Atheism: Welcome to the Reality-Based Community
72What is Atheism?
To understand the meaning of atheism, we must first examine what is meant by theism. Theism refers to the belief that some sort of god or gods exist. That is, a theist is someone who makes a specific claim (i.e., that a god or gods exist). This is what I will refer to as the theistic belief claim because a theist is one who believes that this claim is true.
Atheism is nothing more than the absence of theistic belief. That is, an atheist is one who does not accept the theistic belief claim. Atheism is not a religion, a philosophy, a worldview, or anything similar. It is not the conviction that there are no gods, ghosts, angels, etc. It is simply a lack of belief that any sort of god(s) exist.
Some have attempted to derive subcategories of atheism (e.g., positive, strong, radical, etc.), but these are neither necessary nor particularly useful for understanding atheism. Atheism is nothing more than the lack of belief in a god or gods.
The importance of this definition is that it reminds us that the burden of proof rests solely on the theist. The theist is the one making the belief claim, and like any other belief claim, it is reasonable to expect evidence in support of such a claim. If the theist fails to make a reasonable case, atheism is the only sensible position. This is how knowledge works - the group advocating belief in something bears the burden of proof. Nobody expects you to prove that you do not have a fairy godmother, but if you claim that you do, we all (including theists) expect evidence. Belief without evidence is intellectually dishonest to say the least.
For more information see:
- Defining Atheism: The Advantage of Parsimony
- Atheism is Not a Religion, Philosophy, Ideology, or Belief System
Learn About Atheism
- Atheist Revolution
Atheist Revolution is a blog dedicated to breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism in America. - Squidoo Atheism Lens
This is a collection of information for persons wishing to learn more about atheism. - Ask the Atheists
Do you have questions for atheists? Ask them here. - What is Atheism Really All About?
Description of atheism and answers to common questions by Richard Carrier.
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- The Catholic War on Women
As we near the 2012 presidential election, continued economic progress means that we are almost certain to see Republicans push wedge issues (e.g., gay marriage, abortion, and President Obama's so-called war on religion). They had been planning to run on the economy, but if the economy appears to be moving in the right direction, they have nothing else but their wedge issues. So let's take a look at this war on religion Obama is allegedly waging. As part of reforming health care, the Obama administration is seeking to provide all women with access to affordable contraception. By removing the cost barrier, women would be more free than ever before to choose for themselves whether they will use contraception. Who could possibly have a problem with that? As it turns out, the Catholic Church is upset about this. You see, even though an overwhelming majority of Catholics in the U.S. use contraception, the Church still adheres to the Vatican position that birth control is essentially equivalent to abortion. And Republicans desperate for a wedge issue have taken up this cause to argue that Obama is waging war on religion. The Obama administration hopes to provide access to contraception by requiring employers to select health care plans that include contraceptive coverage, which most already do. The Catholic Church and many Republicans are up in arms about this because they claim that it requires employers to violate their conscience by providing health services with which they do not agree. It does not seem to matter what sort of exemptions the administration offers because Republicans think they have an effective wedge issue with which to attract moronic voters. I applaud the administration's plan to provide women with access to affordable contraception. This is about improving health care. If only the Catholic bishops would spend as much time working on the prevention of child rape as they do opposing contraception, they might be able to make a real difference. H/T to JobsangerSubscribe to Atheist RevolutionCopyright © 2012 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.
- Why Being an Atheist is Very Different From Not Believing in the Tooth Fairy
I occasionally hear from atheists who do not like the "atheist" label because it does not specify what is believed, only what is not believed. "I don't believe in unicorns or the tooth fairy," they say, "and I don't call myself an 'aunicornist' or identify myself as someone who doubts the tooth fairy." Right. Because these are equivalent. If I am feeling patient enough to attempt an explanation, I generally respond with something about how I will gladly spend as much time on unicorns and the tooth fairy when people who believe in them have a comparable influence as that wielded by the religious. Christopher Hitchens evidently encountered this objection enough that he chose to address it in the introductory chapter to The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever:True enough - but we do not have to emerge from a past when tooth fairies and Father Christmas (both rather recent inventions) held sway. The fans of the tooth fairy do not band on your door and try to convert you. They do not insist that their pseudo-science must be taught in schools. They do not condemn believers in rival tooth fairies to death and damnation. They do not say that all morality comes from tooth fairy ceremonies, and that without the tooth fairy there would be fornication in the streets and the abolition of private property. They do not say that the tooth fairy made the world, and that all of us must therefore bow the knee to the Big Brother tooth fairy. They do not say that the tooth fairy will order you to kill your sister if she is seen in public with a man who is not her brother.Subscribe to Atheist RevolutionCopyright © 2012 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.
