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, there’s plenty you can learn about the principles they hold. Given the lack of general doctrine, there are many subtleties separating atheist tenets from related concepts such as humanism, scientific tradition, and skepticism. Agnosticism is commonly confused with atheism. But atheists believe that God does not exist, whereas agnostics say that we do not have the capability to know if God exists. Here is a short history and explanation of agnosticism from The Victorian Web. Whether you’re a longtime atheist, a staunch believer in God, or somewhere in between, these sites can help you grasp both the scope and the technicalities of atheism.
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- Atheists reject the existence of God but may still retain religious affiliations or practices. There are practicing Jews, Christians, and Buddhists who call themselves atheists.
- ReligiousTolerance.org does a good job of elucidating the differences among theism, atheism, agnosticism, Brights, ethical culturalism, freethinking, humanism, and rationalism.
- In case the previous link did not clear up the terms well enough—which is entirely plausible, considering how similar some of them are—here is a site from Harvard’s Pluralism Project.
- Although this is not the authoritative code for atheism, this piece from the Los Angeles Times might clear up some confusion you may have about some atheism “myths” and “truths”.
- While no atheists are fans of religion, some atheist groups are vehemently antireligion. If you’re visiting a site that offends you, know that its views do not reflect those of all atheists, and move on to a different site.
- You’ll find many of the atheist communities to be humanist organizations. Humanists seek to replace belief in God with an affirmation of the values of everyday life and humanity.
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For an overview …
The BBC
includes a section on atheism among its religion guides and offers several pages detailing its elements. Not only can you get a basic summary and history, but if you select “Beliefs” from the left side of the screen, you’ll connect to a page with links listing all the arguments for atheism. Select topics individually and review each one in depth. The BBC also hyperlinks terms to their definitions, making this a great place for a beginner or someone looking to hone in on specifics.
Beliefnet
has a “Forums” section where you can post questions to get a better understanding of the philosophy. The atheism “Welcome Center” is a great place to start.
Atheist Empire
has a concise, friendly, fact-packed page called “About Atheism.” It’s a good place to start if you’re new to atheism, while the rest of the site is filled with articles and resources for experienced atheists.
Ask an Atheist
answers some of the big questions you might have about atheism on the left sidebar of its homepage. Take a look at the frequently updated articles, explore relevant books and texts, and check out the Ask an Atheist blog.
American Atheists
is a politically active organization of atheists in America. The “Visitors’ Center” has a section called “We Are Atheists Because” that identifies some basic characteristics of atheism. However, the organization itself is very political and anticonservative, neither of which is synonymous with being an atheist.
Atheist Organizations and Activism
While most atheists shun the notion of organized religion, many form groups that are both philosophically and politically active. Many atheist groups are working for a more secular country, while some provide resources and information about atheism, and others seek to promote principles and community. By exploring the numerous sites online, you can learn what’s available and select the elements of each atheist community that best suit your needs.
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- You may find that some groups refer to themselves as nontheists instead of atheists.
- As mentioned above, atheism and humanism have become intertwined, and in many cases, to become involved with atheism is to become involved with humanism. That is why many of the links listed below are for humanist organizations.
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The Council for Secular Humanism
is one of North America’s largest humanist organizations. The Council creates a community for nonreligious people, and the site includes articles, courses, news, and information about getting involved with the organization. The primary activities of the council are fighting for nonreligious rights, providing education, and helping members to form and connect with local communities.
The American Humanist Association
which was noted earlier for its resources defining humanism, is primarily devoted to supporting the development of humanist values. Through the site, you can subscribe to the Association’s magazine The Humanist, read select online articles, and find ways to become active.
The Secular Coalition for America
lobbies Congress for the rights of atheists, freethinkers, and other secularists. Keep up with the actions of the organization and developments in Congress or learn how you can get involved.
The British Humanist Association
not only stands for atheism but also seeks to build a community focused on humanity and its merits. An excellent response to religious accusations that atheists are amoral, the BHA emphasizes a meaningful life centered on human behavior rather than faith in God. A good example of the resources provided by BHA is the page on humanist ceremonies.
Atheist Action Central
is a British blog for atheists that posts daily efforts you can make to both promote atheism and fight for human rights.
The Secular Student Alliance
links atheist college students across the country. The alliance supports individual groups, offers resources, publicizes events, posts articles, and hosts a forum.
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.
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- 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.
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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 serve as leaders of the atheist community. These people write books and articles, give speeches, and engage in debates that make their philosophies well known. Learning about these philosophies and their originators can be educational, thought provoking, and helpful for finding cohesive communities within atheism.
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- The list of authors and thinkers included in this guide is by no means comprehensive. It should, however, give you an idea of the most popular and well-known proponents of atheism.
- Many atheist associations encourage users to publish and print articles. These authors might not be famous, but they may have interesting insights.
- As mentioned above, a number of atheist thinkers have extremely strong arguments in favor of a godless world. Richard Dawkins, for example, has equated sending children to religious schools with child abuse. If you’re going to be offended by such comments, don’t explore the sites in this section.
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For learning about famous atheists …
Beliefnet
offers a list called “Who’s Who Among the Godless.” Read profiles of scientists, philosophers, and other public figures who advocate secular philosophies.
ushistory.org
covers founding father Thomas Paine. Although Paine is famous for inciting Americans to pursue independence, he was also considered to be an early atheist in this country. Read his criticism of the Bible and religion in the “Age of Reason”.
