Atheism

Overview

Atheism is a belief system that rejects theology as well as the constructs of organized religion. Use of the term originated in the ancient world and was meant to degrade those who rejected commonly accepted religious precepts. It was first self-applied during the Age of Enlightenment in 18th century France. The French Revolution was driven by the prioritization of human reason over the abstract authority of religion. This prompted a period of skeptical inquiry, one in which atheism became an important cultural, philosophical, and political entity.

Many who characterize themselves as atheists argue that a lack of proof or scientific process prevents the belief in a deity. Some who refer to themselves as secular humanists have developed a code of ethics that exists separate from the worship of a deity.

Closely related is the idea of agnosticism, which doesn’t profess to know whether there is or isn’t a deity. Instead, agnosticism argues that the limits of human reasoning and understanding make the existence of god(s), the origins of the universe, and the possibility of an afterlife all unknowable. Like atheism, the term emerged around the fifth century BCE and was contemplated with particular interest in Indian cultures. It gained more popular modern visibility when coined by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley, who in 1869 recognized that incapacity of humans to truly answer questions regarding the divine. To Huxley, and the agnostic and athiest thinkers who followed, theistic or gnostic religions lack scientific basis, and therefore, should be rejected. (The Best Schools)

Definitions

  • Atheist: a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods (Merriam-Webster)

  • Agnostic: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (such as God) is unknown and probably unknowable (Merriam-Webster)

  • Secular humanism: humanistic philosophy viewed as a nontheistic religion antagonistic to traditional religion (Merriam-Webster)

Resources

10 Facts About Atheists, from the PEW Research Center

What is Humanism?, from Humanists, Atheists, and Agnostics of Manitoba

Reflection Questions

You may opt to reflect and respond to each of the questions below, or only those that stir a response in you. Make this reflective process your own and feel free to add any additional thoughts or information learned to your journal.

  • According to the PEW report, most Americans (56%) say it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral, while 42% say belief in God is necessary to have good values. What are your thoughts on this statistic?

  • Bill Nye the Science Guy asserts that all of us - whether religious or atheist, or anything in between - are truly agnostics, because there is no way for any of us to know with absolute certainty about the existence or nature of God. What is your reaction to this assertion?

  • Reading through the 10 Humanist Suggestions (pictured above), which of these resonate with your own belief system? Which do you feel dissonance with?

  • According to the PEW report, Americans feel less warm towards atheists than they do toward members of most religious groups. Having learned more about atheists (and agnostics and humanists) today, has your own appreciation/respect for adherents of these worldviews changed? What information moved you in any way?

  • How does your understanding of atheist/agnostic/humanist worldviews inform your own worldview?