List of atheists (Politics and law)

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Main article: Lists of atheists

This page contains politicians who are/were atheists.

[edit] Politics and law

Bradlaugh
Bradlaugh
Gorbachev
Gorbachev
Garibaldi
Garibaldi
Romme
Romme
Stark
Stark

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "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." The Rediff Interview/ Subhasini Ali, 8 August 2001 (accessed 21 April 2008).
  3. ^ 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." House of Commons Hansard, 21 June 2005: Column 728 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "The dictator Francisco Franco jailed her for championing workers, who nicknamed her the "Red Duchess". She challenged Spain's official history, arguing that Columbus didn't discover America. She was an atheist, a republican and reckoned her 13th-century ancestor Guzman el Bueno, ennobled for fighting the Moors, was a north African whose grandmother was black." Elizabeth Nash, 'Red Duchess a rebel to the last as she snubs family and leaves all to wife', The Independent (London), 2 May 2008, World News, Pg. 26.
  6. ^ "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, 'Anderson, William Crawford (1877–1919), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 (accessed 2 May 2008).
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ Interviewer: "In interviews you have described yourself as "more left than right" and "a militant atheist" in a country that is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, and where the political left continues to be a minority. Don't you think that most of the public might take your statements as a sign that you might be biased on certain issues?"
    Argibay: "On the contrary -- if one reads my declarations correctly. I believe that saying up front who one is or what one thinks is an indication of honesty, which is the first step towards impartiality. My beliefs, or lack thereof, should not interfere in the judicial decisions I take." Diana Cariboni, 'Single Woman, Atheist, Heads to Seat on High Court', IPS News, 21 January 2004.
  9. ^ "[...] 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, '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).
  10. ^ 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". Table of Contents from the publisher, Insight Books.
  11. ^ "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 [1] (accessed 29 April 2008).
  12. ^ "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, A War of Religions? God Forbid!, Ramallah Online 19 February 2007(?) (accessed 28 April 2008).
  13. ^ "A paediatrician turned politician, Ms Bachelet is an atheist single mother with three children by two different partners - which makes her an odd choice in a macho and profoundly Catholic country." Jen Ross, 'Single mother becomes Chile's first female president', The Independent (London), 16 January 2006, News, Pg. 25.
  14. ^ Obituary: "He had many friends across a wide spectrum of economic, social and religious backgrounds, all of whom he respected and honored. While Carolyn [his wife] was a devoted Presbyterian, he was a 'nontheist,'"
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ Bradlaugh professes and defends atheism in his essay A Plea For Atheism.
  18. ^ "One of the more enduring marks on British life left by the atheist, Prime Minister Callaghan, was to remove exclusive responsibility for the appointment of bishops from his own office and share it largely with a commission of churchmen. Since 1976, the Prime Minister has been limited to choosing one from two nominees of the commission or, in exceptional cases, sending the list back for the commission to produce a new one." Hugo Young, 'A relic of history best left undisturbed', The Guardian (London), 27 March 1990.
  19. ^ "You are an atheist. Tony Blair is a devout Christian. Did that make you feel uncomfortable?" Campbell answering questions in The Independent newspaper [2].
  20. ^ "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." [3] The Daily Telegraph.
  21. ^ Godless Americans Political Action Committee national advisory board[4]
  22. ^ Michigan Godless Americans Political Action Committee[5]
  23. ^ "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.
  24. ^ "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, House of Commons Hansard, 6 Feb 2002: Column 952 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  25. ^ Asked directly in the interview on BBC Radio 5 Live, "Do you believe in God?", Mr Clegg replied simply: "No." I don't believe in God, says new Lib Dem chief, The Scotsman, 20 December 2007 (accessed 1 April 2008)
  26. ^ 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. Clegg responds - Part II, Spectator Coffee House, 4 April 2008 (accessed 15 April 2008).
  27. ^ "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, 'Church elections: how it works', Cyprus Mail archive article, 17 September 2006 (accessed 15 May 2008).
  28. ^ "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.
  29. ^ Labour Party at prayer salutes Cook the atheist, by Magnus Linklater, The Times, 13 August 2005.
