Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived. -- Isaac Asimov

Atheism is perhaps the most misunderstood philosophical position a person can hold. To most people, atheism is simply the denial of the existence of a god, supreme being, higher power, etc. However, a closer look reveals how inadequate this definition really is. Like we are told in Psalm 14:1, "The fool saith in his heart, 'There is no God.'" No knowledgeable atheist would ever make such a declaration simply because it remains unproved. In the following statement atheism is correctly defined and objectively explained.

To say that someone is "a Christian," provides a great deal of information about that person. First, he/she is a particular kind of theist, a follower of Jesus and the teachings of the New Testament. We can get a general idea of what he/she believes by reading those scriptures. The depth of their commitment can be evaluated by determining how closely they follow the doctrines of their professed faith. For atheists, however, there is as yet no such standard. As a result, the atheist often finds himself or herself in the awkward position of having the theists define their belief system. In such cases atheism is never shown in a positive light.

Atheism is a word created by the joining of two different words, "a," meaning without, and "theism," meaning belief in the existence of a god, higher power, or supreme being. Put them together and you have "atheism." Atheism is therefore properly defined, not as a belief, but as the absence of a belief. When one finds the arguments offered in support of the existence of a god, supreme being, higher power, etc. unconvincing, atheism is the only alternative.

Atheism, in its broader meaning, can be subdivided into three separate categories, implicit atheism, emotional atheism, and rational atheism¹. Implicit atheism refers to an absence of theistic belief without a conscious rejection of it. For example, a child not yet mature enough to understand theistic concepts has no belief in a god and is therefore an implicit atheist. Emotional atheism is the conscious rejection of god usually on irrational grounds. To reject god as an act of rebellion against oppressive believing parents, sexual molestation by a clergyperson, or a similar traumatic experience is to practice emotional atheism. In such cases atheism is taken a priori without an objective evaluation of the evidence. However, the rejection of god resulting from a thorough and objective evaluation of the evidence is rational atheism. The rational atheist might say, "I’m not a devotee of reason because I’m an atheist; rather, I’m an atheist because I’m a devotee of reason."

Atheism deals with only one thing: the existence of a supreme being, i.e., god. It says nothing about religion or ideology, nothing about morals, values or ethics. It possesses neither creed nor agenda. Atheism is not necessarily an anti-religion position because some religions, such as Buddhism, do not proceed from a theistic basis. There is no set of morals and values inherent to atheism. Each atheist must build and adapt his or her own value system from experience and rational reflection.

The rational atheist is not dogmatic but skeptical. In that regard, he or she might say, "I am skeptical as to the existence of god, but I remain open to the idea." What would it take to convince an atheist that a god exists? First, an atheist would accept the data of sense perception, known as empirical evidence, provided these data were such that they could be objectively substantiated and falsified. Second, the data must be such that they could be experienced by another individual under similar circumstances. Third, an atheist would accept compelling argumentation that is logical and consistent, does not contradict either itself or our knowledge of the universe, and, where appropriate, can withstand the cutting edge of Occam's Razor²

The rational atheist subscribes to a naturalistic world view as opposed to the super-naturalistic world view of theists. Atheists affirm a system of ethics rooted in the world of experience, objectivity and rationality. As opposed to theists, atheists have the courage to face reality and to deal with it in a positive and constructive manner. Atheism's outreach is world wide transcending cultural, racial, political and geographic boundaries.  

Atheism can defend itself intellectually against any majority of the credulous and is often compelled to do so. In that regard, atheism has no resemblance to a faith or a religion, let alone to a church. Atheists tend to be mostly independent, freethinking people in need of no reassurance that we are all of one mind or one body. Any informed thinking person can accept its conclusions independently, without the aid of a catechism, a statement of creed, a collection of holy scripture or a cadre of clergy to instruct the naive as to what and how to think. Rational atheism derives from informed, well reasoned conclusions requiring no rituals of reinforcement such as those necessitated by a belief in the supernatural. Our state of mind needs no priesthood or pastorate, no congregation, no monuments or grand edifices. Leave that to the weak-willed and the insecure. Atheists should not sink to the standard of rigor so adamantly set by the faithful.

Every American has a right to be an atheist, but rights without respect
and recognition can be a lonely way to live. If there is a god, his
glory is not diminished by doubt or embracing doubters. In a wild and
bewildering world, it can take courage to be an atheist. Atheists do not
want a dog-eat-dog world. They just don't believe that a supreme being
has made it so or can make it gentler. They believe that people must
strive to build that world themselves

Atheists can be found in all walks of life, but rational atheism is more likely to be found among persons of a higher educational attainment and intelligence quotient (IQ)³. Notable among rational atheists are Isaac Asimov, Charles R. Darwin, Sigmund Freud, Bertrand Russell, Luther Burbank, Thomas A. Edison, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), George B. Shaw, Jack Nicholson, Butterfly McQueen, Albert Camus, Steve Allen, Jean-Paul Sartre, John Malkovich, and Oliver Stone, just to name a few. Atheists have shown themselves to be vital, energetic, and achieving people, just as happy and productive as anyone else. From the moment we cast off the pall of superstition, we begin to accept ourselves and the universe as we really are. We can move on to realizing that morality and ethics are human creations – cultural expressions of genetically inherited behaviors. We can also learn to accept our feelings and desires as natural, not as evil.

In the words of Horacio Hanson⁴, "Humanity, by facing facts squarely, honestly and courageously and detecting and rejecting fallacies in logic, will eventually outgrow its childish need for guidance and support from self appointed human representatives claiming, without proof or credentials, to have the ear of an unseen, supposedly all-powerful, all-knowing ever-threatening but unreliable father figure, i. e., God, and will cease to depend on religion to explain life and the physical world. The last few stragglers will be quickly wiped out by the force of sheer ridicule."

I close with a quote from the late, great Bertrand Russell⁵, “We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world-its good facts, its bad facts, its beauties, and its ugliness; see the world as it is and be not afraid of it. Conquer the world by intelligence and not merely by being slavishly subdued by the terror that comes from it. The whole conception of God is a conception derived from the ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men. When you hear people in church debasing themselves and saying that they are miserable sinners, and all the rest of it, it seems contemptible and not worthy of self-respecting human beings. We ought to stand up and look the world frankly in the face. We ought to make the best we can of the world, and if it is not so good as we wish, after all it will still be better than what these others have made of it in all these ages. A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men. It needs a fearless outlook and a free intelligence. It needs hope for the future, not looking back all the time toward a past that is dead, which we trust will be far surpassed by the future that our intelligence can create.”

So, give yourself an atheist's permission to be happy with the only life you will ever have.

2 William of Occam, (also spelled Oakham) a fourteenth century English philosopher, teacher, and theologian, observed that one should never multiply explanations or increase their complexity beyond necessity. This concept is also known as the Principle of Parsimony.

3 Los Angeles Times dispatch, 10-29-70, cited by Miles Abelard, Physicians of no Value, Reality Publications, 1979, pg.97-130.

4 Hanson, Horacio, There Is No Creator - Religion is a Fraud, RoseDog Books,  2004, pg 110.

5 Russell, Bertrand; Why I Am Not A Christian, Touchstone Books, 1957, pg. 23.