What do atheists really believe?

This is an editorial I wrote and was published in The San Diego Union Tribune in April '98.


What do atheists really believe? | Thinking, researching and analyzing are important

MindPilot
PILOT is a member of the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, The Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

03-Apr-1998 Friday

In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling affirming the Boy Scouts' right
to exclude atheists and gays, it seems more popular than ever to deride
those who don't worship mythical deities.

The scorn ranges from simple stereotypical ignorance: "atheists believe in
nothing" to outright expatriation, as when George Bush announced, "I don't
believe atheists are patriots nor can they be considered citizens." And
always, our character is questioned. "Without God," goes the mantra, "there
are no morals."

It is generally assumed one is ethically challenged without the help of the
big guy in the sky and his 5,000-year-old book. Indeed, as the recent
religious fervor surrounding Karla Faye Tucker demonstrated, a convicted
murderer clutching a Bible receives far more public veneration than does
the most incorruptible atheist.

It's pretty obvious that atheists don't believe in gods, devils, angels,
after-lives, reincarnations, miracles, resurrections or anything else that
would have to violate natural laws to occur. So I'd like to explain what we
do believe. But first, a word about what we're not.

We're not Communists or Nazis. Calling us Nazis is an insult borne of
incredible ignorance. Hitler, aided and abetted -- according to some
historical works -- by the Vatican, clearly believed he was doing God's
work. Accusing us of being Communist is just a logical fallacy: If all
Communists are atheists, then all atheists must be Communists, right?
Wrong. Western history since World War II has taught that atheism is the
root cause of totalitarianism. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Although atheists' politics run the entire spectrum from far left to hard
right, if there is one common trait we all share, it is that we are all
fiercely protective of our rights and freedoms.

We're not unbelieving fools. While it's true we don't believe what many
people simply accept as reality, none of us arrived at that position by
being foolish. We got there by thinking. Thinking, researching and
analyzing are important to atheists; most of us are pretty smart.

We're not Satanists or witches. The devils, demons and dark forces so
feared by religionists don't exist any more than do the gods who supposedly
created them.

So what does an atheist believe?

Atheist philosophy is beautifully simple: Be nice to each other. Now a
religious person might respond with, "That's what Jesus taught." Well, yes,
but this idea predates Jesus by tens of thousands of years. You see, humans
are social animals, and when we take care of each other and behave
ethically, society flourishes; the species perpetuates. These behaviors
have been noted in other primate societies, so the social standard of
caring existed long before any human.

Atheists understand that we are now in the unique position of being able to
engineer our own evolution. We are charitable. Atheists give time and money
to help the poor; we donate blood; we work at homeless shelters. We do this
not for some future reward, but because these things improve our present
world. The goal of every atheist is to leave the world a better place.

We believe science has all the answers; we just don't have all the science.
Science is our tool to make sense of the universe. It allows us to
understand and manipulate natural laws. Science is the freedom to question;
the highest honors in science are reserved for those who disprove the most
revered ideas.

We believe technology can improve the human condition. Undeniably it has.
From indoor plumbing to space travel to organ transplants, technology has
made us happier, healthier and smarter than ever before.

We believe in freedom. And rights. Big time. Every individual has a right
to freedom of mind and body, a right to self-determination and freedom from
oppression. Since the religions tend to oppress those of different
religions and especially those of no religion, atheists have to guard their
rights and freedoms more fervently than does the average religious citizen.

Of course, along with these freedoms comes an awesome amount of personal
responsibility. If one is religious, he or she can commit any sort of
malfeasance from the "sin" of exchanging money for sex to murder and then
excuse it by asking God's forgiveness. Atheists do not have this luxury. We
atheists live under the principle that this is the only life you get --
there are no second chances, so don't mess up on this one.

Curiously, polls have shown the number of atheists in jail is statistically
insignificant. Comparing that with the general population where about 15
percent are nonbelievers. I can't place much credence in the idea that
religious people are intrinsically more moral than non-religious people.

Although we live in a society drenched with religious influence, many of us
still remain firmly grounded in unbelief. "Why?" you might ask, "why don't
you just quit whining and believe in God?" I can't just become religious,
not any more that a heterosexual can become gay or a black man can become
white.

"We're not unbelieving fools. While it's true we don't believe what many
people simply accept as reality, none of us arrived at that position by
being foolish. We got there by thinking. Thinking, researching and
analyzing are important to atheists; most of us are pretty smart."