- Christianity Relies on Indoctrination
I'd like you to join me in believing in some sort of entity I can't define or explain in a logically coherent manner. I know what you're thinking: If I can't explain it, how can I even know what it is that I'm claiming to believe? I believe because it makes me feel good to do so. You see, I have convinced myself that my belief will lead to eternal life in some sort of otherworldly paradise. And if you join me, you can have that too. But I don't just want you to believe with me; I want you to live your life differently because of our shared beliefs. That's right - I want you to give up things you enjoy and do things you don't particular enjoy in service to our shared beliefs. And most of all, I want you to join me in persuading others to share our belief. Does this sound sufficiently absurd yet? Is it any wonder that Christianity relies so heavily on a system of indoctrination and sociopolitical influence that has been perfected over the ages? Without that in place, it is difficult to imagine anyone without serious deficits in intellectual functioning going along with it. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Copyright © 2012 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.
- Obama: Pandering or Delusional?
In spite of multiple requests from the Freedom From Religion Foundation that he respect the Constitution he once taught in law school, President Obama participated in another National Prayer Breakfast. And the 2,562-word speech he gave suggests that he was not there as a passive observer but a full participant. One possibility is that we have a president who is blatantly pandering to evangelical fundamentalist Christians because he believes it is necessary for his re-election. Regardless of his personal beliefs, he may be doing what he sees as necessary for the sake of his political viability. Another possibility is that he sincerely believes what he said at this event and that he is afflicted with the same religious delusion that appears to grip much of the United States. Even if we think that one of these possibilities is more desirable than the other, I'd like to suggest that both are problematic. We all know that a U.S. president must at least pretend to be religious in order to maintain office. That is not the issue here. By participating in an event hosted by the infamously secretive Christian extremist group known as "The Family," President Obama has gone well beyond the sort of pretending that would be necessary. The Panderer-in-Chief Perhaps Obama doesn't believe much of what he said and is pandering. Of course, he's attended these prayer breakfasts before, pushed faith-based initiatives, and proclaimed his religion throughout his presidency, so it wouldn't be fair to say he's only doing this because of the 2012 election. But for the sake of argument, let's tell ourselves that he's been doing most of this primarily to hold onto office. Is that really a desirable state of affairs? Even if we pretend that Obama is an atheist (and I don't believe this for a second), I'm not sure how his actions here can be construed as anything other than harmful. Pandering or not, his participation lends credibility to this event. As a former law professor, he should know better. His involvement communicates that this sort of event, with its Christian extremist agenda, is not just legal but worth promoting. My point is this: even if Obama is pandering by attending this event, this sort of pandering is far from harmless. The Pastor-in-Chief I have encountered surprisingly few atheists who think that President Obama might actually believe most of what he says in speeches like this. Had I never heard of cognitive dissonance, this might surprise me. I happen to think that the atheists who insist Obama is really one of us are wrong, but I understand the appeal of believing this, especially for those on the political left. The possibility that Obama really believes this stuff suggests that he might be delusional, and that upsets many atheists. However, it certainly wouldn't be the first time we've had a delusional president. In my opinion, it is more likely that President Obama is another delusional president than it is that he's the first modern atheist president. Is it a problem if Obama actually believes much of this stuff? Absolutely! If he is being sincere when he claims that his Christian faith guides his policies, then this is cause for concern. We want reality-based policies, and all this faith-based stuff is going to make us nervous. Neither Option is Desirable If the question is whether we want to be led by a pandering liar or a delusional Christian, my answer would have to be "neither." We cannot trust either one to represent our interests. While I am perfectly fine with having a Christian president, I am not okay with having one who allows his or her faith to influence policy decisions. Subscribe to Atheist RevolutionCopyright © 2012 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.
- Secularism vs. Theocracy
Freedom vs. theocracy is appropriate for this image because today's Democratic Party is anything but secular. Instead of standing up for our secular democracy, many have adopted a path of pandering to the religious. For us, regardless of our political leanings, it is about secularism vs. theocracy. Here's how Adam Lee (Daylight Atheism) recently put it:It's secularism against theocracy, the free intellect against dogmatism, conscience against barbarity, the future against the past. Like it or not, it's one of the defining struggles of our time. And there are many decent, well-intentioned people who don't want to confront the full scope of the problem, who turn their gazes from it or try to paper it over with soothing platitudes. (Or worse, they claim that we, the people who are pointing out the problem, are the ones who started it all, and everything would be fine if we'd just be quieter and more respectful.)I encourage you to read Lee's entire post. It is one of those rare gems I plan to bookmark and re-read whenever I feel like giving up. Subscribe to Atheist RevolutionCopyright © 2012 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.
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Here are acouple of blogs in response to your "Call For Posts On Atheism." If you like these and are intested in more, please email me. Both of these blogs stimulated a lot of discussion so the comment section is worth checking out.
