I'm not quite sure what they believe exactly. I know they don't believe in a high power, but do they believe in souls or anything? Is there a book or something that states their beliefs that I can read, or would that make them a religion...?
2007-06-25 17:10:42 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Since atheism isn't a religion, our beliefs vary as much as we do.
The one thing we have in common is that we don't believe in a higher power or God.
Aside from that, everything else varies. Some of us believe in evolution, while some don't. Some believe in karma, while some don't. Some believe we have souls, and others don't.
Here's an article that explains it further:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/atheist.htm
2007-06-25 17:15:34 · answer #1 · answered by rita_alabama 6 · 12⤊ 0⤋
Atheists believe that gods do not exist. Anything else falls under a different label.
FYI, it is NOT true that atheists don't believe in a higher power. Many DO - just not as a deity. Atheists believe in many different things, and no two are alike, just like no two Christians believe the same thing. Atheism is NOT a religion, since it is NOT a group that shares a common dogma - just individuals who happen to share one particular outlook regarding gods.
Most Christians (and some others) are ignorant as to what atheists believe, probably due mostly to the church's dishonest propaganda.
2007-06-26 00:18:37 · answer #2 · answered by gelfling 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Atheists believe in no God. This is a definition, a tautology. If an atheist believes in any sort of God, she is no longer an atheist.
I'd be willing to wager that the typical atheist does not believe in the 'soul', or ghosts, astral projection, horoscopes, crystal healing, John Edward (as a psychic; John Edward the television charlatan certainly seems to exist), magic, or anything else supernatural, superstitious, or unsupported by some evidence.
If you must have a book that describes the views of atheists, one atheist's views are stated very clearly in Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion. But atheists as a group are bound to no ideology, philosophy, or theology beyond one statement: there is no God.
2007-06-26 00:20:22 · answer #3 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
That's a complex question. There are lots of atheists who beleive a lot of different things. There is no one "ATHEISTS." Not believing in God, I would think, would decrease the likelyhood of belief in souls (I don't believe in 'em).
There is no one book summarizing atheists beliefs because atheism isn't really a religion. There are people who try to make it so, and please don't count me as one of 'em.
So, I guess you could start with things like "The God Delusion," "God: The Failed Hypothesis," Ayn Rand's works, and sort of feel around from there. That would give an idea of some shared -- and some varied -- atheist views.
Best of luck to you.
2007-06-26 00:17:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually, you are an atheist as well, when it comes to Thor, Zeus, Ra and a hundred other gods that you don't believe in. Atheists just don't believe in one more god.
If you really want to know what atheists believe- I like Sam Harris' book, "the end of faith". And, I'm right in the middle of Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion".
Please read! You don't have to agree- but they are well written books with excellent arguments that will give you a good feel for where most atheists stand.
2007-06-26 00:18:16 · answer #5 · answered by Morey000 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Atheist describes someone who has no belief in a divine being. Buddhism is Atheistic. There technically is a book about Atheism called The Atheist Handbook.
A religion is a set of gathered beliefs, practices, rituals, etc.
2007-06-26 00:17:54 · answer #6 · answered by Joe S. 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The only thing an atheist can't believe in is a deity. Everything else goes: Souls, an afterlife, ghosts, reincarnation, psychic powers, karma, pretty much anything else. Granted, the majority of atheists don't believe in any of that stuff either, but there are some who do.
2007-06-26 00:16:40 · answer #7 · answered by . 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Unlike religion, whose adherents have a big book that tells them what to believe and how to believe, atheists basically have one thing in common:
They don't believe in the existence of god(s).
After that, you'll find atheists of all political, social, educational and ethnic stripes. This is why we will never become powerful enough to make changes in this country. Atheists (most of them, anyway) steadfastly refuse to organize in any fashion, claiming it makes them "just like the religious nuts" and thus, we are spread to the wind.
Christians need not worry about atheists taking over because we can't agree on anything other than "no god(s)." Wish it weren't so, but it is.
2007-06-26 00:20:43 · answer #8 · answered by Rogue Scrapbooker 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Atheism is simply having no belief in a god or gods, therefore, that's all we necessarily have in common. Of course, many of us might have the same view on numerous subjects, but that's true of people, in general, regardless of whether they are atheist or theist.
The best way to find out what an individual who's an atheist thinks about something is to ask questions. We don't bite. Really. :o)
2007-06-26 00:18:18 · answer #9 · answered by YY4Me 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the atheist. The only commonality is lack of belief in a deity. Buddhists are atheists and have a lot of other beliefs. I am an atheist and do not believe in anything supernatural whatsoever.
2007-06-26 00:16:06 · answer #10 · answered by Phartzalot 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