# Atheists: What Do You Believe In? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082 "2013-02-12T15:17:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/21 "2013-02-12T15:58:18Z")
I believe 8 of the 10 Commandments. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/22 "2013-02-12T16:00:29Z")
I think I stand with solosam, to a degree; let me ask a variant of his question. Why is it assumed that any of us, religious or atheist or whatever on the ‘religious’ axis, have deeply considered beliefs about other topics? Just because most religionists can put all their beliefs in one tidy box and move on, being able to point to that box when almost any ‘cosmic’ question is asked, why is it assumed that as an atheist I have to have beliefs or answers or even thoughts about every other aspect of life, the universe, and things numbered by forty-twos? Because I don’t. A religionist can just go, “Wow, God made all this” and move on without spending much time thinking about it. I don’t feel any need to understand the exact, deeply considered possibilities about why the universe exists or where it came from or where it might be going. I realize that makes me sound like some kind of trog who can’t be bothered to lift his eyes from the furrow he’s plowing, but… really. For all the casually interesting things about cosmology and so forth, it’s not really worth any bigger chunk of my time than the god question. So I don’t have any “belief” about the origin and purpose of the universe. It just is; I’ll work on and at and with the parts that are not only things I understand, but that I have some hope of meaningfully and purposefully understanding within my lifetime. Cosmological origin is not one of those things, and virtually nothing that might be discovered about it will change my daily life in any way… so I reject the notion that I somehow must have beliefs in this area. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/23 "2013-02-12T16:01:02Z")
I believe that we have one life only. This is it. In order for that life to be happy and fulfilling, we should work toward living together in harmony. In order for that to happen we need to make the world a better place than it was when we were born into it. This requires certain basic characteristics in our lives, such as [ol] [li]Honor[/li][li]Integrity[/li][li]Self-discipline[/li][li]Perseverance[/li][li]Courtesy[/li][li]Loyalty[/li][li]Respect[/li][/ol] If we live our lives with guidelines like these, we will all be happier. ---
**Author:** ![drew870mitchell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drew870mitchell/32/3946_2.png) [@drew870mitchell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drew870mitchell)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/24 "2013-02-12T16:01:45Z")
> [@diggerwam](#): > > I’m not a militant, I’m probably not even going to discuss my views with you unless you pursue that conversation. You leave me alone and let me have my beliefs and I’ll leave you alone as well. Here’s another big difference. I used to _really care_ about being right about e.g. naturalism, any ethical system, etc. Now I’m just pragmatic. I know what I believe, I’m happy with it, I’ll change it if I’m shown it’s wrong, and I’m happy with most other people doing their own thing as long as they’re happy and don’t step on anybody else’s toes. I went from spending hours a week thinking about philosophical matters, while I believed in God, to hours a year. That may not sound very positive but I’m just saying that I feel liberated from anxious worry about how wrong everything is. But I know that religious belief and intensity of said belief or concern for it are only loosely related. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/25 "2013-02-12T16:01:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I believe in renewing the new every day-hear a new song, read a new book, pay attention to a new idea, meet a new person. I like this. And as a corollary, surround yourself with good company. Good music, good books, good ideas, and good people. ---
**Author:** ![Jimbabweosu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jimbabweosu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimbabweosu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/26 "2013-02-12T16:02:03Z")
mmmmmm pie. But seriously, I “believe” in secular humanism and the scientific method. But not really. I understand that these ideas work, in measurable, absolute, independently verifiable ways. Science has improved lives, offered better and better solutions to problems. Similarly the understanding of the universe known as secular humanism has led to vast improvements in millions of people’s lves. I “believe” these things to be true, because there is copious evidece that they work better then other ideas. Similarly, I “Believe” in evolution, the Big Bang, Anthropogenic Global Warming, speed limits save lives, being nice to others makes them nice to you- social harmony works best when you treat others the way they would like to be treated, etc. Belief w/o facts is pointless and moot. Belief backed by the vast majority of the evidence is a theory (NO, NOT hypothesis- the two mean different things). ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/27 "2013-02-12T16:02:09Z")
I thought about this. I know things, like gravity, light, etc. I think emotions are real and valid. I suspect the world could be better without churches, but have no way to really find out. I don’t like many things about the world today but that could change. But beliefs? Absofuckinglutely none. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/28 "2013-02-12T16:04:49Z")
