What do atheists believe? | Clay Routledge

Atheists are not immune from supernatural thinking.

Atheism is typically thought of as being binary: You either believe in God or you don’t.

In reality, atheism is a much more complex belief system. Some atheists are spiritual, while others are “angry” at the divine — both of which imply some level of belief in something.

Many atheists engage in teleological thinking, which is the notion that there is a hidden design or meaning to our lives.

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[The-Well]

Do you think that atheists can believe in the supernatural, or is it contradictory?

[ryanw]

Kind of seems like this video didn’t leave any room for atheists who AREN’T actually spiritual.

[TobyHardtospell]

I'm an atheist, and I always felt it was weird when people said they weren't religious but were "spiritual" because it basically implied a god. That said, I'm not immune from supernatural thinking - like if my plane hits turbulence, I'll have the urge to pray. I just intellectually think it's an emotional response that's not based in reality, similarly to how I might feel 'lucky' if I roll five sevens in a row but intellectually know it's just chance.

[henk-]

3:19 I think it's perfectly normal that negative thoughts produce negative feelings, even if it involves some imaginary creature. If I try to imagine Donald Duck murdering my mom it would create negative feelings as well.

[susanstevenson]

Im a social atheist. I believe in all human beings able to live their lives the way they choose.

[Max_Doubt]

Disbeliever: "I firmly believe no gods exist." Xian: "Can you justify your belief?" Disbeliever: "Of course I can, but you lack the standing to offer such a challenge. You believe that only one god exists and no more. Can you rationally justify _that_ belief?" Xian: "Uhh...no." Disbeliever: "Then you're in the same boat so shut up."

[jamesparson]

I am an atheist. I am not angry at a god I don't think exists. I am angry at grifters. As far as I can tell all priests and pastors are grifters.

[Max_Doubt]

Silly nonsense. The theism/atheism debate is about the acceptance vs the rejection of the existence of gods. Don't complicate it. "Social" atheists? "Emotional" atheists? No. Most atheists are neutral nonbelievers. Some are disbelievers who think gods probably don't exist. An ultra-rare few are deniers who think gods _definitely_ don't exist. I imagine this is somewhat similar to the demographics of those who don't accept the existence of Martian microbes: Mostly nonbelievers, some disbelievers and a rare few deniers. Wiki got it right.

[DRayL_]

Several of the "atheists" in his lists wouldn't be considered "atheists" at all. It really is an issue of "do you believe in deities or not". If you're not sure, or have some sort of "maybe", then you aren't an atheist. I'm agnostic. I don't know one way or the other, ...because there isn't any way to factually determine whether something like "a deity" exists at all...or even could exist in reality...or especially "outside our understanding".

And yes, some atheists might use colloquialisms..."not meant to be"...or even "thank god", but don't at all say that in a way that says "they believe in an actual god".

[Culexus]

As an atheist, while I myself have no belief in the supernatural, I don't see why holding a belief in it would be incompatible with being an atheist. I can easily envision being able to believe magic is a real thing, or ghosts, or psychic powers and yet not believe in any gods. I find the speaker's interpretation that using cultural expressions - such as euphemistically saying something was "not meant to be" or "bless you" or " oh my god" indicate any actual belief in the divine. These expressions are woven into every facet of our culture - it would be extremely hard to grow up in America and not hear them constantly. At the end of the day, we use language the people around us understand and these phrases are part of that shared understanding of how to communicate certain emotions that are not necessarily theistic in origin.

[John-jwyq]

I don't know what's so complicated. That question should be rephrased to "What else do you believe in outside of your position of faith?"

[boogaturk]

The way I try to explain it to a religious person (and this works best in non-British countries), is that I'm not a cricket fan. I ask them if they are a cricket fan. The usual answer is, "no", so then, "Why not? Do you have cricket experiences, where you need purpose for watching a cricket game? Do you find that things didn't go your way because of a cricket game? Why are you so against cricket? It isn't cricket!"

[amaltheia]

Hello, I want to explain why I am not believing:
What is the boiling point of water ? If it is pure water under 1 atm atmosphere pressure, it is 100 degrees Celsius. You can repeat it 1000 times and you will find out that it is always the same result. But as soon as you change the atmospheric pressure, e.g. by doing the heating on mount Everest, you will find out it is boiling earlier, you can again repeat it and get the same results. By adding salt, you will find out that it is now boiling later. But under same conditions you will again get the same results. That's why it is possible to make measuring devices like a thermometer. Imagine you try to measure a temperature and you get different results under the same conditions; the measuring device would be useless.
So under same conditions you get the same results F(x), under different conditions or initial variables or parameters (x) you get different results.
Now to the problem, religions are promising two different results, heaven (F1) or hell (F2). What are the parameters for going to heaven (or hell), being good, having faith, being patient, being helpfull, being adequate intelligent (to have faith or not to have faith), live long enough to go to hell (babies go to heaven) etc.
So, if there are two results, the initial (given) parameters (or the resultant of them) cannot be the same. So if the initial parameters for heaven or hell are differntly distributed to people, can we speak about a fair god ? Do you believe in an unfair god ? I don't.

[danmurray]

If Earth (& therefore humans) did not exist, would Christians still believe in God? Said another way, is God's existence independent or dependent on humans?

[claytondykstra]

Does anyone have a source to the study he cites where researchers asked participants to ask God to hurt their friends? I can't find any sort of study like this anywhere.

[havenbastion]

The three types are igtheist, hard atheist, and agnostic, but you can be any combination of them at the same time.

[ShermanMays-fwko]

Probably the furthest he made it into a conversation all week before saying binary

[brightphoebeuploads]

It's hard to pinpoint what to call myself really, I was pagan at first, then humanist, then spiritual atheist, now I guess just atheist will do, but I am interested in spiritual questions, and I am open to the possibility of supernatural phenomena such as reincarnation and ghosts. I don't just throw it all aside. I'm waiting for adequate evidence. These things are not proven not to be, so I don't throw them out. God however, is just too far fetched to me. There is no evidence either however, that our universe is not actually a microbiome in the gut of a much larger organism, either. But a God that listens to your thoughts? Na-ah. It's too loaded, and explainable by psychology, the human need for an all-knowing father, or memories of the womb, and for someone to be in control and have all the answers. And con artists and megalomaniacs take advantage of that.
So you're saying we're more alike than we know. If only Christians knew that. They're always trying to "save" me. It's insulting.

[pleasepleasethebees]

I wonder if "teleological thinking" is actually just atheists using common cultural idioms as shorthand to describe their experiences? Ask a linguist or a theologian to observe the same behavior and they will likely come to different conclusions about why certain words or phrases are used.

Also, of course the idea of wishing harm on loved ones would cause physiological distress, just like in believers. Just because you don't believe it will happen, that doesn't mean the idea of it isnt still distressing.

[johnhough]

I didn't know that we atheists had classifications~?
I just thought simply that an atheist was "a guy with no invisible means of support" ... and I run with that.
"... wasn't meant to be ..." is just another way of saying "Well, that ain't gonna happen", but retrospectively.
For anyone reading this, bear in mind that in a thousand years from now you won't be much different than from a thousand years before now. No?
Religion is simply a way for the unscrupulous to part the gullible from their monies. How many religions, how many gods? Help yourself, there's lots.
Curses aren't legal, moral, or advised. Tut! But do it right and you'll make a bundle. (Do it wrong and you'll end up in Jonestown ...)