How To Understand Atheism

Don't confuse morals with religion. An atheist may not believe in any divine retribution for immoral behavior, but that doesn't mean that atheists don't have any morals. Rather than believing in an afterlife in which there will be rewards or punishments, many atheists believe that they should be moral because that is what's best for themselves and for society as a whole. 

Atheists generally believe that science and reason can explain everything and that religion, tradition and superstition should be left out of the equation. Anything that an atheist believes is true is based on reason or scientific proof. The reason atheists don't believe in a deity or deities is that there is no proof that they exist. The same skepticism applies to the paranormal and anything else that has not been proven to exist.

There is no devil or other dark aspect too involved in atheism. Some people believe that atheists are worshippers of the devil or that they participate in dark rituals. In fact, atheists don't believe in any evil archetypes or traditions any more than they do in positive deities.

Atheists may choose to defend their lack of any beliefs in religion, or they may not. Don't assume that an atheist will want to debate religion simply because they are open about being atheist. Many atheists are besieged by religious people who want to try to convert them to religion by countering their skepticism with pro-religion arguments. Avoid this idea by respecting an atheist's personal beliefs as you would the religious beliefs of someone who adheres to a religion. 

Some prejudice still exists about atheists, and they may be sensitive to any perceived slights for their beliefs. They don't want to be "saved," to learn more about people's religions or to hear about the positive aspects of religion. They generally want their own beliefs to be respected.