Understanding the Beliefs of Non-Believers
By LarryD
Assume someone has just called you an atheist. What is it that they have just said, but not spoken?
Immoral, satanic, evil, foul, and untrustworthy are just a few of the connotations attached to such a simple word. Fully fifty-two percent of respondents to a Pew Forum and Pew Research Center survey last July indicated that they would not vote for a well-qualified atheist presidential candidate –- this compared to thirty-eight percent saying they would not vote for a well-qualified Muslim presidential candidate. George Bush senior stated that atheists should not be considered as citizens or patriots. The Boy Scouts of America also say that you cannot be a good citizen if you are an atheist.
These negative attributes aside, atheists are often asked what it is they have to live for, where they turn to in times of crisis, why they hate god, how they can maintain a relationship, and to prove that there is no god.
It is my goal to address these questions, to provide a working definition of atheism, and to share my own story of becoming an atheist and what it has meant in my life. It is also my underlying goal to encourage everyone to critically examine their beliefs –- not in an effort to change them, but to constantly re-validate the assumptions and information on which those beliefs have been built.
Just as important as what my goals are, however, is what my goals are not. I have no agenda to convert anyone to atheism. And, while I certainly have some interest in politics and how it relates to atheism, that is not a topic I wish to broach in this discussion.
So… just what exactly is an atheist? Before answering that question, it is useful to define theism. Theism is the belief in a god or gods. Atheism, therefore, becomes without belief in a god or gods. This would seem pretty simple. However, many dictionaries incorrectly list the definition as "a disbelief or denial of god or gods." Although small, the distinction is important. Where the first definition simply means that the atheist does not believe in a god or gods, the second definition implies that the atheist simply refuses to believe what is implied to otherwise exist. While the definition is most commonly debated between theists and atheists, there are plenty of atheists who also debate the definition. This is most commonly the result of introducing the concept of agnosticism.
An agnostic is one who does not feel there is sufficient information to make a determination on whether god exists. Many people will not call themselves atheists, but will readily state that they are agnostic. When one considers the negative connotations attached to atheist and the fact that agnostics usually do not receive the same labeling, it become clear why this is desirable to some people.
For my purposes, one can be an atheist and an agnostic at the same time. It is not unreasonable for one to not have a belief in god and state that there is inconclusive evidence. Likewise, there could be an agnostic theist. I am an agnostic atheist. Despite the claims of some, I am not a Satanist. I do not believe in that god either.
Likewise, I do not hate god. It would be quite a foolish waste of my time and energy to have an emotional investment in an entity that I do not believe exists.
Atheism is often defined as a belief system. Atheism is not a belief system; it follows no given rules. Nor is it a religion. Atheism may be part of one’s religious beliefs, but atheism itself is not a belief or religion. Religious belief does not require a god and roughly one out of three religions is atheistic in nature; such as Buddhism.
Because the only defining attribute of atheists is their lack of belief in one or more gods, it is very difficult to get an accurate count of how many atheists there are. Further complicating the issue is that there are other labels frequently used – humanist, secularist, rationalist, and realist are just a few. These issues aside, most studies estimate that roughly 14% of the population is atheist (not counting atheistic religions). Several church studies have indicated that this figure is probably too low, as it is estimated that 7% of all church-goers are non-believers and simply attend church for appearances. I personally also like to point out, when debating a theist, that all children are born atheist.
A well known Catholic once said “Secular schools can never be tolerated because such a school has no religious instruction and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith ... We need believing people.” -- Adolph Hitler
It is clear that theism is no guarantee of moral character. And, one needs only to look at the cover of today’s order of service to see that theism is not a pre-requisite for moral character. In 1999, the Barna Research Group (an explicitly Christian organization) conducted a poll of Americans in an attempt to show that religious faith reduces the likelihood of divorce. Barna did not get the results they expected or desired. Christian divorce rates averaged about 24% and fundamentalists averaging even higher at 27%. It turned out atheists had the lowest average divorce rate at just 21%. Similar studies on crime and prison populations consistently show that fewer atheists proportionally commit crimes and are in prison.
