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28/30
Sara Landry
J. Coco
English 1001, Section 64
19 November, 2015
Annotated Bibliography
Morrison, Patt. Is Atheism Gaining Popularity In America and Beyond?. 89.3 KPCC. Southern
Carolina Public Radio, 2015. Web. 17 Nov 2015. http://www.scpr.org.
Patt Morrison, an innovative speaker on societal politics and cultures, discusses in the
article the sudden decrease in the amount of people, worldwide, participating or believing in a
God. Morrison talks with a variety of professions to discuss how Americans view on religion is
beginning to change. I plan to use this in my paper by mentioning Dr. Gordons idea of the
definition of religion changing throughout America and explaining how the young people have
caused or rather influenced this change and how this change provides answers for those who are
struggling to come to terms with their change of beliefs. This site is credible because it is the
Southern California Public Radio and Morrison cites credible sources as support for his talk
show.
Nuwer, Rachel. Atheism is On the Rise Around The World, So Does That Mean Spirituality
Will Soon Be a Thing of The Past?. BBC. BBC, 19 Dec 2014. Web. Nov 17 2015.
http://www.bbc.com.
Rachel Nuwer, a writer with BBC, explored the change being seen throughout the world
in the belief that there is no afterlife, or God after death. One reason she uncoverd is that religion
provides security in an uncertain world. Some of the major countries that had very high rates of

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religious activity such as Japan, United States, and Canada are now seeing some of the biggest
decreases in numbers when it comes to practicing of faith. Nuwer realizes that atheist have to
fight against more than just religious affiliations, she says that humans like to believe they are a
part of something bigger, that we demand answers and that is why people turn to religion.
Scientists and researches all agree that religion will not go away, because it is not something that
has to be taught, because most people already know it. This source is from the national public
radio website which uses many credible and accountable interviews with respected professionals
of their fields. I find this very important and I plan to incorporate this into my paper by means of
showing a way for both sides of the argument to come together and learn about each others way
of thinking. I also think that this shows and relates to one of my other sources about Christian
privilege and this class allows everyone to be on an evening playing field.

Meyers, PZ. Even an Increasingly Godless America Doesnt Trust an Atheist to Run the
Country. Time. N.p., 22 May 2014. Web. 18 Nov 2015. http://time.com.
Throughout this article, Meyers, a professor of biology and lecturer of biology, evolution,
atheism, and skepticism, and a recipient of the International Humanist award, brings up the idea
that although atheists are the fasting rising group in America, they are also not trusted in
America. He emphasizes the impact the internet has on the availability of knowledge. The
internet also allowed atheists or individuals who thought they werent apart of a majority to
realize that there are many people who think like they do and have become brave enough to
come out. This also correlates to why the atheist group is constantly increasing. I definitely what
to mention his view on how atheist in America were once deemed unpatriotic. And mention how
now they are one of the largest groups in America and that they are still distrusted.

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Csillag, Ron. A Place for Atheism at a Catholic College?. Washington Post. N.p., 25 Jan 2015.
Web. 18 Nov 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com.
Csillag introduces a class being taught at the University of Toronto, called Responding
to 21st-Century Atheism, where Reverend Scott Lewis and two other scholars are teaching the
course. Csillag makes it very clear that Rev. Lewiss will teach that both sides, believers and
non-believers participating in the class, need to come into the class with open minds and respect
for the people in the room. He also continues to include that the course will also cross into the
idea of evolution verses creationism and that many believers in faith also see light in evolution. I
plan to tie this source to the one that discussed religion at school because I think Christian
privilege is still major throughout college campuses and also I think that this causes some teens
to feel pressured into saying that they are Christian that way they feel accepted into society.

Riswold, Caryn D. "Teaching The College 'Nones': Christian Privilege And The Religion
Professor." Teaching Theology & Religion 18.2 (2015): 133. Publisher Provided Full Text
Searching File. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
Dr. Caryn Riswold, a professor in Theology, says in her peer reviewed journal that
working with students in their early college years allows her and other professor to witness and
hear conversation students are having and also see them creating their own values. Scholars look
at religious values of students and how those become stronger throughout their time at college,
but Riswold says that not many teachers pay attention to those who do not claim to be religious.
She believes that teachers should be aware of this Christian privilege and help those who arent
religious or seen in the majority. She explains that in the book Religion and Public Life, that
when people are asked their religious affiliation they respond with none. She discovered that
32% of people under thirty are non-religious, and she states that this shift in belief is what

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teachers/ professors are seeing beginning in classrooms. She also mentions that though a lot
more young people are not religious, they are not atheist, she says that their beliefs are just
complicated. She mentions that the Christian privilege makes significant impacts in various
environments such as school and the workplace. She stresses that teachers should not praise
Christian privilege, but rather become allies of students who are not a part of this privilege. I
think the part about the nones is very significant now because a lot of people, though they may
not be atheist, do not affiliate with any religion and I think that I will be able to discuss that in
depth in my paper.

Wallace, John M., Jr., et al. "Religion And U.S. Secondary School Students: Current Patterns,
Recent Trends, And Sociodemographic Correlates." Youth & Society 35.1 (2003): 98-125.
ERIC. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
In this article, the three authors of respected universities, use data taken from eighth,
tenth, and twelfth grade students to show religious views of adolescents in America. Though
some thought religions importance in society would decrease, the writers saw that spiritual/
religious issues have spiked interest in many people. Phillip Rice looked at religion in a
developmental perspective giving it five stages. Ritualistic, experiential, ideological, cognitive,
and conceptual. Various research throughout the US focuses on how religion for kids have
changed over time, these writers focused on how religion is influenced on importance effect by
individual, family, and community levels. They conducted an intensive study to show how all
three areas listed about effect childrens views.