“We are all Atheists about most gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.”
Richard Dawkins
PA Non-Believers is a not-for-profit organization created to foster a community of atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists dedicated to improving the human condition through rational inquiry and creative thinking unfettered by superstition, religion, or any form of dogma. PAN is an affiliate of American Atheists, Inc. and works in full cooperation with the Council for Secular Humanism and is a member of the CSH Affiliates.
Founded
Members
1.To EDUCATE ourselves and others in the deceptions and dangers inherent in belief in the supernatural, and in the benefits to society, the family, and the individual that derive from rational thinking and the scientific method.
2.To PROMOTE skeptical thinking and nonbelief, and the humanist values of moral excellence, altruism, integrity, honesty, and personal responsibility.
3.To ADVOCATE for civil rights and for the principle of separation of church and state.
for civil rights and for the principle of separation of church and state.
4.To CHALLENGE and to confront, if necessary, those who would impose their religious values or laws on others in our society.
Please navigate to our Membership Page, to learn more about becoming a member.
Atheist only means a lack of belief in gods or deities, generally due to a lack of evidence. The Greek root ‘atheos’ means ‘without god’s’. Religions and popular culture have long wanted to believe that atheism means much more, but it does not, by definition. Now there have been many atheist’s in history specifically critical of various religious and cultural beliefs, which is likely the reason religions and cultures think atheist means more than without a belief in gods. The myopic conclusions of majority cultures often disregard the varied range of human experiences and motivations. The reasons and beliefs of any individual is often broad and the answer to what a person believes may require several questions and a willingness to listen to their human experience. An atheist (who lacks belief in gods) may also be a humanist, rationalist, skeptical thinker, moralist, altruist, or nihilist, which may be more to the point of concern for those wondering what an atheist believes. One may have not known they asked the wrong question. What you may have meant to ask, or your concern is, “what do you believe, other than not having a belief in gods?”
An agnostic is not sure if there is or is not a god of gods. An atheist does not believe in gods. Both Agnostics and Atheists have noted that there is no visible or measurable determinants for the existence of a god or gods, but generally an agnostic thinks there is a possibility that a god might exist and an atheist does not.
