850,000,000 people around the world are Atheist, Agnostic or Non-Religious. That's more than 1 out of 10 people, making up the 4th largest belief group.

Statistics have shown that the more educated an individual, the less likely they are to be religious or believe in a god. 72% of the National Academy of Sciences members have a 'personal disbelief in god' and another 20% claim 'doubt or agnosticism'.

Less than 1% of the US prison population is 'atheist' vs. about 10% in the general population.

The Divorce rate among atheists and agnostics is 21% vs. 30% for Jews, 27% for Born again Christians, and 24% for other Christians. More Atheist Statistics...

The Atheist Empire web site was created in 1998 and is one of the largest and most popular resources for Atheists and Non-believers, featuring over 70 pages of content and has accumulated over 840,000 page views. The Great Minds Quotes section is ranked in the top two for 'atheist quotes' on both Google and Yahoo. Other sections such as the Downloads, Music and Movie Guides, Population Statistics and Godless Humor sections have gained popular appeal. More about the Atheist Empire...

About Atheism
 

Atheism Defined

Atheism (A'thE-iz"um),-n, is defined as:
1. the doctrine or belief that there is no God.
2. disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.

The term atheism comes from the Greek word atheos, meaning godless. Atheos is derived form a, meaning "without," and theos, meaning "deity".

Atheism is to be distinguished from agnosticism, which leaves open the question whether there is a god or not.

a collection of definitions and translations

Strong and Weak Atheism

Weak Atheism:

Stating that you do not believe in a god or gods.

Strong Atheism:

Asserting that God does not or can not exist.

Statistics

850,000,000 Secularists, Non-Religious, Agnostic and Atheists in the world.  That's about 15% or more than 1 out of 10 people, making this the fourth largest religious belief grouping.

The population of non-believers in the USA is about 10% and 10-25% in Europe.

Most studies of the hightly educated and scientists show a higher proportion of atheists and non-believers.

Prison populations appear to have a lower proportion of Atheists and non-believers.

Statistics of Atheists are generaly considered statisticaly low especially in 'self-identification' surveys because many who are technically 'Atheists' shy away from the term, often using 'non-religious', 'agnostic', 'secular' or 'humanist' due to Atheism's negative perception.

more in Statistics Section
 

History of Atheism

History on http://www.objectivethought.com

False Assumptions About Atheism

There is a lot of false information and social beliefs out there about atheists. This is the cause of the majority of the hate and prejudice felt towards atheists. Below are answers to the most common false assumptions about atheists.

A fair site for Christians by Christians about Atheists
CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS & RESEARCH MINISTRY: Atheism

Is Atheism a Religion?

"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color."

-Don Hirschberg

Unlike a religion, atheism is not organized under a common doctrine (belief system). The only shared opinion among atheists is the nonexistence of a deity. There are a few common beliefs among atheists such as views regarding morality, religion and spirituality, but these beliefs vary greatly and are outside the definition of atheism and thus are not required to be an atheist.

Largely, atheism remains unorganized and as some would say, "organizing atheists is like trying to heard cats".

Are Atheists immoral?

For the most part, immorality and morality are subjective. Every culture, civilization, belief system, family and individual has their own definition of what being moral means. There are however a few common ideas derived from natural laws that are considered immoral such as deceit, theft, murder any any other kind of caused suffering (see Humanism).

Statistically speaking; atheists make up a smaller percentage of the prison population than the general population and have a lower divorce rate than the major religions.+

There is no evidence that atheists are any less moral according to their society’s cultural beliefs than those of the society who subscribe to a religious doctrine. Most atheists consider themselves moral. Many atheists call themselves Secular Humanists; they adhere to a set of beliefs that promotes human values without specific allusion to religious doctrines.

From: CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS & RESEARCH MINISTRY:

"Can Atheists be ethical?
The answer to this question is a definite, 'Yes.' ...They are subject to the same laws of our country (and other countries). They have a sense of right and wrong. They must work with people and being unethical in society would not serve them very well. It is practical and logical for an atheist to be ethical and work within the norms of social behavior. Atheists, generally, are honest, hardworking people."

+ U.S. population, see statistics page for further information.

Are atheists Satanists?