<a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog. Sam Harris and Paul Kurtz both get it wrong?</a>
<a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog. Of Dogma: The First Atheist Billboard</a>
My apologies, I just relized you wanted my above comment posted on your blog.
religion is good,how else would you keep weak minded people in line.think about it if they knew there was no god what reason would they have to be good.
atheism is a great topic for discussion.
if atheism is true, how do you define what's moral and what's not? also, if you're an atheist, than you believe in natural selection, survival of the fitest. that means if you kill someone, that just means you're more fit to live than the other person and eventually, the type of person that you killed will evolve away.
also, have you heard of pascal's wager? it's statistically better for you to believe in God than not.
David C, you have such old arguments, they have been refuted in every way possible. Thats why i am only gonna give you a short version.
Morality has nothing to do with religion. Why? Simple, as a herding type of animal, i have everything to gain by not hurnting you. If i dont hurt you, you dont hurt me and well, we can work as a team to survive.
Even so, if religion provided such perfect morals, why are there still murders?
Pascal's wager go's for xians two. Do you know how many gods there are, so how do you know you are whorshipping the right one? Pascal's wager is just a logical phalacy.
THE MEANING OF LIFE 1. THE PURPOSE OF MAN’S EXISTENCE Who we are? Why are we in this world? Where are we going? Have you ever asked yourself why this questions and what the meaning of the human life is? No matter what type of person you are or what your profession is, there are a few things which you, like most people, would agree with, that is: Money cannot satisfy man; neither can education satisfies man, nor can Pleasure do not satisfy man, Nor can success satisfy man. WHY? Because you have not yet realized:
2. GOD’S PLAN God has a plan. Which is to deposit his life into man his plan has everything to do with man? In the bible there are tree different words in Greek to designated the word “life”
1. Bios referring to the biological life our body 2. Psycho referring to the soul logical means study. The word Psychology means the study of the soul, emotions, mind and will. 3. There is another word for life that is Zoe the highest life. Whenever the bible speaks of eternal life speak of Zoe. In a Greek dictionary you will find the distinction. This is the reason why, Gods plan with the man he created, in first place is not to bring him to heaven, neither to save Him from hell. But to receive the life that was not created. God’s life. His plan with man is complete, from creation, while living in earth, and the future. This is the reason why God created man different than the rest of his creation
1. MAN HAS GOD’S IMAGE Please read the following verse: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness....”Genesis 1:26a God’s creation of man is different from His creation of all other things. He created man in His own image. A glove is created according to the likeness of a hand with the purpose of containing the hand.Likewise, man was created in the image of God with the purpose of containing God. 2. MAN IS A VESSEL Now read the next verse: God “should make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy...even us.”Romans 9:23-24 We are vessels of God. God wants to be our content. As bottles are made to contain water, we are made to contain God. It is no wonder that knowledge, wealth, pleasure, and accomplishment can never satisfy you, for you were created to contain God! 3. THE PARTS OF MAN Please continue by reading the next verse: “May your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete?”1 Thessalonians 5:23 Man is God’s vessel. The Bible divides this vessel into three parts—the spirit, the soul, and the body. See diagram below: The BODY is simply the physical body, belonging to the physiological level, contacting the things of the material realm, and is the most superficial part. The SOUL is the mental faculty, belonging to the psychological level, contacting the things of the mental realm, and is a deeper part. The SPIRIT is the deepest part of man, belonging to the spiritual level, and contacts the things of God. For problems of the body one may see a doctor. For problems of the mind one may visit a psychiatrist. Yet only God can solve the problems of the spirit.
4. THE MEANING OF LIFE God wants to enter into man’s spirit, to become his content and his satisfaction. This is the purpose of human existence! You are not merely created to contain food in your stomach, or to contain knowledge in your mind, but you are created to contain God in your spirit.
1. THE TWO NATURES OF MAN
Since man was made in the image of God, he possesses a good nature that matches God’s nature, with virtues such as truthfulness, goodness, loveliness, wisdom, kindness, and valor. However, there is also an evil nature in man which wars against his good nature. The Chinese met physicists refer to this war as a battle between reason and lust. Throughout history, both in the East and West, those who understand human nature acknowledge the existence of this evil nature which the Bible calls: 2. SIN
Because sin is in man, he is unable to carry out his good intentions.No one likes to be greedy, jealous, or murderous. No one likes to be boastful, arrogant, or deceitful. No one likes to be irritable, licentious, or lustful. No one likes to murmur, complain, or curse. Nevertheless, man cannot escape his evil nature. Please read the following verses: “For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but to do the good is not.”Romans 7:18 “But if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me.”Romans 7:20 This is a portrait of man.
