My Atheism FAQ

What does it mean when you say that you're an atheist?
                Atheism means that I do not have a belief in God or gods. I was a Christian for most of my life, so I believed strongly in God's existence, power, and concern for my life. I no longer have those beliefs, because I am not convinced that there is sufficient evidence or reason to accept them. Atheism is a label for what I don't believe; humanism describes some of what I do believe. Atheism also doesn't mean that all atheists believe the same things. Some are conservative, some are liberal; some are kind, some are mean. The only thing we all share is that we don't believe in god.

You can't prove that God doesn't exist: why not say that you're an agnostic?

                There are many different beliefs about God, and it is important to be specific here. It is right that certain types of god or gods that some people believe in cannot be disproven. They are usually gods which are invisible and undetectable in every way and don't care about humans. For those types of gods, I am agnostic--I do not know whether or not they exist. Those kind of gods make no difference to human life, and it's impossible to tell if they exist or not, so it makes more sense to say that they probably don't exist.
                For the God that many Christians worship--one who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and infinitely good, who cares about humans and intervenes in our lives, and who reveals himself in our world and wants our belief and worship--I think that god can be proven not to exist. That kind of God would leave many fingerprints in our world which could be seen and studied by people of all religions. Those signs would not be explainable by the many ways in which people can fool themselves. Those kind of fingerprints are notably absent. Many books have been written on this (some by me), but this is a short answer.

What does humanist mean? I thought you were an atheist.

                I am both. Atheism refers to what I do not believe, and humanism refers to what I do believe. Humanism means that I value human life and experience, and I think that the way we live as humans must be concerned primarily with human life and experience, and working with critical thinking and evidence to improve both. Not all atheists are humanists, but many are. Some believers are also humanists.

Why are you an atheist?
                In the search to strengthen the foundation of my faith, in order to defend it from attack and give an answer for those who asked about it, I found out that it was resting on sand. The core beliefs of Christianity are unable to survive any careful examination of the evidence from current science, history, Biblical study, archaeology and study of different cultures and religions. There are many timeless truths contained within Christianity and many wonderful things created by Christians, but they are not unique to Christianity, and Christianity was not necessary for them to be discovered or created.

Why talk about your atheism?
                Why talk about your Christianity? You enjoy that freedom--so do I.
                In many parts of Canada and the US, atheists are not well trusted and are discriminated against for not sharing a belief in god. Talking openly about what I believe and don't believe is a way for more people to find out that they know and love an atheist, and can see that many stereotypes about us are not true.
                Many atheists out there fear for their friendships, jobs, or even lives. If they can see that there are others out there who think the same way, it can give them encouragement and strength to keep going or even take the step of being open with others and dealing with the consequences.

Are you angry at God?
                Some people are angry at God, but they have to believe that he exists in order to do that. I can't be angry at something I consider to be a myth. I am sometimes angry at Christians or other believers for beliefs they hold or things they do which hurt others.

You just want to live life selfishly, without God's rule.
                Many people live selfishly even though they believe in God. As a humanist, I want to make my life better, but without making someone else's life worse.

What if you're wrong and I'm right? You made a bad choice.
                What if we're both wrong and someone else is right? There are many different possibilities. Making a good choice means finding the best knowledge that humans have, and the best ways of discovering truth, and using them to make that choice.
                If I'm convinced that God doesn't exist, I can't simply make myself believe because I might be wrong. Do you really think God wouldn't know that I was faking it? If he sent me to hell, why would he not honour a genuine and careful search for the truth?

You shouldn't have left because you had a bad experience.
                I stopped going to church because I no longer fit in. I didn't stop believing in God because of it. I stopped believing later because I could not find good evidence for his existence.

You didn't know true Christianity.
                How would you know? I truly believed it, felt it and lived it every day. I read my Bible devotionally, and beyond that, read the whole Bible twice. I prayed frequently and wholeheartedly, read and discussed with others about theology and matters of faith. My story is echoed by countless other atheists who were once believers but eventually found out that their beliefs didn't make sense.

Isn't atheism just another type of religion? Isn't science your god?
                No, we don't believe in and worship a supernatural creator together in a church; that's religion. Atheism is not a religious belief, like not playing golf is not a hobby.
                Science is a body of knowledge that humans have discovered about our world, and the method of discovery which we use to find the truth about nature. Science is a very useful and powerful tool, but we don't worship it: some of us just try to make sure that people understand it, that it is used properly, and enjoy the results.

You have faith in science like I have faith in God.
                We have confidence in science because the methods used are based upon fundamental features of our universe, and carefully designed to reveal truth as accurately as possible. Over time, these methods have proven to be incredibly successful if carefully followed. Humans all live longer and healthier lives than before, and our lives depend upon thousands of technologies based upon what science has discovered. Being such a powerful tool, science can be used to hurt others and damage the planet, but that is not the fault of the scientific method. Having confidence in the scientific community has no parallel with blind faith.

You need to have faith to see the truth.
                Faith is an unreliable way to find the truth, used by people all over the world and throughout history to justify belief in every possible falsehood. People around the world take on faith what they are taught as children, so a person's religion is almost always completely dependent upon where and when they are born. You would agree that many of them are wrong. Faith has no reliable way to make sure that it is not mistaken. Remember that in John, Jesus gives Thomas good evidence of his identity. If God thinks that it is important enough for me to know of his existence, why would he treat me differently?

How can you explain the wonder of creation without God?
                The universe is truly a fascinating place, both beautiful and ugly, intricate and gigantic, wonderful and terrible, ordered and chaotic, straightforward and bizarre. Humans have made a living on earth, but for only a short time compared with the universe's age; it will continue long after we are gone. We have been able to gain the knowledge we have about the universe by studying it carefully. Each time scientists study something thought to be the work of God, a natural explanation is found. Science has already discovered an incredible amount of information about how the universe and its physical laws formed, and how all life on earth came to be. It simply does not make sense to believe that God created the universe for us, or that he is active within it.

How can you be moral without God?
                Many people have done immoral acts who have believed in God: belief is no guarantee of morality. There is still a wide range of disagreement among believers about what is moral.
                Like millions of other atheists, I live a happy and productive life. I work hard, live honestly, enjoy my family and friends, help others in need, get angry at injustice; the list goes on. I do those things because they are valuable to me and I can see how they enrich and protect human life and experience.

How can your life have meaning without God?
                I give my life meaning, with the help of the people who love and surround me. This is one of the best times and places yet to live as a human, and I have many wonderful people who bless my life. I have many freedoms and luxuries, enough to easily contribute to others who don't have as much. Teaming compassion with critical thinking and careful attention to the evidence has revolutionized the human experience, so in the same way, I can make my contribution to making the earth a better place.

What do you think happens after you die? Aren't you afraid of hell?
                When we die, our bodies stop working and we as persons stop existing. The time after we die is the same to us as the time before we are born. Death is difficult for most people to think about, but I cannot believe in an afterlife simply because it would be nice. There is no good evidence for an afterlife, and I would prefer to accept an uncomfortable truth than try to make myself believe a comforting falsehood. I will live on in the memories of those I loved and in the impact I had on the world. I have more reason to live my life well and fully.