Atheists don't exist

[RobbyPants]

I believe the article meant to say that we are born with the propensity to believe which is what current scientific literature would suggest, not that we are born actually believing in a god or gods which is not only absurd, it's also demosntrably false (I use myself as evidence).

I'm willing to entertain the notion that we have a predisposition for supernatural beliefs/explanations. Even if that were true (which I'm not saying it is), it's a far cry from "everyone believes in God!". It's (ironically) showing many people's view that "if not science, then God".

I am an atheist. I exist. Debunked.

Exactly. This reminds me of hearing people say that "according to what we know about aerodynamics, bumble bees shouldn't be able to fly.". Of course, when I actually witness a bumble bee flying, all I can think is "someone needs to learn more about aerodynamics before opening their mouth and looking like a moron".

[Simon Moon]

Besides the already pointed out problems with the article (quote mining, bad definitions, etc), the entire premise is faulty.

We are not 'born believers in the supernatural', we are born pattern seekers.

What the author completely misses is, that even though our pattern seeking could make us susceptible to believing in gods and the supernatural, we have the intellectual ability to override this susceptibility. We are able to apply critical thinking and skepticism to our own mistaken perceptions, and discern that something that may look like it may be due to a supernatural event, really has a natural explanation.

When I was about 12, my friend and I thought the empty house on our street was haunted because an abandoned doll moved around a bit in a bedroom when we peeked through a bedroom window. The next day I happened to see a company that takes care of flooded houses picking up their huge fan from the house. Tuned out the water heater busted and they had the fan in the house for a couple of days to dry out the carpet. The fan was at the end of the hall right outside the bedroom.

Sure, our pattern seeking brains caused us to draw a mistaken conclusion when trying to fill in the missing information. But a bit actual evidence and critical thinking cleared things up.

[Ben Davis]

Cogito atheos ergo ego sum?

I am an atheist. I exist. Debunked.

That doesn't follow.

I am an atheist, therefore I am an entity capable of convincing myself I am an atheist.

That's about as far as you can get with that.

MM

Apologies for the pidgin latin. I meant to sum up my disagreement with the article with the joke "I Think I'm an atheist therefore I am not?".

I'll hit the Collins harder next time.

[Ravenshire]

And what scientists have discovered this? Citation needed.

Some of them, apparently, according to the quotes in the article.