, 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Norman Finkelstein</Name>
<BirthYear>1953</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American political scientist and author, specialising in Jewish-related issues, especially the [[Holocaust]] and the [[Israeli-Palestinian conflict]].<ref>"Finkelstein, who describes himself as a Jewish atheist and Left-wing anti-Zionist who supports the Palestinian cause, has been ostracised by the American Jewish community for his views." Tony Paterson, 'German outrage at Holocaust book', ''Sunday Telegraph'', 18 February 2001, Pg. 31.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Thor Heyerdahl</Name>
<BirthYear>1914</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Norwegian [[ethnographer]] and adventurer, famous for his [[Kon-Tiki]] expedition.<ref>"He remained, however, an admirer of primitive societies. He was also an atheist." Obituary of Thor Heyerdahl, ''Daily Telegraph'', 19 April 2002, Pg. 29.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mayer Hillman</Name>
<BirthYear>1931</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British political scientist, architect and town planner, a Senior Fellow Emeritus at the [[Policy Studies Institute]].<ref>"Oppressively authoritarian, he [Hillman's father] required his children to do his bidding and brooked no dissent. As a consequence, all three came to challenge authority and Mayer counts himself a "militant atheist", though feels very Jewish and is proud of his origins." Anne Karpf interviewing Hillman, 'A Chain Reaction', ''The Guardian'', 2 November 2002, Weekend Pages, Pg. 32.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Baruch Kimmerling</Name>
<BirthYear>1939</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2007</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Romanian-born professor of sociology at the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]].<ref>"A devoted atheist, he lamented Jews' and Arabs' failure to "separate religion from nationality"." Lawrence Joffe, 'Obituary: Baruch Kimmerling', ''The Guardian'', 26 June 2007, Pg. 39.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kemal Kiri?ci</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Turkish political scientist, professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Bo?aziçi University, Istanbul.<ref>"I don't vote for him, but I praise him [...] I'm a leftist atheist, he's a rightwing Islamist. Yet I still say he's the best prime minister for the country." Kemal Kiri?ci, quoted in Ian Traynor, 'EU membership', ''The Guardian'', 12 June 2006, Pg. 17.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Peter Lawrence (anthropologist)|Peter Lawrence</Name>
<BirthYear>1921</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1987</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British-born Australian anthropologist, pioneer in the study of [[Melanesian]] religions noted for his work on [[cargo cults]].<ref>"Raised Anglican, Lawrence professed to be an atheist, although, as he once wryly remarked, "an atheist with doubts." " MacDonald, Mary N. "Lawrence, Peter." ''Encyclopedia of Religion''. Ed. Lindsay Jones. Vol. 8. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 5379-5380. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Edmund Leach|Sir Edmund Leach</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1989</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British social anthropologist, a Fellow of the British Academy.<ref>"A declared atheist Leach's upbringing was 'hard-boiled Christian', his mother, to whom he was close as a child, being a devout Anglican (Firth, 10). His rejection of Christianity while an undergraduate was bound up with his growing independence from her, but as he later remarked, 'mud sticks if you throw enough' (ibid.)." James Laidlaw, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39978 'Leach, Sir Edmund Ronald (1910–1989)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>James H. Leuba</Name>
<BirthYear>1868</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1946</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American psychologist, one of the leading figures of the early phase of the American [[psychology of religion]] movement.<ref>"After he began his scientific studies he became an atheist. He remained, throughout the rest of his life, a critic of religion, much in the same vein as Freud, and a critic of religious hypocrites." Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin: "Leuba, James H." ''Encyclopedia of Religion''. Ed. Lindsay Jones. Vol. 8. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005, p.5418.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alfred Radcliffe-Brown</Name>
<BirthYear>1881</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1955</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[Social Anthropology|social anthropologist]] who developed the theory of [[Structural functionalism]].<ref>"An atheist from at least his student years, he became an honorary associate of the Rationalist Press Association in 1952. An Oxford student remembered him as 'somewhat assertive in his arguments against religion' (C. Fuller, 'An interview with M. N. Srinivas', ''Anthropology Today'', 15/5, 1999, 5), but the nearest he came to showing it in print was the suggestion that religion is a source of 'fears and anxieties from which [men] would otherwise be free—the fear of black magic or of spirits, fear of God, of the Devil, of Hell' (Radcliffe-Brown, Structure, 149). [...] His restraint may have sprung from an austere conception of science or from the functionalist fear that destroying a people's beliefs will undermine their social system." Kenneth Maddock: Brown, Alfred Reginald Radcliffe- (1881–1955)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37877] (accessed 30 April 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Spitzer (psychiatrist)|Robert Spitzer</Name>
