Athiest beliefs?

Question

Athiests, what do you think about "the afterlife"? Do you believe in reincarnation? Do you believe in ghosts? What do you think happens to someone after they die? Also, I know Athiest, means literally "without religion" does that mean you don't celebrate Christmas?
Pardon my ignorant questions, I do not know much about what Athiests believe and I would like more information, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Evan...the saying goes "i" before "e" except after "c"..so I BELIEVE I am correct.

Ghost, it wasn't a snide remark. It was an honest question. If you have a problem with it leave it alone. And what does getting us out if Iraq have to do with Athiesm and Christmas.

Evan..either way, you didn't answer the damn question.

Answer 1

Wanna know what it's like after you die? Well, remember what it was like before you were born? It's like that.

The closest I come to spirituality is knowing that every atom in my body, now, past and future, was created in the same star factory that made all the elements heavier than hydrogen and helium - i.e. we ALL have a common ancestor, dating back billions of years, and that also goes for all the elements currently in inanimate objects as well. Additionally, since every atom in your body is continuously recycled (from the cells inside your cheek, which are replaced almost daily, to the enamel in your teeth, which takes years to recycle), there's only one constant in any of us, and that's our DNA code. So really, we're nothing more than vessels of ever-changing atoms arranged almost perfectly by a code that arranges each atom in it's place. After you die, that code is gone, and your elements continue their journey around the universe, but they're no longer replaced into the vessel that was you. Personally, I find that a cool, mind-blowing realization - that there's a commonality we all share w/ ea other, all other life, all matter here and throughout the universe. If that's spritual, so be it.

I'm open to believing in pretty much anything... just test your theory using the scientific method, (theory, experiment testing the theory, publish methodology and results in peer-reviewed journal, wait for other trained scientists to test your theory themselves, and over time, the theory is either disproved, or gradually becomes the currently accepted fact, until/unless new information, put to the above test, disproves it).

Christmas has become as much cultural tradition as religious observance. Personally, I enjoy having a time to recognize the importance special people have in my life and I feel gift-giving is a nice, albeit commercialized, way to express that appreciation.

I hope we reach a day when ppl are able to think more independently, apply critical thinking skills to stories they're told are "the gospel", and to act in ethical ways, not because of the threat of "eternal damnation", but because it's the right thing to do.

Oh, and your question is anything but ignorant. I only wish more religious ppl were as open-minded as yourself.

Answer 2

That is very nice to ask actually. Most Atheists don't subscribe to one common belief. I don't even call myself Atheist allthough I don't have any particular belief in the super natural. My personal belief is that I don't know what is out there and I may or may not find out one day (which is actually called Agnostic, but I don't call myself that either).

My main concern is with what is happening on Planet Earth. This in itself is a mind boggling task. I don't have time to think of whether or not there is a god or goddess, ghosts or spirits, alliens or gobblins. I care about what is happening to people on earth and really want to spend my energy on that for now. I am perplexed with the fact that so many "religious" people are so angry, abusive, inconsistant, and irrational. It really makes me sad and I try not to think about it. I personally don't care what people believe, but when it causes dispair, opression and harsh judgment of others, I wonder why it has to be so. Similarly, the "seven deadly sins" are practiced by 99.9% of Christians in this country everyday.

I don't disbelieve in the supernatural, it's just that I don't know. I can't see the wind yet it is there, and the same may be for the supernatural. Who knows? I don't really care.

Some will celebrate Christmas and others won't. Some Atheists believe Christ was a real person and can appreciate the impact he had on humanity and others don't. Like I mentioned earlier, Athiests don't all believe the same thing. I do however, believe that most Athiest share a common desire to be good people and strive to be rational.

Answer 3

An atheist is someone who doesn't believe in God. Everything else is free game. An atheist can believe in afterlife, ghosts, and even be religious. Being an atheist doesn't mean you can't have a religion, many religions don't have God(s).

