Why do atheists...

outoftheblue said:An atheist is their own god; it's pretty obvious.

Since it seems many participants here are struggling with some fundamental concepts, I’d like to offer some clarity based on insights from the Protagoras association:

Theism, frankly, lacks any practical substance without specific religious expression. To believe that God exists—that there is a transcendent being who created the universe—without actually knowing anything about His intentions, His will, or what He expects from humanity, makes that belief useless for guiding one's actions. In terms of real-world consequences, believing in God's existence without a defined religious framework is essentially the same as atheism. It is only when divine revelation takes a concrete religious shape that the existence of God gains practical meaning, as an undefined relationship with the transcendent evolves into a very specific way of engaging with the world. …

Because atheism isn't a single, unified doctrine but rather a broad label for a specific stance, there is no uniform way that atheists relate to religion, much like how they relate to any other worldview or its practical application. Furthermore, both deism and pantheism can be viewed as certain forms of disguised atheism.

Anti-religious sentiment isn't necessarily aimed at denying God's existence; rather, it often targets the value of religion as a social and secular institution.

Antitheists occupy a unique middle ground between theists and atheists. What they share with atheists is the rejection of claims regarding God's existence. However, what they share with theists is the presence of faith. … … …

One of the most persistent questions believers pose to non-believers is: "How can you live without faith?"

That question, however, is rooted in a religious prejudice—the assumption that faith can only exist within the confines of organized religion, when in fact, religious faith is merely one specific form of faith itself.

http://www.protagora.org/proonama.htm

swiftcobra15 said:Basically, what anti-theists and atheists actually have in common is just this refusal to accept claims about God's existence.

Michelle Lewis2 said:A claim is knowledge proven by evidence. No believer makes a claim; they simply have faith, because knowledge and faith occupy different spaces.

Ethan Kim4 said:That’s just not right. Most believers—the vast majority, anyway—make absolute, apodictic claims about their faith and basically treat their belief as synonymous with truth itself.

Aleksandr_V_Fedotov said:They don't have their own "Pope" or a central "Church" or anything like that... I'm asking because I see religious fanatics out there proselytizing and protesting constantly without anyone stopping to think! Hello!!! Atheists are part of this world too! Wouldn't it be nice to have someone representing the one faith that doesn't believe in any? 🙂