The following website may be of interest:

http://dmiessler.com/blog/atheistic-societies-are-happy-societies

Daniel Miessler tell us that,

"According to a major study there's a very
strong correlation between atheism and
societal health. Here are the most non-religious
countries in the world, according to findings:

1. Sweden
2. Vietnam
3. Denmark
4. Norway
5. Japan
6. Czech Republic
7. Finland
8. France
9. South Korea
10. Estonia

High levels of atheism are strongly correlated with
high levels of societal health, such as low
homicide rates, low poverty rates, low infant mortality
rates, low illiteracy rates, as well as high levels of
educational attainment, per capita income, and gender
equality.

According to surveys done, educated and independent
people are 1) Less likely to be religious, and
2) Less likely to be taken advantage of by their
governments.
Religion encourages high birth rates,
intellectual weakness and dependence of its
followers.

Folks..here are some interesting thoughts :)

These ones are only about 30-40 seconds long.

http://www.jwm.christendom.co.uk/film_clips/The_missing_body.mov

http://www.jwm.christendom.co.uk/film_clips/Fish-eating_ghost.mov

http://www.jwm.christendom.co.uk/film_clips/Pascal%27s_sobering_word.mov

Specially for Bugsy and Pericles

http://www.jwm.christendom.co.uk/film_clips/Bananas_in_Tanganyika.mov

and for those who have some time on their hands..

Longer lectures/interviews here.

http://www.veritas-ucsb.org/video/RELIGION/MONTGOMERY/montgomery.html

I Highly recommend the content.. as Montgomery is head and shoulders above most evangelicals in knowledge, education and insight.

I am sorry Polycarp but comments like this cannot be easily ignored.

"I think the natural outcome of atheism is that people can and will go in any direction which turns them on...literally and I came across this reminder of that very fact.

(LONDON) - World motorsport chief Max Mosley hit back Wednesday at a top British editor who accused him of moral depravity over a sadomasochistic sex orgy, calling the tabloid newspaper chief a "prude."

Atheism or religion have nothing to do with this story Polycarp. Given that many priests have abused children without any remorse or guilt - some even believing it is a God given right.

And clearly there will always be people who will go "in any direction that turns them on" despite the law - whether laid down by religion or by a governments. Committing sin and then being able to confess it to absolve one of the sin means that God's law still requires humans to make a choice - to adhere or not.

This story rather than being used disingenuously to target atheists yet again - would have been better used as a foundation to discuss issues like privacy, celebrity, psychology, counselling or power of the press.

The discussion is irrelevant to the large part of the world which is neither atheist nor Christian. One may believe in a supernatural and be an atheist as some Buddhists are. One may be a believer in God and not a Christian as Jews and Muslims are.

Unless there is a belief in God atheism is as meaningless as a-Apolloism. I believe that a society without either Christians or atheists would be healthier and better. It is as much a waste of time to deny the existence of God as to deny the existence of the tooth fairy. It only becomes necessary because people cling to the superstition that there is a God.

Society needs neither Christians nor atheists.

Of course dyslexic, insomniac agnostics may lie awake wondering if there is a dog.

Polycarp wrote:

"I think the natural outcome of atheism is that people can and will go in any direction which turns them on...literally and I came across this reminder of that very fact.

(LONDON) - World motorsport chief Max Mosley hit back Wednesday at a top British editor who accused him of moral depravity over a sadomasochistic sex orgy, calling the tabloid newspaper chief a "prude.""

Dear Polycarp,

How do you know Max Mosley is an atheist? We do know that Napoleon, Hitler, Martin Luther, the Kaisers, the Czars and other miscreants were Christians.

One could say that the natural outcome of Christianity is moral depravity considering the number of Christians who are also monsters. I won't since I don't blame Christianity for all the evils of the world only for many of them such as the Holocaust.

There is really no evidence that atheists behave better or worse than Christians. There are monsters who are Christians, and monsters who are atheists.

Most nations characterized by high degrees of
individual and societal security have the
highest rates of atheism, and conversely, nations
characterized by low degrees of individual and
societal security have the lowest rates of
atheism. In some societies, particularly Europe,
atheism is growing. However, throughout much
of the world particularly nations with high
birth rates - atheism is barely discernible.

As Daniel Miessler says, 'No surprise here.'

However, Ian Robertson in his book, "Sociology,"
points out that:

"For many years it was widely felt that as science
progressively provided rational explanations for the
mysteries of the universe, religion would have less
and less of a role to play and would eventually
disappear, unmasked as nothing more than superstition.

But there are still gaps in our understanding that
science can never fill. On the ultimately important
questions - of the meaning and purpose of life and the
nature of morality - science is utterly silent and,
by its nature, always will be.

Few citizens of modern societies would utterly deny
the possibility of some higher power in the universe,
some supernatural, transcendental realm that lies
beyond the boundaries of ordinary experience, and in
this fundamental sense religion is probably here to stay."

To believe or not - is our choice. When most people
mention religion, they have their own in mind.