3. THE FALL OF MAN Sin entered into man and caused him to fall. See diagram below: (1) Sin caused man’s spirit to be deadened: “And you, being dead in your offenses and sins.”Ephesians 2:1 (2) Sin caused man’s mind to rebel: “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by evil works.”Colossians 1:21 (3) Sin caused man’s body to sin: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to obey its lusts.”Romans 6:12 The fallen man is like: A damaged and untunable radio which cannot receive and play music, but rather meaningless noise. He is also like:A cup that has fallen into the gutter still having its original fine form but now covered with mud.
4. MAN CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF Throughout history, man has tried every possible way to escape sin, but he has found that: Good works cannot save him from sin. Education cannot save him from sin. Ethics cannot save him from sin. Chanting cannot save him from sin.Religion cannot save him from sin. This picture of man simply depicts the battle between his good nature and his evil nature.
1. WHO IS CHRIST? Christ is the Savior sent from God to the world to solve the problems of human life. He is the embodiment of the Triune God. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”Colossians 2:9 He is also God incarnated: “The Word was God...the Word became flesh and tabernacle among us...full of grace and reality.”John 1:1, 14 Therefore, He is both the complete God and the perfect man. See the following diagram: He is more than a good man! He is more than a great man! He is more than moral man! He is more than a holy man! He is the God-man!
2. THE DEATH OF THE GOD-MAN This God-man was nailed to the cross to accomplish the work of redemption. He died with three statuses: (1) As the Lamb of God, He died to take away man’s sin. “...the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”John 1:29 (2) As the brass serpent that had been lifted up, He died to crush the old serpent, Satan, and to deal with the serpent’s poison within man—his sinful nature. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”John 3:14 (3) As a grain of wheat, He died to release the divine life. “...a grain of wheat...dies, it bears much fruit.”John 12:24 NOW: His death has taken away the sin which man has but should not have!His death imparts into man the life which he needs but does not have!
1. THE TWO BECOMINGS OF CHRIST
God became flesh, born as a man called Jesus. Please read the following verse: “The Word became flesh and tabernacle among us.”John 1:14 The Lord became the Spirit called the life-giving Spirit by His resurrection from the dead. Read the following verse: “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.”1 Corinthians 15:45 Since this Spirit is the life-giving Spirit, He dispenses God with His life into His believers. Hence, the Bible says: “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”1 John 5:12
2. REGENERATING MAN In his first birth, man obtains a physical life. When man receives God’s life through Christ, he experiences a second birth, which the Bible calls regeneration. “God...has regenerated us...through the resurrection of Jes
Dear rafael: this is a hub on ATHEISM where you can post a comment whether you agree or not. It is not a place for you to write a 3 page dissertation on your level of understanding of "the lamb". If you want to learn more about why religion is obsolete, and yet another explanation of how the mind works and why we can do well enough without superstition, please read my hub: http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Kingdom-of-One.
I hope it will help you with your struggle. VJACK, keep up the great work, I am also an avid supporter of Pat Condell.
Thanks for this hub. I've been feeling a bit outnumbered in several discussions on this site. This is refreshing. It's nice to know there are other thinking minds out there. I've written a few hubs directly opposing the Christian faith. Check them out if you're interested.
Let God speak for himself. If he exist. I'm taking the first road that is credible whether it be evolution or whatever. Freedom before slavery.
There is no way a Christian will ever tolerate an atheist. Have you ever been to a church? Christian's are non excepting to non conformist who happen to be Christian's. Christian's would not get along with me very easy. God may exist and if he does that is good but Christian really suck. These Hubs are kind of lame with Christian's looking for some special attention acting knowledgeable about everything. I can't imagine a person can actually talk about God and be scientifically credible even if God does exist. God would not had made faith if he wanted you to prove something. That is what it is all about is faith,. God made faith not knowing mandatory. I have read thee bible a lot. Either in ecclesiastics or one of the books of Solomon it says.,"Be educated in nothing at all, but just trust in the Lord." Yes it is actually there I just can not reference it by the verse. So for true believers it's nothing more than a powerful God, not the original sin of knowledge.
I will make the following comments:
Evolution based on the scientific evidence should be a LAW not a THEORY when considering the standards of evaluation say for Newtons Laws.
I'm an atheist who's spent plenty of time in church and I've also never persecuted GOD's people does that make me a goat?
I am sick of listening to people who call themselves Christians without understanding Jesus' teachings - which admittedly have been adulterated by the 'church' over the years.
I'm bored (and scared) by the small mined people in this world.
Why does faith deserve respect?
Matt Sunderland 4 years ago
Nice definition! The term should be more inclusive; labeling people as "not real atheists" is silly. Though I'm not quite sure having the voluntary ability to distinguish yourself as a "strong atheist" is not useful.
It might be hard to capture this definition is a formal debate though, because the consequence is capturing the supperrogative, something usually only "agnostics" get.