I especially liked that part. Funny how someone who just sits in a hard bench for 90 minutes every Sunday morning and accepts what's spouted from the front of the room without ANY critical thought is "smarter" than someone who has actually STUDIED the "Holy Book", the concordances, the commentaries, opposing POV's, etc. and THEN rejects it all as Woo-Woo Hooey.

Isn't it?

Of course American wasn't quite as wrapped around the cross back then...

I like "It is generally assumed one is ethically challenged without the help of the big guy in the sky..."

Someone once said to me, "Atheists are dangerous because they don't believe in morals. If we let them take over they will turn America into Sodom and Gomorrah." Aaaargh!

It's pretty obvious that atheists don't believe in gods, devils, angels,
after-lives, reincarnations, miracles, resurrections or anything else that
would have to violate natural laws to occur. So I'd like to explain what we
do believe. But first, a word about what we're not.

Good point.

I am Atheist. This is something I have no doubt of, nor do I have any shame of or offer any apologies for. But terms require definitions and the term “Atheist” is often misunderstood and has different meanings for different individuals. I searched “Atheism” in online dictionaries and got these results;

The Oxford Dictionary says Atheism is
• noun- the belief that God does not exist.

The Cambridge Dictionary ONLY gave a definition for “Atheist” and said this:
someone who believes that God or gods do not exist

Dictionary.com says this:
1)
a) Disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods.
b) The doctrine that there is no God or gods.
2)Godlessness; immorality.


And Merriam Webster says this:
Etymology: Middle French athéisme, from athée atheist, from Greek atheos godless, from a- + theos god
1 archaic : "ungodliness", "wickedness"
2 a : a disbelief in the existence of deity
b : the doctrine that there is no deity

At times we are free to define words as we see fit and at others we must not. “Cold” is variable and relative. A “Metal” MUST exhibit the qualities of something metallic.

The above definitions for Atheism however, seem to me to include an opinion that makes me not only uncomfortable but in total disagreement, with the notable exception of #1, (b) from Dictionary.com which was drawing from the American Heritage Dictionary.

The word "Atheist" is simply this:
“A” = Without (From the original Greek)
“Theos” = God (From the same)
An Atheist is someone who has no gods and Atheism is that doctrine of no gods or merely godlessness.
THIS is what I am. I am NOT someone who “believes there is no god” I REJECT the idea that my position is somehow a belief in the absence of something.

Why should you, Dear Reader, give a rat’s ass how I choose to define my particular point of view on this subject? I’ll tell you. Because too many times I and others like me are categorized as Webster, in the “Archaic” line suggests, being somehow consumed with “Wickedness”. The idea that I have no god makes me somehow less able to be decent and caring and charitable, as if I needed a god in my life in order to ensure I would be a good boy. It sickens me.

It was pointed out to me in another thread a few weeks back that I could not possibly know whether or not any and all gods in any and all planes, metaphysical and otherwise were non-existent. I agree. So for the purposes of this monologue I stipulate that it is SPECIFICALLY THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC as defined in the Judaic, Christian and Islamic literature that describes it that I am “Without”. The concept of a thinking, calculating, vengeful, manipulative, all powerful, all knowing transcendent super deity that has created all the heavens and the earth and yet is intensely interested in where I might put my penis is something I place in the EXACT same category as pixies, faeries, trolls, leprechauns and unicorns. It is a mythical construct that to me bears no resemblance to anything “God-Like” at all. Rather it seems to be the personification of what many humans would like to think of themselves as. It is hubris in the utmost for humans to have created a god to worship that created them for the sole purpose of worshipping it and it is conveniently nasty enough to rain bad things down on those OTHER humans they don't like that DON’T worship it.

This begs an obvious question. “What do you believe in?
Well, I believe in the Cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the ......oops...that's “Bull Durham”...sorry.

I believe in Human Beings! I believe in the extraordinary power of conviction to an ideal. Charity. Compassion. I believe in love. I think true love changes people for the better and can do amazing things. I believe in the power of the mind to create. I believe in the ability of mankind to be compassionate to the extent that one might risk his own life to save the life of a complete stranger. I believe that there is a greater good that we should all strive for, that being simply to CARE FOR AND ABOUT YOUR FELLOW HUMANS! This greater good does not require the guidance of or direction by the supernatural nor does it require the threat of eternal damnation for the ethically minded to institute.