  30. ^ "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 [6] (accessed 30 April 2008).
  31. ^ "The philosophical and political differences among the conspirators were expressed at the trial. This was particularly obvious between the two Cubrilović 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.
  32. ^ "I don't believe in God because I don't believe in Mother Goose." Clarence Darrow, speech in Toronto, 1930, as quoted in Breaking the Last Taboo (1996) by James A. Haught.
  33. ^ "I say that religion is the belief in future life and in God. I don't believe in either." Clarence Darrow, 'Law is 'Horrible' says Darrow, 79', New York Times, 19 April 1936.
  34. ^ "The story also caught the eye of Colonel McCormick, owner of the Chicago Tribune and a new radio station. Wouldn't it be great if, hey, William Jennings Bryan, the great Orator, and, um, Clarence Darrow, the great atheist advocate, could do battle? Bryan willingly took up the challenge, although he had not practised law for a quarter of a century. Doing so was to destroy his reputation for ever." Stephen Bates, 'Perspectives: Creating Whoopee', The Guardian (London), 15 July 1995, Weekend Pages, Pg. T28.
  35. ^ "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." Lords Hansard, 4 Jun 1998: Column 481 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  36. ^ In a House of Commons debate on historic churches, 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 [...]" House of Commons Hansard, 14 Dec 2006: Column 1132 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  37. ^ "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.
  38. ^ "Although Hurley's ecumenical links stopped short of the Communist Party, Alec Erwin, today's South African Minister of Trade and Industry, recalled their friendship in anti-apartheid days, though Erwin was an atheist and "he knew of my support for the Communist cause"." Randolph Vigne, 'Obituary: Archbishop Denis Hurley, Progressive South African Prelate', The Independent (London), 25 February 2004, Pg. 34.
  39. ^ "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 [7] (accessed 1 May 2008).
  40. ^ "Mr Findlay, who describes himself as an atheist, also claimed that under European human rights law he had the right to free speech." joke not intended as offensive, says QC', The Journal Online, 19 June 2007 (accessed 13 May 2008).
  41. ^ "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, Lords Hansard, 19 Apr 2007: Column 341 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  42. ^ "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.
  43. ^ 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."
  44. ^ "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 [8] (accessed 1 May 2008).
  45. ^ "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.
  46. ^ "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.
  47. ^ Atheism: An Affirmative View (1980) by Emmett F. Fields
  48. ^ hyperhistory.net
  49. ^ "An atheist who values religion, Dick Gross (who is the Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, Vic) wrote The Godless Gospel for people who don't believe in God but need the social and moral structures that religion provides. Atheists are his biggest critics, but Gross's sense of humour is equal to their righteous indignation." Programme summary, 'The Spirit of things', Radio National, with Rachael Kohn: 'Do We Need God To Be Good?', 26 September 1999 (accessed 10 June 2008).
  50. ^ "He also served a two-year sentence for tax evasion in the 1950s, ran for US president for the Progressive Party, made a great deal of money, and as a militant atheist once pinned down a Catholic archbishop during cross-examination, forcing him to confess he could not prove Heaven existed." Christopher Reed, 'Obituary: Vincent Hallinan, A Brawler for Justice', The Guardian (London), 6 October 1992, Pg. 33.
  51. ^ "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.
  52. ^ "What united them was opposition to a supposedly corrupt and pro-western administration, unfairly dominated by factions of Lebanon's Maronite Christian community. Notwithstanding his own professed atheism, Hawi, Greek Orthodox by birth, was valued as an iconic Christian figure within a coalition often painted as sectarian Muslim." Lawrence Joffe, 'Obituary: George Hawi: Lebanese communist leader who espoused Muslim-Christian dialogue', The Guardian (London)22 June 2005, Pg. 29.
  53. ^ 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
  54. ^ "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
  55. ^ "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, 'Maccoby, Chaim Zundel (1858–1916)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).