Personally though:
I don't believe in God.
Why: I don't have a reason to.
I believe God may or may not exist.
Why: Because I can't say that my conclusions are accurate for sure because I'm the one who makes those conclusions.
I do celebrate Christmas.
Why: Family culture.
I do not believe in Ghosts.
Why: I don't see a reason to.
I do not believe in an afterlife.
Why: I don't see a reason to.
I don't believe in free will but I think many atheists are divided on this.
Why: I haven't heard an explanation of free will that makes sense.
I don't believe in moral responsibility, many atheists are divided on that.
Why: I think moral responsibility requires free will.
I don't believe in the supernatural.
Why: I don't have a reason to believe in the super natural.
I do believe evolution is the best explanation for life's diversity.
Why: Natural Selection is logical and compatible with observations of genetics, reproduction, and species.
I do believe abiogenesis is the best explanation for life's origins.
Why: There are ~100 billion stars in a galaxy and ~100 billion galaxies, and millions and millions of square miles of ocean where chemical reactions occured to get a very simplistic self-replicating RNA molecule. Things built up from there, it is complicated but it isn't as random as most people think.
I do believe the Big Bang occured.
Lots of evidence.
I do believe humans share monkeys and apes as a common ancestor.
Monkeys have 24 chromosomes, humans have 23. Chromosome #2 in humans has been shown to be the fusion of two monkey chromosomes, and for this to be chance would be extremely unlikely.

So I hope that helps you understand some atheist positions. And I'm about split in half or maybe even more rare than atheists who do believe in free will and moral responsibility but most atheists believe other things I said.

Answer 4

Being "without religion" does not necessarily mean that there is no belief in an afterlife of some sort, just that you don't believe in religious dogma.
With that definition, I could be called an atheist, but I have solid beliefs in reincarnation, I understand the phenomenon called "ghosts", I have travelled 'somewhere' without my body, and I have brought forward memories of lives I have lived before this one. I call myself a witch, but I take no part in the paraphernalia usually bundled with this, except for the use of magic, which is allied to quantum physics, for the betterment of humankind, and myself.
I love life, laugh a lot, act 20 years younger than my 71 years, and have been told many times that I look and act as if I was in my 50s. I attribute all that to a healthy respect for everything, a denial of nothing, and take responsibility for everything I do. Lastly, I know that I know nothing of all this as a certainly, and that I might be totally wrong, but this does not diminish my beliefs one iota.
See? I'm just as bloody-minded as any fundamentalists Christian!
Although this isn't what most atheists say on this forum, does this help you at all?

Answer 5

I am a nontheist, not an atheist, but I'm going to answer your question anyway since the two are similar.

Atheists believe that God doesn't exist. Nontheists believe that God is irrelevant.

If God does exist, he is either almighty, omniscient, and benevolent, or not. If God does possess all those qualities, there is no way that he would demand to be worshiped. If he doesn't possess those qualities, then he should not be worshiped even if he demands to be.

An afterlife is extremely unlikely. Science can explain how our brains control our bodies without resorting to an extradimensional soul to do it. Brains decompose after death. Souls have not be proven to exist.

Reincarnation is even more unlikely than an afterlife. The very concept defies everything that is known about biology.

Ghost stories are fun to hear, but foolish to believe in. Human testimony is one of the weakest forms of evidence allowed in a court of law. Stories of ghosts, miracles, etc. should require more than simply human testimony to be believed. They should require evidence. That evidence is rarely found. Even when it is, a thorough investigation usually proves that the situation was misinterpreted, exaggerated, or hoaxed.

After people die, their body decomposes and the only thing that remains is the memory other people have of them and their accomplishments. Those memories usually don't last very much longer than the physical body.

Most atheists I know still celebrate ancient pagan holidays like Saturnalia (aka, Christmas) and Ostara (aka, Easter), just like Christians do.

I hope this helped.

