What do you consider Atheism?

Question

In trying to gain a better understanding, is atheism simply a "lack or religion" or is it "anti-religion"?

I meant "lack of" not "lack or"

Answer 1

Hi
I'm an atheist, which means that I don't believe in any god or supernatural deity.

I also don't believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, the yeti, leprechauns, gnomes, elves - you get the picture!

I am NOT anti-religious.

I object when religion interferes with my life without my consent, but I believe that all people have the right to practice whatever religious or non-religious beliefs they wish.

Hope this is some help to you.

Answer 2

Atheism is a "lack of religion", but in daily life this requires some intellectual vigilance, because the human mind tends to fall into habits of magical thinking and supernatural thinking. If you were brought up in a religion (i.e. taught certain irrational ideas before your critical rational faculties developed) then those ideas tend to bubble up into concious thought unbidden, and need to be actively suppressed in order to lead a rational life based on real experience.

Answer 3

One that believes that all the different types of life evolved over millions of years. Which would mean that all the different types of bacteria, plants trees and food, insects, fish, animals and humans evolve in harmony over millions of years all by chance. Harmony means that each depend on at least one of the other to survive and the only difference is that man is the only one that has learned to change his environment to suit his needs. Personally I believe that there is a Creator but I don’t know if he/she or it is evolved with us are this world as the Bible portrays, but I do agree that the ten commandments are good word of thought to live our lives by. We will all know when we pass from this world and only then will we know the truth unless there is just nothing and then it won’t matter anyway so I am going to live my life on the side of having faith because there is no hope the other way and I prefer to have hope.

Answer 4

The prefix 'a' means not or without. The word itself has no anti-theistic connotations.

The problem is the same for anything neutral. Once you add people some have a tendency to radicalize it and take it to extreme.

This section of YA has completely changed my view of atheists. While I advocate returning the word to neutrality I no longer use it to describe myself.

As you can see this simple question has brought out a whole range of "personal" definitions for the word when the one and only commonality is being 'not' a 'theist'.

Answer 5

Atheists are typically just free from religious belief or a belief in God.

Many of them are Anti religion, just like there are Christians who follow God quietly, and others who go about proselytizing every chance they get.

People are people.

Personally, I believe we have a duty as humans to try and make the world a better place for others. So I spend time on YA talking about the dangers of faith based religion. History is pretty clear that faith based beliefs typically end in blood shed or family dispute, and are not healthy for mankind.

Answer 6

For me, just lack of religion. I don't see the need to be anti.

Answer 7

It is a process of conscious rational thought processes. It has very little to do with religion per se, but the lack of thought processes many people portray.

Answer 8

it is not anti-religion.
people who are atheist vary. they generally dont subscribe to follow any one tradition of belief. Some are very strick (there is NO spiritual life) while others appreciate some supernatural understanding but refuse to participate in any religion.

Answer 9

Atheism is not anti-religion, it is not believing in any higher power.

Answer 10

Atheism is the absence of belief in divine entities.