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What are some misconceptions about Atheism?
One misconception would be that Atheists are people of no faith. It takes just as much faith to deny the existence of a higher power as it does to acknowledge it. Not all atheists are "strong atheists" who deny the existence of god. Having said that, it does not take faith to deny the existence of unicorns, leprechauns, or the tooth fairy. The idea that you need faith to not believe in something is silly.
What is the atheism legend?
There is no atheism legend. Atheism is simply a non-belief in the existence of a deity.Some other groups have legends (or at least misconceptions) about atheism. Like all legends there is no truth in them. Examples are:That atheists are evilThat atheists are pro abortion/drugs/promiscuityThat atheism as a group has an organization and rules and goalsAtheism = Communism (or naziism, or socialism)That atheists conspire to do away with ChristmasThat atheists are in league with the devilThat atheists really want to be convertedThat atheists "miss" god (often stated as "They have a god shaped hole in their hearts.)That atheists "deny" godThat aatheists hate the religious peopleEdit to add: I don't know which 'other group' started it, if any really did, but it has been said that atheists eat (human) babies. This has been adopted by atheists, especially on atheist internet forums, as a running gag. So any Christians, Muslims, or whatever, browsing atheist forums should remember, we're only joking guys.
Is somebody only considered an atheist if they completely deny the existence of God and are not just someone who fears that there may be no God after all when they die?
Atheism is the lack of belief in god(s), period. Most atheists do not fear "that there may be no God." They don't consider it a reasonable possibility. While some atheists do, there is no philosophical or intellectual imperative to deny the existence of "God." Lack of belief is sufficient.
Is atheism a religon?
Atheism is the position of thought that there is no god. There is no code, belief system, secret handshake, uniform or the trappings of religion associated with it. As the saying goes - if baldness is a hair colour, then atheism is a religion.
What kind of problems do atheists have?
The main problem faced by atheists is the discrimination brought about by the mischaracterization of atheists and misconceptions about atheism promulgated from the pulpits of many religious groups. Believers are extremely uncomfortable with those who choose not to believe in the supernatural. Misconceptions have been spread from the pulpit for centuries that atheists have no morals and values, they deny religion so they can all be libertines and do as they please, and that they are all doomed to spend eternity in hell. Religion was born out of fear of the unknown and religionists fear those who don't share that fear. Moral behavior and values can be adopted without religion. They benefit the human community and don't need religion to teach nor prove their value. There are good and bad people in every group of humans, both believers and non-believers.
Who denies the existence of God?
In a general sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of God, or other supernatural deities, is known atheism. Individuals who advocate or follow this rejection of belief are known as atheists.Another PerspectiveThere is really no special name for people who "deny" the existence of God(s). I suppose you could call them god-deniers. An atheist is one who is without a belief in a god (a = without + theism = belief in a god = without belief in a god), as opposed to a theist- a person who does believe in a god. Atheists do not necessarily deny a god or reject a god. They simply do not believe that a supernatural creator controls human destiny. And, they do not dwell on the topic. As with any group there may be atheists with stronger or more extreme personal beliefs as there are theists with extreme personal beliefs.
What are the beliefs of atheists?
In the broadest sense, it is the absence of belief in the existence of deities. The term atheism originated from the Greek (atheos), which was derogativly applied to anyone thought to believe in false gods, no gods, or doctrines that stood in conflict with established religions. They are sceptical in religion and question many things.The broader, and more common, understanding of atheism among atheists is quite simply "not believing in any gods." No claims or denials are made - an atheist is just a person who does not happen to be a theist. Sometimes this broader understanding is called "weak" or "implicit" atheism. Most good, complete dictionaries readily support this.There also exists a narrower sort of atheism, sometimes called "strong" or "explicit" atheism. With this type, the atheist explicitly denies the existence of any gods - making a strong claim which will deserve support at some point. Some atheists do this and others may do this with regards to certain specific gods but not with others. Thus, a person may lack belief in one god, but deny the existence of another god.Answer:Atheists have no formalized set of positions except that they have no belief in the existence of god(s). Even this is applied by external parties. To ask what their beliefs are is similar to asking "What are the rules of not playing baseball"Subdividing atheists into strong, weak or other is generally done by theists who seem to have a need to explain the whys of someone who does not follow their world view. Among atheists discussions of religion are infrequent much like discussions among rational adults about what the monster under the bed is really like or what snacks Santa likes best. TWhile there is no atheist "Bible" of beliefs there are several common threads in most atheists' worldviews:there is no deity, heaven, hell, devil, salvation etc.science works and gives us the best available understanding of the Universepeople are moral without the threat of displeasing a deitylife is a wonderful thing, parrtly because it is so fleetingaltruism is a good thing, everybody winsthere are no miracles, just probabilitywhen you're dead, you're deadthey don't want you to try and "save" them
Does Neymar know that he is black?
