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What does an atheist believe? Does he say "God does not exist." Most atheists I know wouldn't say that. Even most dictionaries misrepresent atheism, with definitions like "Denial of the existence of God."
What most atheists do believe:
1. Experience and evidence should be the basis for any beliefs.
2. Those making an assertion have the responsibility for proving it.
Therefore, if I have no experience to convince me, and you do not prove the existence of God, I have no reason to believe he (or she) exists. I also have no reason to say he doesn't exist, since I could not prove this belief. Why would I waste my time trying to prove a concept as nebulous as God can't exist in reality? If I told you that a blue snake in the sky ruled the universe, you wouldn't believe me either. You would be an "aserpentist," but you wouldn't start gathering evidence that could "prove" no invisible blue snake was up there, would you?
You may wonder, if atheism is simply non-belief due to unconvincing evidence, rather than an opposite belief, where does this leave agnostics? The most honest classification would be as a type of atheist. They won't say they believe in God, so they are atheistic, aren't they? Perhaps those who call themselves agnostics are just afraid of the other "A" word.
Some refer to these types of ideas as "useful lies," because regardless of their truth or falsity, they can be beneficial as "operating principles." The idea that everything happens for a reason, for example, doesn't have to be true for it to be a useful "belief" or "operating principle. It certainly can get you looking for the lessons and other values to be found in bad situations.
God, then, exists, at least as a common belief, or "useful lie." As such, he may even do some good in the world. As for His existence in reality, even an atheist can believe in that - as soon as God comes down and shakes his hand.