Answer 6

I don't believe in the afterlife or reincarnation. Sometimes I believe in ghosts but most of the time I think that's silly.
I believe that after someone dies, they come back as something else (not in the reincarnation sense, though). I don't believe in spirits or auras.
I celebrate Christmas and I love the novelty and the presents. I belong to a completely Atheist family and we have always celebrated Christmas and we've always had Christmas dinner and Santa.
Some people take it a bit further than I do and I'm also interested in other Atheist's lives.
No problem for the info! :)

Answer 7

Actually it literally means without belief in God(s). It is a classical Greek word.
It does not mean anything else but a lack of belief in Gods. It does not mean rejection or rebellion. It is not nihilism or materialism. Some people want to load it down with moralities, conditions or philosophies. It really is not about any of that though. Humanism is a different philosophy.

Holidays are Holidays. Christmas is about spending time with family, seeing little kids go bonkers over getting a bunch of stuff all at once and feasting. Easter is to celebrate springtime, family, and let little kids eat chocolate until they are sick of it. You get the idea.
Do I celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, or Easter, or Halloween? No.
If an person who does not believe in Gods has other beliefs that is their business. They can belief whatever they want.
It is not like it is an organization of any kind. If you believe in a God it is pretty simple that you are a theist of some kind because that is what the word means, whatever God it is.

If you see stuff about Invisible Pink Unicorns or Flying Spaghetti Monsters posted by atheists, those are just invented religions that were created to make a point about God arguments.
FSM was used to fight against Creationism/ Intelligent Design being introduced into the Kansas School system to be taught as a Scientific Theory. The point they made was that FSM is totally ridiculous but it has every bit as much validity as Intelligent Design does.
IPU was developed as a discussion tool in philosophy classes and over Usenet to make certain points about how Religion and Gods function. IPU is about the arguments that attempt to prove or disprove Gods.
IPU is supernatural, Just like God, and she is invisible, just like God. She is proved to exist by Faith and by Science both.
We know she is invisible because we can not see Her, while because of our faith we know She is pink. The rest of the details illustrate how dogma works. There is a creation story, a fall from grace including the forbidden peperoni mushroom pizza and the temptation of Her followers by the Purple Oyster of Doom.
There are a few other intentional religions but those are the two you are most likely to find mentioned here.
Russel's Teapot is another argument that refutes one more of the supposed defences for the existence of God.

If you want to know more about some of the groups that want to be atheist organizations try looking at the sources.
You will find many more resources out there if you search and now you will have an idea of what you are looking for.

Answer 8

Hello.

I do not believe in the supernatural because I need evidence in order to do so. That could cover anything from an afterlife, to ghosts, and reincarnation.

I think that after a person dies, their body decomposes and is used by other organisms on our planet. After death, the brain ceases to function and this would include all aspects of consciousness. Death is sad, but it is also inevitable, so I try to enjoy my life in the now.

I do celebrate Christmas, but like the people of Thailand, I no longer consider it to be a religious holiday. I see it as an opportunity to spend time with friends and family.

Answer 9

An 'Atheist' believes in what ever they want to believe in. They just don't follow any 'religion'

Some Atheists are still spiritual, some are not.

And yes, most American atheists celebrate Christmas. It is a family tradition, not a religious rite. (I didn't even know that Christmas had anything to do with religion when I was a kid.)

I do not believe in ghosts or any of that Paranormal crap.

I do not believe in an afterlife. I believe that when the brain stops functioning, that is it. No thought process, no life.

Hope this helps.

Answer 10

I'm Agnostic-- so I don't believe in God or the Bible, but I entertain the fact that all those religious people might be right. It's not that I don't want to "choose a side", but that I can admit that I don't have all the answers and I won't profess to knowing them all.

I believe in spirits, I've seen a couple in my lifetime. So I'm sure there's something after death-- once you have slelf-awareness, I don't think that can be lost. I'm just not sure what happens to the other 90% that don't return as ghosts.

And I celebrate Christmas and all with my family and my fiance and friends' families. I don't believe in the reason, but I do care about my loved ones and if they believe, that's good enough for me. I respect those that don't share my beliefs.