If you will humor me, I would now like to talk a little bit about my personal experience with theism and why I am an atheist today. When I was young I received a book of bible stories for Christmas. I read this book and found the stories it presented to be fascinating. My family only occasionally attended the Lutheran church, but I went when I could and began reading the bible. Because I grew up in a very dysfunctional family I was faced with a lot of challenges as a child that children are not supposed to be faced with. Being quite young, I decided my only option was to turn to god. I knew that my mom believed in god and if she did, then I should. It was also the only acceptable option since I grew up in the Bible belt.
I prayed frequently for help to get through situations. Although I never received any tangible help, I continued to remain extremely faithful. There were several time periods when I was suicidal. Ironically, it was not my religion and faith that stopped me, but rather my concern for what it would do to my mom and not knowing how to guarantee that I would be successful.
In high school I had limited success with dating and then Stephanie entered my life. For once I felt that my faith had been rewarded and this was further supported when Stephanie and I got married. I never dreamed at that time that I would become an atheist.
Around the same time that I met Stephanie, a number of events began occurring which culminated in my losing my faith. I heard a song at a friend’s house which really troubled me. The song, Blasphemous Rumors by Depeche Mode, took god to task for sustaining the life of a drug addict until she got sober and then was killed in a freak accident. While I did not appreciate the song at the time, it made a lasting impression.
It was also around this time that I began really honing my critical thinking skills and moved significantly away from my parents’ influence. As time passed I began questioning much of the bible, events taking place in the world, and clear hypocrisy in the churches.
Stephanie and I had to try for five years before we were able to have our first child, Adele. During this time Susan Smith drowned her babies because she didn’t want them any more. Also around this time Stephanie was stricken with Psoriatic Arthritis which at times left her wheelchair bound and permanently disfigured.
My faith was now completely destroyed, as was Stephanie’s. However, I still clung to what I now know as Pascal’s Wager. Pascal’s wager proposes that one should believe in god because you get all of the rewards if you’re right and none of the penalties if you’re wrong. Of course, Pascal’s wager is flawed, in that it does not tell you which god you are supposed to believe in –- Zeus, Mithras, Allah, Jesus Christ, Osiris, Jupiter, mother earth, mother goose, or any number of other possibilities.
Stephanie was actually the first to voice the fact that she no longer believed in god. With that, I stepped across the line and emphatically quit believing. Oddly enough, I still have not been struck by lightning or otherwise punished for that action.
Where I once lived with little to live for and only because I didn’t know how to die, I now live because I have so much to live for. I have a wife with whom I will have been married for 15 years this December and with whom I intend to spend the rest of my life. I have two beautiful children, both without a god’s blessing, who bring me unimagined joy on a regular basis. I have the liberation of knowing that the actions I take will not be judged by a god when I die, but will be judged through all time by the mark I leave on the Earth while alive. In times of crisis I do not turn to my imaginary friend and waste precious time that could be used finding a solution. Instead, I turn to myself, to my family, and to my friends and know that if there is an answer, we will find it.
I do not seek to prove that there is not a god. I have sufficient evidence for my part to not believe there is one. Although I will always remain open to new evidence, it is incumbent on those making the claim of god’s existence to provide tangible proof of such. I will no more try to prove a god’s non-existence than I would expect you to prove that I don’t have live invisible purple unicorns in my basement.
My beliefs as an atheist continue to evolve as I have new experiences and new information with which to evaluate those beliefs. I am becoming a more publicly open atheist and activist for related issues. This has not happened overnight. It has happened after a lot of personal searching and research over the course of many years. I am now at a stage where I wish to form a local group of people interested in learning and sharing more on the subject and issues.
I will leave you with a quote I found on the internet a couple years ago which I found to be quite profound then and still today. The quote is from another internet user and atheist by the name of Stephen Roberts.
