Atheism in the Digital Age

The article examines the transformation of atheism as a social and worldview phenomenon in the era of digitalization. Atheistic forums and collective blogs represent a rich field for the study of non-belief; however, they have so far received only sporadic attention from religious scholars and philosophers. The article also presents the phenomenon of “new atheism”. Rather than a system of logical argumentation and classical rational critique of typical theistic arguments, this new atheism comprises a complex of rhetorical techniques aimed at a mass audience, often characterized by irrationality and focused on eliciting specific emotions towards believers rather than fostering an informed understanding of the subject of controversy. Atheism took root in the postmodern situation from its ends of metanarratives, the primacy of feelings over reason, pluralism of opinions and other characteristic features. Moreover, the Internet turned out to be an excellent platform for disseminating the ideas of “new atheism”, promoted by opinion leaders and bloggers, which is a characteristic form of propaganda for Internet media. Nevertheless, the scale of modern non-belief does not approach that of religious movements, nor does it reach the level of cohesion and political passion characteristic of the militant atheism of the 20th century.