Atheism

From PhiloWiki

What is atheism?

Christian views

Resources are needed. Feel free to find and add resources.

Secular views

Atheists do not believe in God or gods - they would not even admit to any deist theory. Atheists believe there is sufficient evidence within physics that explain the existence of the universe without intelligent intervention. The most pervasive secular theory is that of the multiverse.

At the most outlandish of the multiverse theories is the idea that, with an infinitude of universes, there could be entities within a universe creating other pocket-universes. This smacks of deism. This is the closest the atheists and theists will probably ever get.

This is a far cry from the conception of a loving, caring God. Atheists don’t see how that concept is necessary to explain the universe, and to them the evidence is not convincing. Arguments of faith make no sense, since many religions with divergent belief systems appeal to faith. For instance, religions cannot agree with the identity of any Messiah.

Atheists do not feel a burden of proof. The most useful definition of atheism is 'weak atheism' - they take it prima facie that there is no God, unless shown good reason otherwise. The alternative, 'strong atheism', that atheists can ‘prove’ the nonexistence of God, seems as unlikely as theistic belief.

A common analogy can be expressed that atheists, Christians, and Jews are all atheistic to Shrek - that is, to Shrek controlling the universe. Almost everyone is atheistic to almost all gods. Atheists are just atheistic to one more god than everyone else.