Or if you have some questions, keep reading!
What is an atheist?
In English, the term atheism was derived from the French athéisme in about 1587. The term atheist (from Fr. athée), in the sense of "one who denies or disbelieves the existence of God", predates atheism in English, being first attested in about 1571. Atheist as a label of practical godlessness was used at least as early as 1577. The words deist and theist entered English after atheism, being first attested in 1621and 1662,respectively, and followed by theism and deism in 1678 and 1682, respectively. Deism and theism changed meanings slightly around 1700, due to the influence of atheism; deism was originally used as a synonym for today's theism, but came to denote a separate philosophical doctrine.
A more simple explanation would
be that an atheist is a person just like you that happens to lack an affiliation
with a church or religion. We go about our daily lives trying our best to be
good to our fellow people and to leave a positive impact on the world around us.
We raise our children to respect others and to keep an open mind about all
thing. Our weekly routines are just the same as yours except for one small
thing.
Who are atheists?
Atheists are your friends, coworkers, neighbors, and even your family. Atheists are historical and modern figures that you see in politics, media, and film. We are rational free thinkers. Approximately 25 million American Citizens are atheists and you likely see many of them each day without even being aware of it. Atheists are generally polite and friendly and lead lives of reason and thought. Many atheists value logic and equality and hold understanding to be the most noble of human pursuits. Atheists are not the misguided heathens many have been led to believe. We are, plain and simple, people not much different than you.
Why do we need a community?
We, like anyone, can benefit from a supportive community. It is often claimed that atheists are very rare and nothing more than an anomaly when the fact is that nearly 20% of our nations population do not believe in a higher power. Still, atheists can on occasion feel isolated when the religious community is so organized and outspoken on issues. Atheists, like any large group of people, deserve a voice. Building and participating in a community is the first step in giving us that voice.
What do our neighbors think about us?
It has been claimed that atheists are many kinds of things that they simply are not. I have heard it claimed that atheists worship satan and sacrifice animals (despite disbelief in supernatural entities precluding this nonsense). I have seen it written that atheists lack morality and do not love their children (despite the disproportionately small number of atheists in our criminal justice system). I have even seen it claimed that atheists are not worthy of American citizenship (despite many of our most revered founding fathers being accused of being atheists). These are all malicious fallacies that desperately require clearing up. Knowledge is power and it makes everyone stronger to have a better understanding of their neighbors. We do not seek to "convert" anyone as it is everyone's inalienable right to believe or not to believe. It never hurts to raise awareness.