The Great Big Thread of Famous Atheists
Offline The premise is simple. List as many famous atheists as you can think of. After a few weeks of hopefully keeping this thread alive, I'll compile the list. Let's see how many we can get.
Since my degrees are in music, I'll start there:
Beethoven
Berlioz
Bizet
Brahms
Debussy
Mozart
Paganini
Schubert
Scumann
Strauss
Tchaikovsky
Wagner (Yeah, he was kind of a shit head, but I don't want to be accused of favoritism)
Verdi
Ralph Vaughn Williams
Oh, and incidentally, Dan Barker is a song writer.
Speaking of more recent musicians...
Bjork
Pierre Boulez
From right down the road from my house... Peter Buck of REM
Also from right down the road from me. Saw him a couple of weeks ago at the sushi bar... Mike Mills of REM
Vic Chesnutt
Chumbawamba (Yeah, they suck. I know.)
Justin Currie of Del Amitri
Julia Darling
The Dead Kennedys
Frederick Delius
Ani DiFranco
Micky Dolenz
Danny Elfman
Brian Eno
Extreme
Filter
Randy Newman
Phil Ochs (American Folk Singer)
Andy Partridge (XTC)
Neil Peart (Rush)
Brian Ritchie (The Violent Femmes)
Chris Robinson (Black Crowes)
Ned Rorem
Arthur Rubenstein
Liam and Noel Gallagher (Oasis)
Greg Graffin (Bad Religion)
Lou Harrison (b. 1917) American Composer
Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters)
Paul Hester (Crowded House)
Stephen Jenkins (Third Eye Blind)
Billy Joel
Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones (Onyx)
Mark Knopfler - simply the best finger style guitarist out there
Of course.. John Lennon
Jim Lindberg (Pennywise)
Johnny Rotten
Barry Manilow. Yes. Barry Manilow is an atheist.
Shirley Manson (Garbage)
Nick Mason (Pink Floyd)
Dave Matthews (Shh... don't tell the frat boys)
Sarah McLachlan
Ewan MacColl
Momus
Motorhead
Roger Waters
Dar Williams
Mathew Sweet
Third Eye Blind
Virgil Thomson
Tool
and last but not least, perhaps the most influential rock musician of the 20th century, and a kick ass spokesman for atheism as well...
The Late Great Frank Zappa
Ok guys. Let's keep adding. I bet we can make this list enormous!
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
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Holy Omissions, Batman!
How could I forget one of the first pop songs to get banned for anti-religious lyrics...
You've heard of Gershwin, right?
It ain't necessarily so
It ain't necessarily so
The things that you're liable
To read in the Bible
It ain't necessarily so
David was small but oh my
David was small but oh my
He shot Goliath
Who lay down and dieth
Little David was small but oh my
<Chorus>
Jonah he lived in a whale
Jonah he lived in a whale
He made his home in that fishes abdomen
Jonah he lived in a whale
Moses was found on a stream
Moses was found on a stream
Floated on water old Pharaoh's daughter
Fished him she says from that stream
It ain't necessarily so
It ain't necessarily so
They tell all your children
The Devil he's a villain
It ain't necessarily so
<Chorus>
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Geez... I'm just going to make this whole thread myself. I just keep thinking of atheist musicians I forgot...
Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde... yeah, I know, she uses the word god as if he exists. Theists reading this, use some imagination. Maybe go through the Concrete Blonde library. Definitely not theists.
I told the priest, Don't count on any second coming
God got his ass kicked the first time he came down here slumming
He had the balls to come, the gall to die and then forgive us
No, I don't wonder why, I wonder what he thought it would get us
Hey, hey, good bye
Tomorrow Wendy's going to die
Hey, hey, good bye
Tomorrow Wendy's going to die
Tomorrow Wendy's going to die
Only God says jump
So I set the time
'Cause if he ever saw her
It was through these eyes of mine!
And if he ever suffered it was me who did his crying
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Can you count Clara Schumann?
I don't know off the top of my head, and a quick google search was unproductive. That's why I didn't include her.
I suspect that she was at least agnostic, considering all her contributions to Robert's work, and the fact that she never seems to have voiced any objections to his atheism.
(Unlike many women of her time, I think it's fair to say that she was outspoken enough that she would have mentioned if she disagreed!)
[edit: This thread isn't just for musicians. I just did them because that's what I know best! Let's have some other disciplines, folks!]
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
I think Jodie Foster is atheist.
Andy Rooney, Kirsten Lems, Carl Sagan, James Randi, Penn Jillette, Howard Stern.
Jodie Foster is an atheist. Jenny Lewis from Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins.
The Big Guns
Well you praise him
Then you thank him
Til you reach the by-and-by
And I've won hundreds at the track
But I'm not betting on the afterlife
Then you kiss his lips
He forgives you for it
He forgives you for all you've done
But not me
I'm still angry
What have I done?
Why am I always messin' with
The big guns?
First I'll build a sword
Get some words to explain
It's a plan, brother, at least
And I'll pretend that everybody here wants peace
Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me
Cause we're tired and lonely and we're bloody
What have we done?
Why are we still running
From our own failing bodies?
The big guns, the big guns...
Sing mercy, sing mercy, sing mercy on me
Let's pretend that everybody here wants peace
What have we done?
