Atheism and Fandom
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
This article is a stub. Please help us out by adding more content. |
In Canon
Atheism is frequently depicted in fannish source texts. However, many characters fall into stereotypes that atheist fans may find problematic. For example, atheist characters may identify themselves as atheist as a result of some traumatic incident that led them to reject their religious upbringing, may think of themselves as too smart/educated for religion, or may be outwardly hostile to religious peers. While real atheists may have these traits, in media they are often exaggerated and filtered through the biases of creators.
Works with Atheist Themes
- His Dark Materials - The author, Phillip Pullman, is a prominent atheist who has said that in the series he was "trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief." In the same interview, he also said that "I find the books upholding certain values that I think are important. Such as that this life is immensely valuable. And that this world is an extraordinarily beautiful place, and we should do what we can to increase the amount of wisdom in the world."[1]
Atheist Characters
- Several characters on House, MD, notably Gregory House, Eric Foreman, and Allison Cameron, are atheist[2]
- Several characters from The Walking Dead are atheist, including Maggie Ree and Carol Pelletier.[3]
- A number of characters from popular TV crime dramas are atheist, including Temperance Brennan from Bones, Charlie Eppes from Numb3rs, and Rust Cohle from True Detective.[3]
- Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly is atheist.[3]
- Mothwing from the Warrior Cats series does not believe in her series' equivalents of gods. [3]
- Magnus Chase from Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard identifies as an atheist despite being the son of the Norse god Frey.[4]
- Edward Elric of Fullmetal Alchemist identifies as agnostic despite having encountered a being claiming to be god.[5]
- Several Marvel Comics characters have identified as atheist, including Miguel O'Hara/Spiderman 2099, Hank Pym/Ant Man, Tony Stark/Iron Man, and Piotr Rasputin/Colossus. In the MCU, Daisy Johnson is also atheist.[3]
- Several DC Comics characters have also identified as atheist, including Starman/Ted Knight, Lonnie Machin/Anarky, and Michael John Carter/Booster Gold.[3]
- The characters of Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen also identify as atheist.[3]
In Fandom
References
- ^ The Washington Post: "The Last Word: Philip Pullman's Trilogy For Young Adults Ends With God's Death, and Remarkably Few Critics," by Alona Wartofsky, published 02/18/2021, accessed 10/25/2024
- ^ House Wiki: "Religion on House", accessed 10/25/24
- ^ a b c d e f g 'Wikipedia' "List of fictional atheists and agnostics", accessed 10/25/24
- ^ Riordan Fandom.com Wiki: "Magnus Chase," accessed 10/25/2024
- ^ Arakawa, Hiromu. Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1. Yen Press LLC, 15 Apr. 2014.