Deep down he knows that he is black. He is a victim of mental slavery, so he wishes to deny his blackness - poor him!
The belief that it is impossible to know whether God exists?
Agnosticism is the belief that it is impossible to know whether God exists. Agnostics neither affirm nor deny the existence of a deity due to lack of evidence or the limitations of human knowledge. This stance contrasts with atheism, which denies the existence of God, and theism, which affirms belief in a deity.
Do atheists start believing in God when they are afraid to die?
It has been said that science is concerned with truth, politics with justice, and religion with hope. Atheists believe that they are realists and that death is final, with no hope of continuation of a spiritual life afterwards. Nevertheless, of the millions of atheists in the world, there would no doubt be some who, when faced with their final hours, choose to hope for an afterlife. Religion does offer comfort in times of need, and there is no reason to deny an atheist this comfort just because there is no objective evidence that this hope will be fulfilled.
Can a person who has genital herpes get a massage therapy license?
Yes! This is not a reason they would deny you a license. A reason for that would be mental capacity or criminal record.
How have beliefs and practices in Atheism changed over the years?
No, it doesn't have any beliefs to change. For a long time the word 'atheism' was used to accuse people of not believing in the local or approved gods. Socrates was accused of being an atheist for not believing in the gods of Athens. Christians were also called atheists by the believers in Rome before Christianity became the official religion. From the Enlightenment period (1700s) in Europe atheism took on the concept of rejecting all gods. Thinkers, like Baron d'Holbach and Jean Meslier, denied in writing the existence of all gods, particularly the Christian god. Today atheism includes two different but related beliefs - (1)the denial in the belief in god and (2) the rejection of the existence of god. Since the advent of Darwinian evolution and the massive changes it brought to the scientific community, atheists have found more mainstream acceptance of their beliefs. As Richard Dawkins puts it, this has made it possible to be an 'intellectually fulfilled atheist.' This does not change atheists premises or their beliefs, but has simply been used as a pillar supporting them. They would thus claim, and frequently do, to have a massive amount of scientific data which supports their system of belief. Atheists also point out the massive scientific consensus surrounding evolution, as if numbers somehow make their data correct. While the numbers are most certainly on their side, and the consensus, and the media generally, and the public school system as well, many people still do not share their beliefs. Others, some of whom are themselves atheists, question the scientific merit of a number of key evolutionary pillars. Nevertheless, they continue to remain committed to both, indicating the link between them and the importance which belief in evolution has come to play in modern day atheism. The two have thus become inextricably linked. In line with this belief system is the apparent necessity to suppress and deny, rather than scientifically investigate any alternative views or contradictory data. This is even so within 'scientific atheism' itself where critics of the Big Bang, although growing in number due to increased data against it, have in the past remained silent lest they suffer discrimination. Even the late Stephen J. Gould raised his eyebrows at the denial of the Nobel Prize for Medicine to Dr. Damadian, its undoubted inventor and patent holder. This, as Gould himself no doubt perceived because of Damadian's open creationist views. Apart from the Big Bang dissenters, much contradictory data, and many serious unsolved problems remain, atheism continues to enjoy the support it finds in the modern scientific consensus.
