You've heard the term. You've seen the memes. You've probably met someone online, and maybe argued with them. Just so we're clear about this, here's the dictionary definition:
athe·ism - noun \ˈā-thē-ˌi-zəm\
- a disbelief in the existence of deity
athe·ism - noun \ˈā-thē-ˌi-zəm\
- a disbelief in the existence of deity
or
- the doctrine that there is no deity
That's simple enough. An atheist is someone who does not believe in gods. Not to be confused with pantheist, deist and most importantly agnostic. Basically, an atheist is a person who would answer "No." when asked the question "Is there a god?"
That's simple enough. An atheist is someone who does not believe in gods. Not to be confused with pantheist, deist and most importantly agnostic. Basically, an atheist is a person who would answer "No." when asked the question "Is there a god?"
Now that we're clear about what atheism and atheists are, here are what they are NOT:
Atheism is not a religion
This is a common mistake since atheism appears to contrast religion perfectly. Atheism, in the very sense of the word is an absence of something, specifically the belief in god(s), It's like how zero is considered a number.
Atheism itself is not an organization
This is a misconception often made by spectators and/or a lie usually created by the opposing team. This is an easy mistake to make because there are many atheistic groups around. Atheist movements are usually independent. It is an individual atheist's choice to join these groups or not.
Atheists are not necessarily anti-theists
This misconception is due to the fact that most atheists that people hear about directly oppose religions. People almost never hear from atheists until they speak out against the church. Militancy is a personal choice for everyone, even for atheists.
Another reason is the "If you're not with me then you're against me." mindset that is cultivated by many religions. It's just easier to rally a group of people under a banner if they are presented with a tangible threat or opposition. Certain people use "atheists" in a manner similar to how the United States used "commies" and how Muslim extremists use "infidels"
Atheists do not worship Satan
This, my friends is the elephant in the room. Unlike the "atheist = anti-theist" misconception, this does not have a single shred of truth. This ridiculous assumption is also a by-product of the "If you're not with me then you're against me." policy. Some people simply do not bother to categorize the opposition. Keep in mind that belief in the devil goes hand in hand with the belief in god.
That concludes our crash course. For no good reason, here is a short list of famous people who happen to be atheists:
- Kari Byron of Mythbusters
- Mark Zuckerberg, that guy who works in facebook
- Joe Rogan
- Morgan Freeman, who played god
- Bruce Lee
- Marilyn Manson, that's quite obvous
- Ernest Hemingway
- Daniel Radcliffe from Twilight
- Quintin Tarantino
- John Lennon, fam... do I really have to tell you who he is?
