Atheism is a non-belief in God. In your KS3 Religious Education lessons, you will be learning about the various different religions people believe. But what about those who have no religious beliefs?
If you take a look at a list of the most populous religions in the world, you might find a category for non-believers, or atheists. One such list has a category for "secular/agnostic/atheist", which, with 1.1 billion members, falls in third place behind Islam (1.2 billion) and Christianity (2.1 billion). This inclusion is intended to point out that a sizeable number of people have no religious beliefs.
What do these terms mean? An atheist is someone who does not believe in any supernatural beings or explanations for phenomena.
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An agnostic is a person who does not claim absolute disbelief, but feels instead that the existence or non-existence of supernatural beings is unknowable and thus keeps an open mind on the topic. But what is meant by "secular"? The word itself refers to the world, and specifically to laws that derive from civil sources, rather than from religious scripture or law. A secular country is one in which religious power is limited to its own spheres, in governing its own organisation, rather than applying to all citizens. A secular country or organisation will not discriminate between followers of different religions, or no religion. Secularism is therefore not incompatible with religious belief, instead being a guarantee of religious freedom for all. The rare exception to this is where secular states have enforced atheism.
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1.
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Atheists are people who ..... |
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[ ] |
Don't believe in supernatural beings |
[ ] |
Believe in superhuman beings |
[ ] |
Believe in supernatural beings |
[ ] |
Believe in Superman |
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2.
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Another group that reject the idea of supernaturalism is which one of the following? |
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[ ] |
Activists |
[ ] |
Capitalists |
[ ] |
Humanists |
[ ] |
Revivalists |
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3.
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Is it possible to be both an atheist and religious? |
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[ ] |
No |
[ ] |
Yes |
[ ] |
Only on Sundays |
[ ] |
Only on weekdays and Saturdays |
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4.
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Which one of these is true of atheists? |
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[ ] |
They often follow the same moral code as religious people |
[ ] |
They have no morals |
[ ] |
They have few morals |
[ ] |
They have highly developed morals |
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5.
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A person who strongly believes that religion should be excluded from government is best described as ..... |
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[ ] |
An atheist |
[ ] |
An agriculturalist |
[ ] |
A secularist |
[ ] |
A structuralist |
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6.
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Which well-known modern writer is a supporter of atheism and also the author of The Selfish Gene? |
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[ ] |
John Sawkins |
[ ] |
Kevin Lawkins |
[ ] |
Richard Dawkins |
[ ] |
Stephen Hawking |
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7.
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Atheists give many reasons for their beliefs but which one of the following is NOT used as an argument against religion? |
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[ ] |
Religion is only for the rich |
[ ] |
Religion stops people thinking in a rational way |
[ ] |
Religions obstruct scientific research |
[ ] |
Religions waste time and money |
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8.
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Some atheists concede that there are good aspects to religion - which one of the following is in that category? |
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[ ] |
Religious charities and good works |
[ ] |
Religious festivals that give meaning to life |
[ ] |
Religious rituals that explain the world and people's place in it |
[ ] |
Religious history of Christian leaders |
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9.
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Voltaire said "Those who believe absurdities will commit ..... " |
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[ ] |
Activities |
[ ] |
Amenities |
[ ] |
Annuities |
[ ] |
Atrocities |
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10.
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As with most religions there are different groups within atheism. Which of these is NOT a recognised group? |
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[ ] |
Negative |
[ ] |
Positive |
[ ] |
Weak |
[ ] |
Premier |
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1.
|
Atheists are people who ..... |
|
[x] |
Don't believe in supernatural beings |
[ ] |
Believe in superhuman beings |
[ ] |
Believe in supernatural beings |
[ ] |
Believe in Superman |
|
|
2.
|
Another group that reject the idea of supernaturalism is which one of the following? |
|
[ ] |
Activists |
[ ] |
Capitalists |
[x] |
Humanists |
[ ] |
Revivalists |
|
|
3.
|
Is it possible to be both an atheist and religious? |
|
[x] |
No |
[ ] |
Yes |
[ ] |
Only on Sundays |
[ ] |
Only on weekdays and Saturdays |
|
|
4.
|
Which one of these is true of atheists? |
|
[x] |
They often follow the same moral code as religious people |
[ ] |
They have no morals |
[ ] |
They have few morals |
[ ] |
They have highly developed morals |
|
|
5.
|
A person who strongly believes that religion should be excluded from government is best described as ..... |
|
[ ] |
An atheist |
[ ] |
An agriculturalist |
[x] |
A secularist |
[ ] |
A structuralist |
|
|
6.
|
Which well-known modern writer is a supporter of atheism and also the author of The Selfish Gene? |
|
[ ] |
John Sawkins |
[ ] |
Kevin Lawkins |
[x] |
Richard Dawkins |
[ ] |
Stephen Hawking |
|
|
7.
|
Atheists give many reasons for their beliefs but which one of the following is NOT used as an argument against religion? |
|
[x] |
Religion is only for the rich |
[ ] |
Religion stops people thinking in a rational way |
[ ] |
Religions obstruct scientific research |
[ ] |
Religions waste time and money |
|
|
8.
|
Some atheists concede that there are good aspects to religion - which one of the following is in that category? |
|
[x] |
Religious charities and good works |
[ ] |
Religious festivals that give meaning to life |
[ ] |
Religious rituals that explain the world and people's place in it |
[ ] |
Religious history of Christian leaders |
|
|
9.
|
Voltaire said "Those who believe absurdities will commit ..... " |
|
[ ] |
Activities |
[ ] |
Amenities |
[ ] |
Annuities |
[x] |
Atrocities |
|
|
10.
|
As with most religions there are different groups within atheism. Which of these is NOT a recognised group? |
|
[ ] |
Negative |
[ ] |
Positive |
[ ] |
Weak |
[x] |
Premier |
|
|