Atheist and Beliefs

Often the religious accuse atheist as "believing in nothing".     This idea is absurd because believing in an idea requires the focus to be about something.    Try to imagine "nothing".   No air.  No Dirt.  No Sun.  The most common response to this assertion is not collecting stamps being a hobby or not playing golf is a sport.

When this idea fails they try to redefine atheist to mean something other than what the person defines it as.    So instead of atheism meaning "lack of belief in gods" they define it as something odd like a belief in magic fairies then attack the new definition.  This is a red herring.   You can't make up a definition and attack someone for it.    That's like being arrested for a crime that the officer made up a moment before.

Of course, atheist are not immune to beliefs.    Our brains are wired to accept an idea with imperfect information.     Often this has been said that if we are out on the plains and you see the grass move you have two choices.   1. Accept that a predator maybe in the grass.   2. It's the wind.    If the ladder is true and you decided to stay then no harm done.    Otherwise you are lunch so the cost of believing in the former is low.  This concept is still with us in modern times.    We have to use reason to over come it but I think most people are not taught critical thinking.

The thing to remember is that the only idea atheist agree on is there's no proof of gods which is why they don't believe in gods.   Most atheist still have other irrational beliefs.    One of the most common belief is hoplaphobia.  They will use logic and reason if you talk about gods but when it comes to politics they will be just as believing as the most fundamentalist theist.

I've known atheists that are conservative Republicans and some who are liberal democrats.  They are all over the spectrum.   I've known atheist who argue the soldiers joined to kill kids, homeopathy cures illness, or chiropractors do something beyond popping joints.
 
Getting the gods virus out of your head is a good start but that doesn't mean that we are all rational.  We are all human. The only way to fix this problem is to educate people.     I would say being an atheist is just a good start.