Here's what I've got so far:
How is it so far? What can you add?
Atheists do not believe in heaven or hell; God or Satan. Atheism is not a religion. There are no spirits guiding us. We guide ourselves along our own paths and take responsibily for ourselves. We pay whatever consequences may arise and give ourselves credit when credit is due. We do not have flighty answers like 'God did it' for things that happen. We ask why, then research and come to logical conclusions.
2007-12-04 13:16:37 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
edit 1 - "Will"
edit 2 - If you aren't an atheist then I wasn't asking you. Simple concept...hard to carry out, huh?
2007-12-04 13:20:44 · update #1
Come on Linz, that goes without saying!
2007-12-04 13:22:14 · update #2
Looks to me like what you have there is eloquent and accurate. I wouldn't change a thing. Nicely done.
2007-12-04 14:43:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I don't think all of that is accurate.
"Atheists do not believe in heaven or hell; God or Satan. Atheism is not a religion. There are no spirits guiding us." is fine.
"We guide ourselves along our own paths and take responsibility for ourselves. We pay whatever consequences may arise..."
Definitely not universally true. Although atheists may not attribute anything to a deity, many atheists are still keen to pass the buck whenever possible.
"...and give ourselves credit when credit is due."
Probably true for most people, but I don't think this could be used as a defining characteristic for an atheist.
"We do not have flighty answers like 'God did it' for things that happen. We ask why, then research and come to logical conclusions."
Some atheists jump on equally flighty answers - conspiracy theorists being one big group (not all atheists, but there is no reason to assume that some, at least, are atheists).
2007-12-04 13:30:14 · answer #2 · answered by Tom :: Athier than Thou 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would just say atheists don't believe in gods and atheism isn't a religion.
The rest is up to the individual atheist.
edit: OK I don't believe in leprechauns so I guess my other religion is aleprechaunism.
2007-12-04 13:29:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK, I follow you, except...
Atheism is a religion, You just stated the beliefs of your religion.
Religion
a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
Your beliefs:
Belief in no god.
Belief in no afterlife
etc.
And from talking with you guys on here, you hold those beliefs with GREAT ardor and faith. You just don't want to be called a religion because you don't go to church, but that's not what the word means.
2007-12-04 13:29:14 · answer #4 · answered by Free Thinker A.R.T. ††† 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the attempted religification of atheism....
did you know originally the term pagan meant people who practiced no religion and served no god.... but as the christians moved in they vilified the people, lied and proclaimed they practiced rituals to the devil... these people simply hand no religion but the christians used their lies to justify their murders.... today I see christians doing the same thing to atheist... vilifying them, forcing people to start labeling behavior as to group them into a religious context... the christian religions rely on the future to accept their versions of events not the factual version... like the christians claim to be persecuted, but if we really look into the history, we see that they are the persecutors.... so when it comes to defining atheism... I simply stick to... I practice no religion and I serve no god...
2007-12-04 13:30:36 · answer #5 · answered by Gyspy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I do agree with that, but if you're going to use it as a pat answer for people who ask about atheism, you will be sounding just like a traditional religious person quoting their sacred text ad nauseam.
Atheists also think for themselve. They just don't reguratate what they were TOLD to believe. They study a problem or situation and make a decision based on rational thought, not magical thinking.
But just be sure you are spontaneous with your answer. It doesn't have to sound the same every time. Quotes come from scripture. (I can hear it now........boooooooo!) Get over it folks. No one has the monopoly on truth.
2007-12-04 13:26:00 · answer #6 · answered by ThisIsIt! 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
We are much funnier than Christians, but have a long way to go before we catch up with Jews.
2007-12-04 13:27:58 · answer #7 · answered by Citizen Justin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think its important to note that we are not necessarily in agreement about anything else. Some atheists are conservative (not all atheists are as intelligent as I am), the smart ones are liberal! LOL
2007-12-04 13:26:50 · answer #8 · answered by in a handbasket 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well it actually is possible to be an atheist that most of that isn't true. See these guys: http://rael.org/
You really have to stop at the second sentence.
2007-12-04 13:20:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
As atheism is a fixed way of thinking and therefor bind the followers to a certain way of thinking - then it is a religion according to the definition in the dictionary.
2007-12-04 13:21:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