I am an atheist

I am an atheist.

Theism: the belief in the existence of at least one deity.
a-, an-: (Greek) a prefix meaning absence of, no, without, lack of, not
A-theism: absence of belief that at least one deity exists.

I don't accept the statement "the non-belief in god", because that statement does not give equal weight to the non Judaeo-Christian gods, or other belief structures and takes the concept of one god as a given already. My perspective on this issue starts from a blank slate, the time and place where I was born should not determine which belief structure I am supposed to not be believing in.

In my non-belief in gods, supernatural phenomenon or religious belief systems, I am non discriminatory. I give as much weight to Quetzalcoatl of the ancient Mayans, Zeus, Poseidon, Hermes, Athena of ancient Greece, Jupiter, Mars, Juno, Minerva of ancient Roman civilisation, Ra, Osiris, Thoth, of ancient Egypt, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Thor, various fertility gods, personality cults, spiritual belief structures etc.

The people that believed in these religions at different times and places in history were just as convinced, righteous and faithful as those that currently prescribe to the dominant monotheistic religions of our time and place. They deserve equal consideration and respect and it would be naive to think that the Christian, Jewish, scientology, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim belief structures are any more correct than the belief structures of countless other cultures that have came before me that had extremely different beliefs.

Being a non-believer in each of these gods or religions is not one belief, but many.

I dogmatically disbelieve in Zeus, as much as I dogmatically disbelieve that the Aztecs were right to do human sacrifices to the corn gods, just as much as I dogmatically disbelieve in mono-theistic gods, like the Judaeo-Christian one. I have no evidence to base my disbelief in Zeus on, likewise I don't know for sure that the corn god does not exist, the Judaeo-Christian god and whether reincarnation actually happens.

The only logical thing I can do, besides believe in them all, equally. However most are mutually exclusive belief structures, each claiming one particular version of reality to be true.

The only rational thing to do is to disbelieve in them all equally.

I don't disbelieve in 'god' but in all the gods and religious belief structures that exist now and in the past, from all around the world.

This is what I do, that's what an atheist is.

Think outside the square, then look back at the square and laugh about how absurd it was to let it control you.

This particular god could be the right one. I have no proof that it does not exist and I am not so rightous to assume that the most popular version of god in my time and place is any more important or valid than this particular blue, four armed god.

Poseidon? What if he was the right one? I've heard the argument that the ancient Greeks were just personifying particular traits of the 'one true god'. I would argue that to an ancient Greek, the 'one true god' is merely a misunderstanding of the family of gods that actually exists, that in time Christians, Muslims and Buddhists of today will discover Poseidon is in fact real and should be worshiped, for fear of his ability to smite at will and his particularly spiteful and vengeful nature.

The ancient corn god could be the correct one, but i'm not going to pull someone's heart out for human sacrifice to check.

Lord Rama ? maybe ? Looks friendly enough...

Perhaps I should practice every religion that has ever existed just to be on the safe side? However for each religion there is a different kind of punishment for not believing and often for accepting any other god but their one, or many true gods, or system of things I should be doing. I can't be going to all the forms of hell or punishment that exist for disobeying all the different religions can I? That seems reasonably illogical.

So I guess I'll just get on with my life and try to be a good person, with humanist values and ethics founded on human morality. But where did my morality come from but if not from Quetzalcoatl of the ancient Mayans you might ask? A Mayan, or any other person that doesn't believe in the rules of Quetzalcoatl will be immoral!!!! How will they decide right from wrong??? Well, I disagree on that presupposition for the origins of morality. I'm happy with my philosophical, analytical approach to morality and the humanist principals which guide me. Where they come from will be covered in a longer note, another day. The short version is: natural selection, not of individuals so much, but of genes. Cooperation is a human strategy for survival, the altruistic instincts we possess have provided the basis for the most economically efficient method by which genes can perpetuate themselves. A complicated subject which deserves it's own separate note.