I had a discussuin on Quora/ about atheism and I'm posting part of it here because I fiink that it explains what I believe.  

 The original qost said that  atheists “really hate being put under a microscope and being observed by an outsider” or that we think that atheism is beyond analysis, and that theists are "nasty trolls".

I do hate being told what I thin k or believe by non-registered telepaths.

In a way he's right" atheism is beyond  analysis because it is not a belief system or a philosophy, it's just not accepting the beliefs of religion. But I think that II and probably most others would want atheism to be examined so that outsiders can understand that it makes more sense than religion.

The reply was that atheism is too clean,, high-minded and perfect;  reality is "dirty, messy and embarassing". Here's where I summed up my belief. 

 " ... Yes ~ reality is dirty and messy, but in a way we can do something about it. Atheism does not r

equire any high in the clouds thinking, it’s about accepting reality as it is, dirt and warts and all. 

Religion tells us that the universe is a grand and glorious creation ~ look at the stars and the trees and 

the rainbows; ignore cancer and predators and floods and famine and war. Religion tells us that we are

filthy sinners who need to bend to a savior to be saved, from ourselves Atheism, or maybe 

more properly humanism, tells us that we are rational, evolved beings with nobility in us. We can face r

eality as it is and decide to improve it. Religion has told us to ignore realities like evolution, the Big Bang, 

disease, heliocentric round Earth. climate change... Humanism says we can accept and DO something 

about it. Vaccines not prayers, cure disease,; psychiatry cures mental illness, not exorcisms. We have 

overcome a lot of the ills that the gods tell us are just fine: slavery, racism, rape, child trafficking, 

homophobia, misogyny, mental illness, war. We haven’t eliminated all those evils but we’re getting there. 

We have decided in spite of the gods that such things are wrong. We invented science to understand the 

universe by exploring, observing and testing instead of making up stories

You are also wrong if you think that atheists see believers as “nasty trolls”. Your motives are pure. You believe what you believe and you want us to see your truth. Some of you honestly believe that you are saving our souls from Hell.

As they say on TALK HEATHEN … We don’t hate you. We just think you’re wrong."