<BirthYear>19</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American psychiatrist, Professor of Psychiatry at [[Columbia University]], a major architect of the modern classification of mental disorders.<ref>"Dr Spitzer has said repeatedly that as an "atheist Jew" his only interest in the issue is scientific truth, adding that an orthodoxy which forbids acknowledgement of the possibility of change is as flawed as that which labels homosexuality an act of will and morally wrong." Charles Laurence, 'Going straight', Sunday Telegraph, 12 October 2003, Pg. 19.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Sports-->
<Person>
<Name>Lance Armstrong</Name>
<BirthYear>1971</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>NIH-lancearm2.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American [[cyclist]]. Winner of the Tour De France 7 consecutive times. Lance Armstrong was quoted by ET Magazine in 2004 as saying "If there was a god, I'd still have both nuts." (Armstrong lost one testicle due to cancer.)</Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robin Dixon, 3rd Baron Glentoran|Robin Dixon</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1935–): British [[Olympic_medals#Olympic_champions_and_medalists|Olympic gold medal]] [[bobsleigh|bobsledder]], army [[Major]], businessman, [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] politician, latterly a member of the [[House of Lords]].<ref>"There has been legislation in Northern Ireland concerning fair employment, which related to those matters, for many years. It was strictly adhered to and policed. In fact, all recruits to my company and most others had to declare at the time, in a totally confidential envelope, whether they were perceived to be Roman Catholics or perceived to be Protestants. I say that because one has to be a Protestant or Roman Catholic Jew or, in my case, a Roman Catholic or Protestant atheist." Lord Glentoran, Lords Hansard, 11 Mar 2004: Column 1372 (accessed 24 April 2008). </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jonathan Edwards (athlete)|Jonathan Edwards</Name>
<BirthYear>1966</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British [[triple jumper]]. Former Olympic, European and World champion. Holds the current world record in the event.<ref>"Having left his sport as a dyed-in-the-wool evangelical, Edwards is now, to all intents and purposes, an atheist." [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article1991114.ece] </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Hugh Falkus</Name>
<BirthYear>1917</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1996</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British writer, film maker, World War II pilot, but best known as an angler, with seminal books on salmon and sea trout fishing.<ref>"Hugh Falkus set about refining his techniques for Spey casting with carbon-fibre rods and aerodynamic lines, and, more importantly, sharing his skills on his legendary famous fishing courses. When, in 1995, old age prevented him from continuing, he asked his protege to take up the reins. "Take the school south, that is where all the money is, but keep my name alive," is how Daunt, as he is known by his friends, recalls the offer, adding, "although Hugh was an atheist, he was quite determined to become immortal"." Adrian Dangar, 'A simple matter of perfect casting', ''Daily Telegraph'', 25 May 2002, Pg. 19.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>David Feherty</Name>
<BirthYear>1958</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Irish golfer, a former European Tour and PGA Tour professional who now works as a writer and broadcaster.<ref>"The only thing missing from this tidy story - this is America, remember - is a testimonial from the athlete thanking God for his rescue. That is the way it's done over here. Feherty's not buying it, though. "I am a diehard atheist," he volunteers, joining Einstein, Darwin and, hmm, Annika Sorenstam, but clearly crossing into uncharted waters for an American TV personality." Bruce Selcraig, 'Golf: US Open Countdown', ''Daily Telegraph'', 12 June 2007, Sports, Pg.12.</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Olga Galchenko</Name>
<BirthYear>1990</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Juggler.<ref>[http://ffrf.org/fttoday/2007/sept/galchenko.php "Thou Shalt not Confuse Religion with Morality" by Olga Galchenko] "Coming from a somewhat religious family, I naturally embraced Christianity and tried hard to keep my faith until about the age of 12, when I decided to finally stop trying, and gradually became an atheist."</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Robert Smith (football)|Robert Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1972</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>former [[Minnesota Vikings]] [[running back]] and [[NFL Network]] [[American football|football]] analyst.<ref>"Former Minnesota Vikings running back Robert Smith, an atheist, says he has no objection to making religious counseling and services available to interested players." [http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/05/10/ministries/ Going long for Jesus], by Tom Krattenmaker at Salon.com (Accessed [[29 August]] [[2006]]).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Savielly Tartakower</Name>
