Can an Atheist Be Certain There Is No God?

My journey from a believer to an atheist began in my teenage years, heavily influenced by the teachings of Catholicism. However, one pivotal moment at the age of 16, during a conversation with a classmate, I found myself questioning my faith. His simple question, 'Why do you believe in god?', marked the beginning of a profound shift in my beliefs. This moment was like a weightborne off my shoulders, and I decided not to entertain the idea of a god ever again.

During this period, I sought advice from mental health professionals at the Maryknoll Brothers counseling center. They offered vague responses like 'There are no atheists in foxholes.' While this saying is intriguing, it says more about the pressures of wartime and uncertainty rather than providing insight into the existence of a deity. An atheist, as I discovered, is someone who either does not believe in any gods or has come to understand that the idea of gods is unfounded.

The Nature of Atheism

The definition of an atheist is broad and encompasses different levels of certainty. An atheist is, at its core, someone who does not believe in any gods. Importantly, this does not automatically mean that an atheist is certain that no gods exist. In fact, the majority of atheists may simply have never seriously considered the idea of gods. They accept that gods could exist, despite the lack of objective evidence to support such claims.

A striking analogy can be drawn from the current scientific discourse surrounding the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Scientists are actively investigating the moons of Jupiter and Saturn for signs of life. There is substantial evidence to suggest that these moons may harbor liquid water beneath their icy surfaces. Given the fact that life on Earth is often found in water, it is conceivable that life could exist on these moons.

However, when asked if I believe that life exists on any of these moons, my answer is an unequivocal no. The reason is the absence of concrete evidence. On the other hand, I do believe that life might exist—it is a possibility based on the evidence we have and our understanding of the conditions necessary for life.

This same reasoning can be applied to the idea of gods. While there is no objective evidence that any gods exist, there is also no certainty that they do not. The possibility remains that some entity we might call 'god' could have caused the universe to come into existence. This absence of evidence neither proves nor disproves the existence of gods. It leaves room for the possibility of the divine, even if it is often unacknowledged.

Certainty and Possibility

It is crucial to recognize that belief in the non-existence of something requires a level of certainty that seldom exists. In the absence of proof against the existence of gods, it is reasonable to entertain the idea that they could exist. This does not necessarily mean one cannot be certain; it means that certainty is often lacking in discussions of religion and spirituality. Any claim to certainty about the non-existence of gods should be scrutinized closely, as it is fundamentally challenging to be entirely certain about that absence of something.

So, to answer the initial question, an atheist can reasonably doubt the existence of gods, but certainty is not always a requirement. The path to becoming an atheist is often marked by a journey of questioning beliefs, rather than simply declaring a definitive conclusion. Atheism, in its essence, remains a position that acknowledges the absence of evidence for the existence of deities, while not shutting out the possibility of the divine.