The Atheist Blogger

I wrote this paper for an English class defining the term “atheism” and figured it would be appropriate here.

Atheism: Belief in Nature and Humanity

I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

said George H.W. Bush to a reporter in 1998 (O’Hair). Although the veracity of this quote is somewhat in doubt, this quote illustrates the view held by many about atheists and the importance of addressing the issue.  Largely misunderstood, atheists are often happy, joyful people who live fulfilled, moral, humanitarian lives.  Unfortunately however, it seems that few in American society really understand what it means to be atheist.  Some people believe that atheism is actually an anti-religious position, and some would go as far as to say that atheists hate god or even America.  George Smith comments on the situation, noting that

The atheist is pitted against morality itself, and the struggle between belief in a god and godlessness is viewed as a struggle between good and evil.

Others believe that atheism is a misnomer and that atheists should correctly call themselves agnostics.  The truth is that atheism is the absence of a belief in the supernatural or the rejection of the notion of using a deity to explain natural phenomenon.  More specifically, atheism is the belief that all observations ever made by man have a natural cause and will ultimately be explained by scientific principles.  Atheism is not the same as agnosticism and is not an anti-religious persuasion, but rather a belief in humanity and our ability to ultimately understand our universe.  By understanding the real meaning of the terms “atheist” or “atheism,” one is better equipped to engage in meaningful discourse with atheists and to deal with any prejudices one might have toward those of different belief systems.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines atheist as simply:

One who denies or disbelieves the existence of a God. (OED)

Definitions such as this one which contain the word deny purvey the untruth that atheists fervently deny the existence of god, that they take an active stance against religion.  This misapprehension is, in large part, due to definitions like the one from the Oxford English Dictionary. Because atheism is so misunderstood, many Evangelical and Catholic Christians have a rather contorted view of what one means when one calls him/herself atheist.  These confused Christians believe that atheists deny the existence of god outright and often assert that since one cannot prove that something does not exist, atheists should really call themselves agnostics.  Agnosticism differs from atheism in that agnostics are open to supernatural explanations for things.  Agnostics do not accept a belief in god, but they do not rule it out as an explanation.  They consider it an alternative, and when asked if they believe in god, they say they are not sure.  Atheists, when asked, will give an emphatic “no.”The etymology of the terms “atheist” and “atheism” can help understand the nuances of meaning as they are used by atheists themselves.  The term “atheist” comes from the Greek word “theos” meaning “god” and the prefix “a” meaning “without.”  Quite literally, it means “without god.”   George Smith hones the meaning of atheism by first stating that “theism” is the “belief in a god or gods.”(Smith 7).  He then goes on to state that

Atheism, therefore, is the absence of theistic belief.

When one calls him/herself an atheist, a lack of belief in any sort of deity or supernatural entity is implied.  There is a subtlety here which must be recognized.  Atheists in general do not explicitly deny the existence of a god.  An atheist simply reacts to the statement “there is a god” in much the same way that a sane, Western European would react to the statement “there are green fairies living in my attic”; that is, an atheist expresses honest disbelief in the proposition without feeling the need to offer an argument to the contrary.  This simplistic explanation reveals much of the essence of atheism; however, it is not complete.

To further refine the idea that atheism is the lack of belief in supernatural phenomena, one must consider the definition of supernatural.  The prefix “super” normally means above or beyond, naturally implying that supernatural means above nature.  The adjective supernatural is explained as meaning that the thing described is “attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.”(OED).  This definition clearly elaborates what atheists do not believe in, namely manifestations or events that cannot be attributed to some scientific understanding of the laws of nature.  In specifying what atheists do not believe, the definition adds clarification to what atheists do believe in: nature, and the proposition that all observed phenomena will ultimately be explicable in terms of scientific theory.  To use the green fairy example again, when an atheist is confronted with the proposition that there are green fairies in the attic, he or she will immediately assume that if the proponent is not schizophrenic that there is some sort of green image or animal in the attic which is being perceived as a fairy when it is in fact a natural occurrence.  Rather than simply dismissing the claim, an atheist believes that there is really an explanation for what has been observed.  Miracles and other events attributed to the actions of a deity are assumed to be either fabrications or natural phenomena which were not understood by the observers.  Atheists stand in stark contrast to agnostics who believe that such phenomena may truly be incomprehensible.

I was born into a fundamentalist Baptist family.  I was raised as a “preacher’s kid” and was a firm believer in Christianity.  When I was 18 years old, I came to the realization that religion in general was based on fallacy and at this time I became an atheist.  I have had moments of depression, thinking that what we do on earth doesn’t matter since we are just going to die anyway but, as time goes on, I have come to appreciate life so much more than as a Christian.  My life has more significance and more meaning because I now live in the present rather than being concerned with “eternity.”  I live for my fellow man, not for some vaguely defined deity.  I derive joy from relationships with people, not with an imaginary friend.  I am a warm, friendly, engaging individual because I believe that all we humans have is ourselves, and that we have to work together to survive, thrive, and leave something behind for future generations.

Atheism is not the cold, dark philosophy giving way to existentialism that many think it to be.  It is not the outright denial of the existence of the supernatural or animosity toward religion.  Atheism has brought meaning and joy to many people, including former Christians such as myself.  Although the dictionary definition seems simple and unequivocal, atheism means so much more than just a lack of belief.  More than just the inability to accept supernatural explanations, atheists believe in nature and our ability to ultimately understand and harness nature to bring peace to the earth and alleviate suffering.  To those who espouse reason over dogma, atheism leads to an entire worldview involving a belief in humanity and progress.  We believe that we can understand our universe and that what we do is infinitely significant because we are laying the foundation for a future generation.

O’Hair, Madalyn.  “Can George Bush, with impunity, state that atheists should not be considered either citizens or patriots?  “The History of the Issue” Positive Atheism  American Atheist Veterans. 12 March 2008 <http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/ghwbush.htm>.

Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2nd ed. 1989. Shatford Library, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA. <http://dictionary.oed.com >

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