Atheism as a historical philosophy and its relevance in contemporary Am

Disbelief in the existence of God is an enduring, worldwide phenomenon that is quite possibly also one of the most misunderstood belief systems in the world. For many, the term â€Å"atheism† immediately spurs negative imagery inspired by years of indoctrination – churches proclaiming the sins of the infidels, and how questioning God’s infinite love will result in instant damnation. Atheists are perceived as dark, nihilistic, immoral, amoral, pessimistic, and even evil, because without God, clearly they are also without morality and goodness. But if this disbelief is so negative, why would nearly 1 billion people globally, and more than 16 percent of the American population identify themselves as â€Å"nonbelievers†? In fact, a survey published in January 2007 by the Pew Research Center for the People & The Press found that â€Å"20 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 say they have no religious affiliation or consider themselves atheists o r agnostics – nearly double those who said that in a similar survey 20 years ago† (Abel). Surely there is something to be gained in denying one of contemporary civilization’s most accepted and cherished beliefs in order to garner the respect of (and often participation from) some of the greatest minds in human history. Indeed, for most nonbelievers, it seems the justification for atheism far outweighs the justifications for theism, which they view as moot, obsolete, and inaccurate. THE PHILOSOPHY Put simply, atheism is the belief that there is no God or gods. In this sense, it is true that atheism is a â€Å"negative† philosophy in that it is the negation of theism (the word is derived from the Greek ‘a’ - without, ‘theos’ - God). However, as we shall see, this perception of atheism as a negative w... ...008 . Martin, Michael. Atheism : A Philosophical Justification. New York, MI: Temple UP, 1990. Martin, Michael, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Atheism. New York: Cambridge UP, 2006. Mills, David, and Dorion Sagan. Atheist Universe : The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism. New York: Ulysses P, 2006 Nielsen, Kai. God, Scepticism and Modernity. Boston: Paul & Company Consortium, Incorporated, 1989. Odell v. Koppee, 5 Heisk. (Tenn) 91. Religulous. Dir. Larry Charles. Perf. Bill Maher. Film. 2008. Thrower, James. Western Atheism : A Short History. New York: Pyr Books, 1999. "17th Century - Investigating Atheism." Investigating Atheism. 2008. University of Cambridge. .