<BirthYear>1887</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1956</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Poland|Polish]] and [[France|French]] [[chess]] [[International Grandmaster|Grandmaster]], the king of chess journalism in the 1920s and 30s.<ref>"Practically all chess-players are born optimists [...] Those who believe in God count on divine help; the agnostics know that somehow or other it will turn out all right; whilst the atheists, who are of course the most superstitious, believe in luck. If this last statement seems a trifle high pitched then let me submit as evidence the case of Dr. Tartakower. An atheist if ever there was one, he fervently believed in luck, touched wood at appropriate moments and never, never walked under ladders." Harry Golombek, 'Chess: The eternal spring of hope', ''The Times'', 24 July 1971; pg. 7; Issue 58233; col E.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Theologians-->
<Person>
<Name>Klaas Hendrikse</Name>
<BirthYear>1947</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Dutch liberal preacher within the Protestant church in the Netherlands, who calls himself an "atheist pastor".<ref>"A self-described "atheist pastor" is a bestselling author in the Netherlands. The Rev Klaas Hendrikse's book, Believing in a God Who Does Not Exist: Manifesto of an Atheist Pastor, published in November, is being reprinted for the third time. "The non-existence of God is for me not an obstacle but a precondition to believing in God," he says." Bess Twiston Davies, 'Believing in a God Who Does Not Exist: Manifesto of an Atheist Pastor', ''The Times'', 15 December 2007, Features, Pg. 79.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<!--Visual arts-->
<Person>
<Name>Abu Abraham</Name>
<BirthYear>1924</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Indian political cartoonist, journalist, and author.<ref>"His strongest theme, as India sank faster into factional and religious politics, had remained adherence to the original vision of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru for a wholly secular state: Abu was a rationalist and atheist." Michael McNay, 'Obituary: Abu Abraham', ''The Guardian'', 7 December 2002, Pg. 26.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Jemima Blackburn</Name>
<BirthYear>1957</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Scottish painter and illustrator, especially of evocative images of rural life in 19th century Scotland.<ref>"Around their dinner table could be found all shades of political and religious affiliation. Hugh was a devout Christian and apolitical, while Jemima's atheism was coupled with a stout defence of Disraeli's brand of toryism." A. J. Crilly, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/59883 'Blackburn, Hugh (1823–1909)'], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Iwona Blazwick</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[OBE]] (19??–): British art gallery curator, Director of the [[Whitechapel Art Gallery]] in London.<ref>"The hidden jewel of the year was an impromptu performance by 40 singers from a South African township under the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, which made me - a devout atheist - feel spiritually moved." Iwona Blazwick, 'The Best of 2002', ''Daily Telegraph, 21 December 2002, Section, Pg. 01.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Berkeley Breathed</Name>
<BirthYear>1957</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American cartoonist, children's book author/illustrator, director, and screenwriter, best known for the cartoon strip ''Bloom County''.<ref>"...I'm an atheist..." [http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20040209-000020.html Berkeley Breathed Pokes Fun], interview with Breathed by William Whitney, ''Psychology Today Magazine'', Jan/Feb 2004 (Accessed 24 April 2008)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Joan Brossa</Name>
<BirthYear>1919</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1998</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Spanish graphic designer and plastic artist, one of the leading early proponents of visual poetry in Catalan literature.<ref>"Brossa was born in Barcelona, and resisted his family's ambitions for him to become a banker. He was tenacious, his sense of purpose often taken for arrogance. He became a Marxist, and an atheist who believed that if a good God existed, he should be tried at Nuremburg." Adrian Searle, 'The conjuror of Catalonia: Obituary: Joan Brossa', ''The Guardian'', 12 January 1999, Pg. 16.</ref> </Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mitch Clem</Name>
<BirthYear>1982</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>American [[cartoonist]] and [[webcomic]] author.<ref>"The thing is that, as an athiest{{sic}}, I don't BELIEVE{{sic}} in Satan."—{{cite web | last = Clem | first = Mitch | authorlink = Mitch Clem | title = Tour V | work = [[San Antonio Rock City]] | date = [[February 13]], [[2006]] | url = http://www.mitchclem.com/rockcity/index.php?comic=15 | accessdate = 2006-01-03}}</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Eric de Maré</Name>
