The wide assumption in the western world is that atheists are politically liberal socialist democrats who value technology over handiwork. Atheists apparently see our future as a utopian world driven by technology, where cybernetics have cured disease and stopped the aging process, connected us through a sort of "telepathy" by which all of our brains are connected to the Internet via neural implants. Furthermore, this technologically advanced world will have eliminated the need for divisions of labor and currency, and therefore everyone is afforded the same opportunity to pursue their vices and leisurely activity without any consequences. In this future world esoteric concepts such as "privacy" and "liberty" will be irrelevant because of the ability for any human to acquire instant gratification and infinite knowledge. Everyone will effectively be the same, so therefore there will be no need to preserve our differences: gender, race, language, culture, political inclinations, privacy preferences will all be irrelevant because we will all be highly advanced and intelligent beings. We will have become the gods of the religions that we have spent the centuries since the Renaissance debunking.
In my opinion, the reality of this ideal is that it is nothing more than an amalgamation of rumors and misinterpretations by the spiritual community about atheists. They do no understand the truly independent nature of our belief system. They assume that since we choose to accept the evidence and reject the idea of the supernatural, then we must replace their fear of death and dissatisfaction with our species' mortality and weakness with mechophilia and an extremist version of secularism. Since we do not believe in god, then clearly we are out to create god with technology and reinforce our doctrine not with scripture, but in invasive and totalitarian governance. There are certainly atheists who share this view, but believers know well that they are not all the same, so it is curious that they cannot fathom the possibility that we nonbelievers are not all the same. Karl Marx and Ayn Rand were both atheists, yet one would be hard pressed to find two more opposing world views.
In many ways, atheism is a test in one's personal resolve and tolerance for loneliness. I isolated myself from most people by declaring my rejection of belief in the supernatural. That being established, I am hard pressed to find consensus among non-believers. Sure, we all agree that there is no god, but are there spirits? Psychics? Reincarnation? What of reality itself? Is it merely an illusion created by us? Are we significant in any way, or just matter in a vast universe? Those are all philosophical and metaphysical questions, and not to be discussed here.
Where I truly find myself to be alone is my worldview. I am a social liberal: I support equal right for gays, legalized abortion, and free expression. However, I support many "conservative" ideals as well: the right to own and bear arms and free market capitalism (which is different from the schemes of Wall St. and the Federal Reserve, believe it or not). I also endorse ideas that both sides of the liberal-conservative divide are loathe to support: I think that prostitution and drugs should be decriminalized. Over all, these views (and others not mentioned) put me slightly right of center on the political spectrum, firmly in the territory of practitioners of Abrahamic religion (Christianity, Judaism, Islam). Couple that with a conspiratorial view of history and the power structure of civilization itself, and I should fit in quite nicely with the Branch Davidians or Nation Of Islam. Yet I know that their gods and scriptures are lies.
I am fascinated with survivalism and conspiracy theories, which are favorite topics of right wing apocalyptic religious (usually Christian) extremists. This does not mean that I endorse all of their ideas, but it's an enthralling world of suspicion and tenacity. Besides, what's the real harm in investing in precious metals and stockpiling of supplies? And is there really anything wrong with the theory that most of the governments of the world are basically puppet states of a secret order of the rich and powerful? Isn't there sufficient evidence to show that already?
Despite this, I am alone in the crowd. Most of my fellow atheists, even the ones who identify themselves as libertarians, mock my "pessimistic" view and predictions of a dystopian future. By contrast, most believers refuse to take anything I say seriously, because anyone who doesn't believe in god must surely be mad. If there is a lesson here, it is that one should view the world for what it is, and not let your spiritual beliefs or political inclination block that view. Though your view is clear and unobstructed, prepare to take in that view alone.
