What do YOU think it means to be an atheist?

Question

Serious answers please - whether you believe in god(s) or not. Thanks!

Answer 1

There's no reason to *think* what an atheist is, you can know. It's a word, it has a definition, you can look it up.

a‧the‧ist

a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.

That is everything it means. No more, no less. People can try to add to the definition of the word if they want, like the answer above me, and almost certainly some that will come below me, but that doesn't make it true. All it means is a person who does not believe in any gods. Period. End. An atheist may believe or disbelieve anything else they want, but that does not effect what atheism means or what an atheist it.

Edit: See what I mean? Word redefinition is a favorite passtime of fundies. It's the only way they can get their statements to be true.

Answer 2

Ignorance is what it means tio be an Atheist. The ordinary mind cannot understand the things of God, it is at war with God. You must have a "spiritual awakening" or in a spiritual plane, like being born into a whole new way of existence , receiving "sight".
Having been an atheist and an existentialist (the two go hand in hand) I know where of I speak. Though I had two yeatrs of higher education and had studied philosophy and world religions, literature, art and music, I was ignorant until one night on a lonely beach, having my "last cigarette" before tying my hands and walking into the ocean, I looked up at the stars and realized there was a God who loved me and forgave me for the mistakes in my life. I remembered the words of a friend of mine who had told me about Jesus--and that moment I had an experience that has stayed with me for 30 years, that caused me to dance in joy on that beach until daybreak. Never the same. No more an atheist.

Answer 3

An Atheist is a person who does NOT believe in any deity. The Atheist thinks we are just an accident and will become nothing once they die. They believe they are comfortable with that, but when the end is near, then "low and behold," they're praying like a believer! I've yet to see an atheist comfortable with their belief when in their deathbed. As the saying goes, "there are no atheists in foxholes!"

Answer 4

An atheist believes that this life is all we have. There is nothing else after death. And most of the time, they think we should make the most of this life we have as opposed to living for something such as God, when they don't think He exists.

Answer 5

To not believe that God exists. It is obvious that He does exist because everything that is created is created by a person. The energy always comes from then energetic. God is the Supreme Unlimited Person. He created the whole cosmic creation. for universal Truths and information on God go to http://www.stephen-knapp.com

Answer 6

An a-theist is somebody who holds the view that he wishes to leave the existence of God undecided, and therefore does not commit himself to any kind of organized religion. He may be more honest than some so called believers.

Answer 7

There is no such thing as an atheist , for its impossible not to believe in God , How would it profit a man to spend his whole life trying to prove that something he claims not to exist doesn't exist , Makes no sense

Answer 8

I think an atheist means someone who doesnt believe in any greater gods and doesnt believe in an afterlife.

Answer 9

I think an atheist is clearly in one that doesn't believe in GOD! They claim to have no belief in anything but human nature. I don't get it. But, that's what I think!

Answer 10

A real atheist is a person who claims to have proven for him- or herself that no deity exists, and he or she, then, believes that no deity exists.