Atheism

If you mean naturalism the philosophy, then that really depends on the family. Since naturalism depends on science, fact, observation, and rational thought--the effect on the family should be very positive. The children will be given better thinking skills because they haven't been taught to rely on supernatural forces to help them understand life. Naturalists appreciate nature, children of naturalists might be more interested in what's outside the house than what's on the television. Of course, this depends on the family, just because you're a naturalist doesn't mean you care to actually be outside. It just means that you believe in the laws of nature and not the power of supernatural beings.

Atheists are not an organized group like a religion (No creed, no secret handshake, no uniforms or organization). They have no god, therefor no need to "worship" and no ned of a place not to do it in.

He has never made this public. In one interview he just said that he's "not terribly religious", but he has never said whether he's an atheist or if he does have a religion.

Atheists believe that this is the life that we are given, and when we die we're dead. Therefore, we need to make the most out of the life we have.

We believe that morals don't need to be thrust upon us through threat of eternal punishment or reward; that we are capable of knowing right from wrong, and our own moral code is based on doing what is right for others and for humanity.

We (at least I) believe that we live on through the positive actions towards others; if I am remembered after I have gone, then my memory lives on.

We believe that people should think for themselves, and make decisions for themselves. We believe that people have incredible inner strength without the need for "help from above".

We don't think that there should be "holy wars".

I could go on and on, but perhaps this is enough for now.

demographically, yes. a recent win-gallup poll suggests that more and more people are joining the ranks of "nonbelievers" which includes atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists. the differences vary, but if the trend holds, then yes, it is the future. also, most of the rapidly developing countries, such as Denmark, Norway, china, and Sweden are among the most atheistic of countries.

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,

32% of Norwegian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God"

47% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".

17% answered that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force".

4% answered that they "do not know".

As at wikipedia.com (Read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Norway)

The Evangelican Lutheran Church is still established and administered through a Government department. There is, however, an ever ongoing political debate on separation of church and state.[14] The state also supports religious aid organisations such as Norwegian Church Aid financially. Bishops are formally nominated by the Norwegian Monarch,[15] who is the head of the church, and clerical salaries and pensions regulated by law. Clergy train in the theological faculties of the University of Oslo and the University of Tromsø, as well as Misjonshøgskolen (School of Mission and Theology) in Stavanger and Menighetsfakultetet in Oslo. Menighetsfakultetet is by far the most important educational institution for the Norwegian clergy. Men and women can both become members of the clergy of the church. The church has two sacraments namely Baptism and Holy Communion.

In Norway, 82.7% of the population are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as compared to 96% in the 1960s.[citation needed] Kevin Boyle, a professor of history at the Ohio State University says, "Most members of the state church are not active adherents, except for the rituals of birth, confirmation, weddings, and burials. Some 3 per cent on average attend church on Sunday and 10 per cent on average attend church every month."[16]

Approximately 9-10% are probably not members of any religious or philosophical communities, while 8.6 % of the population are members of other religious or philosophical communities outside the Church of Norway.[17]

Other religious groups operated freely and include Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs were present in very small numbers, together comprising less than 1 percent of the population.

In 2005, a survey conducted by Gallup International in sixty-five countries indicated that Norway was the least religious country in Western Europe, with 29% counting themselves as believing in a church or deity, 26% as being atheists, and 45% not being entirely certain.[18]

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[3] 32% of Norwegian citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 47% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 17% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

According to his myspace page he is TL Kincaid.

His beliefs changed through his life; he trained as a C of E priest as a student, later in life - largely because of the death of his daughter, he lost his faith and died an agnostic. A lot of fuss has been made over Darwin's reconversion to Christianity on his death bed. See Link for an account of his last moments.

I think you may be referring to Richard Dawkins, a Biologist. He is a very outspoken atheist.

Atheism is the disbelief in God, not an organized religion or really a religion at all so it doesn't have or need a hierarchy.

No.

Materialism is the idea that everything is either made only of matter or is dependent upon matter for its existence. It is possible for a philosophy to be materialistic and still accord a place to spirit, but most forms of materialism tend to reject the existence of spirit or anything non-physical.

That last category would be atheistic materialism. Since atheistic materialism is not a thing made from matter, it's rather an idea and we don't think of ideas as being able to reproduce themselves. They are carried forward in the thoughts of subsequent generations of thinkers.

Yes. Of course.

Well, that is debated, but for biological life, as far as we have observed, yes. However, a physicist can tell you that the physical world is an illusion, in a very real sense, and so--speaking to the category this question is under--a spiritual life must be considered for its validity. In that context, you are essentially asking if there is a God; and the best answer might be that those who have dedicated their careers to the physical world--physicists--seem to think so.

Yes. Of course.

Atheists can be optimists. They can have hope for better things in this life. They also have faith in friends and loved ones. But if the question is about the false hope for another life after death, then of course atheists do not hold out this hope. And faith in a non-existent deity is no help to an atheist.

Most atheists believe in the science. That the big bang created the world millions of years ago and animals evolved from the miniscule bacteria on the planet, and that these developed into sea creatures, land creatures, primates, and eventually, man.

No, he saw the atheists as being as dogmatic as the theists in their respective beliefs.

He didn't even try to prove or disprove God's existence. He just want to have a revaluation of moral values because he had seen Christians as worshiping already material things especially modern technologies.

I'm not entirely sure regarding the controlling part. But, There is a religion which believes that both, the universe and God are identical. The central ideas found in almost all pantheistic (gods in everything) beliefs are the view of the Cosmos as an all-encompassing unity, reverence for the Cosmos, and recognition of the sacredness of the Universe and Nature.

It is of several different types like Determinism and Indeterminism, Theistic or Atheistic, Monisms and Dualism.

At the "Earth"(not Universe) mythology level GAIA (or Gaea) is the Greek goddess of nature (in general.) Modern pagans refer to her as the Earth Goddess/Earth Mother and see the Earth as a living being

All but the drummer. Or so I've heard.

There is no specific term for an atheist who believes in the theory of God, as atheism generally refers to a lack of belief in any gods or deities. However, someone who is open to the possibility of a higher power or the existence of a God but remains skeptical or unconvinced would be considered an agnostic or a skeptic rather than an atheist.