There is great difficulty in maintaining an ideologically free form of atheism. As I have often repeated all atheism consists of is non-belief in gods. Yes, I personally assert that there are no gods. Some have said that by so saying I have created a belief. Yet, I think that my conclusion is totally in line with the present lack of any evidence of any gods. This assertion applies especially for those gods presently touted, as the one of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The gods they present would be unable to hide from close scrutiny… and yet they have no evidence in their support.

Upon a declaration of atheism, many other atheists make assumptions about what other ideas you must support. They make assumptions that have no foundation, just as religion has no foundation. This establishes an ideology. A foundationless ideology no different from religious ideology. Instantly, they assume, you must support every perverted idea about gender, sex, and about members of the various religious cults in existence. Granted, they make it difficult to hold certain opinions, especially those that are difficult to articulate. Just because they are difficult to delineate, however, is no reason they are not valid. Valid or not, without adequate reason to abandon those ideas, and possessing a gut “feeling” that they are valid, I see no reason to adopt the mantra of any group and abandoning my own principles.

Exactness, perfection, is impossible where principles are concerned. This is especially true when information is scant, or unavailable. When there are two sides to an issue, and both have reasonable logic backing them, it is almost impossible to simply select one over the other. Even when one side claims evidence, if that evidence is not absolutely conclusive, then a gut “feeling” may render it neutral. Is it logical to assign such power to a “feeling”. In light of the evolution of humankind, I think it is. Many times a simple “feeling” of foreboding nature has saved someone from dire consequences. Feelings cannot be dismissed outright. Evolution has created and preserved these feelings. Evolution has not been noted for wasting energy. If feelings had no purpose, no reason, we would not possess them.

Despite my efforts to control, to suppress my feelings, I grant they must have a purpose.

My “gut feeling” is that many atheists are not only atheists today. Many hold the label atheist but are actually humanist. Humanism is an ideology which encompasses many societal ideas that are of a religious nature. Someone somewhere decided that such and such must be believed and that from that such and such must be done. Atheism, on the other hand, is only non-belief in gods. Today many “atheists”, that are really “humanists”, are dictating to others what they think you must believe if you are an atheist. If you vary you pay by way of ridicule or outright shunning.

Are “gut feelings” ideologies? Perhaps to a degree, but then ideologies should be easily deconstructed via reason and logic and often times this task is nigh impossible. If you have an established outlook and it has not caused you harm, unless there is reason given for its abolishment why do so? Unless the evidence is conclusive and indisputable why change it? To change too easily lends one to manipulation. Malleability is necessary, gullibility is not. Gullibility is used by religions.