Call it what you want...there is no God.

Did you know there are many different types of "atheism"?  The internet says so, and it's never wrong.  I grew up in simpler times, times when you could be a believer and non-believer.  So easy, but like I've discussed before, nothing is permanent.  The non believers have apparently joined more modern times and tried to overcomplicate things. Now there are a lot of hip and cool new ways to not believe in a higher power.

Atheism

Atheists deny that atheism is a religion.  They do not believe in any God/Gods/supernatural powers.  The internet (in its infinite wisdom) reveals that "An Atheist has no specific belief system. We (atheists) accept only that which is scientifically verifiable. Since god concepts are unverifiable, we do not accept them."  Obviously this is an oversimplification.  There are many different views on atheism.  The one common theme is the belief there is no God figure, but I would argue they DO, in fact, have a belief system...just not one the incorporates an omnipotent being running the show.

Agnostics 

Agnostics believe that our knowledge is limited to the natural world and we are never going to know if God exists.  They tend to be skeptical of all/most things related to theology.  Some take the stance that they don't know if God exists or not, others seem adamant that no one will ever be able to understand.

I used to describe myself as agnostic.  It was my ideal place to deal with both believers and non-believers.  It was like I could have my cake and eat it to.   (By no means am I debasing Agnosticism, I personally described myself this way because I wasn't really sure what I believed and it was an easy out)

Free thinkers

"free-think-er n. A person who forms opinions about religion on the basis of reason, independently of tradition, authority, or established belief. Freethinkers include atheists, agnostics and rationalists. No one can be a freethinker who demands conformity to a bible, creed, or messiah. To the freethinker, revelation and faith are invalid, and orthodoxy is no guarantee of truth." - Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.

This is not fully hitting the mark, but this seems to relate to some Buddhist teachings I discussed previously.

Humanism

"Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead." - Kurt Vonnegut.

"Humanism is a progressive belief that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity." - American Humanist Association

Bloggers note: this is an "ism" that I can really get down with.  I also had the pleasure of joining an online humanist forum.  What I found was a group of people interested in making Lexington a better place.  There were discussions of local fundraisers, many community building opportunities(I'm looking forward to a family bowling get together), and discussions on how to help families in need, and discussions on where to learn more about humanist ideas.  Sounds like a church community...without God of course.  And full of people I am happy to share my community with.

Naturalism

 

"Naturalism is a metaphysical theory which holds that all phenomena can be explained mechanistically in terms of natural (as opposed to supernatural) causes and laws. Naturalism posits that the universe is a vast machine or organism, devoid of general purpose and indifferent to human needs and desires...naturalism neither denies nor affirms the existence of God, either as transcendent or immanent. However, naturalism makes God an unnecessary hypothesis and essentially superfluous to scientific investigation. Reference to moral or divine purposes has no place in scientific explanations. On the other hand, the scope of science is limited to explanation of empirical phenomena without reference to forces, powers, influences, etc., which are supernatural." - The Skeptic's Dictionary

 

Rationalism

"The mental attitude which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and aims at establishing a system of philosophy and ethics verifiable by experience, independent of all arbitrary assumptions or authority." - American Rationalist


So what is all the fuss about?  What makes us so afraid of atheists and where do these negative feelings come from?  I'm not going to pretend it doesn't happen, because it does.  I have talked with quite a few people about atheism recently and I have witnessed first hand the stigma that can accompany it.  Lucky for me I was only atheist for a month, I don't know how you full time non-believers do it. 

It seems that somewhere along the way the dialogue became more about being on the "right team" versus the "same team" (ironic, considering the other major religions consider us all Gods people)  As long as there are people fighting for their view to be the right one, as long as there are people unwilling to listen to another perspective, as long as people use their beliefs to justify their fears; ignorance will continue to negatively influence our communities.

In case you missed it, no where in any of these definitions does it say atheists don't believe in good, they just don't believe in god.  I can think of many reasons why someone may denounce religion. (more on that with my next post)  I cannot think of any reason living a moral/productive/fulfilling life has to be mutually tied to a certain belief system, however. The reality of it all is that regardless of their reasons to believe in what they do, they have the capability to love, to be loved, to help, to cooperate, to do good.  And anyone focused on making a positive impact on my community is ok in my book...regardless of what happens to them when they die.