Fun Holidays - Atheist Pride Day

June 6th is a day for atheists to be proud of their beliefs and to let others know about those beliefs if they have not already done so. Atheists believe that deities do not exist, while theists believe that some kind of deity exists. The word "a" in their name means "without". There is no set ideology in atheism - atheists can be humanists, rationalists, Unitarian Universalists, postmodernists, secularists, among other things. Greek and Roman philosophers and writers such as Epicurus, Democritus and Lucretius influenced what would become atheism. The term did not appear until the sixteenth century, when freethinking and skepticism began to take root. Some who lived during the Enlightenment were the first to admit that they were atheists. The supremacy of human reason was an aspect of the French Revolution, and it was during this time that atheism first began to be used in politics. Science also began to undermine religion in the second half of the nineteenth century. Atheists have many reasons why they think religion is bad. They may think that people who believe in a higher power do not think rationally and do not rely on themselves. Many people believe that religion divides people and causes things like wars. They believe that the anti-democratic structure of most religions is incompatible with human rights, and oppose the different ways in which women and gays are treated in many religious groups. They may also believe that religion hinders scientific research. • Atheists believe that they can live by moral standards without the help of God. They often live by the same moral code as religious people, but get there without a god, considering him unnecessary. Atheists believe that science can explain existence better than god. This belief arose only a few centuries ago, when scientific discoveries began to be made. In particular, atheists view evolution as an explanation for life forms and the earth, making God unnecessary. • Atheists believe that religion is based on emotions and that it helps people cope with fears they may have, such as that life has no meaning or purpose or that existence ends after death. • Atheists see a lack of empirical evidence to support the existence of any religion or that God exists. They find arguments for God unconvincing. Atheists follow the “problem of evil,” which questions how evil can exist when there is a loving, knowledgeable, and powerful god. • Atheists follow the “inconsistent revelation argument,” which states that with so many conflicting belief systems, it is unlikely that God exists. • Atheists see a discrepancy between the existence of God and a world in which many do not believe in his existence. This is called the "argument of disbelief." • Atheists follow the “law of frugality.” This law states that when solving a problem, you should choose the one that involves the fewest assumptions. In this case, atheism makes fewer assumptions than belief in religion. This means that the burden of proof should be on the believer, not the unbeliever. Anyone who thinks that God exists must test it. • Atheists are born into or live in a non-religious society. Communist China is one example of such a place. Others may be born into religion but lose faith over time. It is difficult to estimate how many atheists there are in the world. A 2015 survey found that about 11% of the world's population are atheists, and a 2012 survey found the number to be 13%. These were WIN/Gallup International polls. A 2004 BBC poll put the figure at 8%. Europe and Asia have the most atheists. In 2015, 61% of Chinese citizens identified themselves as atheists.