What are some common traits of atheists?

Question

Aside from not believe in gods, are there any other general links?

((please be nice))

Examples....Atheists tend to have attended higher education....Not all, hence the terms "general" and "common"

Answer 1

How about a skeptical, independant turn of mind?

An atheist is someone who isn't satisfied by pat answers. We need something more.

Answer 2

I am an atheist. I grew up in a Lutheran church but hated everything about it- had to wake up early, dress in nice clothes that were ALWAYS uncomfortable, sit through bible study (which I thought was BS even at a young age), and I think I knew my whole life that I was an atheist because I never believed in Jesus or God.

I challenge everything and ask questions a lot. I delve into subjects with both feet. I love reading, writing, learning, and have a BA degree too. I love other cultures, their food, and have studied world history and world religions and I love learning about what other parts of the world do and how they live. I embrace other cultures and treat everyone the same, regardless of if they speak English well or not. You won't hear me saying "go back to your country!"

Traits: tolerance, acceptance, intelligence, comfortable being different, independent, confident, good mental health, high IQ, desire to forge own path in life, awareness of the truths of the world (which most are NOT happy/positive!), knowledge of world history from early times to now (Christian slave trade in Caribbean for sugar cane/rum, etc), and ability to think critically.

Answer 3

Atheism isn't like a religion, so it isn't united by any single doctrine of philosophy, save for the absence of belief in a deity.

Statistically, atheism is correlated with those who have a higher education and many are also involved in the sciences. In the United States, atheists also have a lower rate of crime and divorce than Catholics and Protestant/Evangelicals.

Many atheists are also involved in intellectual movements founded on critical thinking and rational, non-theistic moral philosophy, including skepticism and secular humanism, not to be confused with nihilism.

See the books The God Delusion, Letters to a Christian Nation, and The End of Faith and the dvd Penn & Teller's Bullshit for more information about atheism in America today.

For books about skepticism and/or agnosticism, which are similar in position to atheism in their critique of traditional religious views and theism, see the works of Carl Sagan, Michael Shermer, and James Randi (the later is an atheist).

I hope this helps! :-)

Answer 4

I think the wonderful thing about being an atheist is the fact that we're all different. We all have a lack of belief when it comes to god, but other than that we're all separate individuals. I know some atheists that are complete blockheads, and I know others that are pretty much on the genius level. That's what makes us so wonderful. We can get along with each other despite our differences.

Answer 5

Intelligence, Generosity, Tolerance, Skepticism, Joy, Optimism, Perspective


This is a generalized statement, granted.

Answer 6

some people don't seem to get it. I think that's a legit question, one i'm interested in myself. What makes people religious or not? I would say a mind that works very logically, educated, grounded, open-minded, independent thinking, tolerant of and interested in other cultures/beliefs, more concerned about here and now than some unforeseen future.

Answer 7

Stop grouping people into catagories. I'm an atheist, I am also an INDIVIDUAL, not a sheep. We tend to question things more and some look 'outside the box'.. in a rational way. We also tend to be more open and embracing to other points of view, compared to hot-headed religious zealots at least.

And NO I don't have a mark of Satan on me.

Answer 8

Athiests generally believe that there is no absolute truth. Without a god of any kind, truth is whatever you believe. Morals are different for everyone. There is no wrong or right..only free will to do whatever we see as right without bothering them.

Most athiests are evolutionists, liberal, enviromentalists, pro-abortion, and believe they are somehow more intellegent than an average Christian because they were not dupped.

Athiests believe that they will cease to exist after they die.

Every athiest will someday confess that they were wrong and say "Jesus Christ is Lord"

Every tongue confess and knee will bow.

Answer 9

Uh.... no. Generally, the whole 'not believing in God' thing is the distinguishing characteristic of the atheist.

Is this a serious question?

Answer 10

Speaking very broadly, I would suspect atheists are:
More educated
More intelligent
Less socially integrated
Social justice liberals (with some libertarians)