I know the literal definition of an atheist. I'm just curious as to what people actually who are really atheists actually believe. I'm not going to debate anyones' answers. I would just like to have honest responses.
2006-11-17 12:01:49 · 21 answers · asked by Phyllobates 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There are two types of atheist or two definitions. 1) a person with the belief that no deities exist. 2) a person with the absence of belief in deities.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism#Positive_definition:_the_belief_that_no_deities_exist
Atheism is not a religion itself, but there are non-theistic religions. Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taosim, and certain sects of Hinduism are examples.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism_and_religion
2006-11-17 12:08:34 · answer #1 · answered by Aspurtaime Dog Sneeze 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I consider myself an atheist. I do not believe in any god(s). I do not believe in a Heaven, Hell, Limbo, or Reincarnation. When we die, we die, so we should live life to the fullest. I do not believe in Creationism or Intelligent Design. I know evolution, though a theory, is a fact, just like the Big Bang. I do not believe in the supernatural that has no proof of existence. I believe the concept of "god" has just been historically a fallback on something we cannot explain. Millenia ago, people could not explain the sun, moon, and weather, so they said they were "gods". When people asked how the universe, earth, and humans came to be, no one knew, and just said that "god" created us. When people asked what happened when we died, people said that we are judged by the lord and will be sent to heaven or hell, or would be reincarnated as a higher/lesser being. If you went back in time flying in a plane, people would claim you were god. Now, we have learned so much. We now know the truth.
Atheism is not a religion. A religion means you worship a god, but atheism literally means "no god".
There are also atheists who are buddhists, jains, and those who follow what Confucius said because Buddhism, Jainism, and Confucionism are not religions, they are just a way of life. They do not believe in a god.
2006-11-17 12:27:45 · answer #2 · answered by The Riddler 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Far as I know, about the only thing atheists have in common is that they don't believe in God or any other higher power. For something to be a religion, it has to have a belief in and worship of God. Seeing as how atheists don't do that, heh, it's not a religion. Just a belief.
Far as me personally, that holds true. But I can and do believe in reincarnation. Seeing as how that's not a God of any kind, I can hold that belief and not be something other than an atheist. Reincarnation's a belief. It's not a religion(though it's part of some religions), nor a deity, so it works.
I believe in evolution and science, if you can call facts a belief. All in the interpretation, I suppose. I don't put much stock in prayers or angels or demons or anything like that. No heaven or hell, no being punished for screwing up and being human, no such thing as salvation or damnation. People aren't born sinful, people don't have bad lives because they abandoned God. People's fates are the result of their own choices and the choices of people around them.
Each atheist is different. That's just some of the things I believe about the world and life. Not every atheist is going to agree with me. Really, the only thing atheists have in common is the lack of belief in various deities and religions.
I like to think of atheism as a necessary counterpart to religion. Balance. One can't have belief without disbelief, therefore, one can't have theism without atheism. It's not a religion, just a lack of belief. Long as a person doesn't believe in God or any other deity, they can be an atheist. And they can believe in anything they want. Long as it's not a God, it still works.
There's no holy book, no church, no religious leader, no complicated way to worship or pray or believe. If you don't hold any beliefs in a deity, that's atheism. You can believe in reincarnation, ghosts, angels, whatever you want. If it's not a god, it doesn't matter, so there's lots of things various atheists are going to believe in.
2006-11-18 04:48:00 · answer #3 · answered by Ophelia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
, Atheists do not accept supernatural beings or deity, the bible for the same reasons is considered(if at all) as historical fiction. Most Atheists have read the bible, and all would have found it implausible,historically incorrect, scientifically impossible, and intellectually insulting. Religion is a belief system,of which there are very many. Atheism is not an organisation, it has no halls, or clubs, and carries no badges, insignia, books, beads, snakes, palms, rosary beads, or odd hats. Atheists are individuals who have arrived at the same conclusion, and believe it or not, rarely discuss the matter, or identify themselves to each other. Science and education are of prime importance to Atheists, as many are of academic or intellectual heritage, and are often well versed in history and the origins of Christianity. Finally religion is an organisation, Atheists are individuals sharing the same lack of religious belief.
2006-11-17 12:48:29 · answer #4 · answered by ED SNOW 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only thing that atheists believe is that there is no god or gods.
That's the definition.
Therefore, the answer to your second question is No, atheism is not a religion.
2006-11-17 12:10:55 · answer #5 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
atheists do not believe in god or gods
we do not believe in life after death
we do not believe that Jesus Christ was the son of a god
Although some believe that it is possible that he existed and was a man maybe even a really good man to be looked up to but not the savior of humanity
Nothing can save humanity accept humanity itself
Only you control your future
That does not mean that we worship the devil which is a common misconception mostly made by Christians
We love and are loved and we care about humanity as a whole but we just don't believe that some higher power can fix or eliminate it
2006-11-17 12:15:38 · answer #6 · answered by Heaven C 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, atheism is a disbelief, not a religion. Atheists can and do believe in all sorts of different things, the only thing that all atheists have in common is the disbelief in gods.
2006-11-17 12:04:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I assume you want to know what we believe in place of all the answers provided by your god and religion.
Where did the universe come from?
Not certain. There are theories, but not enough evidence to call any of them facts. Since the question isn't germane to my day-to-day living, I'm content to say, "I don't know, and I don't really care."
Why are we here?
Again, not certain. In a strict sense, life apparently exists for no more grand a reason than to keep existing. For billions of years, life on earth was nothing but endlessly reproducing identical bacteria. As far as science can tell, the earth now prefers increasing diversity (at least for the last 100 million years) but I'm not stressing over this one either. Personally, I believe I am here to learn, create, and teach. I don't need a god for any of that.
What happens when we die?
There is no way to know. We can't even theorize on this one. Humans are alive because they take in energy in the form of bio-matter which lives off the sun. When our bodies stop metabolizing food, the electro-chemical reactions stop, brain activity ceases, and we are no longer alive. There is no evidence to indicate that there is anything left that "goes on" after this event, so as far as I'm concerned, death is an endless void of nothingness that we are not even aware of.
What do I think of theism?
I think people who believe in god are average, everyday people who don't want to face the cold, hard reality that life is nothing more glorious that what we do for the time we are alive. I also think they are afraid of death, so they take comfort in a mass delusion, because thinking like everyone else makes them feel less scared and alone.
2006-11-17 12:36:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
As someone once wrote, calling atheism a religion is like calling not collecting postage stamps a hobby.
I do not consider atheism a religion. It's a viewpoint that states that there is absolutely no evidence that supernatural beings exist.
2006-11-17 12:05:02 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
re‧li‧gion /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ri-lij-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
a‧the‧ist /ˈeɪθiɪst/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ey-thee-ist] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.
By definition, atheism is not a religion, rather it is the denial of not only religion, but any and all forms of a higher power.
2006-11-17 12:13:55 · answer #10 · answered by Bill K Atheist Goodfella 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