Atheism

Atheism, in its broadest sense, is characterized by an absence of belief in the existence of gods, thus contrasting with theism. This definition includes both those who assert that there are no gods and those who have no beliefs at all regarding the existence of gods. However, narrower definitions often only qualify the former as atheism, the latter falling under the more general term nontheism.

Reasons for atheism

Although not all atheists have a rational justification for their stance, a majority do attempt to explain and justify their lack of a belief in gods, and there are some especially common reasons among explicit atheists given for why they do not accept theism.

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Philosophical reasons

A majority of explicit atheists base their stance on rational or philosophical grounds, arguing that their position is based on logical analysis, and subsequent rejection, of theistic claims. These arguments against the existence of deities consist of a number of different problems with theism. Chief among these problems is a perceived lack of evidence supporting theistic claims.

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"Within the framework of scientific rationalism one arrives at the belief in the nonexistence of God, not because of certain knowledge, but because of a sliding scale of methods. At one extreme, we can confidently rebut the personal Gods of creationists on firm empirical grounds: science is sufficient to conclude beyond reasonable doubt that there never was a worldwide flood and that the evolutionary sequence of the Cosmos does not follow either of the two versions of Genesis. The more we move toward a deistic and fuzzily defined God, however, the more scientific rationalism reaches into its toolbox and shifts from empirical science to logical philosophy informed by science. Ultimately, the most convincing arguments against a deistic God are Hume's dictum and Occam's razor. These are philosophical arguments, but they also constitute the bedrock of all of science, and cannot therefore be dismissed as non-scientific. The reason we put our trust in these two principles is because their application in the empirical sciences has led to such spectacular successes throughout the last three centuries." http://psy.ucsd.edu/~eebbesen/Psych110/SciRelig.htm

Related Topics:
Scientific - Rationalism - Empirical - Logical - Hume's dictum - Occam's razor

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Many atheists hold that as their view is merely the absence of a certain belief, the only defense that atheism needs is a good offense: if theism's arguments are refuted, nontheism, as the only alternative, becomes the default position. As such, many atheists have argued against the most famous "proofs" of God's existence for centuries. Whether these arguments have refuted all of the arguments for God is a matter of dispute.

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"Throughout the centuries, theistic philosophers have offered logical arguments in support of God's existence. Most of these can be divided into four major classes - ontological, cosmological, teleological, and moral" and atheists contend that these have been refuted. http://www.ebonmusings.org/atheism/

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There are also many atheists who attack specific forms of theism as being self-contradictory. One of the most common arguments against the existence of a specific God is the problem of evil.

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"The problem of evil is probably the most enduring and the most potent argument atheism has to offer against many varieties of theism. Christian apologist William Lane Craig aptly styled it atheism's killer argument. In brief, it seeks to establish that the existence of evil in the world is logically incompatible with the existence of a benevolent God, and that it is more reasonable to conclude that God does not exist than that he does exist but does nothing to stop evil." http://www.ebonmusings.org/atheism/allpossibleworlds.html

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Other well-known positive arguments include theological noncognitivism, incoherency arguments (which seek to prove contradictions within the nature of "god"), atheistic teleological arguments, and the Transcendental argument for the non-existence of God.

Related Topics:
Theological noncognitivism - Incoherency argument - Transcendental argument for the non-existence of God

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Personal and social reasons

Aside from atheists who lack theism for philosophical reasons, there are some explicit atheists who lack theism for social, psychological, practical, and other reasons.

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Some people hold atheistic belief on the grounds that it is conducive towards living a better life, such as the belief that atheism is more ethical or useful than theism. Such atheists may hold that searching for explanations through natural science is more beneficial than doing it rather than through faith.

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Moral reasons for atheism include "cases where the requirement to do what is right favors being an atheist, or at the very least, not supporting certain sects or practices of theism.... Those who cannot accept the notion of an evil god must conclude that any immoral religion is necessarily false." Practical reasons for atheism include "reasons why accepting atheism over theism produces positive overall effects on a person's life." http://www.ebonmusings.org/atheism/necessityofatheism.html

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Arguments that theism promotes immorality often center around the large number of wars and terrorism brought about by religious fundamentalists.

Related Topics:
War - Terrorism - Religious fundamentalist

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Some people are atheists at least partly because of growing up in an environment where atheism is relatively common, such as being raised by atheist parents.

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"Many people are atheists not because they've reasoned things out like that, but because of the way they were brought up or educated, or because they have simply adopted the beliefs of the culture in which they grew up." BBC. Most atheists contend that the same is true for many believers. For instance, most of the population in predominantly Jewish, Muslim, or Christian countries follow the religion that is more prevalent without much questioning.

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Christian psychologist Paul Vitz (1999) argues that, "Many people have psychological reasons for atheism" http://www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/frear/vitz.htm and "neurotic psychological barriers to belief in God are of great importance" http://www.origins.org/articles/vitz_psychologyofatheism.html. See Vitz (1999) and, for a similar view, Rizzuto (1998).

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While it is common to point out the psychological reasons for not being an atheist, it is important to note that emotion and "feelings" play an important role for many people, not just theists. However, an understanding of the psychological origins for belief in a god may contribute to some atheists' lack of religious belief; see true believer syndrome and psychology of religion.

Related Topics:
True believer syndrome - Psychology of religion

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