About Atheism

Atheism is a very broad term, even though it is basically interpreted as the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. The term is contrasted with theism, which suggests that there exists at least one deity. The word atheism dates back to the 5th Century BCE Greek word atheos, which means “without gods.” Over the years, the application of the word has been narrowed down significantly, thanks to the spread of freethought, skeptical inquiry and an increase in the criticism of religion.

Today, there are very few people who understand the concept completely and that is why atheism is often misunderstood and even vilified to a large extent. Different people perceive atheism differently, and hence, it is difficult to determine the total number of atheists in the world. Questions related to atheism can stem from philosophical, social or even historical perspectives. While some rationalize their lack of belief in a supernatural deity as insufficient empirical evidence, others rationalize their stance with the problem of evil that theism fails to resolve at many levels.

Whatever the reason may be for one to turn to atheism, Atheist Republic is one of the few organizations that try to highlight how okay it is to raise questions and seek answers, an idea that is often denounced by many religious people. The team at Atheist Republic strives to educate those interested in atheism, because they unanimously believe that understanding the subject will help one see how most of the attacks made upon atheism and atheists are based on mistaken assumptions and a general lack of knowledge.

Here is hoping you, too, find Atheist Republic to be a resourceful website that not only answers the questions you may have, but also enriches your mind.

Irrational religious belief is often a result of brainwashing and conditioning an individual from birth. So how does the conditioning work?

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A relative of mine just told me that she had wasted her prayers on me over the years. So, I want to repay her wasted effort. What do you think I should give her as a compensatory gift? Be nice.

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It is difficult to understand Hinduism; it is also difficult to explain. The following questions are meant to produce more questions, not fewer.

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Why would your own relatives declare you an apostate? A story that tells how the name and word of god is used to sever relationships and kill humans.

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Blasphemy laws transform villains into heroes, philanthropists into felons, truth and human rights into crimes and subsequently, order into chaos.

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Most of us value human relationships. We are regularly faced with the differences between ourselves and others and we choose to navigate those differences with as little conflict and drama as possible. We do not want to leave hurt feelings, broken friendships and childish behaviour in our wake as we travel through life. As we mature, we learn to handle interactions more or less successfully and most of us desire to leave a positive mark on the world. We also learn quickly that human interaction is quite messy and often complicated. I suggest a call to deeper civility.

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A response to Ravi Zacharias. Why Atheists are more moral than believers.

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In his 1986 book "The Blind Watchmaker" Richard Dawkins recalls expressing his position that he couldn't imagine being an atheist before Darwin. As it happens, there WERE atheists before Darwin, and theories of evolution go back to ancient Greece. It's curious, because he also believes God is in itself a bad explanation (would it still be if evolution were false?). It's a shame if Mr. Dawkins (who I have recently met) is unaware of it, but there is a great legacy of atheist pioneers that helped forge the modern world and cut through the fog and terror of religious faith.

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Experience the life of a freethinker in a country where thinking is a regretful, immoral, offensive, punishable act…

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Many religious people are under the impression that all atheists are angry at God and that they blame God for the misery of the world, but this is simply untrue.

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