Why are we still chasing our own tails and runnin?
from the big guns, the big guns, the big guns
If god takes life he's an indian giver
Matt Bellemy - Muse
Maybe the guys from Fugazi...might be wrong though
Oh and is Stephen Jenkins still alive? Last interview I saw with him he was so strung out I thought he was going to die during it.
I would throw myself in here but I'm not famous...heh
Edit: Took out Tool because hamby already listed it.
"I, on the other hand, do not feel it necessary to construct a lofty meaning for myself. I prefer the style of the butterfly myself. I will eat what I want, flit about aimlessly, and enjoy the sunshine. Then, I will die. " - Nero, RRS Forum User
Here's a fairly comprehensive list:
http://www.celebatheists.com/?title=Main_Page
First Ayn Rand and now Fugazi? Are you sure you aren't my twin or something? I can't tell you about Ian McKaye's religious preferences. I'd imagine that they don't have too much time to think about it - much to busy with all the politics. I'd go for agnostic at best. lol.
Did anyone mention Greg Graffin of Bad Religion?
Oh and Kathleen Hanna is an atheist (Bikini Kill and Le Tigre)
If god takes life he's an indian giver
Lemmy (1945—): English rock singer and bass guitarist, most famous for founding the heavy metal band Motörhead.
(edit - removed Mickey Dolenz, Hamby already mention him)I can't be certain, but I believe my favourite band AFI are all atheists. I make this assumption based off of lyrics from Smile and The Prayer Position.
"Hide your eyes in heaven, in the lies." from Smile
Appeal from authority! Appeal from authority!
Bill Gates
Lance Armstrong
Madalyn Murray O'Hare
Where did you get that Mozart was an atheist?
You missed Shostakovich.
Looks like I need to update my list:
http://www.rationalresponders.com/people_in_hell_according_to_the_tenets_of_christianity
I really would like to make it a youtube video...
[MOD EDIT - fixed link]
"Hitler burned people like Anne Frank, for that we call him evil.
"God" burns Anne Frank eternally. For that, theists call him 'good.'
I was kind of winging Mozart. I read his letters quite a few years ago, and remember reading something that indicated his atheism. I didn't bother to look it up again. I'm about 98% sure that my memory is serving correctly.
Did someone mention Julia Sweeney yet?
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Mother Teresa
Someone needs to go to timeout.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Apparently it's true. Although I'd just as soon keepr her on the theist side of the ledger, considering what a miserable person she really was...
"Hitler burned people like Anne Frank, for that we call him evil.
"God" burns Anne Frank eternally. For that, theists call him 'good.'
It is question on if John Lennon should be on this.
Here are some lyrics to prove the point.
written in 1980
I don't think including names, or sayings like God Bless us, makes one religious.
While I'm not sure if David Gilmoure is religious, he does not believe in an after life.
Trent Reznor from NIN might be an atheist. I think this from the song Heresy.
George Carlin is. Or atleast his comedy makes me think he is.
Woody Allen. “ To you I'm an atheist; to God, I'm the Loyal Opposition.”
Peter Steele from Type O Negative is as well.
Just look to lennon's song called 'god' for the answer as to what he meant by 'god' and you'll see that he's no theist:
Lyrics From his 1970 song "God" (album "Plastic Ono Band"
:
God is a Concept by which
we measure our pain
I'll say it again
God is a Concept by which
we measure our pain I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in Tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in Mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in Yoga
I don't believe in Kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me...and that reality
John Lennon
In a 1965 Interview:
"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock and roll or Christianity."
"I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong."
1971 interview by Tariq Ali and Robin Blackburn:
Tariq Ali: Your latest record and your recent public statements, especially the interviews in Rolling Stone magazine, suggest that your views are becoming increasingly radical and political. When did this start to happen?
John Lennon: ... In my case I've never not been political, though religion tended to overshadow it in my acid days; that would be around '65 or '66. And that religion was directly the result of all that superstar shit--religion was an outlet for my repression. I thought, 'Well, there's something else to life, isn't there? This isn't it, surely?'
Later in the interview:
... At one time I was so much involved in the religious bullshit that I used to go around calling myself a Christian Communist, but as Janov says, religion is legalised madness. It was therapy that stripped away all that and made me feel my own pain.
... Well, his thing is to feel the pain that's accumulated inside you ever since your childhood. I had to do it to really kill off all the religious myths. In the therapy you really feel every painful moment of your life--it's excruciating, you are forced to realise that your pain, the kind that makes you wake up afraid with your heart pounding, is really yours and not the result of somebody up in the sky. It's the result of your parents and your environment.
As I realised this it all started to fall into place. This therapy forced me to have done with all the God shit. All of us growing up have come to terms with too much pain. Although we repress it, it's still there. The worst pain is that of not being wanted, of realising your parents do not need you in the way you need them.
... Most people channel their pain into God or masturbation or some dream of making it.
... It's a bit of a drag to say so, but I don't think you can understand this unless you've gone through it--though I try to put some of it over on the album. But for me at any rate it was all part of dissolving the God trip or father-figure trip. Facing up to reality instead of always looking for some kind of heaven.
"Hitler burned people like Anne Frank, for that we call him evil.
"God" burns Anne Frank eternally. For that, theists call him 'good.'
I know this one has already been mentioned, but check my sig
Your god's silence speaks loud and clear
Not all of us can see the sigs.
joshpatten's sig:
God is dead and no one cares. If there is a hell, I'll see you there.
Heresy - Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails
Atheist Books, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.
I like that.