What do Atheist Believe?

[Jacob Samuelson]

It seems to me that Atheists are most concerned with proof. Not only that they typically want it handed to them on a silver platter served by an angel from heaven. I mean don't get me wrong, all of us would probably love for that to happen, but what I am curious to know is: Is there anything that Atheist believe in? I mean, does an atheist live life expecting everything to be explainable.... factual.... proven? Is there anything, metaphysical or physical, that they actually believe in or do they just rely on their concrete proof and knowledge? If they do believe in something... anything? Why? I'm curious.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

The short answer is that there is no answer to that, because being an atheist only mean one thing. The lack of beliefs in deities.

 

[Subduction Zone]

It seems to me that Atheists are most concerned with proof. Not only that they typically want it handed to them on a silver platter served by an angel from heaven. I mean don't get me wrong, all of us would probably love for that to happen, but what I am curious to know is: Is there anything that Atheist believe in? I mean, does an atheist live life expecting everything to be explainable.... factual.... proven? Is there anything, metaphysical or physical, that they actually believe in or do they just rely on their concrete proof and knowledge? If they do believe in something... anything? Why? I'm curious.

Perhaps you were merely overly arrogant in making claims in the past. When one makes a strong claim that there is a God that puts the burden of proof upon the person making that claim. If one merely says "I believe that there is a God" most atheists will leave you alone in your beliefs.

As to what atheists believe, there is a wide range. There is no atheistic dogma. Atheism is just a lack of belief in a god or gods. It can range from a strong atheism where people state that there is no god, and you can demand that a person prove that just as we can demand the same from people that claim there is a god, all the way to people that merely say "I do not believe that there is a god".

Do you understand how merely stating that one has a belief or lacks a belief does not put a burden of proof on that person. Where when someone positively affirms that there is a or is not a god that person does have a burden of proof?

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

The short answer is that there is no answer to that, because being an atheist only mean one thing. The lack of beliefs in deities.

So your whole identity as a human being is to be an atheist? You have no beliefs in anything even outside of deities?

 

[Subduction Zone]

So your whole identity as a human being is to be an atheist? You have no beliefs in anything even outside of deities?

Why would you ask that question? My eyes are brown. Do you think that I tie up 100% of my identity in that fact?

 

[John53]

I don't speak for any other atheists but I only believe things that are factual.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

So your whole identity as a human being is to be an atheist? You have no beliefs in anything even outside of deities?

No, but that has nothing to do with being an atheist. The only thing being an atheist has in common with other atheists are that they are atheists as explained above and humans.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

Perhaps you were merely overly arrogant in making claims in the past. When one makes a strong claim that there is a God that puts the burden of proof upon the person making that claim. If one merely says "I believe that there is a God" most atheists will leave you alone in your beliefs.

As to what atheists believe, there is a wide range. There is no atheistic dogma. Atheism is just a lack of belief in a god or gods. It can range from a strong atheism where people state that there is no god, and you can demand that a person prove that just as we can demand the same from people that claim there is a god, all the way to people that merely say "I do not believe that there is a god".

Do you understand how merely stating that one has a belief or lacks a belief does not put a burden of proof on that person. Where when someone positively affirms that there is a or is not a god that person does have a burden of proof?

My question becomes a personal one. If you personally are an atheist and you believe in anything. Why do you believe in that thing? I am trying to understand if there is simply a picking and choosing what you believe and what you choose not to believe?

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

I don't speak for any other atheists but I only believe things that are factual.

Why do you believe things are factual? To what extent?

 

[Altfish]

It seems to me that Atheists are most concerned with proof. Not only that they typically want it handed to them on a silver platter served by an angel from heaven. I mean don't get me wrong, all of us would probably love for that to happen, but what I am curious to know is: Is there anything that Atheist believe in? I mean, does an atheist live life expecting everything to be explainable.... factual.... proven? Is there anything, metaphysical or physical, that they actually believe in or do they just rely on their concrete proof and knowledge? If they do believe in something... anything? Why? I'm curious.

Atheists have may differing beliefs - but only one that defines them, "There is no god(s)"

I believe in cooperation, empathy, family and that The Fall are the best band ever.

Other atheist belive in other things and most are wrong about the best group.

 

[Subduction Zone]

My question becomes a personal one. If you personally are an atheist and you believe in anything. Why do you believe in that thing? I am trying to understand if there is simply a picking and choosing what you believe and what you choose not to believe?

