• Background: Lack of belief in god
• Structure: Unstructured

Background

Atheism is the lack of belief in a god, or a rejection of theism. Atheism can be separated into two main strands: weak and strong atheism. There is a subtle difference between these two.

Strong atheism, also know as explicit or positive atheism, is the direct declaration that 'there is no god(s)'. Weak atheism (or implicit or negative atheism), in contrast, does not directly state 'there is no god', but instead believes the burden of proof lies with theists to prove the existance of their god, rather than on the atheists do disprove it (as you cannot prove a negative).

Most atheists believe in the scientific method. They believe one should not 'believe' a proposition until there is sufficient evidence therefore.

Structure

Atheism has no formal structure. Unlike religions, which have formalized institutions and rigid belief systems, atheism is the scientific default - belief in only those things for which there is sufficient evidence. All are atheists with respect to most Gods humanity has come up with.

The majority of scientists are atheists (source: http://www.physorg.com/news102700045.html) with the proportion of eminent scientists believing in a god estimated at 10% (http://kspark.kaist.ac.kr/jesus/intelligence%20&%20religion.htm) and even less for those in the natural and physical sciences. A 2008 study found a positive correlation between atheism and IQ (http://trance.nu/v4/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1834301).

Recent Developments

Atheism has gained prominence in western media in recent years, especially due to the popularity of prominent books such as Richard Dawkins' 'The God Delusion', Sam Harris' 'Letter to a Christian Nation' and Christopher Hitchins 'God is not Great'.

Atheism has been around as long as religion has. The word 'atheism' originated in the 16th century and open, positive atheism in the modern sense was first seen in the 18th century.

Atheism and Secularism have increased in the western world in the 21st century. The most secular country in the world is Sweden. Estimates have placed its atheist proportion at as high as 85% (Source: http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html). Meanwhile rates of positive atheism in the United States are estimated at 0.4% (http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm).

Accomplishments

Criticism

Atheism is often criticized by religious groups, especially in the United States.

Christians and others who believe they derive their morality from scripture have criticized atheists for a perceived immorality.

Some studies claim to linked atheism to decreased charity or tendency to vote (source: http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=272).

Additional Information