“I contend that we are both atheists; I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Discuss this article here.
By LarryD
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Immoral, satanic, evil, foul, and untrustworthy are just a few of the connotations attached to such a simple word. Fully fifty-two percent of respondents to a Pew Forum and Pew Research Center survey last July indicated that they would not vote for a well-qualified atheist presidential candidate –- this compared to thirty-eight percent saying they would not vote for a well-qualified Muslim presidential candidate. George Bush senior stated that atheists should not be considered as citizens or patriots. The Boy Scouts of America also say that you cannot be a good citizen if you are an atheist.
These negative attributes aside, atheists are often asked what it is they have to live for, where they turn to in times of crisis, why they hate god, how they can maintain a relationship, and to prove that there is no god.
It is my goal to address these questions, to provide a working definition of atheism, and to share my own story of becoming an atheist and what it has meant in my life. It is also my underlying goal to encourage everyone to critically examine their beliefs –- not in an effort to change them, but to constantly re-validate the assumptions and information on which those beliefs have been built.
Just as important as what my goals are, however, is what my goals are not. I have no agenda to convert anyone to atheism. And, while I certainly have some interest in politics and how it relates to atheism, that is not a topic I wish to broach in this discussion.
So… just what exactly is an atheist? Before answering that question, it is useful to define theism. Theism is the belief in a god or gods. Atheism, therefore, becomes without belief in a god or gods. This would seem pretty simple. However, many dictionaries incorrectly list the definition as "a disbelief or denial of god or gods." Although small, the distinction is important. Where the first definition simply means that the atheist does not believe in a god or gods, the second definition implies that the atheist simply refuses to believe what is implied to otherwise exist. While the definition is most commonly debated between theists and atheists, there are plenty of atheists who also debate the definition. This is most commonly the result of introducing the concept of agnosticism.
An agnostic is one who does not feel there is sufficient information to make a determination on whether god exists. Many people will not call themselves atheists, but will readily state that they are agnostic. When one considers the negative connotations attached to atheist and the fact that agnostics usually do not receive the same labeling, it become clear why this is desirable to some people.
For my purposes, one can be an atheist and an agnostic at the same time. It is not unreasonable for one to not have a belief in god and state that there is inconclusive evidence. Likewise, there could be an agnostic theist. I am an agnostic atheist. Despite the claims of some, I am not a Satanist. I do not believe in that god either.
Likewise, I do not hate god. It would be quite a foolish waste of my time and energy to have an emotional investment in an entity that I do not believe exists.
Atheism is often defined as a belief system. Atheism is not a belief system; it follows no given rules. Nor is it a religion. Atheism may be part of one’s religious beliefs, but atheism itself is not a belief or religion. Religious belief does not require a god and roughly one out of three religions is atheistic in nature; such as Buddhism.
Because the only defining attribute of atheists is their lack of belief in one or more gods, it is very difficult to get an accurate count of how many atheists there are. Further complicating the issue is that there are other labels frequently used – humanist, secularist, rationalist, and realist are just a few. These issues aside, most studies estimate that roughly 14% of the population is atheist (not counting atheistic religions). Several church studies have indicated that this figure is probably too low, as it is estimated that 7% of all church-goers are non-believers and simply attend church for appearances. I personally also like to point out, when debating a theist, that all children are born atheist.
A well known Catholic once said “Secular schools can never be tolerated because such a school has no religious instruction and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith ... We need believing people.” -- Adolph Hitler
It is clear that theism is no guarantee of moral character. And, one needs only to look at the cover of today’s order of service to see that theism is not a pre-requisite for moral character. In 1999, the Barna Research Group (an explicitly Christian organization) conducted a poll of Americans in an attempt to show that religious faith reduces the likelihood of divorce. Barna did not get the results they expected or desired. Christian divorce rates averaged about 24% and fundamentalists averaging even higher at 27%. It turned out atheists had the lowest average divorce rate at just 21%. Similar studies on crime and prison populations consistently show that fewer atheists proportionally commit crimes and are in prison.
