Atheism is itself a belief. Thus, do not bash believers. Treat their belief as yours: an idea of how the world may work that is certain to you but uncertain to all else.
Furthermore, know that atheism is not superior, it’s just another worldview. Perhaps it means you have forsaken magic and fantasy as reason for our world; but it does not grant you some sort of superiority. What it does grant you is a burden, the burden of knowing that you do not know, and you seek knowledge without hindrance of preconceptions. Which comes to a problem you’ll need to figure out: are you atheist or agnostic? Atheist means you do not believe there can be any sort of theos, or god. Agnostic means you don’t know to the point you don’t believe in any common worldview. This is an apples-to-oranges comparison but vital to understanding where you stand.
All in all, being a proper atheist means you have a lot of work to do. Not only do you need to find myriad counter arguments for theism, but you need to justify your atheism. Thus, you should actually be agnostic. That is: aware that you do not know absolutely. Use this golden mindset to your advantage and engage the world with an open but skeptical mind.
You are now a learner, not a knower. A grower. And yes, indeed, a shower, when shows are shown in the shower.
The Broad Spectrum Life 
First of all I understand your dilemma having been at the onset of this realization myself. But really, your thoughts are quite confusing at this point. Atheism is not a worldview or a belief. It’s simply unbelief. The two are not the same. Theists make a claim (a big one) and have the burden of proof. I simply don’t believe the story. That is unbelief. Unbelief cannot be belief. I don’t have a lot of explaining to do. That is the pressure felt living in a world of believers, where even the silliest of beliefs is more respected than atheism.
Believers would have you believe that faith is somehow special. The the scripture says the natural man is an enemy to god, but the natural man is the believer. Everyone thinks they need a belief. Not me. I believe nothing. I don’t believe in supernatural and I see no evidence for it. I do see a lot of evidence pointing to our own crazy neurology and hormones that are manipulated, having us believe that “feelings” are the spirit. It is merely emotions, often triggered over outright lies in times of high or low emotion.
We are constantly tricked into choosing between two wrong choices. In this case beliefs. The real demon is belief itself. Belief is the seedbed of war, political fighting, genocide, hate, racism. It isn’t what you believe, it is that you believe. It’s all on the shoulders of belief. Faith can only exist without evidence. If you have to take something in belief, that is evidence that thing is not real. It may sound appealing or cool, but it is not reality. I sort of like the idea of reincarnation, but I don’t believe in it at all. It’s merely an idea.
Deciding to believe is a choice, which makes it a charade of pretense mixed with hope. Deciding to believe something you don’t know lacks integrity. We do live in a society that is full of liars raising their kids on deceit at every turn. I was telling a commenter not too long ago (he was saying my trial of faith was to help me mature in the faith) but my faith matured into integrity. I won’t say it or pretend it. I believe nothing. Without excuse, they hold the burden of proof.
Conversely, I With they would find some evidence for their religion. It would destroy faith/belief and quit denying the other realities around them. Two things happen when you decide to believe. Through repetition and submission the neurons become hardwired and the ability to ignore contradiction and the destructive behavior of belief takes hold. It means this; we are now arguing reason against physiology. The problem is physical.
The other thing is researches have found that when challenging a belief, norepinephrine is released in the brain stimulating a fight or flight. This is how they form incoherent arguments in their head before you even finish the sentence. You have challenged their right to hope. This phenomenon does not occur with knowledge and fact.
I go easy on believers, not because I respect any belief, but I understand that their physiology is the problem. It takes a special circumstance to undo this hardwiring, but time and time again after it happens, they can’t believe they ever fell for the scam. There entire worldview changes. Not by planning, but by finally becoming human again. The things they said and did by belief was not the true self, but their minds had been hijacked by belief—an idea.
I have a lot on this in my blogs. I can shoot you some links if you’re interested, or you can peruse the past few months at your leisure.
LikeLike
I agree.
Atheism is a belief, and in certain professing atheists there is an accompanying intense hope that the statements they make are really true. This hope becomes evident to those who are of other beliefs when professing atheists go to great lengths to defend their beliefs through discourse, writing papers, books, and blogs.
In my opinion, these individuals, although holding to a belief, are in actuality not fully persuaded in that belief. There remains in them a small measure of doubt that what they profess to believe isn’t really true, and it frightens them, when they consider the possibility that they might have offended a deity.
One thing that professing atheists and believers have in common is that they find it helpful to read/study what like-minded people have written and in turn, express what their own hope is in writing. Through this type of exercise doubts are for the moment quieted, and resolve is strengthened.
LikeLike
I have never read an atheist book nor do I watch the videos. I came to my conclusions on my own observations after many years in the faith. Unbelief is not belief. I believe nothing. Why would I? It doesn’t do anything except hijack good minds into thinking like everyone else, usually to their own detriment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed. Lucky for me I’m an anthropologist so atheism is a shadow term for my true beliefs; which even I don’t understand. But quantum physics may be involved.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad to see you back on the blog. 😃
This is a thought provoking post, as usual, – or is it a provoke to find answers for seeking minds ?
I think a good answer to the question – what are you looking for, (if anything ?) would point to the path of pursuit.
If you are looking for knowledge, I think it doesn’t matter whether you are an atheist or not. If you are looking for religion, then there are plenty to choose from or try out.
But if you are seeking Truth, that will mean taking the long and high road, that is narrow and full of hindrances and obstacles.
The good news is that we have the freedom to choose, – a Creator God-given, built-in structure in our minds, that allow us to choose our own path, and thus our own eventual destinies.
Do we seek truth, – or knowledge and ‘self-opinions’ as a god ?
In today’s selfie-culture self opinion rules, and orderly rules are blown away.
To my mind (my choice now !) choosing God and His Truth is the better way, albeit more difficult and more mysterious, requiring faith and courage. That sets one on the path of seeking the Truth.
And remember, not all roads lead to Rome – only one will get you there and you have to choose which road.
It all begins with a choice, a wilful decision to choose to believe in God, and the story of the Bible, – or will it be the ever far reaching equations of science, facts and knowledge.
Go for the possibles, and collapse the probables with the decisive – your very own informed Choice, – and the pray for guidance along the way.
That would be my advice to a newfound atheist.
One neuro scientist said ‘ where the mind goes, the brain follows’
After all we are all going somewhere, and that’s what this life is all about, the road we choose to travel on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I must agree that knowledge and truth are interwoven but their manifestation has no particular correlation to a specific conviction. Those who seek knowledge via truth or truth via knowledge are of a myriad belief systems. Being a human seems to be the ultimate factor. There are many ways to humanly find truth and knowledge.
LikeLiked by 1 person