Tag: atheist

I often describe myself as a "devout agnostic but a functional atheist." By which I mean that I do not rule out in principle that god(s) might exist (though many a dogmatic atheist does exactly that), though since if asked do I believe in any particular god, as I don't, that makes me a functional atheist.

I do indeed celebrate Christmas, though obviously as a secular holiday. So as the mood takes me, Christmas tree and decorations go up, and I play Christmas albums and movies all the rest.

What forms or methods of personal growth and living into your values work for you? I believe we all seek inner peace, but sometimes the only language I know to express my growth is hard for atheists to understand because of differences of understanding those words.

How do you feel about billboards constructed by atheists that openly attack faith? I'm in support of any message that encourages people to explore beliefs — or unbeliefs, as the case may be — but not at the sake of attacking what others practice. What are your thoughts?

Writer Jim Downard responds to the first question from our "Ask An Atheist" feature. A reader asks, "What's the difference between an atheist and a new atheist?"

According to the Religion Stylebook an atheist is, "A person who does not believe in God or other supernatural forces. Some people make a distinction between “weak atheism” (the idea that evidence doesn’t support a belief in God) and “strong atheism” (being convinced that God does not exist)."

It's a definition that invites questions.

What would an “atheist Lent” look like? A group of young nonbelievers are finding out, observing the Christian practice minus its religious context.

They have given up alcohol, animal products, and various Internet and cellphone interactions.