What do atheists really believe?  Is atheism a religion?
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There are two types of atheist or two definitions. 1) a person with the belief that no deities exist.  2) a person with the absence of belief in deities.  \n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism#Positive_definition:_the_belief_that_no_deities_exist\n\nAtheism is not a religion itself, but there are non-theistic religions.  Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taosim, and certain sects of Hinduism are examples.\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism_and_religion
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According to Encarta dictionary,\n\nAn atheist is:\n\nAn "unbeliever in God or deities: Somebody who does not believe in God or deities."\n\nhumanism is:\n\n"1. [A] belief in human-based morality: a system of thought that is based on the values, characteristics, & behavior that are believed to be best in human beings, rather than on any supernatural authority.\n\n2. [A] concern for people: a concern with the needs, well-being, and interests of people.\n\n3. [A] Renaissance cultural movement." \n\n(I won't quote the entire meaning of this entry, as it is irrelevant to the discussion at hand!)\n\n\nA humanist is:\n\n"1. A believer in the principles of humanism.\n 2.One who's concerned with the interests & welfare of humans.\n\n3. a)A classical scholar.\n   b)A student of the liberal arts.\n\n4. A Renaissance scholar devoted to Humanism."\n\nA freethinker is:\n\n"Somebody who does not accept dogma: An independent thinker who refuses to accept established views or teachings, especially on religion."\n\n& finally, dogma is:\n\n"1. [A] religious belief: A belief or set of beliefs that a religion holds to be true.\n\n2. [A] group belief: A belief or set of beliefs that a political, philosophical, or moral group holds to be true."\n\nAccording to these definitions, an atheist can either be a humanist, a freethinker, or both -- but does not necessarily have to be one.\n\nA freethinker may not necessarily be an atheist. Just because a person is an independent thinker who rejects established religious views, doesn't necessarily mean they reject the existence of a supreme being, of God.\n\nA humanist may be a freethinker, but not necessarily. However, they are likely to be an atheist, since their system of morals does not depend on a supernatural being and the qualities and characteristics of such a deity.\n\nSo to sum up:\n\nAn atheist may be/can be a humanist, but not necessarily.\nAn atheist may be/can be a freethinker, but not necessarily.\n\nA humanist is reasonably expected to be an atheist.\nA humanist may be/can be a freethinker, but not necessarily.\n\nA freethinker is no more likely to be a humanist or an atheist than another person, one who is not a freethinker.\n\n\nI hope that helped. Good luck to you in all your endeavours. Take very good care and have yourself a most joyous day, every day.\n\n\nLove And Light\nCogano
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an atheist believes that there is no god:\ntheist: believes in god\na: prefix meaning "not"\n\nIt is not a good or bad thing; people can be good or bad seperate from religious beliefs.  Charls Manson believes in god, but that does not make him a good person, just like Archbishop Desmond Tutu DOES believe in god and IS a good person.  SOme of the kindest people I have met are atheists.\n\nJudge people by their actions to you and others, not by what others tell to to believe.
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Agnosticism is a philosophy about knowledge. An agnostic says that the question of the existence of a god is unknown and unknowable. \n\nAn atheist does not believe in a god or gods. They do not have to say, "There is no possible way that there's a god," they simply have to not believe there is.\n\nThey can lack a belief in a god or gods as well. Babies, for instance, have no belief until they are taught to believe. \n\nI am an agnostic atheist. I say, "that the question of the existence of a god is unknown and unknowable," but I also say, "Even so, I have no belief in a god or gods," reason being that just because you can't know whether something exists doesn't mean you have to believe in it. \n\nPossibility of existence does not = likelihood of existence.\n\nThere are people that call themselves agnostic, and that is their right. It is not for me to say what they are or how they think. But in my own journey, I find that you either believe or you don't. If you believe, you are a theist/deist/etc. If you do not believe, you are an atheist. You can be either and be agnostic too.
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atheism religion?? What an oxymoron!!   ;)
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An atheist does not believe in a higher power.  An agnostic isn't sure if there is one or not, and typically an agnostic doesn't go seeking for spirituality or answers to that question.
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There are a couple steps of atheism:  Mild atheism; where a person just doesn't believe in religion because there isn't any proof. If proof were offered, then they'd believe. Or perhaps they just think that there's too much to be known by people, which is technically called Agnostistism. \n\nThen there's true atheism, which denies the existance of everything non-tangable. When you die, you decay in the ground. Your soul disapears. And that's that.
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Atheists are just free thinkers who do not choose to believe in the specific constraints of organized religion.  Many are open to the idea that a god like creature or creatures could possibly exist.  They just find it very hard to believe that (for example) the Biblical description of the universe makes any sense.
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No.  All an atheist is saying is that they don't believe in God.  One could be an atheist and still not believe in science.
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God is an absolute component to Morality therefore atheism is a religion that worships themselves which is idolatry. They said that they are sinless and they would go to Heaven before Christian would which is a true sign of arrogance and pride in themselves which again is idolatry.
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dear ash,\n\nIf you say that you believe in a supreme being then technically you are not an atheist.\n\nTo be an Atheist means that one do not believe in the idea of a supreme being (God); hence, the word A-theist (A="without" theist="Theos" = "God")\n\nIf you say that you are not sure of God's existence, but still open with the idea of the supreme being then you are an Agnostic.\n\nIf you believe in God, then you are a "Theist"
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Atheist-A person who does not believe in a deity,deities or higher power.It's from the Greek word theos,which means god, and the 'a' preceeding it means without.
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Even atheists believe in God, as does satan.\n\nThis I believe; http://homelessheart.com/testimony.htm
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The dictionary definition for ATHEIST is a person that does not believe in God. That doesn't necessarily mean that all atheists believe in nothing. I'm an atheist & I believe in things that can give me evidential proof e.g. the prior existence of dinosaurs for example, but I do not believe in anything religious.
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There is no true religion, because all religions are founded on a set of beliefs that can not be proven to be facts. The basis of religion is lack of facts, which is why it religion's are hostile toward science, which is the system of discovering the truth behind things by finding the facts, through first seperating the opinions.\n\nI don't believe in any religion, because they rely on opinions, super heroes, and etc. I accept facts instead of fiction and use the logic of science to make opinions. Usually people of religion have a hard time making difficult decisions without help from uneducated and or bigotic priests, however men of scientific logic and reason can make decisions individually.
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Yes, belief that you don't believe is a belief.  Thinking that you don't think is a thought.  Herein is a logical fallacy of atheism...there is no one who believes in nothing, it is impossible to believe you don't believe!
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Be sure you understand the meaning of the term Atheist.  Atheists generally denouonce the existance of any type of superior diety.  I myself am Agnostic, I am comfortable with the idea that I'm not sure what happened, what will happen, why things are.  I tend to follow the current scientific theories (note the term theory).  Science is continually improving upon itself, realizing that very few things can be proven as fact.  Science often corrects previous assumptions of many things, a few hundred years ago, the world was flat, and the Earth was the center of the universe...tell someone that now and youll get looked at like you didnt make it through Kindergarten.  My opinion on the beginning of time, the "first" human and what not tends to follow the theroy of evolution as it can be demonstrated in everday life, however through out my travels toplaces that i would rather not have gone, I have fouond little evidence for an all powerful and caring god as I watched my friend burn alive while his wife, daughter, and future son were waiting his return home in less than one month.  Sorry.....those are some of my thoughts, I am not a violent man, and I live a very moral life, however, I don't believe in God....but on the same hand, I would be open to believe if I had ever seen any evidence of him/her, I firmly accept the fact that I don't know.