Disbelieve it or Not, Ancient History Suggests That Atheism is as Natural to Humans as Religion

Disbelieve it or Not, Ancient History Suggests That Atheism is as Natural to Humans as Religion  http://bit.ly/1KttW29

People in the ancient world did not always believe in the gods, a new study suggests – casting doubt on the idea that religious belief is a “default setting” for humans.

“Early societies were far more capable than many since of containing atheism within the spectrum of what they considered normal – Tim Whitmarsh”

Despite being written out of large parts of history, atheists thrived in the polytheistic societies of the ancient world – raising considerable doubts about whether humans really are “wired” for religion – a new study suggests.

The claim is the central proposition of a new book by Tim Whitmarsh, Professor of Greek Culture and a Fellow of St John’s College, University of Cambridge. In it, he suggests that atheism – which is typically seen as a modern phenomenon – was not just common in ancient Greece and pre-Christian Rome, but probably flourished more in those societies than in most civilizations since.

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