ThirstyFish

When Richard Feynman, an "avowed atheist", said that "the imagination of nature is far, far greater than the imagination of man", what did he mean by "nature"? Most atheists do not actually reject the existence of a supreme imagination; They reject the anthropomorphic God or Gods of many religions.

Signs of a greater intelligence are all around us. It's in the rain, it's in the sky, it's in the stars, it's in the microscopic world, it's in abstract mathematics and it's in the numerous forms of life on earth. By comparison, human intelligence is barren. But, the mere existence of those signs does not automatically validate the teachings of any one religion. Hence, when forced to accept wildly interpreted teachings as a whole - as orthodox religions force people to do - many scientists and intellectuals are left with no choice but to declare themselves atheists.

An atheist, in a broad sense, is defined as "a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings". Yet, most atheists will readily acknowledge the existence of a supreme intelligence or a supreme imagination. And most atheists aren't even areligious. They do concern themselves with the same deep philosophical questions that religions delve into. They also have the integrity to call out the meaningless and illogical claims of causation made by religions or by clergy in the name of religions. Many atheists are deeply spiritual people, often more spiritual than the religious. They are concerned with The Truth - as it is - not as someone else says that it ought to be. Maybe "atheist" is not the best name for these truth seekers?

It doesn't matter how you label yourself or how others label you. The only thing that matters is how interested you are in The Truth, and whether you live your life in accord with it.

Here's a good book to read: "The Science Of Rain: Where Imagination Prevails".