Annually observed on March 23, Atheist Day is a celebration of those who do not believe in deity. More than 400 years ago, the term “atheism” arose in medieval Europe to describe those who rejected the concept of a higher power. There are reportedly over 4,000 religions in the world today, and nearly all of them have associated festivals and observances. Despite the fact that atheists do not believe in God, they also desired a special day to be observed, thus the establishment of Atheist Day. This is an attempt to recognize the struggle of atheists to live authentic lives in many parts of the world, the struggle to openly affirm one’s atheism.

The share of Americans who identify as atheists has increased modestly but significantly in the past decade. Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 show that 4% of American adults say they are atheists when asked about their religious identity, up from 2% in 2009. An additional 5% of Americans call themselves agnostics, up from 3% a decade ago.

The literal definition of “atheist” is “a person who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,” according to Merriam-Webster. And the vast majority of U.S. atheists fit this description: 81% say they do not believe in God or a higher power or in a spiritual force of any kind. (Overall, 10% of American adults share this view.) At the same time, roughly one-in-five self-described atheists (18%) say they do believe in some kind of higher power. None of the atheists we surveyed, however, say they believe in “God as described in the Bible.”

Atheists make up a larger share of the population in many European countries than they do in the U.S. In Western Europe, where Pew Research Center surveyed 15 countries in 2017, nearly one-in-five Belgians (19%) identify as atheists, as do 16% in Denmark, 15% in France and 14% in the Netherlands and Sweden. But the European country with perhaps the biggest share of atheists is the Czech Republic, where a quarter of adults identify that way. In neighboring Slovakia, 15% identify as atheists, although in the rest of Central and Eastern Europe, atheists have a smaller presence, despite the historical influence of the officially atheist Soviet Union. Like Americans, Europeans in many countries are more likely to say they do not believe in God than they are to identify as atheists, including two-thirds of Czechs and at least half of Swedish (60%), Belgian (54%) and Dutch adults (53%) who say they do not believe in God. In other regions surveyed by the Center, including Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, atheists generally are much rarer.

A declining share of Canadians identify as Christians, while an increasing share say they have no religion – similar to trends in the United States and Western Europe. Our most recent survey in Canada, conducted in 2018, found that a slim majority of Canadian adults (55%) say they are Christian, including 29% who are Catholic and 18% who are Protestant. Slightlu over than three-in-ten Canadians –  34.6% of Canadians declare no religious affiliation, which is up from 23.9% in the 2011 Canadian census and 16.5% in the 2001 Canadian census. Among those estimated 4.9 million Canadians of no religion, an estimated 1.9 million would specify atheist, 1.8 million would specify agnostic, and 1.2 million humanist.

In many cases, being an atheist isn’t just about personally rejecting religious labels and beliefs – most atheists also express negative views when asked about the role of religion in society. For example, seven-in-ten U.S. atheists say religion’s influence is declining in American public life, and that this is a good thing (71%), according to a 2019 survey. Fewer than one-in-five U.S. adults overall (17%) share this view. A majority of atheists (70%) also say churches and other religious organizations do more harm than good in society, and an even larger share (93%) say religious institutions have too much influence in U.S. politics.

Atheistic traditions have played a significant part in Asian cultures for millennia. While Buddhism is a tradition focused on spiritual liberation, it is not a theistic religion. The Buddha himself rejected the idea of a creator god, and Buddhist philosophers have even argued that belief in an eternal god is nothing but a distraction for humans seeking enlightenment. A similar form of functional atheism can also be found in the ancient Asian religion of Jainism, a tradition that emphasizes non-violence toward all living beings, non-attachment to worldly possessions and ascetic practice.

While the Hindu tradition of India embraces the belief in many gods and goddesses – 330 million of them, according to some sources – there are also atheistic strands of thought found within Hinduism. The Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy is one such example. It believes that humans can achieve liberation for themselves by freeing their own spirit from the realm of matter. Another example is the Mimamsa school. This school also rejects the idea of a creator God.

The Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, deals with significant skepticism around the fundamental question of a creator God and the creation of the universe. It does not, at many instances, categorically accept the existence of a creator God. Nasadiya Sukta (Creation Hymn) in the tenth chapter of the Rig Veda states:

Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.

Q. Atheists, if you were taking a walk and suddenly heard a voice from the clouds that said “the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel,” how would you react? Would you have a heart attack on the spot?
A. Heart attack? No. I will wonder “Oh no! Not another nutjob Christian fundy trying to push his/her religion onto us.”

Q. If all of us turn atheist, will we celebrate any festivals?
A. Yeah! Totally. And we will make up some new ones that have real meaning and it will be awesome. Dedicated to science, the arts, music, Star Trek etc. Festivus would ofcourse be the main one.

