But they are not identical. Atheism is neutral as far as a code of moral values goes - by itself, a disbelief in gods commits one to little. Joseph Stalin, the Russian dictator, was an atheist, but seems to have had little understanding of morality, showing scant humanity or respect for the lives and the rights of others. This world view is usually called Humanism because it is centred on humanity, concerned with life on this earth and the promotion of human happiness. But definitions are further confused by the fact that some religious people also consider themselves to be humanists, because of their acceptance of scientific explanations of the way the world is and their concern for human welfare, or because they decide moral issues on rational humanistic, rather than religious, grounds.
Some humanists also differ from some atheists in their attitude to religion.
Atheists vary in the certainty with which they hold to disbelief in God and in their hostility to religious belief. Sometimes this is a result of their upbringing, and those who have been subjected to religious indoctrination are often the most hostile, as well as the best informed, critics of religion. Some non-believers campaign vigorously for an end to religious privilege, or try to argue other people out of irrational beliefs. Many believe that religion has done more harm than good and that religious codes of behaviour have little to offer humanity. Others accept that others think differently from them, and work alongside religious believers to alleviate some of the world's problems.