religion includes Christianity,Atheism ?

[Tank]

Im interested on what you guys think Im not against u but not for you.

Then it's worth bearing in mind that you'll get a unique answer from each of us as the only common link between atheists is that as there is no supernatural driver behind what we experience. The universe is what it is through natural processes, none of which have an understanding of why they do what they do. There is no organiser as such.

Most of you have read the Bible so you guys know what we believe so Im interested to try and see your point of view as a person and not as a Christian . How did things come to existence ?

Contrary to my current forum rank I have not read the bible. I marvel at the detail to which some people have studied it. I have however been fascinated by various scientific areas of research all my life. In particular biology which was my absolute favourite subject at school I have read many books in the areas of evolution and palaeontology. I went through a phase of interest in particle physics and devoured books in that area. I read lots of science fiction and as I like writing I started getting books on cosmology and astronomy. Reading Universe 7th edition was a mind expanding experience. So I'm not a scientist, but I understand science, its processes, flaws and results.

Can you expand on 'How things come into existence?' please. It's rather a broad topic and as such liable to get very complicated very quickly  

[dogsmycopilot]

It takes faith to believe in Atheism as much as it takes to believe in Christianity !(maybe one is harder than the other )
Does that make Atheism a religion ?

No. I don't believe in anything. If someone were to prove there was a god, nothing would change for me. I would simply be titled an anti-theist instead of an atheist. Atheist simply means I think that more than likely there is not a god. But that thought process contains nothing that you would call faith or belief. Faith is something you just know in your heart in spite of the absence of evidence. I don't just know there is no god. Now, I think science shows that there isn't, but that's not something I truly believe in the absence of evidence. I am looking at the evidence and making a conclusion.

[Martin TK]

First of all, Christianity is the belief in god, Jesus, and the holy spirit, the trinity.  Atheism, is the lack of belief in any deity, period.  We also lack a belief in the tooth fairy, santa claus, and the easter bunny.

I think that there are perhaps levels of atheism, some call it agnosticism, others may call it something else.  That's kind of the beauty of atheism, there is no central doctrine, no bible, no leader, and in many cases no real structure at all to atheism.  Most, and I'll go out on the limb here, atheist do not believe in an afterlife, in creationism, or in a central deity.  We recognize that if ONE religion is false, then they all are false.  There is NOTHING that proves one religion is the TRUE religion.

As Dawkins said, and I paraphrase, we are all atheists, believers in any one religion do not believe that the gods of any other religions are real, atheists just take it one god further.

Atheist, unlike theists, are open to the possibility of changing our minds.  IF, and there is great doubt that it will ever happen, someone does prove in the existence of a god, atheists will certain acknowledge that god.  Will we worship him/her, is up for debate, but surely we will acknowledge.  Now, I have a very good friend who is a relatively famous Theologian, who told me in a letter, "If tomorrow you provide me with absolute proof that there is no god, I will still chose to believe in my god.  For to me, it is a matter of having faith in faith.  In other words, it comforts me to believe, therefore, I will continue to rely on the comfort of my god."