<BirthYear>1910</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2002</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British architectural photographer.<ref>"De Maré was unhappy at his preparatory boarding school, and became an atheist and opponent of puritanism in reaction against its ethos. [...] In ''A Matter of Life or Debt'' (1984), de Maré foresaw how the digital age offered even greater potential for his dream of the future, which was prevented from happening by "the Judaeo-Christian tradition of rewards and punishments in general and the Puritan ethic in particular"." Obituary of Eric de Maré, ''Daily Telegraph'', 6 February 2002, Pg. 27.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Barry Driscoll</Name>
<BirthYear>1926</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2006</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British painter, wildlife artist and sculptor.<ref>"The painter and sculptor Barry Driscoll, who has died of cancer aged 79, was one of Britain's finest wild life artists and he was also a humanist, humourist, atheist, anarchist, hedonist, raconteur and bon viveur." Adrian Bailey, 'Obituaries: Barry Driscoll', ''The Guardian'', 15 May 2006, Pg. 36.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sam Fullbrook</Name>
<BirthYear>1922</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>2004</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Prize-winning Australian artist.<ref>"His aim as a painter, he said bluntly, was to rubbish Australian-born Europhiles, and paint good pictures that children would love. He hoped to combine in his work "tenderness, sweetness, charm, clarity, succinctness, love, passion and religion" - this from a declared atheist who would go to church "because I get a lot out of it"." Obituary of Sam Fullbrook, ''Daily Telegraph'', 13 February 2004, Pg. 29.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alfred Gilbert|Sir Alfred Gilbert</Name>
<BirthYear>1854</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1934</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English [[sculpture|sculptor]] and [[goldsmith]], central participant in the [[New Sculpture]] movement.<ref>"Although an atheist who disliked all organized religion, his memorial service was held on 13 November in St Paul's Cathedral, where a memorial tablet to him was erected in the crypt." Richard Dorment: 'Gilbert, Sir Alfred (1854–1934)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33398] (accessed 1 May 2008).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Ernst Gombrich|Sir Ernst Gombrich</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of Merit|OM]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1909–2001): Austrian-born British [[art historian]].<ref>" Although "an imperfect guide to world history ... its central message is still valid," concluded Raymond Carr in the Spectator. Gombrich "was an atheist with a strong streak of anticlericalism where the great monotheistic religions, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, were concerned ... To his dying day Voltaire was his hero. When today bashing the Enlightenment is a popular sport, his humanism is a lesson for us all." " 'Critical eye: One for the history books', ''The Guardian'', 1 October 2005, Review Pages, Pg. 2.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>George Grosz</Name>
<BirthYear>1893</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1959</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>German draughtsman and painter, a prominent member of the [[Berlin]] [[Dada]] and [[New Objectivity]] group.<ref>"As a Communist, atheist, and satirist Grosz was a natural target for the National Socialists but left for America in 1932." David Rodgers: "Grosz, George", ''Grove Art Online'', Oxford University Press, (accessed [[28 April]] [[2008]]) [http://www.groveart.com].</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alfred Hrdlicka</Name>
<BirthYear>1928</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Austrian [[sculptor]], [[draughtsman]], [[painter]] and [[artist]], whose 2008 religious work about the [[Apostles]], ''Religion, Flesh and Power'', attracted criticism over its homoerotic theme.<ref>"Hrdlicka says overall he is pleased with the display and has praised the director for being "strong". A communist and atheist, Hrdlicka once said the Bible was the most thrilling book he had ever read and that religious imagery forms a central core to his work." [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/08/2210503.htm?section=entertainment Erotic Jesus sparks art debate in Austria], ABC News (Australia), 8 April 2008 (accessed 15 April 2005).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Mark Hofmann</Name>