It is my opinion that as an Atheist I must hold myself to a higher standard. I have no god to beg forgiveness should I fall below my own expectations of myself. I have no desire for or do I expect or demand some sort of fantastic eternal reward because I think a certain way but act another. Describing my shortcomings or aberrant behavior and then expecting to be relieved of guilt is no ticket to immortality for me. My standards for my own behavior are guided by my own personal ethic. My sense of duty to my own mind and the duty to my species and my planet tends to define this ethic. If this is “The Golden Rule” so be it, but Jesus was not the 1st to make that obvious point and it is something a child learns the first time he gets hit back after striking a sibling. The downside of doing bad things to others is that others can do bad things to you. It strikes me that many bad things are said and done by many people in this world with a supposedly “holy” book close at hand.

I am the Republicans worst nightmare!
I am a liberal, Atheistic Humanist with a staunch desire for church-state separation, pro-choice, pro-child, pro-labor, pro-woman, pro-gay rights, pro-education, anti-death penalty, anti-poverty, anti-war Straight-but-not-narrow white male American who thinks the government AND (its) god should get the fuck out of my personal life.

In other words, A HERETIC!

Regards.

The assumption that we are incapable of being moral or ethical because of non-believe just drives me nuts.(I prefer to use the term ethical and leave moral to the the moralists--who generally aren't.) A couple of years ago, a co-worker came right out and said straight to my face "if you're an atheist, you have no conscience." I replied with "if you're religious, you have no brain." It got uglier from there.

The other issue is we are pretty much stuck with defining ourselves by what we are not:
non-believer
non-religious
(a)theist
non-affiliated
(a)gnostic

First let me say that this is an excellent article that should be kicked, recommended and posted as widely as possible. Thank you for your well written and well reasoned editorial.

Second, I'd like to know more about the "atheist in jail" comment. I'm curious if this is accurate or if there is just a reluctance among inmates to express religious doubts in such a regimented situation.

I personally think that atheist are more moral people overall but this is the first I've heard of any attempt to quantify it statistically.

Thanks again!

I do have the reference to that research somewhere. Before that piece was published, the editor told me on more than one occasion that I need to be able to back up every statement I made. (Too bad the same standard doesn't apply when coming from the other side.)

IIRC it was part of a larger study done to look at the effectiveness of religion-based anti-drug programs and may have been skewed by self-reporting errors. But even if that were the case, one would still expect to find a significantly higher number of atheists in the judicial system than in the general population if religious belief is causal to moral behavior.

Of course along those same lines one would also expect to find a significantly lower percentage of child molestation in the clergy, but we all know that ain't true.

"I can't place much credence in the idea that
religious people are intrinsically more moral than non-religious people."

I use to say "I can't force myself to believe in God any more than I can force myself to believe the capital of Japan is Hoboken."

I'm Catholic, btw, and I think that's one of the silliest things I ever heard. Why should anyone have to "quit whining" and believe in God? Why should I be Jewish, Muslim or Pagan?

Two of the biggest problems with this country are, IMO:

1. We don't know how to mind our own business.

2. We don't have a clue what courtesy means. I was raised to have manners, and I'm beginning to appreciate more and more what Grandma was saying. Manners go a long way when dealing with people who are different than you.

wait... those are nihilists.

I really liked this paragraph:

We're not Satanists or witches. The devils, demons and dark forces so
feared by religionists don't exist any more than do the gods who supposedly created them.

"We believe science has all the answers; we just don't have all the science. "

Science does not have all the answers. Science can never answer philosophical questions like "What is just?" or "How should we live." It can certainly provide us with some ground rules for answering those questions, but ultimately we must turn to philosophy for those answers.

Why should we have to wade through the scribblings of a bunch of tendentious gasbags to figure out these questions?

I'm kidding. Mostly. But at their worst, IMO, philosphers can be just as arrogant and narrow-minded as theologians. And like the god-botherers, they tend to breed schools of disciples who are even more dictatorial and irritating than themselves.

This is on my mind, sort of, because I was just reading a book about the early history of Alexandria, Egypt (since I'm in the neighborhood).

Though the city had a rich and vibrant intellectual life, especially around the famous library, one author noted a strange thing: Alexandria was certainly a "Greek city" for the most part, but it apparently had no interest in importing Greek philosophy.

Unlike Athens, it never developed any real philosophical schools during its fantastic pagan heyday...even though some of the greatest intellectuals of the time congregated there. (And were often subsidized by the Ptolemies to come and work in Alexandria.)

Hmmm. I'm certainly not an expert on this subject, but it just struck me that most of the philosophers associated with the city were of the religious sort. Philo was Jewish, then there were the famous Xians Clement and Origen. But the last two only showed up when the place was in decline anyway, thanks to their chosen superstition. ;-)