Can an atheist believe in an afterlife?

Question

I always hear atheist claim they believe a person has no way of coming back from the dead. Why should we settle for this? What about artificial intelligence or genetic engineering? Those are fairly good ideas

Answer 1

It's impossible for an atheist to believe in an afterlife, because only God speaks of and created a place to reside in an afterlife.

So basically no hope for them, they rather live in darkness for ever.  

Answer 2

If one is existing on a higher plane and is skilled in the necessary knowledge, they can build up the ectoplasm to appear before those on earth.

Answer 3

I don't know. CAN you? Do you posses the ability to? And if you can, good for you.

Answer 4

Lets just upload our minds into some kind of virtual characters, like that SIMS thing that was popular a while ago. lol

Answer 5

Certainly I don't believe in an afterlife with this IDENTITY.  This makes no sense and nobody ever came back to tell us about it.

However, since matter cannot be destroyed I suppose I will live on in some form or another, in another chemical form.

Also I can't say with any assurance that some form of consciousness might not survive, but again, not as a personal identity.

Heaven and h**l are fairy tales for children, but I would not be so arrogant as to know what happens to every little molecule after I die, or what type of life energy might exist.

Answer 6

I don't have much to add but I'm getting frustrated. I keep seeing comments along the lines of "No atheist believes in an afterlife". That's complete BS. I've met several atheists who believe in many different types of afterlives. Some were religious, some were not. Why everyone keeps claiming none do is beyond me. I though we were a more open minded bunch. :(

Now, to answer your question:

I personally don't believe in an afterlife and probably wouldn't want to partake in any form of science that would essentially "bring me back to life". But, it does seem possible at this point. Plus, your being open minded. You, sir, get a star!

Answer 7

Technically they could, as atheist merely means you believe in no god nor gods, but I don't think any atheist exists who does believe in an afterlife.  

And the examples you gave are not of an afterlife.  If you are somehow re-animated, that's not an afterlife, that's the same life you were living.  Anything that makes you you exists in your brain.  And when you die, your brain dies.  It may take a while but without blood it is inevitable.