May 18, 1932.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Uw0iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=66MFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3647,1445061&dq=atheism&hl=en

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Enjoyable substance was becoming increasingly unpopular.

May 18th 1932 - NYC Mayor James Walker leads "beer parade," - says it makes more sense to legalize beer and tax it than arrest people and put them in jail for home brewing and drinking it.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ug0iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=66MFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4314,1185214&hl=en

We weren't the problem then; we aren't the problem now. Except for Dawkins who writes books 'n stuff.

SSDD.

It may be outdated, but it's a nice reminder of how things stay the same.

So did Avicenna.

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New Atheists aren't new; neither are their critics.

I have probably already quoted the British Tory politician George Canning, who wrote a poem about 'The New Morality' in the 1790s. He had no high opinion of the decline in Morality, especially influenced by the ideology of the evil enemy, who at that time were the French. He had a particular hatred for the (no doubt New) atheist Lepaux; but there were lots of ways in which things weren't what they used to be...


'Last of the Anointed five behold, and least,
The Directorial Lama, Sovereign Priest,—
Lepaux: whom atheists worship; at whose nod
Bow their meek heads the men without a God.<18>


Ere long, perhaps, to this astonish'd Isle,
Fresh from the shores of subjugated Nile,
Shall Buonaparte's victor fleet protect
The genuine Theo-philanthropic sect,—
The sect of Marat, Mirabeau, Voltaire,—
Led by their pontiff, good La Reveillere.
—Rejoiced our Clubs shall greet him, and install
The holy Hunch-back in thy dome, St. Paul!
While countless votaries thronging in his train
Wave their Red Caps, and hymn this jocund strain:


"Courier's and Stars, Sedition's Evening Host,
"Thou Morning Chronicle, and Morning Post,
"Whether ye make the Rights of man your theme,
"Your Country Libel, and your God blaspheme,
"Or dirt on private worth and virtue throw,
"Still blasphemous or blackguard, praise Lepaux!


"And ye five other wandering Birds, that move
"In sweet accord of harmony and love,
"Coleridge and Southey, Lloyd, and Lambe and Co.
"Tune all your mystic harps to praise Lepaux!


"Priestley and Wakefield, humble holy men,
"Give praises to his name with tongue and pen!
"Thelwall, and ye that lecture as ye go,
"And for your pains get pelted, praise Lepaux!
"Praise him each Jacobin, or fool, or knave,
"And your cropp'd heads in sign of worship wave!


"All creeping creatures, venomous and low,
"Paine, Williams, Godwin, Holcroft, praise Lepaux!
"——— and ——— with ——— join'd,
"And every other beast after his kind....
...


Guard we but our own hearts: with constant view
To ancient morals, ancient manners true,
True to their manlier virtues, such as nerved
Our father's breasts, and this proud Isle preserved
For many a rugged age:—and scorn the while,—
Each philosophic atheist's specious guile—
The soft seductions, the refinements nice,
Of gay morality, and easy vice:
So shall we brave the storm: our 'stablish'd power
Thy refuge, Europe, in some happier hour....'


Note that even then, people were accused of 'worshipping' prominent atheists or at least treating them as high priests. Note also that morality, religion, nationalism and *manliness* were equated by right-wingers, quite as they often are now.

There's nothing new about "New Atheists" except for the fact that they refuse to remain hidden and silent the way religious people want them to. That simple fact always causes great consternation for religious people, leading to cries of "Christian persecution" and all sorts of blather about how the atheists are responsible for every evil in the world. Of course the same is said by religious extremists when they preach about LGBT folk but you can't expect logic in such matters.

churches resist change, none moreso than the Catholic one.