As stated above (Is Atheism a religion?), atheists do not subscribe to a common doctrine (belief system). Beyond that, Satan is part of the Christian belief system. If an atheist were to believe in the Christian doctrine, he would also most likely have to believe in God and therefor would not be an atheist.

A few atheists do side with Satanists because they believe in the Humanistic and anti-Christian parts of the Satanic doctrine. This however is not common and most Satanists are theists.

Atheists are also commonly accused by Christians and other theists as being the workers of Satan (evil) or of being guided by Satan (evil). As far as I know we are all acting of our own free will.

Atheists don't believe in anything!

 

Atheists are angry or depressed!
(see picture)

Atheism as a whole is not derived from psychological conditions such as depression. Certainly there are some who act out and turn their back on the church due to depression and some join the church due to depression but those cases are not typical. In general, most non-believers live healthy lives and reject faith based on reason rather than emotional problems.

If believers are in general, happier than non-believers, that says just as much about the psychological effects of religion in numbing the mind. See 'God and the Brain'.

"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one." - George Bernard Shaw

Are atheists communists?

There are no atheists in fox holes!

An argument that only those who believe they are protected by God are true patriots and are brave enough to fight for their country. Simply not true. Sure atheists are smart enough to realize their mortality, but will and do defend their country and their beliefs.

Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers

CBS Correspondent Bob Schieffer apologizes for saying, 'their are no atheists in foxfoles'

Is there Prejudice against Atheists?

Just ask any atheist, chances are they will answer, "absolutely!" Many try to disguise discrimination against non-believers as a moral issue. Much of that is discussed in False Assumptions. That rhetoric gravely mirrors that which is used against homosexuals today and was used only decades ago against African-Americans. As acceptance for other minority groups and religions grows, Atheists will probably be the last to gain the protection under the 'PC' umbrella.

It has never been advantageous for religions to be accepting or even tolerant of Atheism and doubters. Their smear campaigns, criticism, censorship and punishment of dissenting opinions throughout history still echos today. It was seen strongest in the anti-communist era with Mccarthyism and is now seen in areas dominated by radical Islam.

The following exchange took place at the Chicago airport between Robert I. Sherman of American Atheist Press and George H. W. Bush, on August 27 1987.
RS:
"What will you do to win the votes of Americans who are atheists?"
GB:
"I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me."
RS:
"Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?"
GB:
"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
RS:
"Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?"
GB:
"Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists."

From Atheist Usenet Newsgroup FAQ

Paths to atheism

Every atheist has his own story about how he became an atheist. No atheist takes only one path; there are often many factors that take one to atheism. These factors are grouped into four distinct categories or "paths to atheism". An atheist may be the result of any combination and degree of the four paths.

Tell your story here

Discovery atheists

This is the most common path taken to atheism. The individual discovers their lack of belief in a god or gods by way of examining the definition of and the beliefs surrounding the existence of a god or gods. The disbelief or lack of belief is found either by concluding that the god cannot exist or that there is no reason to believe that the god exists.

Reactionary atheists

The individual finds that the beliefs of a particular religion does not fit them or has let them down and rebels against it by heading in the opposite direction towards non-belief.

Indoctrinated atheists

This situation is where atheism is freely or forcibly taught to the individual. It is also possible for an individual to indoctrinate themself.

Natural (Unknown concept) atheists

This is probably the least common path to atheism taken by adults. This is due to the aggressiveness and commonness of religion. When the concept of the existence of a deity is unknown, the individual is an atheist. A newborn baby is an atheist; the idea of a god is something that is taught or discovered.

Associated Philosophies

Free-Thought

Thought unrestrained by authority, tradition, or established belief, especially in matters of religion.

Humanism

Ethical theory and practice that emphasizes human interests, values, and dignity by way of reason, scientific inquiry, and human fulfillment in the natural world and often rejects the importance of belief in God.

Materialism

Preoccupation with or emphasis on material objects, comforts, and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values.

Objectivism

A philosophy created by Ayn Rand that holds the validity of objective phenomena over subjective experience.

Rationalism

From Latin meaning belonging to reason. In philosophy, it’s a theory that holds that reason alone, unaided by experience, can arrive at basic truth regarding the world.

Skepticism

A skeptical attitude or doubt towards supernatural or unproven claims