Atheism.

"While Darwin's theory of evolution did not establish atheism, it made it possible to be a self-respecting atheist." p. 205

When I came across this particular sentence in the chapter, I immediately knew it would be the subject of my blog. Since, I myself am an atheist, it was a very interesting statement to read. Before Darwin's outright theory of evolution, there was very little acceptance on being an atheist. A person had to have a set religion to follow. The very thought of not believing in a God was thwarted. Nowadays, it is more so socially accepted to call oneself an atheist. I have no shame in calling myself an atheist. However, my mother does. I think the problem here is that when somebody claims to not believe in a God, others feel as if that person doesn't believe in anything. This is false. I liked the way a friend of mine back home phrased it. "Just because I am an atheist doesn't mean I don't believe in anything. I might not believe in a God but I believe in something else. I believe in humanity." That is how I view it. Just because somebody does not believe in an almighty being does not mean that they believe or feel nothing. Instead, they have a different take on life, one more involved with humanity and less with an almighty power.

Question: What is it that changed the minds of people to become more accepting of atheism?