Great questions! The easiest way to answer that is this: Atheism is not a
religion, it is a belief system. Basically, Atheists completely lack a belief
in God and they also believe that they can prove that there are no god(s) both
empirically and logically.
Since they do not
believe in God or any other deities, they don’t worship anything. It’s all
about self-awareness and believing in the potential for humanity, the power of
reason, the comfort of love, the value of truth, the beauty and joy of the
human experience and the nearly unlimited power of the human will to endure
almost any hardship or solve almost any problem. (I got those qualities from an
avowed atheist, Richard Carrier)
What I find
somewhat sad is that, even in Mr. Carrier’s description of what he believes as
an atheist, he does not allow for absolutes. According to him, the “nearly
unlimited power of the human will” can endure almost any hardship or
solve almost any problem. So, in reality, what he’s telling me is
that the “unlimited power of the human will” actually has limits!
I actually agree
with him in this way: human will is limited. In fact the Holy Bible tells us
that, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
(Matthew 19:26)
Whenever you are
afraid, whenever you are sad, whenever you have doubts…remember this, “I (you)
can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who gives me (you) strength.”
(Philippians 4:13) The atheist has no one to turn to other than himself/herself
or another atheist! Where does he/she turn when things get so bad they become
unbearable? What does the atheist cling to that would give them hope???
The truth is we
are all spiritually bankrupt and we NEED a Savior! Matthew 5:3 says it the best
in the first line of the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for
theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” And even more reassuring is what Jesus,
himself, told us: “In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have
overcome the world.” (John 16:33)