Is it really possible to be an atheist?

Question

What exactly are you denying? I went to an atheist meeting once and the people didn't seem to be nonbelievers, it seemed more like they were mad at god. I'm agnostic because I really don't believe that one can be an atheist. How can you deny something if you claim it doesn't exist? Why would you even care enough to make the effort?

Answer 1

I agree with you. I am also agnostic. I can't see how anyone can prove God does or doesn't exist. To say you know for sure he absolutely Does not exist is just as foolish sounding as the people they often bash. I don't hate the idea of God or a creator. I just can't stand some organized religions who believe the wackiest things, and make sure to let you know it's their life's mission to annoy and bore the bajezzus out of you telling you as if you never heard about their savior.
"jesus loves you', oh yeah, how do you know? he told you?
"do you know he died for your sins?", wow, you know, that is like the 12,099 th time I've heard that, but now that you've repeated it just now like that, I've changed my mind!
Usually atheists take their frustration out on the intolerance and hypocracy of religion. They might also be mad at God for all the suffering in the world and seemingly leaving us alone.
All in all, sometimes I think they are closer to being believers than agnostics are.

Answer 2

Athe·its : one who does not believe in the existence of any gods.

This is the definition as per the Ethical Atheist website.

Believing is defined as "To accept as true or real" .

Therefore an atheist does not ACCEPT the existence of ANY god/s. Can this be possible? Can the human mind reject or do not accept a thought, theory or idea? YES.

As an agnostic you must believe that it is IMPOSSIBLE to know whether there is a God or gods, that it is unknown and probably unknowable; yet you do not profess true atheist.

To me being agnostic is more impossible than being an atheist since you have the NEED prove of whether or not God exist in order to believe. In other words, if the possibility exist your theory goes down the drain...and possibilities exist for everything...

If no one can prove that we came from micro organism or monkeys and yet people believe that it is possible, why then is it required for others to prove that we were created by God in order to believe in the possibility?

The mind of a human is limited. The mind of a spirit is limitless...

Answer 3

What are you talking about? Atheist dont exist? I submit that we are ALL Atheists - and here is why:

There are thousands of Gods in existence today, being prayed to, being believed in. Christianity (and *nearly* every other religion) asks that you ignore these others Gods, as yours is the only true God.
Now, if you beleive in your God, but not in the thousands of other possibilities, there is a reason for this - you have simply swallowed the major dominating religion in your home or social area. However, if you can disbelieve in every other God except your own, then you are denying the existence of Gods. I deny the existence of one more God than Christians do...their God. If people could open themselves up a litttle to understand WHY they beleive (9 of 10 believe because they are taught and know no better) and why they reject others, then they could open their minds enough to understand why we reject their God.

Answer 4

Being mad at God and believing that God doesn't exist are two very different things. Maybe you found a renegade group. :)

However, atheists still have coincidence, luck, etc, etc. They still give names to things that they can't explain. So, just like religious folk from different paths, they are only trying to explain something that cannot be truly defined or proven.

And, as far as the caring enough to deny part, we live in a very religious society. Anyone who does not fit into the grain naturally has the urge to make a statement of difference. (For example, if someone didn't tell you that they were an atheist, you might assume they were Christian, or whichever faith is most dominant in your community)

And yes, it is possible not to believe in God. However, what do they do at meetings? Religious people celebrate their beliefs, do atheists simply share their common theme of nonbelief?

Answer 5

Well, a lot of the atheist culture is angry because we are a very, very small minority in this country, and constantly told of how we will burn in hell and lack morality. That might be the anger that you observed in the meeting. However, to answer your original question, my mother raised me completely agnostic and without religious influence, and I naturally am very doubtful of the God hypothesis. It's kind of an awkward idea if you aren't raised with it from a young age. I'm more of an agnostic in terms of spirituality, but an atheist by definition because I don't think the truth includes a God. So, yes, it is very possible to be an atheist. A lot of Eastern philosophies that are very widespread also do not believe in a God, but in other forces that rule the universe, Buddhism for one. It's just different ways of tackling the spirituality question, and it's very, very common to not have God in the equation.

Answer 6

I f you believed in my Father, then you believed in me, that what is all about, why those atheist don't accept the idea that God has A Son, and the Virgin marry, is also part of the family of God, and that the apostles are Jesus friends and family as well than moses, and John the Baptist and how many more, are also part of god gigantic family and that we are all brothers, and every woman is my Sister, isn't that enough to make the effort and believed the words of Jesus saying "if you don't believed in me you don't believed in the one who send me." learn about God plans, and Jesus is the most important piece of all, in this puzzle, perhaps the world will become a better world went God invest Jesus publicly as a new god/, will this bring peace to the world and believed to the atheist, gnostic, and protest ans and so forth. There is a reason or perhaps, there it may be a good reason why God have ask us to worship and follow his only begotten Son as the only true way to HIM, can this be possible????,

Answer 7

I've never seen or heard of an atheist meeting before. Atheism isn't an organized movement, in general ... though I know there are some organized factions ... they don't represent the group though.

I am not "denying" anything ... I simply do not believe ancient stories that offer no proof of validity, but instead are very disputable/questionable and written by people who were not present at the time of the events ... nor were the people who told them (etc.) ... and who lacked even a basic understand of how the world worked around them.

I don't make any effort to identify myself as an atheist ... in fact, I don't even refer to myself as an atheist (that is a label others push upon me because of my beliefs).

Answer 8

People keep using this and it's a terribale arguement. We don't believe that it exists like you do, how is that stating that it exists? We think there is no such thing as God and it was made up by humans as a comfort because everyone is afraid of death, I do at least. Now where did I say that he exists I just don't like him? I do not think that the god of any religions anywhere are real. That's why I prefer buddhism, there are no gods or laws just a guide to a more pure life, I don't need anyones' God's empty threats to keep me in line.

Answer 9

Yes. Atheists, real atheists, don't believe in any sort of God. How can you be angry as something you don't believe in? These people aren't real atheists. However, many Atheists are mad at the church for doing so many horrible things in the name of God. This might be what you were hearing from the Atheists at that meeting.

Answer 10

"Is it really possible to be an atheist?"

Yes. I don't believe in god, therefore I'm an atheist.

"What exactly are you denying?"

The existence of god.

"How can you deny something if you claim it doesn't exist?"

What do you mean? Denying god's existence and claiming it doesn't exist is the same thing.

Answer 11

You're lost in a sea of semantics.

Atheists don't believe there is a god. So they're denying the existence of same.