The Bertrand Russell Society
is hosted by Drew University and provides numerous resources for learning about Russell, an innovator in the fields of philosophy and mathematics and a champion of free thought. He wrote multiple essays questioning religious beliefs and advocated the merits of skepticism and reason. Look for links to sites about Russell and links to all his texts available on the Web.
The official Richard Dawkins Web site
is a self-described “clear thinking oasis.” It provides information about Dawkins—scientist, active atheist, and author of The God Delusion—as well as myriad resources for those interested in atheism and inquiry.
SamHarris.org
is the official site of author Sam Harris, whose first book, The End of Faith, was a response to the September 11 attacks. On his site, you can learn about him as well as his book, articles, and debates.
The Christopher Hitchens Web
is the plainly designed but comprehensive site of author and atheist Christopher Hitchens, who has received a great deal of attention for his book, God Is Not Great. If you scroll down the page, you’ll find links to many of the articles Hitchens has written, as well as information about him and his books.
The Ayn Rand Institute
is a source to learn about both the author herself and her atheist philosophy of “Objectivism.” Rand, the author of philosophical novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, calls Objectivism, “a philosophy for living on earth.” The nonprofit, primarily academic institute provides college and graduate philosophy courses in Objectivism.
For a more comprehensive historical and philosophical overview …
The BBC
presents a synopsis of Jonathan Miller’s Brief History of Disbelief, a 2005 BBC documentary. In the film, Miller researches the history of atheism, dating all the way to the ancient Greeks, while also exploring the development of his own atheism. The film seeks to debunk the notion that science has destroyed religion. Read an interview with producer and director Richard Denton for more information about the film, or check out a biography of Miller himself.
Beyond Belief 2006
hosted by the Science Network, is a panel of scientists and philosophers discussing the current relationship of science and religion, and the state of enlightened thinking and reason. Stream the conference on your computer, or simply read a summary and biographies of panelists.
The Council for Secular Humanism
offers a list of documents under the heading “Dangerous Reading.” It’s a compilation of essays, articles, and book chapters that challenge the ideas of religion and advocate freethinking. The term “freethinker” has come to be associated with those who do not follow religious dogma, but as a general term, it means those who form their own thoughts separate from authority.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation
offers a “Freethought of the Day.” Often these freethoughts are a profile of an accomplished freethinker from past or present.
Who knew?
NPR
posts essays in a series called “This I Believe.” Penn Jillette—comedian, magician, author, and atheist—wrote an essay titled, “There Is No God,” describing his beliefs.
Raising Atheist Children
Critics of atheism often claim that it doesn’t teach or advocate morality. As there is no central authority for atheism, parents may need some help teaching atheism to their kids. A major issue is that both parents and kids may have to deal with certain confrontations regarding their beliefs. Although atheism is more accepted today than it was in the past, it is still the object of ire by certain theists. If you’re looking for resources to help you talk to your children about your beliefs, the Web sites below can offer guidance.
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- For more advice on creating a sense of community, learn about various associations in the “Atheist Organizations and Activism” section of this guide.
- The more you speak clearly to your child about atheism, the better she will understand it. Your atheist child may encounter the same criticism from religious believers that you do, so arm her with knowledge to explain your family’s views.
- As professed atheists are becoming more open in their beliefs, it is more of a pressing issue in schools. In English schools, children have been taught about atheism since 2004. An article in the Guardian from February of that year has more information on the decision.
- Discussion groups and forums constantly explore challenges to Christianity and defenses of atheism. Check them out to see what others are saying.
- Atheists may feel isolated in our God-centric country. The Freedom From Religion Foundation reprints a New York Times article by Natalie Angier titled “The Bush Years; Confessions of a Lonely Atheist”, about the challenges presented to atheists during the Bush administration.
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For parenting …
American Atheists
offers a guide for parents that outlines religious traditions in schools and how you can prepare for them. In addition to stating what public schools can and cannot do in terms of sectarian teaching, the site indicates that atheist children have the right to express their beliefs in school just like Christians, Jews, or Muslims.
AtheistParents.org
is a site where atheist parents can go to read articles, participate in online forums, and get links to other valuable sites and reading material. The “Articles” section hasn’t been updated since 2004, but everything else is active, and the archives still offer good information.
Parenting Beyond Belief
is a how-to manual for raising ethical kids without religion. It refutes claims that morals are inexorably linked to religion, and instead provides guidance via essays and contribution from some of the world’s top atheists and thinkers. The home page offers information, excerpts, downloadable study guides, and ordering information. You can also check out the editor’s blog.
The Institute for Humanist Studies
publishes a paper written by Jean Mercer, a response to a child development study that concluded that religion is good for kids. Mercer closely reviews and responds to all factors of the study.
Camp Quest
is the first summer camp for children with parents who have a naturalist worldview, which includes atheists, humanists, and freethinkers. There are six camps located throughout the United States, so click on the map to visit the Web site of your desired location.
Beliefnet
offers a discussion board targeted toward secular teens who want to discuss their philosophies and experiences.
For defenses of atheism …
The British Humanist Association
offers a lengthy response to the question, “So you think you can live without God?” The association lists, and refutes, 14 accusations one might hear against an atheistic lifestyle. The answers adhere to the principles of both atheism and humanism, which replaces belief in God with faith in humankind.
The Secular Web
is run by the Internet Infidels, Inc., a nonprofit organization that aims to promote a naturalistic worldview on the Web. Though the site is primitively designed, it is a well-regarded Web source for atheistic articles and texts. This particular article rebuts some common arguments against atheism.
The Ethical Atheist
is a site with minimalist design and some strong anti-church sentiment. However, it does offer a page defending the notion of ethical atheism and elaborates on the ways atheists can be moral without God.
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