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• Though several slightly different definitions exist, atheism is the rejection of theism, a belief in one or more Gods. Several recent best-sellers extolling atheism have renewed interest in the subject.

• Fast Facts

  1. 2005 Eurostat poll: 52% of European Union citizens responded that "they believe there is a God"
  2. Famous atheists: Douglas Adams, Issac Asimov, Albert Einstein, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Epicurus, Democritus
  3. American Atheists group formed in 1963

• Non-Belief

  Under the definition that atheism is the non-belief in God, people who are atheists can arrive at the conclusion that God does not exist for a variety of reasons. Some say they don't have enough evidence that God exists. Others were once a part of a religion and lost faith.

  Some cultures promote atheism. For example, Communist China does not allow religion, so many raised in China are likely to be without religion.

• Types of Atheism

  There are several different belief systems that can be categorized under the term atheism.

  Humanism is the belief that the world is centered around the human experience, driven by thoughts and emotions.

  Secularism refers to those that oppose traditional religion.

  Rationalism is the belief that life is based on reason. Rationalists believe the best explanation for the world is evolution based on Charles Darwin's theory.

  Buddhism is often categorized as atheist because Buddhists do not believe in a personal God.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Atheist Bus | Flying Spaghetti Monster | American Humanist Association | God | Pete Stark | Richard Dawkins | PZ Myers | Sam Harris | Christopher Hitchens | George H. W. Bush | Andrew Sullivan | Scopes Trial | Agnosticism | Godless Americans PAC | HumanLight | Michael Newdow

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