I believe we could make this world a heaven if we stopped looking beyond for a heaven. If we all worked together and worked from the basis we only have one life to live, instead of worrying about the afterlife. I believe we are the universe manifest, trying to figure ourselves out. That makes God the entire universe and everything in it, including ourselves. That makes sense to me. Slowly we came to knowledge and thinking and rationalization. Can God make a problem too big for itself to solve? Yes, the Universe has itself to solve, and it made us to think about itself and solve it. Not in a conscious way, but it was the only natural way to go. I believe we’re just animals, all of us, and we all show lots and lots of animalistic behavior. I believe religion happens because we are desperate to feel special, chosen, wanted, above the herd. I don’t ‘believe’ in evolution; it would be like believing in a table. Of course it happens. It’s clear - just watch any nature program or study any animal. Of course evolution is a thing. I believe being unhappy is its own result. That is, if you are a complainer and a pessimist, of course everything bad is going to happen to you, because you only see bad in everything. I have always been the one to see the bright side of the coin, and funny how happy and content I am. BUT I also believe it’s not 100% within everyone’s control, but people do give into their natures far too much. I believe the universe isn’t fair. Which is OK. Can you imagine if all of this shit happens to us and it was fair? Bad things happen to good people because of an actual reason, not just the sheer randomness of it? I believe every day is a new day and a day to shape yourself. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/29 "2013-02-12T16:06:27Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > Because I don’t. A religionist can just go, “Wow, God made all this” and move on without spending much time thinking about it. I don’t feel any need to understand the exact, deeply considered possibilities about why the universe exists or where it came from or where it might be going. I believe that “I don’t know” is a perfectly fine answer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/30 "2013-02-12T16:08:31Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I believe in a thing called love. justlistentotherhytmofmyheart ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/31 "2013-02-12T16:08:50Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I like this. And as a corollary, surround yourself with good company. Good music, good books, good ideas, and good people. You can’t find the good without embracing the new. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/32 "2013-02-12T16:09:36Z")
“I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman’s back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/33 "2013-02-12T16:11:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You can’t find the good without embracing the new. I don’t know, I love old music, old books, old ideas, and old friends. ---
**Author:** ![pchaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/258eb7/32.png) [@pchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pchaos)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/34 "2013-02-12T16:12:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I believe that if you are nice to people they will be more likely to return the favor, and that there are enough people out there who believe the same way to give that belief a fighting chance. I believe that what you leave behind, your legacy, is much more improtant than where you are going. Yes a legacy is important, it’s important to live our lives to its’ fullest as an example for the next generation. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/35 "2013-02-12T16:16:03Z")
I believe children are fuschia. Light them up and let them know the score. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/36 "2013-02-12T16:17:28Z")
I believe in the scientific method. And pie. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/37 "2013-02-12T16:18:04Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I don’t know, I love old music, old books, old ideas, and old friends. Which ties in with another belief of mine-Love has no limits. Heinlien said something like “The more you love, the more you _can_ love”, and so I love the old _and_ the new. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/38 "2013-02-12T16:23:36Z")
> [@Human\_Action](#): > > That’s a very strict reading of “belief”. A belief is just an opinion or conviction. If you believe that it’s wrong to kill for sport, that’s a belief, and atheists are as likely to hold it as anyone else. Then why ask about atheists in your OP? Why not just ask, “What are your beliefs?”. If you mention atheists and belief in the same sentence the comparison is understandable. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/39 "2013-02-12T16:25:04Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Which ties in with another belief of mine-Love has no limits. Heinlien said something like “The more you love, the more you _can_ love”, and so I love the old _and_ the new. 100% agreed. And that ties in with one of my beliefs (really more of an idea at this point) – Love is the only pure emotion. All other emotions are just a lack of love in some form or another. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082/40 "2013-02-12T16:29:48Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > Then why ask about atheists in your OP? Why not just ask, “What are your beliefs?”. If you mention atheists and belief in the same sentence the comparison is understandable. It ties into the other thread linked to in the OP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-what-do-you-believe-in/650082.md?page=3)