Atheists Do Have Beliefs

Christians (and many of those in other religions) would like for people to think that all ethical and moral beliefs must be based on religious beliefs (i.e., the fear of a god). Therefore they (at least the fundamentalists) say the atheists cannot have any real beliefs. Of course, that's hogwash. Most atheists are very ethical and moral people, and have deeply held beliefs. I recently ran across this speech by Todd Stiefel at the recently held Reason Rally, and I thought it was good enough to pass on to you. This is only part of the speech -- the part dealing with atheist beliefs:

We believe there is no rational basis to discriminate on the basis of race or gender. We believe our sex live are our business, not the government’s. We believe life has the meaning we give it through increasing happiness and decreasing suffering in the world. We believe healthcare is our decision and our doctors’, not the bishops’. We value teaching how to think, not what to think. We value science, over the supernatural, as an explanation for the world around us. We believe, and value, forming opinions based on reason, not authority. We believe moral principles are tested based on their consequences, not on the dictates of ancient books and preachers. We believe we should change our beliefs based on evidence, not make them immune to questions. We believe marriage should be based on love, not hate. And most of all, we believe freedom is based on “We the People,” not “They the Clergy.”