Role Of Atheism In The 1950s

Persecution of Atheism: the 1950s Religion is one of the main pillars of thought that separates humankind from the rest of creation. It has the ability to evoke every emotion, from the deepest sorrow to the greatest joy. Faith gives a clear set of morals by which humans can live, and hope for what may come after. Therefore, it often comes as shock when somebody dares to utter the word atheist. Atheism refers to the disbelief in the existence of a god. Atheistic ideologies have been around as long as religion has, and they are protected by the same freedom of religion laws as all other beliefs are. However, throughout the past century, atheists have been bombarded with hatred and bigotry. Stress on the United States relationship with Russia

The Constitution’s First Amendment prohibits the making of laws in favor of one religion, and protects the right of everyone to hold their own religion. America’s agreement to the conditions of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 restated these rights: that “everyone has the right to free thought, consciousness, and religion…”(Margulies 45). However, religious believers defensive attitude combined with political tensions made for a toxic mix regarding atheists at the beginning of the 1950s. America’s relationship with Russia had been strained for many years, but had recently wosened. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, their government converted to a communist system and enforced a strict atheistic religious policy (Ellwood 398). Communism is the political theory that all property is publicly owned and people are paid by the government based on ability. Since the time of communism's implementation in Russia, the United States and Russia had disagreed many times. From ethics to the specifics of managing the events of World War II, they rarely saw eye to eye. Communism had spread throughout the world, and was now practiced in multiple countries. When news of the communist ways hit the shores of the United States, it seemed clear to many that such views would destroy an effective democracy. However, some embraced the Russian ideals and tried to push them onto the American people. The thought that such a nondemocratic system would be accepted by anybody sent a ripple of fear through the American people. As the communist population in the US grew to be over 1%, which equated to about 84,000 people, a general aura of tension and distrust surrounded the American consciousness. Many were quick to denounce anything Russian, including atheism (Margulies 111). Later, the Cold War further cemented the idea that Russians, and by