  56. ^ "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." Lords Hansard, 20 March 1997: Column 1142-1143
  57. ^ Sang M. Lee writes that Albania was "[o]fficially an atheist state under Hoxha..." Restructuring Albanian Business Education Infrastructure August 2000 (Accessed 6 June 2007)
  58. ^ 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
  59. ^ "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, Lords Hansard, 21 Jan 2003: Column 632 (accessed 25 April 2008).
  60. ^ "No wonder this politically-baffled people is now looking to the Church for a new ideological direction. Even President Ion Iliescu, once Nicolae Ceausescu's chief of propaganda and a self-confessed atheist, has conceded that the country needs the Church to bring moral renewal." Fiona Tupper-Carey, 'Faith and Reason: Romania's church faces up to its past', The Independent (London), 9 November 1991, Pg. 53.
  61. ^ "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.
  62. ^ " 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. " No god before me, Richmond News 23 October 2007 (accessed 22 April 2008).
  63. ^ "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, 'Jackson, Thomas Alfred (1879–1955)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).
  64. ^ "Forty years later, nobody considers it a problem. If we want to engage in intercultural dialogue, we cannot let our Slovene, Ljubljana Muslims celebrate their holidays at sport halls. I am an atheist, but I think that every religious community should have a place of worship built by themselves." Zoran Janković, quoted in 'Mayor tells Bosnian daily building of mosque in Ljubljana "no longer a problem"', BBC Monitoring Europe - Political, 14 May 2008.
  65. ^ "No one expects China's position on Tibet to become any more negotiable than it has been. But in one revealing moment, Mr Jiang gave a glimpse of the difficulties Peking has in understanding why other countries abhor its policies in Tibet. "I myself am an atheist," he said. "During my visit to the US last year and during my previous visit to European countries, I found that although the education, science and technology have developed to a very high level and the people are now enjoying modern civilisation, still quite a number of them have a belief in Lamaism." Teresa Poole, 'Jiang keeps channels open to Dalai Lama', The Independent (London), 28 June 1998, Pg. 16.
  66. ^ "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, Lords Hansard, 19 Apr 2007: Column 357 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  67. ^ "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, 'Johnston, Sir Reginald Fleming (1874–1938)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, January 2008 (accessed 6 May 2008).
  68. ^ "Since Karunanidhi is an atheist he seems to believe in Janatha Janardhan rather than the Janardhan (God)....."[9]
  69. ^ .....M. Karunanidhi, is a sworn atheist, it is a tussle between personal beliefs and the party's ideological moorings.[10]
  70. ^ "As an atheist in Ireland's most conspicuously Catholic city, and an opponent of ardent Republicanism at the height of the Troubles, Jim Kemmy never ran away from a battle. But, though vilified by opponents on issues from Northern Ireland to abortion to contraception, he survived to become the conscience of the Irish Left." Alan Murdoch, 'Obituary: Jim Kemmy', The Independent (London), 27 September 1997, Pg. 24.
  71. ^ "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.
  72. ^ "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.
  73. ^ "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." " Alexandre Y. Mansourov, 'Korean Monarch Kim Jong Il: Technocrat Ruler of the Hermit Kingdom Facing the Challenge of Modernity', DPRK Briefing Book, Nautilus Institute (accessed 22 April 2008).
  74. ^ King calls herself "a misguided 'cultural' Jew without any culture, and a born-again atheist." My week: Oona King, by Oona King, The Observer, Sunday March 5 2006 (hosted at guardian.co.uk, accessed 29 March 2008)
  75. ^ "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.
  76. ^ "I am an atheist and everybody knows it..." Atheist premier attacks lack of Christianity in EU constitution, by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph, 4 June 2003.
  77. ^ "[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." 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 Marxists Internet Archive (Accessed 14 November 2007)
  78. ^ "I assume you're an atheist? I am too. Isn't life easier?" Ken Livingstone: The Interview. attitude. Retrieved on 2008-04-25.
  79. ^ PERSECUTION WATCH: Belarus. vineyardfederalway.org. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.
  80. ^ [11].
  81. ^ "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, Lords Hansard, 27 March 2006: Column GC257 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  82. ^ "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, House of Commons Hansard, 23 Jun 1999: Column 1253 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  83. ^ "I am not religious: my children have never been christened. I openly and proudly announce that I am an atheist." John Maxton, House of Commons Hansard, 29 Oct 1996: Column 518 (accessed 28 April 2008).