If you will humor me, I would now like to talk a little bit about my personal experience with theism and why I am an atheist today. When I was young I received a book of bible stories for Christmas. I read this book and found the stories it presented to be fascinating. My family only occasionally attended the Lutheran church, but I went when I could and began reading the bible. Because I grew up in a very dysfunctional family I was faced with a lot of challenges as a child that children are not supposed to be faced with. Being quite young, I decided my only option was to turn to god. I knew that my mom believed in god and if she did, then I should. It was also the only acceptable option since I grew up in the Bible belt.
I prayed frequently for help to get through situations. Although I never received any tangible help, I continued to remain extremely faithful. There were several time periods when I was suicidal. Ironically, it was not my religion and faith that stopped me, but rather my concern for what it would do to my mom and not knowing how to guarantee that I would be successful.
In high school I had limited success with dating and then Stephanie entered my life. For once I felt that my faith had been rewarded and this was further supported when Stephanie and I got married. I never dreamed at that time that I would become an atheist.
Around the same time that I met Stephanie, a number of events began occurring which culminated in my losing my faith. I heard a song at a friend’s house which really troubled me. The song, Blasphemous Rumors by Depeche Mode, took god to task for sustaining the life of a drug addict until she got sober and then was killed in a freak accident. While I did not appreciate the song at the time, it made a lasting impression.
It was also around this time that I began really honing my critical thinking skills and moved significantly away from my parents’ influence. As time passed I began questioning much of the bible, events taking place in the world, and clear hypocrisy in the churches.
Stephanie and I had to try for five years before we were able to have our first child, Adele. During this time Susan Smith drowned her babies because she didn’t want them any more. Also around this time Stephanie was stricken with Psoriatic Arthritis which at times left her wheelchair bound and permanently disfigured.
My faith was now completely destroyed, as was Stephanie’s. However, I still clung to what I now know as Pascal’s Wager. Pascal’s wager proposes that one should believe in god because you get all of the rewards if you’re right and none of the penalties if you’re wrong. Of course, Pascal’s wager is flawed, in that it does not tell you which god you are supposed to believe in –- Zeus, Mithras, Allah, Jesus Christ, Osiris, Jupiter, mother earth, mother goose, or any number of other possibilities.
Stephanie was actually the first to voice the fact that she no longer believed in god. With that, I stepped across the line and emphatically quit believing. Oddly enough, I still have not been struck by lightning or otherwise punished for that action.
Where I once lived with little to live for and only because I didn’t know how to die, I now live because I have so much to live for. I have a wife with whom I will have been married for 15 years this December and with whom I intend to spend the rest of my life. I have two beautiful children, both without a god’s blessing, who bring me unimagined joy on a regular basis. I have the liberation of knowing that the actions I take will not be judged by a god when I die, but will be judged through all time by the mark I leave on the Earth while alive. In times of crisis I do not turn to my imaginary friend and waste precious time that could be used finding a solution. Instead, I turn to myself, to my family, and to my friends and know that if there is an answer, we will find it.
I do not seek to prove that there is not a god. I have sufficient evidence for my part to not believe there is one. Although I will always remain open to new evidence, it is incumbent on those making the claim of god’s existence to provide tangible proof of such. I will no more try to prove a god’s non-existence than I would expect you to prove that I don’t have live invisible purple unicorns in my basement.
My beliefs as an atheist continue to evolve as I have new experiences and new information with which to evaluate those beliefs. I am becoming a more publicly open atheist and activist for related issues. This has not happened overnight. It has happened after a lot of personal searching and research over the course of many years. I am now at a stage where I wish to form a local group of people interested in learning and sharing more on the subject and issues.
I will leave you with a quote I found on the internet a couple years ago which I found to be quite profound then and still today. The quote is from another internet user and atheist by the name of Stephen Roberts.
“I contend that we are both atheists; I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Discuss this article here.
August 24, 2003