Q. What percentage of Indians are atheists?
A. It is very difficult to get a correct answer. There are many Hindus, Muslims & Christians in India who do not believe but bow to family pressure. I have a couple in my family. Among my first cousins I am the only open atheist but I know for a fact, from our discussions, that two others are atheists too but they have never spoken out. I do have second cousins who are atheists.

Similarly I know folks from the Muslim community who do not believe but they are scared of being ostracized by their family & community. Some Christians too. But it has been changing a lot in the last few years. While I only knew a handful of atheists in my home state 20 years ago, now it’s in the 100s personally.

Someday it will be much easier to come out as atheist in this country and then you will know a proper number.

I can’t speak for all atheists. There is nothing mandatory for an atheist to believe in. Most of us will agree on some subjects and disagree on a lot more. That is because the only criteria for being an atheist is if the answer to the question “Do you believe in a god or gods?” is NO. Or even I don’t know. If it is the latter than you can’t say that you are a theist anyway.

Alright now to your question. Ofcourse not all atheists will believe in things that can only be scientifically proven. But it is better to believe in things that are proven to be true. Otherwise you could get taken for a ride. Some of them non-proven things are harmless and even fun. In my mind sometimes I am captaining the starship USS Enterprise.

For instance, I believe that there could be alien life out there on various planets and star systems. Is that scientifically proven? No. But I just can’t bring myself to be arrogant enough to think that in this wide, wide universe will millions and millions of planets and moons we are the only planet with life. It would be a shame and waste of space. I highly doubt we will prove it in my life time but it is fun to imagine what life is like out there amongst the stars.

Prompt from Quora.com

Is atheism just the mere belief that there is no god, or is it in actuality the assertion that there is no god?

Atheism is in itself a lack of belief in the god claims. Meaning atheists aren’t convinced of the gods being real.

Having said that:

1. You will find atheists who say that they believe that there is no god.
2. You will find atheists who aren’t convinced but think it is highly unlikely that there is a god (not necessarily one that has been proposed but any kind of god)
3. And you will find atheists who say for sure there is no god.

I fall under the second bracket, I don’t claim that there is one. But I don’t believe in your gods. Any of them. And I think it is highly unlikely that there is one but it is a vast, vast universe.

To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

Advantages of being an Atheist:

1. INTELLIGENCE : Atheists tend to have higher IQs and have been shown to generally be more intelligent than religious people. Intelligent people also tend to spend more time in school, which in turn leads to greater success professionally.

2. BETTER JOBS : This follows from the previous reason – more intelligent people tend to do better in the workplace. The same studies that have shown higher levels of IQs for atheists also equated that with getting higher-level jobs and higher pay.

3. SELF-ESTEEM & SELF-RELIANCE : These are two sides of the same coin. Atheists are not being told that they are guilty and sinful, as is the case with many religious teachings. This leads to higher self-esteem and a feeling of control over life’s events. As atheists do not expect a deity to help them solve a problem, they will address it personally and directly. The increased self-reliance can have a positive effect on their own lives, but also on the lives of others. When there’s no wheel of life, reincarnation, heaven, or hell, the responsibility for made choices lies with individuals.

4. HEALTH : Atheists believe in science and would not stand in the way of medical treatments on religious grounds. While there have been studies that showed the mental and physical health benefits of being a believer, there have also been recent studies that showed no significant difference in the mental health of religious and non-religious people. In fact, it can be argued that having strong self-esteem and better economic status would make atheists more healthy.

5. PROGRESS : Atheists tend to value scientific discovery more and are less likely to stand in the way of scientific progress as has often happened for religious reasons. An atheistic society is more rational and science-oriented.

6. PEACEFULNESS : Atheists do not start wars or commit acts of terrorism for religious reasons, just to prove their deity is the correct one. On the other hand, Marxist-Leninist atheism at the core of communism has certainly given atheism a bad name, but it’s not necessarily an argument that it was atheism itself that led to the repressions and killings. There were complex historical, social, and economic reasons for that. Atheists tend to not kill others for the sake of atheism.

6. SCEPTICISM : Atheists are generally skeptical and tend to look at issues from a rational, often scientific standpoint that demands proof. For an atheist, elements of reality are observable and can be tested.

7. SOCIAL ISSUES : Atheists tend to be very involved in social justice issues. They do not believe in some higher power or order that could have pre-ordained a human’s lot in life. Everything is of this material universe and can be improved upon.

Found on Quora & Big Think’s : 10 Reasons Atheists Do It Better