  84. ^ "He became a doubter of the Christian religion at a very early age. It was the questions asked by the man Friday of Robinson Crusoe that set his analytical mind asking the why and wherefore. [...] He became an atheist at 15, much to the grief of his beloved mother and the disgust of his harsh and bigoted Wesleyan father. Often in later life, when his mother found a home under his roof, he carried the "War Cry" in one pocket and "The Free Thinker" in the other." Annie Westbrook, 'Monty Miller - An Appreciation by Angela (Annie) Westbrook', International Socialist, December 1920. Archived online at http://www.takver.com/history/monty_miller.htm
  85. ^ "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, '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).
  86. ^ "Milosevic buried in quiet ceremony in his hometown", CBC News, 2006-03-18. Retrieved on 2008-04-02. "There were no clergy at the ceremony because Milosevic was an avowed atheist." 
  87. ^ "[...] 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.
  88. ^ "She had always proclaimed herself an atheist..." Times obituary: Dr Marjorie Mowlam, 19 August 2005 (Accessed 6 June 2007)
  89. ^ 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." Lords Hansard, 19 Apr 2007: Column 350–351 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  90. ^ In Jawaharlal Nehru's autobiography, An Autobiography (1936), and in the Last Will & Testament of Jawaharlal Nehru, in Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru, 2nd series, vol. 26, p. 612, Nehru says that he does not believe in a god in any form.
  91. ^ "It must be noted that, despite the death of the Aral Sea, the folly of Astana, the spectre of corruption and the terrible burden of history, Nazarbayev has presided over the dismantling of his own independent nuclear deterrent, has declared himself an enlightened atheist proud of his Muslim heritage and is tough on Islamist baddies." Paul Levy, The Observer (England), 20 May 2007, Observer Review Books Pages, Pg. 26.
  92. ^ "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, 'My Spiritual Journey', Time, 16 October 2006 (accessed 7 May 2008).
  93. ^ The Hon. Atheist Governor: Culbert L. Olson[12]
  94. ^ "Palmer blamed concerns about disability on a tendency for people "to see physical perfection as important". The MP said that although his co-sponsors include Catholic MPs Tom Clarke and Ann Widdecombe, he is in an atheist and had not been influenced by faith groups." Jenny Percival, 'Amendment could cut number of late abortions', guardian.co.uk, 19 May 2008 (accessed 22 May 2008).
  95. ^ "She died an atheist, from stomach cancer, on 23 January 1932 [...]." Brian Harrison, 'Phillips, Marion (1881–1932)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, January 2008 (accessed 2 May 2008).
  96. ^ "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.
  97. ^ "Her father, Santiago Casares Quiroga, a leftwing atheist, defied another Galician native, born just across the estuary at El Ferrol del Caudillo, Francisco Franco, the caudillo in person." James Kirkup, 'Obituary: Maria Casares, Free Spirit of the French Stage', The Guardian (London), 26 November 1996, Features, Pg. 16.
  98. ^ see religion Ivica Racan
  99. ^ "Although an atheist, Romme did not support deChristianization, nor did he regret the fall of Maximilien Robespierre." Historical Dictionary of the French Revolution, by Paul R. Hanson, Scarecrow Press, 2004, p. 281 (Accessed 15 April 2008)
  100. ^ "Two weeks ago, the minister for social affairs, Proinsias de Rossa, announced the setting up of a commission on the family. He was described to me as "the social conscience of the present government, that tends to be a little Thatcherite." He is a socialist and an avowed atheist, remarkable for an Irish politician." Peter Lennon, 'Flocking to the cause', The Guardian (London), 14 November 1995, Features Pages, Pg. T4.
  101. ^ "But Roy was an atheist and fierce priest hater..." 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
  102. ^ "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, House of Commons Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation (pt 3), 29 October 2001 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  103. ^ "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, House of Commons Hansard, 13 Feb 2002: Column 247 (accessed 24 April 2008).
