What is the origin of atheism?

Question

Since atheists know so much about the origin of mankind and the origin of creation. Where does atheism originate from? Was it a thought that was founded on common sense? Or is it a frame of mind that all of us have and makes us believe different things? The reason I ask this is because some think they "know" so much about somebody else's religion or belief and yet they don't know anything about their own....

Can anybody name a founder?
Atheism is an idea and a practice. So wh ofounded it?

No Alanag they say they know all about the origin of earth and humanity and they call it evolution.

lol, Catholic Crusader... a pity people hate your opinions. You seem to be very knowledgeable.

Answer 1

Atheism the philosophy came from ancient Greece. There are two kinds of atheists. The first that claim there is no god (Which they have to back up). The second that claim there is no evidence for god so no reason to believe (the scientific view point). Atheism is simply the absence of belief. No atheist is claiming they know it all. Now, agnosticism is simply the absence of knowledge of a god. So a theist and an atheist can be an agnostic. Because if you do have knowledge of god and can demonstrate verifiable evidence than it pretty makes much makes faith or belief (atheism and theism) irrelevant.

Answer 2

To lack belief in something is default.

it doesn't originate from anything or anywhere because it is the *absence* of something. The absence of something doesn't 'originate' at all, ever.



"Can anybody name a founder?
Atheism is an idea and a practice. So who founded it?"

No it isn't, it isn't a practice. Name *one* 'atheist' ritual or activity or anything. It was not founded. It would be like asking "who founded not believing in aliens?"

*Strong* atheism, which I strongly believe is a misnomer, is a belief, not a practice but it is a belief. *weak* atheism which is what real atheism is, is not a practice, it isn't even a belief, it is the absence of theism.



RE: Catholic Crusader:

It is a statistical impossibility? Ok, show me the formula. Show me the equation, show me the proof, show me the math that lead you to the mathematical conclusion that evolution is a statistical impossibility.

And no, throwing up a Cadillac is *physically* impossible, by the accounts of mass, chemistry and volume ect.

Ok, next, "that leaves one possibility, God". No, it doesn't. EVEN IF evolution was impossible you *conveniently* left out the possibility we are in the matrix, or the numerous alien theories, or a powerful *creator* that isn't god but just a powerful being. All these make as much sense as some invisible sky Santa that loves us all but decides to create some eternal torture place for us, and so forth. You also forgot the possibility that the creator of the universe could be a *different* God other than yours.

Ok, "the universe is only 6,000 years old"
Now *that* is a statistical impossibility.
The story of Noah's arc, *that* is a statistical impossibility, a talking snake, pretty unlikely if you ask me.

Answer 3

There is no way to tell you where the lack of something originates. It doesn't make any sense. Atheists do not claim to know everything about the origin of mankind or the universe. In fact I would say that is a claim made by theists.

Just because I do not believe in a certain religion does not mean I am uneducated about it. I also believe that we are limited as a species. Even though through our limitations we are unable to explain everything, I do not find that to be a compelling enough reason to believe in god. For some people god is just another word for their ignorance. If it is difficult to explain then we should just throw up our hands and give credit to god. That just does not work for me and, thank goodness, most scientists.

Edit: No body "founded" atheism. The term was first used in ancient Greece, but there is no way to know when the first person ever decided not to believe in god.

edit2: Don't get me wrong, there are people who think they know everything and really their religious preference has nothing to do with it. We do know how the universe came to be what it is today. We do not know how that first atom came in to being. There is a big difference. Science should never be disregarded, or revered, for religious reasons.

Answer 4

Why would I care about who was the first to stop believing in any god? It is not a beleif system no matter how many times those that belief it say that. If you do indeed prove that it is a belief system, then I'll stop using that term and use a different one.

People may have identified a "father of atheism" but my guess is that the first atheist was proably one of the first shamen....

Edit:
Fine, I looked it up and I'll still go with the founding father as the fisrt guy in a tribe that said "I don't think gods make lightening" ... most likely this was the shaman who then turned around and made up more stories to keep his power and the people in line. And it is not a belief or practice, try to understand this, it will help you a lot.

Answer 5

Atheism originated with man. Each human is born an atheist, then has a belief system taught to them or they later seek out one, if they require a belief support.

Morals predate religion.

Oh, CC, still using the discredited buffoon Fred Hoyle (who stubbornly held to a steady state view of the universe, among other things he was wrong about)?

Even your scientists are junk scientists.

If you're going to quote that fool Hoyle, at least get it right: he said a Boeing 747, not a Cadillac. He had this inability to think it deep time, which was why he was the laughingstock of astronomy.

Answer 6

Not believing in someone else's claim doesn't have to start with a single person. Scrutinizing claims can appear in multiple places at multiple times throughout history. I don't think there is a single starting point.

Also, I think as scientific knowledge and religious views have changed, the concept of an atheist has changed.

Answer 7

The origin of atheism is the human imagination. The idea of a world without a deity or deities of any kind is a creation of imagination. The idea of a world with a deity or deities is also a creation of imagination. Some atheists arrive at a disbelief in a diety or deities by way of an affirmation of an ability to know about the non existence of a deity or deities. An affirmation of an ability to know about the non existence of a deity or deities makes these atheists into gnostic atheists. Some athiests arrive at a disbelief in a deity or deities by way of an affirmation of an inability to know about the existence of a deity or deities. An affirmation of an inability to know about the existence of a deity or deities makes these atheists into agnostic atheists.

Religion begins when somebody decides they have found the best way to make up mind about self and world and go about the business of sharing that way with others. Religions spread from person to person through a process known as communication. Religions require believers to have faith that their way of making up mind about self and world is the best way to make up mind about self and world. The study of religions is important in as much as understanding communities of faithful believers self organized around religious belief is important; because they are a part of our world and we deal with them in our every day lives. Atheism is a religion in as much as some atheists claim to have found the best way to make up mind about self and world and go about the business and sharing this way with others.

Answer 8

first, i dont think there was a "founder" of athieism. i think it is a natural state.

oh, and athiest dont "know" the exact nature of the creation of earth and/or man, we merely look for these answers, and leave the "knowing" to religion.

you see, if we "knew", then there would be no need for things like archeolgical digs, space exploration, chemistry, and physics.

but then you guys "know", right? thats why your doctrine is the same as it was 2000 years ago, right?

no, i think many athieist do like i did: try a bunch of different religions, find huge gaping loopholes in all of them, and say :"noone knows, i think i'll stick to what is provable, and search for answers using the scientific method."
(which is, btw, why many athieist tend to know more about religions than the people that "practice" them)

of course, like i said, it's also a natural state.. otherwise, animals and babies would clamor to go to church, right?

Answer 9

well, the greek diagoras was the first western atheist. however, you mean more in general, i'm sure

most atheists seem to go that route since they are deeply offended by the absurdities of religion. granting those absurdities, i think one could argue that true atheism is an overreaction, which is typical when people feel oppressed & slighted

VERY few of those claiming to be atheists are full-blown atheists. most have their doubts, just like most who are theists

Answer 10

Richard Dawkins has said that it was very hard being an atheist before Darwin's "Origin of the Species" in the mid-1800's, because although they didn't believe that God created animals and man, they didn't have a suitable alternative explanation. (EVOLUTION)