Atheism as a Worldview
The idea of atheism, often referred to as a worldview in which“man is the measure,”
has been a part of the human experience for as long as people have been concerned
with questions about the meaning of life and explanations about death. As early as
circa 400 BCE, Plato talked about the portion of humankind that did not believe in
the existence of any of the gods. Hence, this worldview has a history and“traces its
roots from ancient China, classical Greece and Rome, through the Renaissance and
the Enlightenment, to the scientific revolution of the modern world.”^12 Part of the
“modern world”emphasis comes from the theories and personal writings of Charles
Darwin.^13 The past two decades have witnessed a new interest in atheism that has
been accompanied by an increase in the number of people who subscribe to this world-
view. There are numerous surveys that reflect this new popularity. The Pew Forum on
Religion and Public Life estimates that approximately 4 percent of the population of
the United States holds views associated with atheism.^14 There are now even“Atheist
Mega-Churches”that have responded to this recent interest in atheism.^15 Worldwide
interest in atheism is even more apparent. Most reports suggest that atheists account
for 13 to 16 percent of the world’s population.^16 What all these people have in com-
mon is a worldview that claims a denial of the existence of God.
There are many definitions and approaches associated with the concept ofatheism.
This should not be surprising given that there are approximately 41,000 different
Christian denominations. The major atheist organization actually states on its home
page, “atheists come in a variety of shapes, colors, beliefs, convictions, and
backgrounds.”^17 Many people who hold the atheistic worldview often feel comfortable
describing themselves asagnostics, human secularists,ordeists. Although there are some
minor shades of differences, there are some core beliefs that explain what these adher-
ents have in common. The most fundamental of these beliefs is that there is a social
order and explanation of life that can existwithoutGod or organized religion. Not
only do atheists deny the existence of God, but they also hold a number of other
fundamental beliefs. Let us look at some of these.Rejection of God
Atheism begins with the premise that religion—and the various deities and Gods
associated with it—are a projection of humankind’s own aspirations and yearnings.
Hitchens, a leading spokesperson for atheism, asserts,“Religion is man-made. Even
the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets, or redeemers, or gurus
actually said or did.”^18 Because of this attitude, atheists hold that the solution to
most problems is not God but rather“extending the scientific method of rational
inquiry into all aspects of life.”^19 An extension of this position leads to a firm belief
in evolution. In fact, most atheists consider that the universe, including the humans
within the universe, functions according to the laws of nature. Atheists believe that
these are laws that can be observed, tested, and verified.Role of the Individual
Because atheists begin with a dismissal of God in their worldview, they have a strong
belief in the individual. Their teachings and literature stress self-reliance. As Halver-
son notes,“Each individual determines his or her own purpose in life.”^20 While there106 CHAPTER 4•Worldview: Cultural Explanations of Life and Death
Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).