Atheist right
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The atheist right is an intersection between atheist beliefs about religion and right-wing political views. The majority of the atheist right is composed of supporters of laissez-faire capitalism, who believe that religion (and Christianity in particular) is an inherently anti-capitalist force, due to its altruistic message of helping others. This sort of position can be discerned in the works of right-wing atheists such as John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Ayn Rand. Interestingly, Barry Goldwater was deeply influenced by these philosophers, and while not an atheist himself, he attacked the Christian right and came out against banning either gays in the military or, eventually, abortion.
Fascism, a political ideology often described as being far right, draws much of its philosophy from Friedrich Nietzsche. The founder of fascism, Benito Mussolini, was himself an atheist. However, fascism is not inherently atheistic, and there are also many deeply religious fascist groups.
See also
- Christian right, another conservative philosophy often at odds with the atheist right, especially on moral issues
- Atheist left
- Christian left