I believe in what can be supported with evidence and observation. In other words reality. It is often harmful to believe in things that man just made up.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Why do you believe things are factual? To what extent?

Walking off of a cliff has been proven to be detrimental to one's health.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

No, but that has nothing to do with being an atheist. The only thing being an atheist has in common with other atheists are that they are atheists as explain above and humans?

So would you say you are atheist for the same reasons other atheist are atheist?

 

[HonestJoe]

It seems to me that Atheists are most concerned with proof.

I think the fundamental issue here (and you're far from alone in this) is that you're treating "atheist" as if it describes a complete class of individual. In truth, "atheist" only describes a singular and very specific characteristic, not unlike it's exact opposite "theist" of course. I mean, how would you answer the question "What do theists believe?"

So, individual atheists can and do believe (or not believe) all sorts of different things with absolutely no required consistency of defined pattern beyond the definitive characteristic or not believing in the existence of any god or gods. Some atheists are religious (there are non-theistic religions), some atheists believe in other "supernatural" concepts or even beings (just not gods specifically). There is also the complication in this whole area of who can actually be defined as atheist (by themselves or others).

In general, I find it's usually unhelpful to even consider such broad and ill-defined categories at all. Lots of people will believe different things to you, theist or atheist alike. If you want to understand about any of those different beliefs, you'd do better to ask about them specifically, without limiting who you want or expect to answer.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

Walking off of a cliff has been proven to be detrimental to one's health.

I assume this is your belief although you personally didn't experience this to know that this is the case. How much proof did you need in order for you to believe this to be true?

 

[John53]

Why do you believe things are factual? To what extent?

Evidence.

I guess to the extant that if there is a possibility of something being factual I will keep an open mind.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I assume this is your belief although you personally didn't experience this to know that this is the case. How much proof did you need in order for you to believe this to be true?

I am a fast learner:

Except when it comes to posting a gif with the new software.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

So would you say you are atheist for the same reasons other atheist are atheist?

No, some atheists are agnostics when it comes to gods, others are in effect gnostic, yet others are totally indifferent to this and won't even consider themselves atheists, because they don't care about that.
There are also other reasons.

 

[Mock Turtle]

It seems to me that Atheists are most concerned with proof. Not only that they typically want it handed to them on a silver platter served by an angel from heaven. I mean don't get me wrong, all of us would probably love for that to happen, but what I am curious to know is: Is there anything that Atheist believe in? I mean, does an atheist live life expecting everything to be explainable.... factual.... proven? Is there anything, metaphysical or physical, that they actually believe in or do they just rely on their concrete proof and knowledge? If they do believe in something... anything? Why? I'm curious.

As others have pointed out, there is no 'atheist belief system' other than the fact that they all mostly are allied in not having a belief in God or gods, and I would place myself amongst them even though I have some agnosticism about the subject - just as many might have. So you are making a categorical error here I believe - in trying to assign anything to such a group, given that there might be nothing else that could be attributed to them. I suspect that those who fall under this umbrella term are most likely to accept evidence that they themselves can prove or has been reliably proven before or as to what science might show us - if there is sufficient evidence from such. And they are less likely to believe the words in some old religious text - and which is where you and they may depart. As to much else - who knows?

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

I think the fundamental issue here (and you're far from alone in this) is that you're treating "atheist" as if it describes a complete class of individual. In truth, "atheist" only describes a singular and very specific characteristic, not unlike it's exact opposite "theist" of course. I mean, how would you answer the question "What do theists believe?"

So, individual atheists can and do believe (or not believe) all sorts of different things with absolutely no required consistency of defined pattern beyond the definitive characteristic or not believing in the existence of any god or gods. Some atheists are religious (there are non-theistic religions), some atheists believe in other "supernatural" concepts or even beings (just not gods specifically). There is also the complication in this whole area of who can actually be defined as atheist (by themselves or others).

In general, I find it's usually unhelpful to even consider such broad and ill-defined categories at all. Lots of people will believe different things to you, theist or atheist alike. If you want to understand about any of those different beliefs, you'd do better to ask about them specifically, without limiting who you want or expect to answer.

I am actually wanting to get some ideas because I am interested to know if atheism is an experience of a general lack of belief. It seems to me that in order to be a cognitive atheist, you must disallow belief altogether as how can any belief support the demands of concrete evidence or proof? Is there a way to reconcile a reasoning behind any belief?