Some time back a question came up in Quora that I found slightly interesting.
In five sentences, why are you an atheist?
The reason I found it interesting was that I thought the answer to that, for me, would come out in something less than five sentences. As it turned out, I managed it in one.
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Most importantly, I do not and cannot give any credence to anything claimed to exist outside the natural universe that has no evidence, including the entire panoply of gods, ghosts, goblins, gremlins, leprechauns, fairies, and everything associated with superstition.
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How about you?
Because religion is bullshit.
I did it in under five words.
Because it makes sense
2Crunkshark -- That it does.
The evidence for the supernatural is insufficient to persuade me to accept it as true.
So, I don't 'believe' in god[s], pixies, ghosts, fairies, unicorns or suchlike.
Logical analyses of the current set accurate observations do not support the god-exist hyopothesis.
Because I'm educated and intelligent!
@zesty -- How do we know you're telling the truth?
@evidentialist It is evident! Lol
@Triphid -- That's nice, but is not a response to the question posed. Most of us know atheism is the default, but that's not an answer to the question. Nice though.
Atheism is NOT a 'default' position nor stance, it IS, in fact, a STATEMENT by a person who has reasoned out through Logic, etc, that NO God/Deities, etc, have ever existed EXCEPT in the fevered, frightened and somewhat primitive minds of the earliest of Homo Sapiens in particular.
@Triphid -- Hmm ... that's a rather odd way to define the word. Sounds more like something a militant antitheist would say.
@evidentialist Then , may I suggest, you RESEARCH the meaning of 'Atheist' as per the Oxford ENGLISH Dictionary.
@Triphid -- Did that long ago, mate. Doesn't say anything at all about believers being afraid, primitive, or deluded. That I happen to agree with your assessment in no way alters the meaning of the word atheist. Atheism is not an active stance. It is a state or condition of not holding a belief in god or gods. Spouting the negative attributes of believers and their psychological status, though I happen to agree with you on that also, is an active stance and more fittingly is described with the word antitheist. Using capital letters to indicate a shout makes it more like a militant antitheist. Might we also agree on that point?
@evidentialist I was mentioning that bit about it as a REFERENCE to the origins of the earliest forms of religious belief systems as per my years of studies into Theology and Comparative Modern Religions ( my ThD btw). It is my firm and educated opinion that those traits still exist amongst the 'Faithfools' of this day and age hence they are the 'source' material/s that ALL Organised Religions foster in their effort to survive and prosper.
Btw, since the Internet does not allow for actual vocal usage on this site, as on others as well, and given that emphasing a point is part and parcel of debate/discussion, etc, I simply use upper case lettering as a means to express emphasis not as a means to shout as you appear to believe/think.
@Triphid -- Understood. For information, on this site we have the wonderful ability to emphasize words with italics and bold face type. Here's an example: The president vowed he would never give in. The president vowed he would never give in.
An asterisk at the beginning and end of a word or phrase produces italics. A pair of asterisks at the beginning and end yields bold type, and triple asterisks will give bold italics.
@evidentialist Thank you, but I grew up and was educated in the No Computer Eras and have only begun using one regularly in the last 10+ years so I'm not all that familiar with computers and their nuances, etc, my skills are at least very basic in that regard.
Simple answer, ALL children are BORN WITHOUT any knowledge of God/Deities what-so-ever, they are ONLY instructed/indoctrinated later by their Parents, etc, OR, not instructed/indoctrinated later and then, in that case, they grow up and learn about Reality, Reasoning, Logic as do Atheists like myself, who learned to question from a very early age and in doing so was Expelled from EVERY Sunday School at every Church/Religion and Primary School Scripture Class I was FORCED to attend simply because I asked questions.
When observing that prayer does not help, stop, or cease death, birth, abuse, torture, murder, rape, or pedophilia, why would they state god(s) will as it cause!
When these so called higher beings let so much hate, bloodshed, natural disasters, birth defects, and out right genocide, one wonders what their actual purpose is!
Obviously it is not too look over you or protect you!
Religious dogma is nothing but a very few men to lord over those who follow without question!
After witnessing individuals being killed, murdered, abused, and tortured by so called righteous religious followers, following their faith and political leaders, one finds it hard to believe any god(s) would let any of this happen under their watch!
This might seem to naive, yet it rings true on so many levels of faith, belonging, and beliefs!