I'm curious what the declared atheists reading this thread believe in. Some have asked for the theists to describe their believes and/or idea of god.

I realise atheists deny the existence of God, gods, the mystical, and the Divine but do any atheist believe there is a higher purpose to Life, or is that a no go zone also?

Taoism, one of China's biggest 'religions', does not talk about God but does deal with an unseen force, similar to nature but more encompassing - The Way. The goal is to be in harmony with the Way in much the same context as a Kung Fu master would approach life.

Ancient Hindu and Buddhist scripts talk about the dynamic void from which everything manifests. This concept is completely consistent with the Big bang theory and quantum physics which shows the most minute particles literally come and go, vibrating inconsistently into and out of existence.

The essence of eastern philosophy is the is a higher purpose and we are here to discover it. The discovery lies within but is also everywhere all the time. All paths lead to enlightenment and it doesn't matter how long it takes; in fact it cannot be forced.

I think there is a misconception that being an atheist automatically means life has no greater purpose

So Would one of the resident atheists please share you views and opinions on the Big Picture, the unknown answers to life's big questions?

Is this all just a chemical reaction unfolding that has somehow created this perfect set of circumstances to create everything from air, water, bacteria, all the way up to animals and humans with minds and creative instincts?

Is atheism the total denial that something very amazing and apparently inter-related is happening?

There are no right and wrong answers to the above, so please share, it will be interesting.

Jayb,

"Being Catholic we were to cross the road & say a prayer if we were to walk past a protestant church."

That's a new one, haven't heard that before; although I did have the experience in Ireland of putting my religious foot in it once.
It was my first time there and I was travelling by bus through the countryside and when we passed a church just about everyone would make the Sign of the Cross (which for those that don't know is different to the sign of the Cross that one makes in Sydney to let a cab driver know that you want to go to King's Cross; assured return fare!), so being one of the mob I did likewise, a few churches later I made the Sign as we passed another wayside chapel, but nobody else did as it was a Church of Ireland church.
Instant self labeling as a tourist.

ConservativeHippie,

They’re some strange questions given that I already provided two links that should answer some of them:

http://tinyurl.com/mtu4jg2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

<<I'm curious what the declared atheists reading this thread believe in.>>

Why? Given that the only quality that all atheists all have in common is that lack of beliefs in any gods, the answers you get to this question would be very personal and say nothing about atheism. Atheism doesn’t have a set of tenets, and even if you narrow the definition of atheism to the belief that there are no gods, it would still say nothing about what atheists actually do believe in.

There is no common atheistic way of thinking. Some believe in New Age woo, others, like myself, take a position of scepticism. My atheism is the result of my scepticism. I don’t “believe in” anything because the belief in something implies that a leap of faith has been taken.

As for the Eastern religions you mention, all I can add is that atheism is compatible with any religion that doesn’t have a god belief. Buddhism is an atheistic religion.

One the one hand, it appears as though you are confusing atheism with Scepticism (and even then, Scepticism isn’t an outright rejection of mystical claims) - as so many do. But then you say this…

<<I think there is a misconception that being an atheist automatically means life has no greater purpose>>

Correct. Which is why I’m continuously clarifying, on OLO, what atheism actually is.

<<So Would one of the resident atheists please share you views and opinions on the Big Picture, the unknown answers to life's big questions?>>

My view is that there is no big picture and that the question itself may not even make any sense. My view on the “answers to life's big questions” would depend on the exact question, but I’m not afraid to say, “I don’t know”. That’s the only honest response to big unknowns and making something up is not an answer. Nor are the unknowns evidence of anything mystical.

Is Mise: haven't heard that before.

Ah... yes. As a Catholic, it is Tradition To Cross yourself when you pass a Catholic Church, enter the Church, Genuflect & Cross yourself when you enter a Pew or cross from one side of the Church to the other. That's because you are passing the Tabernacle. The Traditional Church layout is based on the design of the old Jewish Temple which is based on the design of the Temple of Aten, The Egyptian Sun God. The people that left Egypt during the Exodus were a mixture of the old Egyptian religions. Moses was a descendent of Joseph whose family became the Pharaohs. Ba-al literally means "Son of God" The Golden Calf was a rebirth of the old Egyptian Apis Bull God.

"There came a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph." The Hyksos invaded Egypt. Hence the Exodus. These people became the Hebrews, wandering in the Desert until they settled in the Levant. Back to a little north of where Joseph came from (Gaza)(Caananites.)

I love History. I can read some Hieroglyphics.

Back to the Subject. I really don't care what people believe as long as they live by the Golden Rule. Given to us by Confucius Passed on The Buddha, Thence to the Jews by the remenants of Alexanders Army, Thence to Joshua Ben Nazzaene (Jesus). "Do unto others as you would have them to do you." Unfortunately most Religions added, "But do it first." Christianity & most other Religions seem to have out grown this thinking with one notable exception. Islam.

Do I think there is anything out there known to Earthlings as "God", No. What is the Meaning of Life? (42). I thought we all knew that. I think humans are inherently "Good" until religion F... them up then they go "Bad." Some people ARE inherently "Bad" because of their upbringing by feral parents. Nothing to do with religion.

Thanks AJ

I'm a curious person and I like to know what others think about things, if they want to share, and not just on this topic. Your links provide a broad outline of atheism, but I am curious about how someone who is an atheist feels/sees/thinks about the Universe, the reason it exists and us in it. My curiosity and questions are not to judge anyone, but to open the discussion. Sharing ideas offers the opportunity to learn something new or see things from another person's perspective.

I realised there could be only individual replies to my questions and that's what I still hope to see. Thanks again for sharing yours.

Hippie, I suspect you don't understand, like many people, that atheism is NOT a philosophy, a belief, a religion, a stance, a methodology, a theology, etc etc. Atheism is ONE thing only, it is nothing else other than this one thing --- "a non-belief in gods". Atheism says and does nothing else whatsoever.

Atheists themselves however, just like Christians, Jews, agnostics, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists can, and often do, have their personal "slants" and "twists and turns".

I for example am a gnostic atheist. My personal slant says "no gods exist" --- that's it, that's ALL it says. It does NOT say, "I believe no gods exist" nor does it say "I know no gods exist". Whether I believe, or know, or none of those two, has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not gods exist, or don't exist, in factual reality or non factual reality or another type of reality.

So I say, "no gods exist". So what's left? Living life is what's left, and nothing is deeper or more profound than living life, whether you're a human or an insect or microscopic life. Believing in ancient religious superstitions doesn't elevate one onto a higher philosophical, intellectual or insightful platform than other people.