Atheists

Atheists

There are quite a few people who have made important contributions to

atheism, scepticism, agnosticism and religious critique through

history. This page serves as an index to a series of short biographies

of some of those individuals. Included here are historians,

philosophers, statesmen, lawyers, scientists and more. Although

separated by time and profession, what unites them is a common

interest in reason, skepticism and critical thinking - in particular

when it comes to traditional beliefs and religious dogmas. This has

played an important role in the development of religion and theology

over the centuries because the challenges and questions posed by these

and similar individuals could not simply be ignored. There are perhaps

as many reasons for being an atheist as there are atheists. What I

mean by this is that the road to atheism tends to be very personal and

individual, based upon the specific circumstances of a person's life,

experiences, and attitudes.

Nevertheless, it is possible to describe some general similarities

which tend to be common among quite a few atheists, particularly

atheists in the West. It is, however, important to remember that

nothing in these general descriptions is necessarily common to all

atheists, and even when atheists do share characteristics, it cannot

be assumed that they are shared to the same degree. A particular

reason might play a very large role for one atheist, a very small role

for another, and absolutely no role whatsoever for a third. You can

reasonably assume that these generalities may be true, but to find out

if they are true and how true, it is necessary to ask.

On...

... middle of paper ...

...t Einstein was a believer

in God. The Rabbi Nathan Krass said that "the religion of Albert

Einstein will not be approved by certain sectarians but it must and

will be approved by the Jews." However, Cardinal O'Connor of Boston

had denounced General Relativity for years, saying that it "cloaked

the ghastly apparition of atheism" and that it was "befogged

speculation, producing universal doubt about God and His Creation."

Dr. Fulton Sheen told members of the Catholic Teachers Association

that the 'Times' had "degraded itself" by publishing Einstein's views,

saying that they were "the sheerest kind of stupidity and nonsense."

He asked if anyone would be willing to lay down their life for the

Milky Way, and concluded: "There is only one fault with his cosmical

religion: he put an extra letter in the word -- the letter 's'"