Atheism
The concept of atheism has constantly changed over time: in ancient Rome, pagans called Christians atheists while Christians considered pagans atheists. Some people even refer to Buddhists as atheists. Today, generally speaking, an atheist is someone who does not believe in a god or gods; this has caused tension in a world where most people (publicly, at least) profess a belief in a deity. This guide teaches you what atheism is, what it isn’t, how to become an involved atheist, who some prominent atheist thinkers are and were, and how to find atheist groups. It also provides tips on raising atheist children.
Expand All Guide SectionsAn Overview of Atheism
Although there is no dogma, sacred text, special list of rules, or holiday calendar for atheists, ... read more »
Atheist Organizations and Activism
While most atheists shun the notion of organized religion, many form groups that are both ... read more »
Online Atheist Groups
The Internet is a great tool for forming virtual communities. These groups can be especially useful for atheists who, for obvious reasons, are unlikely to find sympathizers at their local church. Join discussion groups or online community boards to meet like-minded friends.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The sites below direct you to primarily online-only communities. In the “Atheist Organizations and Activism” section, you’ll find atheist communities that are active in the real community, and may offer online resources as well.
- Conversation on discussion boards can occasionally get out of hand. We’ve tried to include sites that endorse civilized debate and refrain from profanity, but whether you’re an atheist or religious, you may find material that offends you.
Dulcinea's Picks
For discussion forums …
Beliefnet
offers a discussion board for people to engage in the atheist debate. They encourage only serious debaters to participate; for novice philosophers, there’s the atheism “Welcome Center” discussion noted earlier in this guide.
The Richard Dawkins Web site
hosts a social group for atheists. Although it’s a discussion board, it’s less for debating topics and more for meeting like-minded thinkers.
Debating Christianity & Religion
is a forum to debate religious subjects. Topics include the church, creationism, evolution, philosophy, politics, and ethics. As the name of the site suggests, Christianity takes up a large part of the conversation, but there is certainly interesting religious discussion all around. Atheists and agnostics may particularly want to check out “The A Room”.
For online communities …
The Atheist Coalition of San Diego
has an online community for atheists. The coalition’s main focus is on resources; it wants users to read resources as well as submit new articles and essays that will be published on the site.
4 Atheists
has a marketplace where atheists who are small-business owners can list their stores and companies. Select “Marketplace” on the left side of the screen to learn about and support other atheists by patronizing their businesses, or list your own. This feature is useful for those who want to use the Internet to increase their offline support of atheism. The site also posts atheist news and articles.
Famous Atheists
Although there aren’t atheist priests, there are scientists, philosophers, and writers who ... read more »
Raising Atheist Children
Critics of atheism often claim that it doesn’t teach or advocate morality. As there is no ... read more »
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