Celebrity Atheist List:About

1 What's the point?
2 How do you define atheism, agnosticism, etc.?
3 You've included agnostics. Isn't that an issue independent of atheism/theism?
4 Who put this site together?
5 What happened to _________?
6 How to add a name?
7 Who qualifies?
8 Are you endorsing the views of those in the list?
9 Who did the logo?
10 See Also
11 External Links

What's the point?

Does there really have to be one? If you insist on such, you ought really try to relax more.

Seriously though, this list was created to demonstrate the diversity of atheists and agnostics. It provides ammunition against those who would pigeonhole the godless as being a narrow class of unpopular and amoral individuals. It further demonstrates that atheists share no ideology other than their shared lack of belief. For example, though you will find socialists present in the list, you will also find libertarians.

Or, as Mark Gilbert has put it in the introduction to his list of Famous Dead Non-theists, "The purposes of the list are to combat the pervasive myth that atheists are terrible, immoral people and to convince the undecided that it is okay to be an atheist."

How do you define atheism, agnosticism, etc.?

Check out Am I agnostic or atheist for details.

You've included agnostics. Isn't that an issue independent of atheism/theism?

Yes, agnosticism in its technical sense doesn't really address whether or not gods exist, but whether or not the question of existence can ever be answered to one's satisfaction. As such you can find staunch agnostics amongst both atheists and theists. Here is a great article on the differences between atheism and agnosticism.

Note that many self-declared 'agnostics' found on this list might be considered to fit the definition of 'weak atheist' simply because they lack belief in a god or gods. Some identify themselves as agnostic presumably because they find 'atheist' too extreme for their tastes.

Who put this site together?

This list is a collaborative effort which many people have made possible by doing research and sending in names and citations.

What happened to _________?

Over the lifetime of this list many names have been withdrawn from the list for various reasons, most typically due to a weak citation or new information.

How to add a name?

Submissions to the list are welcome. Note that each must include a verifiable published source wherein the person mentioned his or her atheism, agnosticism or lack of belief in a god or gods.

The context in which the person's statement is made must be non-artistic, such as from an interview or biography. Song lyrics or anti-religious artistic themes will generally not suffice. See existing entries for examples of the types of citations accepted.

To post a new entry to the list, create a link (delimited by double-brackets) in the Sandbox. That link can be clicked on to create the new entry. You'll want to categorize the entry (see the source of existing entries for examples) so that the person appears in listings of category:Atheist, category:Agnostic or category:Ambiguous.

Who qualifies?

To be a celebrity as it applies to the list, one must have achieved some notoriety, such as appearing often in media with wide distribution. This would include publishing bestselling or critically acclaimed books, appearing in movies, being a leader in one's field, etc.. If a name you submitted does not qualify, it is probably because you did not provide sufficient information. See existing entries for the range of 'celebrity' covered.

Are you endorsing the views of those in the list?

Not at all. The appearance of a name in the list does not necessarily imply any kind of endorsement of the person's views on the part of the editor, the host site or any of the contributors. This list remains unaffiliated with any organization related to atheism or religion.