10 Myths about Atheists, Debunked

I mentioned it in the comments, but this article is so good it needs more prominent mention.  Amanda Marcotte has an article up at AlterNet entitled "10 Myths Many Religious People Hold About Atheists, Debunked."  It's a marvelous response to much of the nonsense we atheists have to put up with every day.  The myths are:

1. There are no atheists in foxholes
2. Atheists are just angry with God
3. Atheists are aggressive and rude
4. Atheism is a white dude thing
5. Atheism is just a faith like any other
6. Atheists don't have a moral code
7. Atheists lives are bleak and lack meaning
8. Atheists are hedonists who don't understand the true meaning of love
9. Atheists have no way to cope after losing loved ones without the belief in an afterlife
10. Atheists are out to destroy Christmas

From this list, I get regularly attacked with (5) and (6), and the responses to them are eloquent and effective.  I may have more of my own to add, but this'll do for now.

The rise of atheism

In a study to be published by Cross-Cultural Research, evolutionary psychologist Dr. Nigel Barber writes about the correlation between the level of economic development in a country and the number of atheists in that country.  He publishes a summary of his research in Psychology Today.