Articles

FAQ's About Atheism

by C. Matthew Grilli, phisherize@gmail.com

What is an atheist?

Atheists have been given many definitions throughout the ages including that of heretics, Satan worshippers, and hedonists. This simply isn't true. Although there are persons from all walks of life that share some of the same beliefs, or in this case, non-beliefs; you will find that most atheists are as kind, caring, and genuine as the next person. The literal translation of the word atheist is: a•the•ist [ey-thee-ist] a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings

That's really all being an atheist implies. As atheism is not a belief system, but rather a lack of belief, there are no other common characteristics of those sharing in their disbelief. Each atheist is an individual and has ended up at atheism in their own way.

How can an atheist still have morals without religion?

em•pa•thy [m'p-th] Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives

Humans, for the most part, are intelligent beings. We have the capacity, to learn, discover, and empathize with one another. We do not need a supernatural being to tell us that it is wrong to take things that do not belong to us. We can understand that we would not like someone taking liberties with our personal items. Almost everyone has experienced the loss of a loved one at one time in their life. It is not difficult to understand the reasons for not killing another person. Murder has victims, and not only the one who has been killed. Consider the victim's families; their significant others, their parents, their children. By murdering someone you are, to some degree, destroying their family. We can empathize and realize that this is something that we would not want done to us.

Why do atheists hate God?

I have heard the claims numerous times by many religious believers that atheists hate God, and are denying him simply so they may live their lives in sin. This simply is not true. How can you hate something you truly do not believe exists? I cannot hate Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, in the eyes of an atheist, God is equal to the former, and as such, cannot be an object of hate. We are not willfully disobeying him because we hate him, we have found him to be self-contradictory and his existence impossible as laid out by scripture. Many atheists/agnostics live their lives fairly similarly to believers. They have jobs, families & friends they love and care about, and give to charities. Many atheists, you might say, hold higher personal standards of themselves than religious followers because they are not acting out of fear or guilt, but altruism. They realize that raping, murdering, stealing, etcetera are not, and should not be acceptable in the eyes of society without any supposed supernatural direction.

Do atheists think we came from monkeys?

Atheists do not believe we came from monkeys and neither does the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution states that humans evolved from a common ancestor of apes. There are many observable similarities between humans and apes and it is not much of a stretch to make such claims. Why would humans be disconnected from the rest of the living world? Why is it strange to think that we, inhabitants of this world, have no relation to any of the other beings located within it? Biologists would agree. We are also mammals, vertebrates, metazoans, etc. We have all of the defining features that anchor us right into our phylogenetic slot and connect us to all other living things, and we are no more evolved than any other living organism (including bacteria, protista, fungi, plants, etc.)

Is atheism a belief system/religion?

Simply put, no, atheism is not a belief system and/or religion. Atheists are individuals, all pulling their knowledge and experiences from different sources. There is no all-knowing book for atheists. There are no set of moral guidelines, or rules to follow to be a good atheist. Atheists are individuals; individuals who simply do not believe in any gods. This does not imply any other traits. There are conservative atheists. There are liberal atheists. There are moderate atheists. Some might say that it is the belief that there are no gods, but to that I say that this is more accurate a description: The disbelief in all known gods, but with proper evidence presented one would be open to the concept. It is not rejection out of disdain, but discourse for irrationality.

Do atheists worship Satan?

Atheists do not worship Satan. Even those atheists in the Laveyan Church of Satanism do not worship Satan as a deity. He merely represents a figurehead to their religion. They choose Satan as their figurehead because the objects in life they place value on are contrary to those of Christianity. True atheists do not believe in Satan. How could we believe in a demigod created by a God we don't believe in? We don't. There are no true atheists who believe that Satan is an actual entity and therefore are none that truly worship him.

What is the atheist stance on Pascal's Wager?

Blaise Pascal offers a pragmatic reason for believing in God: even under the assumption that God’s existence is unlikely, the potential benefits of believing are so vast as to make betting on theism rational. This is referred to as Pascal's Wager. The atheist stance on this topic is this: It is more logical that God does not exist; therefore I will not waste my only existence following restrictive outdated dogmas, contradictory scriptures, and absent deities. I will do with my life as I choose, and blame no one but myself for the outcome. Thomas Jefferson, a non-religious deist, states: Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear. This is also the viewpoint of some atheists. If God does exist, we should think that he would revere independent thought, and reasoning over those just trying to save their skins.

Do atheists have spirituality?

Some do, some don't. Atheists are not a collective grouping. They are individuals. Some are Buddhists’, which requires no God. Some are pagans, having alternative views and interpretations of what God is. Some find spirituality by seeking their place in this vast universe. Others reject all ideas of the supernatural including spirituality. There is no stock answer for this question as atheists each have their own opinions about everything.

Why do people become atheists?

We all have our own reasons for finding or leaving religion. The most common reason for one to become atheist is they've examined the facts presented and they just didn't add up. Although many believers would disagree, there are many inhumane passages in the Bible and the Qur’an. There are numerous verses advocating murder, rape, bigotry, and sexism. It is easy to see why someone may not agree with some of these advocacies.

Don't atheists realize they will go to Hell?

Atheists don't believe that Hell exists. For the reasons stated above, atheists do not believe in any gods, and therefore, do not believe in the punishments handed down by these gods. Hell had not even made an appearance in western religion until Christianity. Hell and its origins are debatable. Some scholars agree that the concept of Hell originated from the Greek word "gehenna" was the translation from the Hebrew word "gueh hin-nom" (Valley of Hinnon). It was mistranslated as hell. The truth is that the Hebrew word was used in regards to a trash dump-site on the outskirts of town. What was the method of disposal? You guessed it, they burned it. Along with trash, they also burned the bodies of the deceased. The 1800's doctrine of hell that the church adopted and we all know today is based on Dante's "The Divine Comedy".

How can there be atheists if there is no way to disprove the existence of God?

Absolute knowledge of the non-existence of God is not necessary to be an atheist. All that is necessary is sufficient evidence that all of the Gods represented on Earth are man-made. There is sufficient evidence of these claims. God cannot exist as laid out by the Bible. He possesses multiple mutually exclusive traits that cannot be contained simultaneously by the same individual. If all religions are man-made, then the concept of God is man-made. That being said, there has never been a shred of evidence to support the existence of such a being. This makes the idea of the existence of a God illogical. The disbelief in all gods is fulfilling of the requirements of an atheist by its definition.