"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good."

This famous biblical passage captures the essence of how the average religious person views atheism. Atheism is probably the least popular, and least understood, philosophical position in America today. The very word "atheist" often conjures up the image of an immoral, dangerous cynic - an apostle of destructive negativism.

Atheism, to put it simply, has suffered from bad press. Christians have spent a good deal of their 2,000-year history fretting over disbelievers, and a major weapon in their arsenal has been the portrayal of disbelief as the most horrendous of evils, deserving of the most severe punishment. Jesus, according to the New Testament, threatened that nonbelievers shall be thrown "into the furnace of fire" where "men will weep and gnash their teeth." The medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas, perhaps the greatest mind in Catholic history, taught "the sin of unbelief is greater than any sin that occurs in the perversion of morals," and he recommended that the heretic "be exterminated from the world by death."

It has been common for centuries to label atheism a spiritual or moral disease. Typical of this trend is a book written in 1878, titled The Natural History of Atheism, wherein the author refers to "the atheistic disease" that results from a "moral disorder of the reasonable creature." The author divides atheists into two categories: "atheistic incapables" and "atheistic monsters," and he argues that these result from "the morbid atheistic pathology."

Can we dismiss such statements as the irrational ravings of a past age? Unfortunately, no. Similar sentiments, if not asserted in such extreme language, are found today among both Catholic and Protestant theologians. A Catholic priest, writing in 1971, refers to atheism as "the most serious spiritual affliction of modern man," as "a destructive, voracious parasite," and as a disease that is "rapidly becoming virulent." Similarly, a distinguished theologian representing the Protestant evangelical movement wrote a book recently in which he proclaims, "The essence of sin is unbelief." And what is the punishment for sin, according to the theologian? He lists: "guilt, death, hell, moral servitude, and spiritual blindness." Such, we are to believe, is the destiny of the atheist.

In these commentaries I shall examine various intellectual and social issues from an atheistic perspective. As my previous remarks indicate, however, an atheist is bound to encounter a great deal of prejudicial misinformation about his position. Therefore, in order to set the record straight from the beginning, I shall now address, as briefly as possible, some of the questions most commonly asked about atheism.

What is an atheist? An atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of a god, i.e., in the existence of a supernatural being.

Why doesn't the atheist believe in a god? Quite simply, because belief in a god is unreasonable.

Can the atheist prove that a god does not exist? The atheist need not "prove" the nonexistence of a god, just as one who does not believe in magic elves, fairies, and gremlins does not have to prove their nonexistence. A person who asserts the existence of something assumes the burden of proof. The theist, or god-believer, asserts the existence of a god and must prove the claim. If the theist fails in this task, reasonable people will reject the belief as groundless. Atheists do not believe in a god because there is no reason they should.

But haven't philosophers proved the existence of a god? No. All such attempts have failed. Most philosophers and theologians now concede that belief in a god must rest on faith, not on reason.

Then why not accept the existence of a god on faith? Because to believe on faith is to defy and abandon the judgment of one's mind. Faith conflicts with reason. It cannot give you knowledge; it can only delude you into believing that you know more than you really do. Faith is intellectually dishonest, and it should be rejected by every person of integrity.

Isn't it possible for reason to err? Yes, reason is fallible, but this calls for a more diligent and conscientious use of reason, not its abandonment. Our eyesight may occasionally fail us or lead us astray, but this does not mean that we should blind ourselves or walk with our eyes closed.

But don't people need to believe in a god? No. First and foremost, a person needs to know the truth, for this is the basic means by which we function successfully in the world. To say that a person needs to believe in the irrational is a prescription for disaster.

Is atheism immoral? Far from it. An honest, carefully examined conviction can never be immoral. On the contrary, the scrupulous use of one's reason is a supreme virtue.

How can there be meaning and purpose to life without a god? This is a matter of personal responsibility. Only you, the individual, can decide whether to live your life with meaning and purpose. Pushing the responsibility onto a mysterious god is an escape, not a solution.

Why is atheism important? Atheism is important because it is reasonable, and reason is of crucial importance in human affairs. Atheism is an alternative to the morass of irrational, antimind doctrines found in various religions.

Why, then, should I consider atheism? Because you owe it to yourself to examine the issue of religious belief carefully and to reach the best judgment you can. Never, never doubt the efficacy of your mind. Never allow others, through pressure or intimidation, to cloud your judgment. If you decide that atheism is a reasonable position, then adopt it with pride and dignity. Always remember that your mind is your most precious characteristic. Do not abuse it through slavish conformity to religious doctrines.