Atheism

Atheists define atheism as just not believing in God.  But what atheists actually do shows this definition to be inaccurate.  And many who do not believe in God are not atheists at all.

A good characteristic to define a group is something that members of the group have but non-members don't have.  An example is that Christians believe that Jesus was Christ while non-Christians do not believe this.  This makes this belief a clear identifier of a Christian and so it is justified to include this in a definition of Christianity.

While it is true that atheists do not believe in God, there are plenty of non-atheists who also don't believe in God.  Most Eastern religions don't believe in God as God is described in our Western Bible.  This includes Buddhists, Confucianists, Taoists, and others.  Atheists will respond that these Eastern religions are in fact atheistic.  But members of these religion who are familiar with atheism will not agree with this.  It is certainly more appropriate to ask a Buddhist, for example, if Buddhists are atheist than to ask an atheist this question.  Here is a Buddhist answer found in What Buddhists Believe:

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The Buddha has condemned godlessness by which He meant the denial of worship and renunciation, the denial of moral and social obligations, and the denial of a religious life. He recognized most emphatically the existence of moral and spiritual values. He acclaimed the supremacy of the moral law. Only in one sense can Buddhism be described as atheistic, namely, in so far as it denies the existence of an eternal omnipotent God or God-head who is the creator and ordainer of the world. The word 'atheism', however, frequently carries a number of disparaging overtones or implications which are in no way applicable to the Buddha's Teaching. Those who use the word 'atheism', often associate it with a materialistic doctrine that knows nothing higher than this world of the senses and the slight happiness it can bestow. Buddhism advocates nothing of that sort.

There is no justification for the branding Buddhist as atheists, nihilists, pagans, heathens or communists just because they do not believe in a Creator God. The Buddhist concept of God is different from that of other religions. Differences in belief do not justify name-calling and slanderous words.
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http://www.middlesexdesign.com/gwc/is_buddhism_atheistic.htm

So why do atheists claim that Eastern religions are atheistic?  Because atheists want to add legitimacy by classifying other groups as atheists, even though they are not.

What exactly is it that distinguishes atheists from non-atheists?  It is hatred of God.  Atheists are actually antitheists.  And this can be seen from what they do, not how they choose to define themselves.  Atheists consistently attack and ridicule religion.  A good article on this is WHY DO ATHEISTS RIDICULE CHRISTIANITY?.  From this article:

Well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens, for example, says that religion “should be treated with ridicule, hatred, and contempt.”

This reflects the general thinking of atheists.

I know something about atheism having grown up in an atheist family and having been an atheist myself.  My views changed gradually.  In the beginning I had accepted the atheist (false) definition of atheism.  During my transition, I considered myself an atheist who likes the Old Testament.  I expressed this view on atheist forums and was met by extreme hostility and I always ended up being thrown out of these forums.  Then I realized that the atheist definition of atheism is a lie and that I was no longer an atheist.

There actually is a perfectly good word for those who simply don't believe in God.  This is Nontheism.  As wikipedia explains, the word "non-theist" was introduced by George Holyoake in 1852 because:

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Mr. [Charles] Southwell has taken an objection to the term Atheism. We are glad he has. We have disused it a long time [...]. We disuse it, because Atheist is a worn-out word. Both the ancients and the moderns have understood by it one without God, and also without morality. Thus the term connotes more than any well-informed and earnest person accepting it ever included in it; that is, the word carries with it associations of immorality, which have been repudiated by the Atheist as seriously as by the Christian. Non-theism is a term less open to the same misunderstanding, as it implies the simple non-acceptance of the Theist's explanation of the origin and government of the world.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nontheism#Origin_and_definition

So even by 1852, atheism was associated with immorality.  Here is an atheist today discussing What's the Difference Between Nontheism & Atheism?.  Note the obvious hostility by this atheist to the term "nontheist".

Now we have two words which we can use to clearly identify those who don't believe in God versus those who hate God.  Both atheism and Eastern religions like Buddhism are nontheistic.  But Eastern religions are definitely not atheistic because they don't hate God.

Where does atheism come from?  The best explanation of atheism on an emotional level is found in this song:



In essence, the hatred of God is based on the idea that God has failed to deliver.  All of the world's problems are blamed on God.  This view comes from ignorance of the Old Testament.  The Old Testament repeatedly explains that following God's teachings will solve problems but ignoring God's teachings will cause problems.  Read Deuteronomy 28 in full.  It makes this message loud and clear in language that is impossible to misunderstand.  (Though of course the Christians mistranslate the Hebrew, like saying "obey" when it should be "listen".)  The writers of the above song certainly haven't read the Old Testament.

The point of the Old Testament is that people, as a group, must take responsibility for the results of their actions.  Atheists reject responsibility and want to blame all of the world's problems on religion.  By rejecting responsibility, they are rejecting morality which makes them evil.

If you know someone who is an atheists, ask him to consider carefully whether he is really atheist or he is just a nontheist.  There is nothing evil about nontheism.  If you can convert an atheist into a nontheist, you will have made a big positive change in that person.  You will have changed him from being evil to being neutral.  But be careful of those who insist on atheism.  These people may not have a bad heart and their atheism may be due to ignorance, but there can be no doubt that they are evil and harmful to our world.