  104. ^ "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, 'Skeffington, Johanna Mary Sheehy- (1877–1946)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 2 May 2008).
  105. ^ "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, 'Skeffington, Owen Lancelot Sheehy- (1909–1970)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).
  106. ^ "Father Doonagh might have described this helping hand to a needy stranger as an act of Christian charity. That's probably not how the atheist Short would see it." Vincent Graff, 'Order! Order! Politics and Food Special', The Observer (England), 25 May 2008, Observer Food Monthly, Pg. 38.
  107. ^ Why I am an Atheist, Bhagat Singh, October 1930.
  108. ^ " All MPs may reserve a particular seat in Parliament for morning prayers, which they then keep for the rest of the day. Skinner, an atheist, refuses to pray, but still likes to 'bagsy' his favourite pew. Following a complaint from the Tory Chris Grayling, the Serjeant at Arms issued him with a formal reprimand. 'Dennis told him to get stuffed,' says a colleague. 'It's an excellent spot for heckling, and he's not going to vacate it without a fight.' " Guy Adams, 'Pandora', The Independent (London), 13 December 2005, Features, Pg. 14.
  109. ^ "Although Joe grew up in a religious household, he became an atheist while retaining respect for "the positive aspects of Jewish culture". 'Obituary: Joe Slovo', The Independent (London), 7 January 1995, Pg. 42.
  110. ^ "Both parents were Jewish, although not observant. Towards the end of the First World War, when there was starvation in Vienna, Hedi's father sent mother and daughter to the countryside; in some villages, farmers and shopkeepers expressed their intense anti-Semitism by refusing to sell food unless the buyer could produce a Christian baptismal certificate. Hans Simon arranged for both mother and daughter to be baptised. Later on, when Hedi was 14, she was able to dispense with a religious identity altogether, choosing to become "konfessionslos" ("without religion"), in accordance with the provisions of the Austrian constitution. It was, for her, a relief: she was already a convinced atheist." Daniel Wolf, 'Obituary: Hedi Stadlen', The Independent (London), 31 January 2004, Pg. 48-49.
  111. ^ 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
  112. ^ Stark called himself "a Unitarian who does not believe in a supreme being" and has been identified as an atheist. Rep. Stark applauded for atheist outlook: Believed to be first congressman to declare nontheism, Associated Press, 13 March 2007 (Accessed 15 June 2007)
  113. ^ " "Veton liked good food, good wine, Faulkner, opera, La Traviata, Tchaikovsky, Celtic music, jazz, blues, you name it," she said. "But he cared more about his people. He was an atheist but most Muslims still respected him," she [his wife] said, before correcting her use of the past tense. "I mean he is an atheist. His favourite novel was Faulkner's As I Lay Dying but I believe he is alive. You have to believe that." " Phil Davison, 'Kosovars wait for news of the lost hero', The Independent (London), 20 May 1999, News, Pg. 5.
  114. ^ "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." Website of Eddie Tabash (Accessed 14 April 2008)
  115. ^ 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."
  116. ^ "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, 'Thompson, William (1775–1833)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed 6 May 2008).
  117. ^ "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.
  118. ^ "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.
  119. ^ Trotsky's Testament. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. “I shall die a proletarian revolutionist, a Marxist, a dialectical materialist, and, consequently, an irreconcilable atheist.”
  120. ^ (Swedish) "Bengt Westerberg: Humanistisk ledning av Röda Korset". Humanisten. Retrieved on 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?
    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.
  121. ^ "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.
  122. ^ "Wolfe, a self-proclaimed atheist, said he recognizes the importance of being open to religious ideas." Sara Esquilin, Celebrated atheists debate the ethics of non-believers, The Daily Free Press, 29 April 2008 (accessed 30 April 2008).
  123. ^ "With revolution came a new, atheist regime - one that frowned on all religious belief." China's Catholics: Far from Rome, by Holly Williams, BBC News, 24 December 2003, (Accessed 14 April 2008)
  124. ^ "...Mao was an atheist..." 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
  125. ^ "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." 'Mao': The Real Mao, Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times, 23 October 2005 (Accessed 25 April 2008)