DSAGeorge: "Atheism is largely moving against the establishment, against any form of organized moral culture." - What nonsense! Perhaps to those who live in a fundamentalist society, where children are taught that they must believe in God or burn in Hell, atheism is "against the establishment", but in many societies (including non-communistic ones), people simply don't believe in God for the same reasons they don't believe in other fairy tales. Arguing that atheists "must have had problems with their fathers" is offensive and (frankly) stupid- it would be more likely to be true to argue that those who believe in God do so from an immature need to have a father figure holding their hands at all times- an imaginary one whenever a physical one is not available.
Saberi: Dear DSAGeorge, thank you for your comment. My sentence above is based on the understanding that most societies even today are theistic, we still celebrate Christmas and all religious events. So considering the psychoanalytic basis that atheism is an unconscious desire to resist authority, it is possible that atheism could be broadly understood as largely the need to move against the established and organized moral systems. That doesn’t mean that atheists cannot have their personal morals. Of course they can. As for God being similar to fairy tales, that depends on your definition or understanding of God. To some scientists and even to some theists God can simply be the larger cosmic principle.
Considering your second comment that atheists do not have problems with fathers, well that’s an open issue and as I have indicated I too believe that the Freudian explanation is too limited and generalized. But since father represents God in some way, unlike you I do not consider the link as absolutely stupid. Thanks!
Roger: Buddhism is an atheistic religion and if atheism is all that bad, then Buddhism could be considered as not representing a moral culture?
Saberi: Dear Roger, thank you for your question. I never wrote atheism is bad. Although Buddhism ‘according to many’ is an atheistic religion, I believe Buddhism is completely theistic. Of course that’s another issue. Buddhism does not mention a personal God but that does not mean Buddhism completely denies the impersonal. Buddhism like Advaita Vedanta brings out the moral strength of the individual. Hope this answers your question. Thanks!