<BirthYear>1954</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Prolific counterfeiter and ex-Mormon who murdered two people in Salt Lake City, Utah.<ref>"He admitted later that he actually was trying to change church [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] history, because he said that he had become an atheist when he was a teenager." ''The Anthon Forgeries'', from the documentary series "Masterminds." Originally aired in 2004 (Season 1, Episode 1).</ref><ref>"Hofmann, an atheist who kept up all appearances of being a good member of the LDS Church, was known for his historical "discoveries," many of which were intended to cast doubt on the official history of the church." [http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,465033636,00.html Notorious incidents over the years], Jerry D. Spangler and Bob Bernick Jr., ''Deseret Morning News'', March 15, 2003 (Accessed 17 December 2007).</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Sebastian Horsley</Name>
<BirthYear>1962</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English artist and writer, best known for having undergone a voluntary crucifixion.<ref>"Horsley said later: "I have been punished by a god I don't believe in and he has thrown me off the cross for impersonating his son, for being an atheist, and for being a disaster. I have made a complete fool of myself. I am going to be a laughing stock. The film will end up on Jeremy Beadle." " Fiachra Gibbons, 'Cross to bear: Crucified artist up for Alternative Turner', ''The Guardian'', 30 November 2002, Pg. 11.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Giulio Mancini</Name>
<BirthYear>1558</BirthYear>
<DeathYear>1630</DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>Italian biographer and writer on art, art collector and noted physician.<ref>"An ebullient personality, he was an atheist and adulterer, and made clever use of his official position to further his activities as art dealer." Langdon, Helen: "Mancini, Giulio", ''Grove Art Online'', Oxford University Press, [accessed 28 April 2008], [http://www.groveart.com]. </ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Alexander McQueen</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (1969–): English [[fashion designer]].<ref>"As an apprentice tailor in Savile Row, McQueen enthusiastically made suits for the Prince of Wales and he has since designed several outfits for the Duchess of York. He says, however, "I am an anarchist, full-stop. I have always had the same political ideology. I'm an atheist. I am anti-monarchist. I don't believe in hierarchies." " Tim Walker, 'Fashion victim', ''Sunday Telegraph'', 21 December 2003, Pg. 26.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Grayson Perry</Name>
<BirthYear>1960</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>English artist, best known for his ceramics and for cross-dressing, the first ceramic artist and public transvestite to win the [[Turner Prize]].<ref>"Perry rages at the dead, he even has contempt for them. He has hung a collection of Victorian samplers - religious texts and domestic images embroidered by middle-class women - among which is his own, atheist, sampler. Anger is generous, and in raging against these dead peoples' beliefs he treats them as if they mattered." Jonathan Jones, 'Perry's rural magic casts the right spell', ''The Guardian'', 10 July 2006, Review Pages, Pg. 32.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Bryan Robertson (curator)|Bryan Robertson</Name>
<BirthYear></BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[OBE]] (1925–2002): English curator and arts manager, "the greatest Director the Tate Gallery never had".<ref>"We read mythology and had periods for religious knowledge with separate classes for Jews and Catholics as there would be now for Muslims. Myths, after all, are the vaudeville of religion; how can you become a convincing atheist without prior knowledge of what you're rejecting?" Bryan Robertson, in a reprint of a 1995 article following his death, ''The Guardian'', 23 November 2002, Pg. 19.</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Martin Rowson</Name>
<BirthYear>1959</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>British political [[cartoonist]], [[novelist]] and [[satirist]].<ref> Rowson refers to himself as an atheist throughout his 2008 book ''The Dog Allusion: Gods, Pets and How to be Human'' (Vintage Books, London, ISBN 9780099521334). (The title is a play on that of [[Richard Dawkins]]'s ''[[The God Delusion]]''.)</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Normal Bob Smith|"Normal" Bob Smith</Name>
<BirthYear>1969</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture>Hatemail225 me.jpg</Picture>
<Text>American graphic artist, who prompted controversy with his creation of [[Jesus Dress Up]].<ref> Smith's explanation of his atheism to a hate mailer on his website [http://www.normalbobsmith.com/hatemail202.html]</ref></Text>
</Person>
<Person>
<Name>Kurt Westergaard</Name>
<BirthYear>1935</BirthYear>
<DeathYear></DeathYear>
<Nationality></Nationality>
<Field></Field>
<Description></Description>
<Notes></Notes>
<Picture></Picture>
<Text>[[Denmark|Danish]] [[cartoonist]], creator of a controversial cartoon of the Muslim prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb as a turban which was part of the [[Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy]].<ref>Interviewed by the ''New York Times'' on 20 March 2008, Westergaard said: "I have always been an atheist, and I dare say these events have only intensified my atheism." [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/books/20cartoon.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin Outrage at Cartoons Still Tests the Danes] (accessed [[10 April]] [[2008]]).</ref></Text>
</Person>
</People>
