ok i just need to kno the exact rules of being atheist except believing in god i already kno that
2006-09-09 16:18:21 · 33 answers · asked by cheetah122990 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"How do atheists differ from religious people?"
They don't believe in God. That's all there is to it.
Atheists may listen to heavy metal -- backwards, even -- or they may prefer a Verdi Requiem, even if they know the words. They may wear Hawaiian shirts, they may dress all in black, they may even wear orange robes. (Many Buddhists lack a belief in any sort of God.) Some atheists even carry a copy of the Bible around -- for arguing against, of course!
Whoever you are, the chances are you have met several atheists without realizing it. Atheists are usually unexceptional in behavior and appearance.
"Unexceptional? But aren't atheists less moral than religious people?"
That depends. If you define morality as obedience to God, then of course atheists are less moral as they don't obey any God. But usually when one talks of morality, one talks of what is acceptable ("right") and unacceptable ("wrong") behavior within society.
Humans are social animals, and to be maximally successful they must co-operate with each other. This is a good enough reason to discourage most atheists from "anti-social" or "immoral" behavior, purely for the purposes of self-preservation.
Many atheists behave in a "moral" or "compassionate" way simply because they feel a natural tendency to empathize with other humans. So why do they care what happens to others? They don't know, they simply are that way.
Naturally, there are some people who behave "immorally" and try to use atheism to justify their actions. However, there are equally many people who behave "immorally" and then try to use religious beliefs to justify their actions. For example:
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners... But for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me... Jesus Christ might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever."
The above quote is from a statement made to the court on February 17th 1992 by Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious cannibal serial killer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It seems that for every atheist mass-murderer, there is a religious mass-murderer. But what of more trivial morality?
A survey conducted by the Roper Organization found that behavior deteriorated after "born again" experiences. While only 4% of respondents said they had driven intoxicated before being "born again," 12% had done so after conversion. Similarly, 5% had used illegal drugs before conversion, 9% after. Two percent admitted to engaging in illicit sex before salvation; 5% after. ["Freethought Today", September 1991, p. 12.]
So it seems that at best, religion does not have a monopoly on moral behavior.
Of course, a great many people are converted to (and from) Christianity during adolescence and their early twenties. This is also the time at which people begin to drink and become sexually active. It could be that the above figures merely indicate that Christianity has no effect on moral behavior, or insufficient effect to result in an overall fall in immoral behavior.
"Is there such a thing as atheist morality?"
If you mean "Is there such a thing as morality for atheists?," then the answer is yes, as explained above. Many atheists have ideas about morality which are at least as strong as those held by religious people.
If you mean "Does atheism have a characteristic moral code?," then the answer is no. Atheism by itself does not imply anything much about how a person will behave. Most atheists follow many of the same "moral rules" as theists, but for different reasons. Atheists view morality as something created by humans, according to the way humans feel the world 'ought' to work, rather than seeing it as a set of rules decreed by a supernatural being.
"Then aren't atheists just theists who are denying God?"
A study by the Freedom From Religion Foundation found that over 90% of the atheists who responded became atheists because religion did not work for them. They had found that religious beliefs were fundamentally incompatible with what they observed around them.
Atheists are not unbelievers through ignorance or denial; they are unbelievers through choice. The vast majority of them have spent time studying one or more religions, sometimes in very great depth. They have made a careful and considered decision to reject religious beliefs.
This decision may, of course, be an inevitable consequence of that individual's personality. For a naturally sceptical person, the choice of atheism is often the only one that makes sense, and hence the only choice that person can honestly make.
The word "deny" can be used to mean "fail to accept the truth of." In that sense only, atheists deny the existence of God. They are not "in denial," wilfully ignoring evidence; nor do they necessarily positively assert the nonexistence of God.
2006-09-09 16:22:31 · answer #1 · answered by Rob 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There are no real rules. You can join an official atheist faction and for a small fee you get an official atheist card but even then it means nothing. I would suggest reading as much as you can about science, anthropology (both physical and cultural) so that when you encounter people that want to challenge your beliefs, you can have intelligent counters to their "preachings." Don't get angry or argumentative. Just have intelligent reasoning to your way of thinking.
Some books that I enjoy are-
Guns, Germs and Steel by J. Diamond
Fingerprints of the Gods by G. Hancock
The Great Ideas by M. J. Adler
These aren't atheistic per se but should help in your knowledge of philosophy and anthropology.
2006-09-09 16:38:51 · answer #2 · answered by youngliver2000 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are looking at it backwards. You yourself determine what religious beliefs you have. Then you determine whether that constitutes atheism. You make it sound like there is some Pope of Atheism somewhere who promulgates the rules that you have to abide by to be an atheist. No. Atheist is merely a word - signifying nonbelief in a God or supreme being - and it is up to you to say if you fit this or another definition of atheism you have.
2006-09-09 16:26:09 · answer #3 · answered by alnitaka 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ok, if you need to know rules for your faith, obviously you cannot be as you say you are. Believe as you feel, don't try to just follow random false rules for yourself. Give yourself more credit than that. Believe what you believe, and if it doesn't fall into the catergory of a certain religion, screw it! Just have faith in what you want! Even though it makes me sad to hear that you want to be an atheist, I cannot do anything about it...I would strongly recommend that you look into the Bible, but other than that, just believe what you believe.
2006-09-09 16:28:42 · answer #4 · answered by lanneypoo4u 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you have to ask what the rules are, you're not quite ready for atheism. You need to ask yourself what you really think/feel/believe, what beliefs you reject and read up on religions at non-theist sites like the infidels.org library, csicop.org. An unprepared atheist is like a kitten in a den of wolves. A seasoned theist will eat you alive.
2006-09-09 16:35:10 · answer #5 · answered by February Rain 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's the core of the belief system. It's an affirmative disbelief in God.
Aside from that, there is no single central authority dictating other beliefs or defining other rules. So, you get to pick a cultural set of morals, or just choose to follow the laws.
2006-09-09 16:20:57 · answer #6 · answered by coragryph 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you insult Christians 50 times a day and mindlessly assert evolution and other atheistic philosophy as scientific fact! Also, try to ignore the fact that if youre wrong there are dire consequences for you in the afterlife!
2006-09-09 16:35:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are no "rules" or "laws" for atheism. If you don't believe in God or any other "higher power" as having been responsible for the creation of earth, etc etc etc, then you're an atheist...pure and simple.
2006-09-09 16:21:36 · answer #8 · answered by WhyAskWhy 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is someone who believes that there is no god.
If you believe there is no god, you are an atheist. Otherwise, you're not. That's just a matter of definition - "rules" have nothing to do with it.
2006-09-09 16:24:13 · answer #9 · answered by Bramblyspam 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There are no rules other than stupidity! I would say read your Bible but i just remembered that satan does not have a Bible telling all about himself... Did you no that satan no's every word in the Bible, I would say that no one except for the Father and the Son no the Bible better than satan him self, you no why he No's the Bible? Because he use to be one of God's greatest angels, satan no's right from wrong and he know's that he is damned that's why he feeds off of people like your self and your friend, people that are to ignorant in there ways to use the common sense that God gas given them!
2006-09-09 16:27:48 · answer #10 · answered by Ash 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If your thinking is that fuzzy, you are totally ready to be coverted by the first bible thumper with any charisma that comes along.
It's like you asked: "Ok, I believe that God doesn't exist. Now, what else should I believe. Will someone tell me so that I don't have to think?"
2006-09-09 16:37:29 · answer #11 · answered by Jim L 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